RMweb Premium 47137 Posted March 10, 2015 RMweb Premium Share Posted March 10, 2015 How would you propose to construct the traverser/sector plate when you are using a foamboard base? Here is a photo of how I did it, but of course it did involve wood work: Next time I would add some bracing to the plate itself, even a small one can warp a bit. There are some detailed pics here: http://www.castellybwrdd.myzen.co.uk/#sectorplate. - Richard. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
flexible_coupling Posted March 11, 2015 Share Posted March 11, 2015 I like the integrated Modratec frame... would rather like to have one of them in my next layout. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium 47137 Posted March 11, 2015 RMweb Premium Share Posted March 11, 2015 It's a bit sad to discuss this on a thread for a chap with his arm in plaster, but the Modratec frame is a good design and if you did "metalwork" at school then the fettling and assembly of the parts is an exercise in nostalgia. The finished thing is robust enough to show off to visitors to let them try it out and see how the locking works. - Richard. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Dava Posted March 13, 2015 Author RMweb Premium Share Posted March 13, 2015 Tonight I cut side & end f-boards for 1 base & wood glued them on. Wrist being strapped up means quality of cut & fit is not great but it exercises hand & we'll see how its dried in the morning. I certainly couldn't have made anything else. May get the 2nd base done at weekend. Now recovering with Tylenol & Big Spruce Mr IncREDible, a fine strong beer. Dava 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Dava Posted March 15, 2015 Author RMweb Premium Share Posted March 15, 2015 After sunny cold weather the last few days there is a snowstorm here with up to 30cm now falling, so not spring yet. We had a trip out to replenish beer, foamboard & other supplies yesterday! I have made progress on the baseboards. The second one has had the top laminated, side & end rails cut. I'll assemble it later today. Using adhesive tape to hold the parts while PVA glue sets is not ideal as it peels the paper off when removed! Pic below shows the first board with some track for testing. I'll add backboards after the track is down. It looks like a simple track layout with 2 sidings on 1 board, 1 serving a loading dock, and a sector plate on the other also serving a short siding. Dava 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Dava Posted March 17, 2015 Author RMweb Premium Share Posted March 17, 2015 Another snow day today, there was about 60cm by this morning. Crazy weather, we could not go out. We got plowed out mid-afternoon but work was closed so after doing some tasks at home it was back to the foam-boards. Here are the undersides with cross-bracing added & corner stiffeners from cat food card packaging. I will have to devise a baseboard fixing. Then the boards were put on the workbench and some track added. This shows the rough layout with 2 sidings, a point, and track on the right end where the sector table will be. The Sentinel is fine on this little layout, you will be able to fit 3 wagons in each siding. Snowing again so we'll have to see if we can get out tomorrow! Dava 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Dava Posted March 20, 2015 Author RMweb Premium Share Posted March 20, 2015 (edited) Progress on the layout has really just been gluing bits of foamboard, working out how to fix the boards together - looks like a pair of Walsworth Models spring dowels I bought may be the answer - and shunting a loco up & down. So no photos. Meanwhile the weather has been spectacular with 2.5 storm days since Sunday & a 90cm dump of snow with lots of it blowing. No comparison with UK. Even locals amazed, despondent etc about this. So looked outside this morning.... Where's the drive? That's the house, dig here... Plow me out, big boy! Looks like back to work tomorrow. Mrs doesnt like driving in snow, I can't drive cos of my wrist. Hope the snow holds off Saturday as we need to stock up on Big Spruce Beer & painkillers (& other stuff). Also hope to work on layout with sense of renewed meaning in life. Dava Edited March 20, 2015 by Dava 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
trisonic Posted March 20, 2015 Share Posted March 20, 2015 (edited) Any suggestions for bracing/frame method for 3x1 foam boards? Its 5mm thick All I can cut is f-board not wood so considering a 1" laminated frame round the edges with a 9" back scene board & crossbracing every 12" Advise welcome! Dava I’ve seen foam board braced with strips of yet more foam board on edge and glued with a hot glue gun (from Home Depot). Seems doable with your condition. I must say however that I have some foam board which has bowed - though I would stress it was not braced. Yeah we’re getting more snow tomorrow too. Just a light dusting of possibly 5 inches, though - we’re 20 degrees f short of normal average temps - must be Global Warming Best, Pete. Edited March 20, 2015 by trisonic 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
PatB Posted March 20, 2015 Share Posted March 20, 2015 At work I just sent a couple of our guys to North America. They've spent this week inspecting factories in Portland, Oregon, and Detroit. I do wonder if I was unnecessarily cruel . Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Dava Posted March 20, 2015 Author RMweb Premium Share Posted March 20, 2015 Oregon should be OK, above 0 most of this winter, Detroit should be interesting! