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Simple to use Common crossing jig


hayfield
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On 06/07/2020 at 21:42, Tim Dubya said:

 

As an aside, where do you get the flat bar for the crossing gauge, in the background?  I can find bar @0.8mm thick (but I guess that would be for P4 ?)  but I'm after 1mm thick for OO-SF / EM.  I've  looked on eBay and a general Google but with fruitless results.

 

Cheers

PM sent, Tim ^_^

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My 1st attempt.

Still waiting delivery of copper clad strip and a set of metric feeler gauges so it was a bit guess work and the brass strip was a bit thin really. The wing rails are not in the correct position, i will re solder them next week. Off to walk some of the old Somerset and Dorset railway for the next few days, hopefully the pubs will be open.

The EMGS common crossing jig is a work of genius, so simple.

 

Thanks for all the advice.

 

 

IMG_20200709_165920.jpg

Edited by down the sdjr
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6 minutes ago, Grovenor said:

The EMGS crosing jig should be 1mm thick so it acts as the flangway gauge, IMHO that's the point of it. If the thickness is wrong its just acting as a straight edge.

Thats not how you use it. The instructions state the flangeway guide sets the rail,the jig is like a extra pair of hands and really clever. The jig is about 0.5mm thick.

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7 minutes ago, Grovenor said:

I'll have to hunt up the original article and see if it matches my memory!

It really is a clever little thing.

I presume it was invented by some engineer in the 50s, makes my generation look stupid with all our computers. Just clever problem solving,

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29 minutes ago, Grovenor said:

The EMGS crosing jig should be 1mm thick so it acts as the flangway gauge, IMHO that's the point of it. If the thickness is wrong its just acting as a straight edge.

 

I think you are talking at cross purposes, the op was referring to either the Vee filing jig or the EMGS common crossing assembly jig (multi angle and gauge)

 

You are referring to the wing rail gauge

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3 hours ago, hayfield said:

 

I think you are talking at cross purposes, the op was referring to either the Vee filing jig or the EMGS common crossing assembly jig (multi angle and gauge)

 

You are referring to the wing rail gauge

Actually I was referring to the assembly jig that is the subject of this topic and shown clearly in the first post which you made. I remember an article on it quite clearly but searching the MRJ and S4N indexes has failed to find it, so I am unlikely now to ever know if I am wrong or right!

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8 hours ago, Grovenor said:

Actually I was referring to the assembly jig that is the subject of this topic and shown clearly in the first post which you made. I remember an article on it quite clearly but searching the MRJ and S4N indexes has failed to find it, so I am unlikely now to ever know if I am wrong or right!

 

Your assumption was the same I had when I first bought the item. it never crossed my mind to go online and read the instructions (I never had a hard copy of the EMGS manual and my new desk top has no CD rom) The instruction sheet shows both how to make the jig using their etch, then how to use it in conjunction with their wing rail gauge

 

The etch is made from 0.4 mm thick brass sheet, its function is to hold the first V and wing rail upright whilst being soldered together

 

Step 1 Place two PCB strips in the first two slots of the jig as shown and clamp the vee with its point on the second strip, Solder the vee to the two strips.

Step 2 Add two further strips (the jig allows you to add a third if you require additional strength. However, this is generally unnecessary). Clamp one of the wing rails to the same side of the etch as the vee. Insert the flangeway gauge between the wing rail and vee and adjust the position of the wing rail until it is a snug fit against the gauge. This will give the correct spacing between the vee and wing rail. Solder the wing rail and vee to the four strips. (Note: the etch only gives a straight line from the vee to the wing rail. It is not used to give the correct flangeway spacing - this is the job of your chosen flangeway gauge

Step 3 Remove the clips and lift the 'half crossing' from the jig. Rotate it and replace as shown.

Step 4 Repeat step 2 with the second wing rail. You should now have something like this (below right) which only requires the PCB strips trimming off and the assembly cleaning up

 

To all those who are not a member of the ENGS or P4 societies, Even if you do not model in EM gauge its well worth joining the society if you are going to build some turnouts and crossings

 

1/ Access to their manual, with excellent instructions in not only track building but other areas of railway modelling. Old dogs can learn new tricks !!!

