Manifold Valley Minerals

[Geoff Cook]

3 hours ago, Mark Forrest said:

So far, so good.  Didn't burn my fingers or set anything on fire.

 

Decided I'd try with the wire soldered underneath the rail, possibly a little less solder needed next time?

After a bit of clean up:

 

I'm impressed by how strong the joint is, I've pulled on the wire with enough force to bend the rail and the wire hasn't moved at all.

 

Mark 

 

Just found this topic

 

with regards the amount of solder required, put on the joint solder the size of a pin head it goes a long way

 

Geoff

[Mark Forrest]

1 hour ago, Geoff Cook said:

 

Mark 

 

Just found this topic

 

with regards the amount of solder required, put on the joint solder the size of a pin head it goes a long way

 

Geoff

Thanks Geoff, that helps.

 

Must admit, I’m now thinking I should remake the remaining vees for the layout and silver solder them too.

[Mark Forrest]

A fairly productive afternoon has resulted in one half of the double slip starting to come together.

 

I'm using pins to temporarily locate the track parts in position as I transfer them over from the other copy of the template that's over on my workbench. 

[Mark Forrest]

After 6 months of inactivity on this project, I recently blew the dust off it to have a look at moving it forward.

 

I started by making up the blades for the first turnout as this has been holding up any further work.  Filing the blades went OK, as did silver soldering the actuation droppers in place.  However,  I'm finding soldering electrical connections on to the steel rail very difficult and resulted in a lot of weak, brittle joints.  Such was my frustration I've decided that life is too short to persevere with steel rail and have ordered some nickel silver.

 

Another source of frustration is the plastic turnout bases that I've used.  These have a moulded pip to locate the chair in the correct location.  In most cases this works OK,  but in some I've found they don't seem to locate.  When I first set out to build this I had intended to use ply sleepers, so if I'm starting again with nickel silver rail, why not switch to using ply sleepers too.

 

Which leaves me with the need to lift the timbering that's already down ready to start again.  Easiest was to do this was simply to remove the ply trackbed, leaving something of a blank canvas.

 

Having gone this far backwards, I'm now reviewing the track plan to see if I'm still happy with it.