Any Question Answered

[Richard Hall]

I am deep into uncoupling magnets at the moment, trying to develop a workable solution for my own coupler design which has much the same uncoupling requirement as the DG coupler.  I played around with electromagnets of various kinds, then tried a solenoid lifting a magnet up under the track (which caused a minor earthquake every time it was actuated, as the armature banged against its end stop).  I was very wary of servos as they are controlled by electronics which is like witchcraft as far as I am concerned.  I then found a servo controller from Heathcote Electronics which is easy to set up (according to the instructions) and gives two position control with nothing more complex than an on-off switch.  My plan is to mount a permanent magnet onto a brass flap hinge, arranged so that it drops down from the baseboard under its own weight.  The servo will be used to raise the hinge flap and the magnet with it.  I will post photos if this contraption works.  Main advantage for me is that it can be retrofitted to an existing layout without digging holes in the track: the magnets I am using will operate happily with half an inch of baseboard, trackbed and sleeper base between magnet and rail tops.  So I just need to mill out a recess in the underside of the board big enough to clear the magnet.

[DavidLong]

I've been fiddling about with the Association's code 30 strip rail. The main difficulty with using it is the unusual curve that it shows.  Here is a photo of a short length as it comes from the coil:

 

 

This is a profile view i.e. looking at the rail from the side and shows the horrendous curve which needs to be removed before laying the rail. If this curve was along the length this could be dealt with fairly easily but straightening along the 'thin' side is a bit of a battle. Does anyone have a suggestion which may be easier than using my, by now, rather battered forefinger and thumb?

 

David

[nick_bastable]

I've been fiddling about with the Association's code 30 strip rail. The main difficulty with using it is the unusual curve that it shows.  Here is a photo of a short length as it comes from the coil:

 

PICT0014.JPG

 

This is a profile view i.e. looking at the rail from the side and shows the horrendous curve which needs to be removed before laying the rail. If this curve was along the length this could be dealt with fairly easily but straightening along the 'thin' side is a bit of a battle. Does anyone have a suggestion which may be easier than using my, by now, rather battered forefinger and thumb?

 

David

sorry can not really help as I tried two coils both the same as yours, when I managed to get the curve down the running was appalling so I gave   up a went back to 40thou  even after using one of these the rail was still curved in the vertical and scoring my fingers numerous times

 

https://www.sj-jewellerysupplies.com/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIzLi1o--O2gIVFImyCh3XtQuJEAQYAyABEgJ_TPD_BwE#!/ARTISTIC-WIRE-TOOL-NYLON-WIRE-STRAIGHTENER-3-ROLLERS/p/50374264 

 

Nick

[Nigelcliffe]

I've been fiddling about with the Association's code 30 strip rail. The main difficulty with using it is the unusual curve that it shows.  ......

 

 

 

This is a profile view i.e. looking at the rail from the side and shows the horrendous curve which needs to be removed before laying the rail. If this curve was along the length this could be dealt with fairly easily but straightening along the 'thin' side is a bit of a battle. Does anyone have a suggestion which may be easier than using my, by now, rather battered forefinger and thumb?

 

David

 

 

Heat it up whilst under tension ?    That's what Bill Blackburn's rail straightening machine did, though it looked horribly dangerous.   Consisted of a pair of clamps, one fixed to a powerful spring, and an electric fire element.  Rail threaded through element, and fixed to clamp at each end.  Tension applied to spring.  Then turn on electricity to element, and as soon as the sprung clamp started to move (rail now nearly red hot), turn off power.  Allow to cool and remove rail.   Result was straight.  

Might be able to do something similar with a hung weight and careful use of a gas flame ?   Or possibly by shunting the power from a resistance soldering iron through the rail whilst held under tension.  No guarantees on either method ! 

 

Another would be a roller machine, such as Peter Clark's "mangle" which I last saw at the MRC for use on Copenhagen Field's fiddleyard track. 

[DavidLong]

I think it needs something like this:

 

https://www.handlaidtrack.com/tl-0004

 

Except this only does down to Code 40 and costs $85!

 

Still a bit safer than electric fire elements . . .