2/ Access to the stores, buying Exactoscale parts at what is discounted member prices (plus access to many other railway modelling parts)

3/ Access to their jigs, so much better than filing by eye, and when you are finished they have a great resale value

 

The fee for membership not only is great value for the above benefits but is soon recouped from the savings in buying discounted track parts

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9 hours ago, Grovenor said:

Actually I was referring to the assembly jig that is the subject of this topic and shown clearly in the first post which you made. I remember an article on it quite clearly but searching the MRJ and S4N indexes has failed to find it, so I am unlikely now to ever know if I am wrong or right!

 

I've sent you a pm.

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On 10/07/2020 at 07:48, hayfield said:

To all those who are not a member of the ENGS or P4 societies, Even if you do not model in EM gauge its well worth joining the society if you are going to build some turnouts and crossings

 

1/ Access to their manual, with excellent instructions in not only track building but other areas of railway modelling. Old dogs can learn new tricks !!!

2/ Access to the stores, buying Exactoscale parts at what is discounted member prices (plus access to many other railway modelling parts)

3/ Access to their jigs, so much better than filing by eye, and when you are finished they have a great resale value

 

The fee for membership not only is great value for the above benefits but is soon recouped from the savings in buying discounted track parts

 

Also, with the Scalefour Society (= P4) you get access to a very knowledgeable discussion Forum (non- members get partial access, i.e. they can read most (all?)  things but can only post in a "Guest" section) plus an excellent colour magazine - which I think is equal to (and often better than...) MRJ.  The EMGS stores offers items that are likely to be of use to both 00 and EM modellers, such as wheels; the S4soc only offers P4 wheels, but many other items are useful to other gauges (e.g. the Lever Frame).   I'm a member of both societies, but my interest lies with 00-sf; it was going to be EM but I was seduced by far too many RTR offerings to make conversion of these to EM a sensible option.....

HTH

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26 minutes ago, polybear said:

 

Also, with the Scalefour Society (= P4) you get access to a very knowledgeable discussion Forum (non- members get partial access, i.e. they can read most (all?)  things but can only post in a "Guest" section) plus an excellent colour magazine - which I think is equal to (and often better than...) MRJ.  The EMGS stores offers items that are likely to be of use to both 00 and EM modellers, such as wheels; the S4soc only offers P4 wheels, but many other items are useful to other gauges (e.g. the Lever Frame).   I'm a member of both societies, but my interest lies with 00-sf; it was going to be EM but I was seduced by far too many RTR offerings to make conversion of these to EM a sensible option.....

HTH

 

I was going to build my main layout to 00SF, but as I have kit locos and stock I decided it was just as easy to build to EM standards, plus the extra width in the frames help

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49 minutes ago, polybear said:

 

Also, with the Scalefour Society (= P4) you get access to a very knowledgeable discussion Forum (non- members get partial access, i.e. they can read most (all?)  things but can only post in a "Guest" section) plus an excellent colour magazine - which I think is equal to (and often better than...) MRJ.  The EMGS stores offers items that are likely to be of use to both 00 and EM modellers, such as wheels; the S4soc only offers P4 wheels, but many other items are useful to other gauges (e.g. the Lever Frame).   I'm a member of both societies, but my interest lies with 00-sf; it was going to be EM but I was seduced by far too many RTR offerings to make conversion of these to EM a sensible option.....

HTH

 

1215109190_seduce600.jpg.40e704a801d2fdbcdf740e621e4666cf.jpg

 

I rest my case. ;)

 

Andy

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Hello John

 

These construction aids are very good if you are producing just straight turnouts. But in reality, if you've decided to make your own turnouts, it's probably because you realise that most aren't straight, but curved, even if only slightly (this is true of UK and much of Europe, but not of USA, Australia etc). Of course you could then be clever and make your own jig curved- but then of course, anyone who looks at track long enough will realise that in any location, seldom are all the turnouts the same. Indeed, in one area I am looking at there's everything from 9ft V6 to C10s all in the space of a few hundred yards.

 

My solution (and I am yet to make this work fully...yet...) is to print out each turnout from Templot, drilling 0.5mm holes at the right location and using 0.6mm drill bits posted in them vertically- the reason being that I've not yet found any metal rod that's strong enough to do the job.