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Dava Posted March 25, 2015 Author RMweb Premium Share Posted March 25, 2015 Just to say I fitted the baseboard dowel joiners this weekend, as below. We'll have to see how these stand up to use as they're mounted in foamboard. Called in at Dollarama & got a corrugated plastic-card 'A Vendre' sign which could be the basis of the sector table, with reinforcement. They also sell foamboard without the card outer covering. Return trip to hospital yesterday got the wrist re-cast for the next 3-4 weeks. No more mobility but the modelling & light tool use is good therapy & keeps muscles flexing even if results a bit iffy. Also managed to start a home brew kit last night! Dava 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Dava Posted April 5, 2015 Author RMweb Premium Share Posted April 5, 2015 Update from Nova Scotia on modelling....no Easter shows to go to here, sunny but lots of slowly thawing snow. Weekend means progress on the micro-layout with track being laid. Here is the base material for the sector table, a corrugated plastic card sign from Dollarama! Back to the layout, quite a lot of track preparation work done since, wire drops soldered to the track sections, alignments and test running done. Everything takes longer with the wrist still in plaster, but I'm learning to re-use hand tools like files, hacksaw, even soldering iron, so I guess its good exercise. Here is the layout from the sector table end, the table has glued reinforcements at each edge and pivots from a bolt in an aluminium tube. The tracks will be laid next on the table with the siding coming off being last. All similar to the design on 'Coney Hill; but in board not plywood. From the siding end, the tracks are down and minor fettling & adjustments needed together with point control. Finally, the layout now has a name....'Coxheath Sidings' named after the district we live in. Lets assume the sidings serve a loading dock off an industrial railway. What the traffic is remains to be seen. After the track is down the wiring will be next, nice and simple.... Dava 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold NeilHB Posted April 6, 2015 RMweb Gold Share Posted April 6, 2015 Looks good Dave! I like the nice simple baseboard - what have you used to join the foamboard sheets together? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Dava Posted April 6, 2015 Author RMweb Premium Share Posted April 6, 2015 Hi Neil I used PVA wood glue & card glue, it seems fine Track is stuck down with No more nails as pins don't work in f-board I like the coaches on your thread, think we met at Mickleover when I had my last layout there? Dava Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold NeilHB Posted April 6, 2015 RMweb Gold Share Posted April 6, 2015 Thanks Dave - will have to give that a go - I've used no more nails before to make the boards for my previous layout but will have to give the PVA wood/card glue option a go. Thanks. Yes we did - didn't we send my Midland 1F for a spin on Coney Hill? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Dava Posted April 6, 2015 Author RMweb Premium Share Posted April 6, 2015 Yes- that was the one- happy days! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Dava Posted April 12, 2015 Author RMweb Premium Share Posted April 12, 2015 Update: I spent a couple of evenings track laying, then this evening wiring. A bit too fast as each board has a crossed polarity which will need sorting tomorrow. Dava Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Dava Posted April 13, 2015 Author RMweb Premium Share Posted April 13, 2015 Today I sorted out the wiring errors and completed under the layout. Then various bits of attention to the trackwork and at last some test running with the Y3 Sentinel and some wagons. This is the sector table end. Clearances between the tracks are minimal but a shunter and wagons will pass. Each track holds a loco and 2 wagons. We'll be sticking to 0-4-0 locos and short wagons, in the main. 8 will be enough at any one time. The sidings can each hold 2-3 wagons depending on their length. This end shows where the loading dock will be. I'm not going to pretend any of this is particularly good modelling, even by my standards. What I have found is that in a brutally long cold Canadian winter I've been able to do something creative, and using modelling tools has helped rehabilitate my wrist injury. I/m hopeful the cast will come off this week. There's a lot to be said for modelling as therapy, not just the quality of the end result. I've gained practice using foamboard and as well as a test track I can use this to work up some simple building construction and scenic ideas. Some simple buffer stops are obviously required next! More to follow. Dava 7 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold NeilHB Posted April 13, 2015 RMweb Gold Share Posted April 13, 2015 Looks good Dave! Guessing some thorough 'testing' is needed now the wiring is done...! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Dava Posted April 14, 2015 Author RMweb Premium Share Posted April 14, 2015 Modelling suspended on 14/4 as its my birthday....wont say how old but apparently its got 2 x 5s in it.... Am really hopeful that either the Dapol Terrier or Heljan AC Cars railbus I ordered for previous birthdays 'x' years ago may be a lovely surprise from Canada Post...? Dava 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Posted April 14, 2015 Share Posted April 14, 2015 Well its a Happy Birthday from me. Bon Anniversary. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Izzy Posted April 14, 2015 RMweb Premium Share Posted April 14, 2015 With regard to using foamboard for baseboards, I have been experimenting with a sandwiched construction of foamboard layered with artists mount board as a harder skin. This seems to work okay and as well as giving a bit of extra strength means small screws/pins can be driven into it. Although a single foam layer is fairly firm, two is much better - with a mount board layer between to maintain the sandwich construction. To protect the edges though, which can easily be bashed in, thin strips of mount board are also glued on. What I like about this is the lack of mess. Just a craft knife, cutting board, straight edge, and PVA. Izzy Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold NeilHB Posted April 14, 2015 RMweb Gold Share Posted April 14, 2015 Happy Birthday Dave! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Dava Posted April 16, 2015 Author RMweb Premium Share Posted April 16, 2015 Thanks for kind wishes. Plaster cast on my wrist came off today, feels vulnerable & work needed to regain full use. Shunted layout with Ixion Fowler diesel which runs so well. Dava 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
andyram Posted May 23, 2015 Share Posted May 23, 2015 It is looking good. Hope your wrist is on the mend. Good to see you layout building again. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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