 

David

[Izzy]

I have a feeling that neither of the wire tools shown are designed or able to cope with straightening flat wire over it's longer side. This needs something that prevents the wire twisting as the curvature is unwound, which doesn't usually happen with round wire or when done with the shorter length side where twisting doesn't often result.

 

Izzy

[2mmMark]

I think it needs something like this:

 

https://www.handlaidtrack.com/tl-0004

 

Except this only does down to Code 40 and costs $85!

 

Still a bit safer than electric fire elements . . .

 

David

 

Do not heat the rail by shunting a 12v power source (like a big battery) through it. You get what is technically known as "a fuse".

 

I've tried the heat and suspend method. It sort of worked but it was difficult to get a consistent temperature.

 

There is a technique similar to the "draw through finger & thumb" method which can get a lot of the curve out, both vertical and horizontial.

 

Obtain a block of 18mm MDF, size isn't critical but it needs to be weighty enough not to slip on the bench. Next, find a reasonably hard pencil eraser. Some are far too hard to erase nicely, these are ideal!  With some suitable pliers (I use the Maun parallel jaw type), grip the one end of the rail. Using the eraser, press quite hard down on the rail flat-wise against the MDF and slowly draw it between the MDF and eraser, simultaneously pulling and curving the rail in the opposite direction to the prevailing curvature of the rail. I work on about 9 to 12 inches of rail at a time.

 

Hopefully this photo shows the basic technique

 

With a bit of practice, you can get the rail quite straight, certainly good enough to work well with soldered construction.

 

Then congratulate yourself at saving $85.

 

Mark

Edited March 29, 2018 by 2mmMark

[DavidLong]

Do not heat the rail by shunting a 12v power source (like a big battery) through it. You get what is technically known as "a fuse".

 

I've tried the heat and suspend method. It sort of worked but it was difficult to get a consistent temperature.

 

There is a technique similar to the "draw through finger & thumb" method which can get a lot of the curve out, both vertical and horizontial.

 

Obtain a block of 18mm MDF, size isn't critical but it needs to be weighty enough not to slip on the bench. Next, find a reasonably hard pencil eraser. Some are far too hard to erase nicely, these are ideal!  With some suitable pliers (I use the Maun parallel jaw type), grip the one end of the rail. Using the eraser, press quite hard down on the rail flat-wise against the MDF and slowly draw it between the MDF and eraser, simultaneously pulling and curving the rail in the opposite direction to the prevailing curvature of the rail. I work on about 9 to 12 inches of rail at a time.

 

Hopefully this photo shows the basic technique

20180329_201553_HDRa.jpg

 

With a bit of practice, you can get the rail quite straight, certainly good enough to work well with soldered construction.

20180329_201623_HDRa.jpg

 

Then congratulate yourself at saving $85.

 

Mark

 

Thanks, Mark. I'll check out the quality of our erasers and give it a try!

 

I did manage to produce quite a reasonable scale 120' using the Templot 30' setting as here:

 

 

 

I did feel that for turnouts it would be better to have the rail in slightly better shape than achieved with vice, forefinger and thumb!

 

David

[2mmMark]

I've come up with a Mk2 version which uses a small cheesehead screw to provide a fulcrum against which the rail can be worked.

 

 

This small mod makes it much easier to control the curve of the rail as it holds it flat against the MDF so you're only working in the vertical dimension. I thought it might need a washer but the width of the screw head is sufficient. Depending on the direction of the curvature, the rail can pass to the left or right of the screw.  The screw just needs to be tight enough so the rail slides easily underneath it.

 

I've done about 6 feet of code 30 rail with it this morning and it works very well.  Should also work with the code 40 strip rail too.

 

It's also occured to me that a rubber polishing block could be substituted for the eraser, thereby cleaning the rail at the same time.

 

Mark

 

Update 13/5 - I tried the polishing block, it isn't as good as the rubber eraser as it's too slippery.  There needs to be some resistance against the pull of the rail.

