Andrew Young Posted February 6 Share Posted February 6 9 hours ago, PaulRhB said: Yes I saw those but adding my modular ends adds £14 to £57.50 = £71.50 and these boards cost me about £25 each cutting the rest myself so as I have the tools it nearly cuts the cost by ⅔. Oh yes, using your end templates and building boards yourself makes an appreciable saving especially over half a dozen or more boards. My previous attempts baseboard building were neither straight nor true, hence my move to laser cut kits, more expensive but they provide a working layout! Seeing your templates and method of construction has made me think again about having a go at making my own. Cheers, Andrew 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold PaulRhB Posted February 6 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted February 6 (edited) 4 hours ago, Andrew Young said: Oh yes, using your end templates and building boards yourself makes an appreciable saving especially over half a dozen or more boards. My previous attempts baseboard building were neither straight nor true, hence my move to laser cut kits, more expensive but they provide a working layout! Seeing your templates and method of construction has made me think again about having a go at making my own. Cheers, Andrew I just made a 4x2 bench from a sheet of ply braced with 2x2’s and I use that on two sawhorses outside the garage. It gives me a flat surface to get it all square. There will also be 3mm mdf or ply added as the scenic profile on the sides so that will increase strength as a laminate on the sides. Edited February 6 by PaulRhB 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold PaulRhB Posted February 6 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted February 6 (edited) This afternoon’s work means the corners are complete along with the endplates to store them. Edited February 6 by PaulRhB 3 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew Young Posted February 6 Share Posted February 6 9 hours ago, PaulRhB said: I just made a 4x2 bench from a sheet of ply braced with 2x2’s and I use that on two sawhorses outside the garage. It gives me a flat surface to get it all square. There will also be 3mm mdf or ply added as the scenic profile on the sides so that will increase strength as a laminate on the sides. Thanks. Sounds relatively simple and straight forward! And the resulting boards you produce look very good. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold PaulRhB Posted February 6 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted February 6 (edited) 1 hour ago, Andrew Young said: Thanks. Sounds relatively simple and straight forward! And the resulting boards you produce look very good. Just buy a decent saw for the straight cuts, I use a Stanley ‘Fatmax’ which stays nice and sharp and will cut through four sheets of 9mm ply easily. Another tip is it’s usually a lot cheaper to get an 8x4 sheet cut to size than buy several 4x2 sheets if your using a B&Q ;) Edited February 6 by PaulRhB 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew Young Posted February 7 Share Posted February 7 7 hours ago, PaulRhB said: Just buy a decent saw for the straight cuts, I use a Stanley ‘Fatmax’ which stays nice and sharp and will cut through four sheets of 9mm ply easily. Another tip is it’s usually a lot cheaper to get an 8x4 sheet cut to size than buy several 4x2 sheets if your using a B&Q ;) Yes, a new saw would be a wise investment! There’s a Harlows timber merchants in Burton that will cut ply to your requirements which is where I’d get mine from. Presume from your comment that you use 9mm ply for the baseboard tops. Do you use something thinner for the sides? Cheers, Andrew 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold PaulRhB Posted February 7 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted February 7 5 hours ago, Andrew Young said: Presume from your comment that you use 9mm ply for the baseboard tops. Do you use something thinner for the sides? I do on the curved boards as it bends easier, it’s 5mm ply. The curve increases its rigidity anyway so it can’t flop sideways and I’m adding 2mm mdf outside skin as the scenery profile so once that’s laminated on it’s 7mm anyway. On straight boards I use 9mm ply for the sides for rigidity still. 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold PaulRhB Posted February 13 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted February 13 (edited) I scanned the drawings for Collard bridge and mocked it up in card. I’ve increased the height by a few mm simply so I can run bigger locos in the future as this is modular O16.5 rather than a pure L&B layout. So while it may run as L&B out n about at home anything goes 😉 The ply represents the track and cork. Edited February 13 by PaulRhB 10 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold PaulRhB Posted February 16 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted February 16 The legs will be common to all three modular projects to save money and space. Basically 2x1 glued and screwed to the plate with a further brace lower down. The station boards have proper lateral bracing so the flat plate will be adequate on these. the modules, (green), sit on the top of the 2x1 for approximate alignment and as the holes are 8mm they can shimmed with card to get accurate alignment before tightening the bolts. 