 

NB before I offend anyone, I am not suggesting my version is foolproof either, I'm just expressing the difficulties I found with the straight edge version.

 

Derek

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Derek

 

I think most folk usually make normal straight common crossings and that curviform vees are the exception, still each to their own. To date these very simple  (and cheap) jigs are exceptionally easy to use once you get the hang of them, and the entrance and exits can be curved if required once built, just leave the rails overlong and cut to length once formed

 

Whether its worth the time and effort, but you could build a curved jig and these jigs are very cheap £2.50 (plus postage) I bought a couple of spares as I want to make a more substantial jig using Aluminum as the bed. If anyone wants one I have the odd spare providing they cover the of the etch & postage.  

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2 minutes ago, hayfield said:

 

I have one spare £2.50 +£1.25 postage if you are interested

Ah, sorry Hayfield i miss understood. I thought you meant the Aluminium jigs would be for sale. I am not sure the wooden one i made is 100% flat.

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Just now, down the sdjr said:

Ah, sorry Hayfield i miss understood. I thought you meant the Aluminium jigs would be for sale. I am not sure the wooden one i made is 100% flat.

 

 

No its the brass fret I have spare, however if my experiment works I will have some spare strip left and happy to make a second, price will be a bit dearer as I have to buy the ali strip, so a bit towards the outlay would be required.

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1 minute ago, hayfield said:

 

 

No its the brass fret I have spare, however if my experiment works I will have some spare strip left and happy to make a second, price will be a bit dearer as I have to buy the ali strip, so a bit towards the outlay would be required.

Count me in. Sounds great.

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Back on July 1st I showed a photo of a hand-made version of the EMGS crossing jig which was to be used for making crossings in 2FS. As a refresher, here's a picture of the jig:

 

001.jpg.58db9ee19bb2a194884f4a693fca73ef.jpg

 

I finally got around to using it last month so I thought that I would show how I got on. Firstly I'll show a photo of the 2mm Scale Associations jig by which the filing of the rails for the vee and its subsequent assembly are accomplished:

 

010.jpg.0004421266c3fe9443d868d5931a67c0.jpg

 

This is a 1:6 but other angles are available. The next photo shows the jig being used to add the second wing rail (I forgot to take a shot of the first one!):

 

009.jpg.152d9f13f855c9308f36f63a893606c4.jpg

 

Then a couple of photos of the crossing assembly in place on the turnout:

 

011.jpg.a5a37e03f68f25bc2b386a172d0261ea.jpg

 

013.jpg.b91f4e3d44ba5ec61d9cd3acc4109aab.jpg

 

Finally one of the finished turnout:

 

023.JPG.2cd750df8bf86f6c9c80840a2f72bf29.JPG

 

All in all in what a very successful exercise and I shall continue to make use of the jig. The only mistake that I made was that when it came to soldering the assembly in place on the pcb timbers for the first couple of joints I used a slightly too large diameter of solder ball. This resulted in a larger joint than was required to get the half chair near to the rail. I did manage to file the joints back but they are still a little distant. Later joints were done more successfully with a smaller diameter of solder ball.

As an aside I'll show the method of operation of the points using an idea from Megapoints. The mounting of the servo is the same but, sadly for their sales, I use hacked servos from which all the wiring, save those to the motor, has been removed. Operation is by a single AA battery via a DPDT bias switch and crossing polarity change is by frog juicer.

 

025.JPG.490f5a02e002b68755061b479a0c096f.JPG

 

Many thanks for drawing the jig to my attention, John, as I hadn't noticed it in the EMGS lists but I shall certainly be making use of my version in future.

 

David

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I made one from a bit of scrap ali strip and a couple of bits of plywood. however I cut the middle slots with too big a gap so it doesn't work properly, so I'll remove the ali strip, turn it round and file some new slots. Simples.

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I am building my first crossover with my own made common crossings, still not very good but each one improves a bit. Exactoscale sleepers, Nickle Silver rail from the EMGS and the new 3 bolt chair sprues from C&L.

 

 

 

IMG_20200905_202843.jpg

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