Edited May 13, 2018 by 2mmMark

[Richard Hall]

Heath Robinson eat your heart out.  Here is my servo-operated uncoupler installed on the coarse-scale testbed for my coupler design.  Heavy brass flap hinge with a 10 x 10 x 5 N52 Neodymium magnet glued to it, installed to fall away from the track under its own weight and lifted up by the servo arm as required.  I could just mount the magnet direct on the servo arm, but the flap hinge has two advantages.  Firstly, if the servo fails I can unplug it and operate the uncoupler manually. Secondly, if the servo does what they do occasionally and goes to full travel at max speed with no warning it won't try to punch a hole in the trackbed.  The top of the magnet is about 6mm below rail height so it will be completely invisible and can be retrofitted to existing layouts without digging holes in the ballast.  (The large hole in the baseboard here is the legacy of a previous experiment with Chinese electromagnets.) Operation is via a microswitch nailed to the controller, obviously if you have lots of uncouplers you will be looking at a different switching arrangement.  The control board is from Heathcote Electronics and does the job.

 

Main thing is that it works, so I can now get on with the rest of my life. 

 

Down:

 

 

Up:

 

 

 

Not a pretty sight...

 

 

Richard

[itsthegman]

Hello

 

I have made some points using the copper clad method some straight some curved and now I want to test them by running a loco.

 

Can I stick them down with some double sided cellotape add straight ez track and use peco rail joiners metal and insulated for ease and speed?.

 

I'm not sure what layout I would build but I'd like to run some stock at least.

 

Because I'm from a peco OO background I've made individual points not large section of flowing track.

[Crosland]

Hello

 

I have made some points using the copper clad method some straight some curved and now I want to test them by running a loco.

 

Can I stick them down with some double sided cellotape add straight ez track and use peco rail joiners metal and insulated for ease and speed?.

 

It's not usual to use rail joiners in 2FS. Even for a test track I worry that they may interfere with the smooth running given our much finer trackwork.

 

One way is to leave the rails extending past the last copper clad sleeper and then thread them into an Easytrack base. This should hold the rails in alignment with the straight track, threaded in from the other end.

[Caley Jim]

If you also stagger the rail ends and use a short length of Easitrac base then there will be no need to worry about aligning the rails accurately.  On a test track all that's needed for electrical connections is to solder some fine wire to the outside of the rail, or not if you want an insulated joint.

 

Jim

[2mmMark]

Hello

 

I have made some points using the copper clad method some straight some curved and now I want to test them by running a loco.

 

Can I stick them down with some double sided cellotape add straight ez track and use peco rail joiners metal and insulated for ease and speed?.

 

I'm not sure what layout I would build but I'd like to run some stock at least.

 

Because I'm from a peco OO background I've made individual points not large section of flowing track.

 

Do be careful that the double-sided tape isn't too strong if you want to lift and re-use the track. Some varieties of tape are quite strong.

[Donw]

Double sided tape is fine with copper clad track and straight track bit if you use flexitrack it will try to straighten out and the double sided tape will not hold it sufficiently horizontally and you can get dog legs. Using easitrac for gentle curves it may be ok if the rail is pre-curved but personally I would not trust it. Of course if you are planning to ballast track with PVA and grit that should set firm enough to hold it but it needs to be done fairly quick. 

This was based on a club layout using Z gauge where some of it had been ballasted using some soft ballast material I was asked to sort out the wiring and found every track join had moved over time. I recognise you are talking about testing but I thought it advisable to warn you as test tracks can be turned into layouts.

 

Don 

[Mr chapman]

I picked up a 2mm start pack from a guy who decided that 2mm isn't for him (fair play!) containing a mineral wagon kit and sample of track. The kit is complete although I'm missing the wheel bearings and three buffers. Is it possible to buy these before joining the association to see how I get on?

[D869]

I picked up a 2mm start pack from a guy who decided that 2mm isn't for him (fair play!) containing a mineral wagon kit and sample of track. The kit is complete although I'm missing the wheel bearings and three buffers. Is it possible to buy these before joining the association to see how I get on?

 

You should be getting a PM from Mr 2mm Shop 2 soon. Hopefully he will be able to help you out.