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold PaulRhB Posted February 20 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted February 20 The bridge will go where the blue lines are, last pair of fascia’s glued up and clamped up so the fun bit next. 120° ready for track 9 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew Young Posted February 20 Share Posted February 20 That’s going to look great with the trains sweeping round the corner under the bridge. Andrew 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold PaulRhB Posted February 23 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted February 23 Inbetween the rain I got the last boards fascia done. 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold PaulRhB Posted March 27 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted March 27 Well it’s about time I brought this up to speed 😁 Platforms went in made from 9mm ply based on drawings in ‘Measured & Drawn’ They are underwidth as the engineering brick platform edging needed to go on. Option one is plastic L strip that I will engrave the stones into with a multi pin scribing jig. 12 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold PaulRhB Posted March 28 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted March 28 I made up a jig using an end profile with a short length of track for aligning the ends. The mdf insert helps align a short straight to avoid kinks at the joins hopefully. I also made a sleeper spacing jig from a strip of soft brass that can be bent to follow the centre line. Every fourth sleeper is copperclad soldered for strength and durability as it’s portable. Copied from Dave Taylor’s Bridport but slightly less refined 😆 5 5 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold PaulRhB Posted March 30 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted March 30 Testing each board as it’s built, Now trees are sold but they are only about 20ft tall so I had these for an old G scale project and they work out about 50ft tall. So I’m experimenting with covering the rubber g scale moulded leaves with more 7mm ish ones Initial test is promising so I think I’ll do one fully to see. 10 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold PaulRhB Posted March 30 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted March 30 Tonight’s preparation for routing the inset for the engineering brick platform edging. I tried plastic L strip but it just looked plasticky even when painted. So it’s the silly individual brick version but already looks better. 😆 The gravel platform surface will fill up to the top of the bricks. 11 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold PaulRhB Posted April 1 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted April 1 I hate building points so I got Marcway to do that for me. I do however modify the soldered tiebars as I find the fracture fairly quickly as the solder is being flexed. I removed their tiebar and drilled two holes and pushed through two small brass pins. Them I bent them over a piece of card so they are about a mm off the tiebar. then they are soldered to the switch rails giving a pivot that can freely turn without working slowly towards a stress fracture. The tree had its base sawn off so I could insert a 4mm pin into it and make the trees removable so the layout packs together tighter. 7 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold PaulRhB Posted April 1 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted April 1 Well that wasted an hour filling holes 😆 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold PaulRhB Posted April 3 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted April 3 This arrived from Porter House models on eBay and even has its own custom storage box included. Some print lines but nicely done and excellent value. Then I routed the platform edges in a couple of minutes. and tested two boards together. 😁 Now the station to do and then the messy bit next week, terraforming! 7 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold PaulRhB Posted April 7 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted April 7 Track laying nearly complete 😀 Test for of the buildings and I think I’ll add a ramp here. 10 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew Young Posted April 7 Share Posted April 7 Looking great. Agree about a platform ramp at the end of the building, unless you keep it so that the station entrance / exit is through the station building? Andrew Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold PaulRhB Posted April 7 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted April 7 32 minutes ago, Andrew Young said: Looking great. Agree about a platform ramp at the end of the building, unless you keep it so that the station entrance / exit is through the station building? Andrew I’ve got access at the bay buffers too but I think a ramp there looks right for bigger trollies / barrows. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold PaulRhB Posted April 8 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted April 8 All track laid, just a few long timbers in the points to install using the beech strip. More to the point, all tested too so ready to wire up. 12 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold PaulRhB Posted April 8 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted April 8 Timbers all in, mounting holes for the point motors drilled, all power droppers soldered on and base track colour sprayed. Oh and the switch panel so it can be used analogue too. The red buttons are for the points and the switches for power. 9 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold PaulRhB Posted April 9 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted April 9 11 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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