 

Regards, Andy

[Mr chapman]

Thanks for the help everyone Should have a complete kit soon. I'll be sure to post the results

[MrSimon]

Hello everybody,

 

I got one of the 2mm replacement underframes through the post today, but I didn't order a motor yet as I wasn't sure which to get. I'm not using DCC, if that makes any difference, but I'm keen to find out which motor people have used for the J94. Also, how people have mounted the motors on the J94 chassis?

 

I've never built a loco chassis before so this is going to be a steep learning curve.

 

Thanks in advance

Simon

[Phil Copleston]

Incidentally, I think it's a little bit cheeky to describe building a motor as "insane". At the time Stewart Hine built his 45XX in the early 1960s, it was the only option.

 

Mark

 

I quite agree, Mark. At the time there was nothing 'insane' about making your own motor. Indeed, for some it was the preferred option to avoid having to compromise on the scale outline of the superstucture by trying to otherwise squeeze in an over-large commercial motor.

 

Pioneering John Penri-Griffiths (of 2mm scale, 4mm gauge 'Vale of Penwal' layout fame) published an article in Model Railway News in the August 1958 issue ('Building J B Earle' - see attached) in which he advocated constructing the very small body shell of his 2mm NG locos FIRST, then went on to build the chassis. Only then would he make a home-made motor to fit the remaining available space. This was to ENSURE the prototypical outline of the tiny model was not compromised. Quite the opposite construction sequence of supposed modern modelling 'good advice'. And one which still has a lot of merit I think, particularly for very small models.

 

Stewart Hine and Denys Brownlee held a day-seminar on motor contruction at Keen House, London, in the mid 1990s which I attended. Each of them practically demonstrated how to make your own miniature electric motors: Stewart the home-made iron-cored conventional motor, fabricating the armature stampings, making a comutator etc; Denys showed his home-made coreless motors, took them apart, and demonstrated how to wind and embed in resin the armature looms.

 

We all went home from Keen House having the apparent mysteries of these wonderous devices dispelled, and clutching written instructions and diagrammes of how to make them, and a 'kit of materials', thin sheet iron, bobbins of armature wire etc. to give us a start at having a go ourselves. All very enlightening. And not the sort of heavily practical demonstration one is likely to encounter today, more's the pity.

 

So don't knock it. There may be lots of cheap coreless instrument motors flooding the online market these days; some rather robust and very usable, others less so. But the art of making your own motor (like hobbing your own gears) is not one that should be lightly dismissed. Stewart Hine and Denys Brownlee were craftsmen in the good old fashioned sense and got personal satisfaction from making it themselves. But more importantly, they were more than happy to pass on their skils and modelling philosophy of "if you can't buy it then get stuck in and make it yourself". A scratchbuilding creed worth reviving, methinks.

'Building J B Earle' loco construction article by J Penri Griffiths (MRN Aug 1958, p181-83, 201).pdf

Edited April 11, 2018 by Phil Copleston

[Mr chapman]

Are there any particular tools that are useful for 2mm and may not be in a regular kit used for 4mm plus?

[Steven Draper]

Are there any particular tools that are useful for 2mm and may not be in a regular kit used for 4mm plus?

 

 

That's a good question and I'm currently acquiring bits and pieces from here and there as funds allow. 

 

What would also be interesting to know is most tools come in various grades from cheap and cheerful (or not !!) through mid range to the various higher end products. It would be interesting to know from the wisdom of members where spending a bit more might be useful to achieving a higher quality 'build' or less frustrating experience -- and where the cheap and cheerful is more than adequate. 

 

[Ian Morgan]

Needle Files - get some good ones (e.g. Valorbe) and look after them. Store them separately as they damage each other if bundled together. Use cheap ones on white metal and solder, which clogs the teeth. Unclog them with a thin strip of brass.

[Valentin]

I'm sure other users will have plenty of tips for you; mine is to get yourselves the best possible tweezers, like these ones.

[CF MRC]

Emphatically, a decent vice is required. Quite expensive, but worth every penny.

http://www.cooksongold.com/Jewellery-Tools/Precision-Bench-Vice-prcode-997-1080

I could not produce my engines without a similar version.

 

Tim

Edited April 18, 2018 by CF MRC