BITTON

[Andrew P]

Afternoon Gang, well the major development I had planned for today could not take place, because the Timber merchant isn't open until the New Year and the local B & Q don't sell what I want.

 

Anyway not to worry, that's a treat for another day, so this is what I've been up to this morning.

 

In the last set of pics I had laid the foam and then weighted it all down, that was Saturday and as we had company yesterday it was all left till this morning to dry, and this is the result, lovely and flat. and no bubbles. The groves you see are from where the foam was folded in its packaging as opposed to being rolled.

 

 

 

 

I then cut the baseboard joints.

 

Then at B & Q I got some Blackboard Paint so that it will have a nice dark covering for the ballast and Yard Ash. I may need a second coat.

 

 

The rest of the area where the Coal Yard will be will be done later as I work in that area.

[emt_911]

To much Chilled Champagne me thinks,   stick to a hot totty from now on.

 

All the best to you and Joanna.

How do you know that Joanna is hot totty?

[Donington Road]

Afternoon Gang, well the major development I had planned for today could not take place, because the Timber merchant isn't open until the New Year and the local B & Q don't sell what I want.

 

Anyway not to worry, that's a treat for another day, so this is what I've been up to this morning.

 

In the last set of pics I had laid the foam and then weighted it all down, that was Saturday and as we had company yesterday it was all left till this morning to dry, and this is the result, lovely and flat. and no bubbles. The groves you see are from where the foam was folded in its packaging as opposed to being rolled.

 

Foam 005.JPG

 

Foam 006.JPG

 

Foam 001.JPG

 

I then cut the baseboard joints.

Foam 002.JPG

 

Then at B & Q I got some Blackboard Paint so that it will have a nice dark covering for the ballast and Yard Ash. I may need a second coat.

Foam 003.JPG

 

Foam 004.JPG

 

The rest of the area where the Coal Yard will be will be done later as I work in that area.

 

Jet Black is a funky colour?  well I never.

What happens next Andy, does the track go directly onto the underlay?

[Andrew P]

Jet Black is a funky colour?  well I never.

What happens next Andy, does the track go directly onto the underlay?

Hi Mick, Yes that's the Plan, I may make a start on that tomorrow. but for now, its another coat of Black.

 

I want to start on the Track laying before page 150 or I will go insane.

[Jason T]

Don't you need to drill the holes for the turnout motors before glueing the track down mate? Be a nightmare afterwards

[emt_911]

Don't you need to drill the holes for the turnout motors before glueing the track down mate? Be a nightmare afterwards

And the droppers?

 

At this rate we'll reach p150 before the track goes down

[Donington Road]

Hi Mick, Yes that's the Plan, I may make a start on that tomorrow. but for now, its another coat of Black.

 

I want to start on the Track laying before page 150 or I will go insane.

 

 

Don't you need to drill the holes for the turnout motors before glueing the track down mate? Be a nightmare afterwards

 

 

And the droppers?

 

At this rate we'll reach p150 before the track goes down

 

Bet you're cursing me now for asking, but it just goes to show how a simple quote has probably saved you a lot of hair tearing out and upheaval.

Well done to Jason and Duncan for spotting the obvious.

[Donw]

How do you know that Joanna is hot totty?

 

Jock has shown his taste in other matters.

Don

[Donw]

It is always an issue if you drill the holes first it makes it harder to move things about as you lay it down. Or adjust it a little. On a cork base or direct on ply I would put the track down and just temporary fix the track with the odd pin or staple or masking tape check with a few wgaons if happy mark clearly where it goes then carefully lift and glue down piece by piece keep checking  the alignment as I work along.

Holes for the tiebar. I would drill a small hole through the tiebar held mid point. mark though into the underlay once happy with the positioning and then drill a larger hole ( twice the expected throw works well) before gluing the turnout down.

Droppers if these are to be soldered to the rail before laying you have to mark and drill holes just before gluing. However on a permanent layout you can cheat and put the droppers on the wall side drill and solder with the track in  place I use a mirror for this. If they dont look too neat they will not be seen.

 

Don

[Jason T]

I always mark out where the track is to go, drill the hole for the turnout actuating wire in the tiebar and as Don says, use that as a guide for where to drill the hole in the baseboard. With Bacup, the droppers were added after the track was laid, with the holes being drilled at that point too (e.g. after the track was glued down).

 

Oh, and if you are planning to use magnets/electromagnets for uncoupling, you want to be drilling the holes for them before laying the track too.

[Andrew P]

Don't you need to drill the holes for the turnout motors before glueing the track down mate? Be a nightmare afterwards

Yes Mate, I will be but I had a cunning Plan, I laid the track on the board as you have seen, I then marked off roughly where the point motors will be and DIDNT glue the foam down in that area, so I will be o.k. to drill and fit the motors.

[Andrew P]

I always mark out where the track is to go, drill the hole for the turnout actuating wire in the tiebar and as Don says, use that as a guide for where to drill the hole in the baseboard. With Bacup, the droppers were added after the track was laid, with the holes being drilled at that point too (e.g. after the track was glued down).

 

Oh, and if you are planning to use magnets/electromagnets for uncoupling, you want to be drilling the holes for them before laying the track too.

Hi again Jason, don't I know you from somewhere, ahhaha

 

I will be laying the track roughly in position and then fixing the points in place after drilling out the tie bars and holes in the baseboard, also doing the droppers each side as well.

 

Then I will align and cut the track and mark the positions of the droppers, drill the holes, solder the wirers under the track and then lay it down.

I can then electrically test each section as I go, it will make it a very slow process but as you have said before; there's no hurry.

 

Once I'm happy with the alignment and electrics it will be painted and ballasted the JT way.

[Andrew P]

Also this afternoon I have made a start on the Up Platform, I had already cut the Plasticard for the basic surface, so the next stage was to smooth the front edge as best as I could, and the rough up the surface with course emery cloth.

 

Then taking some fine emery cloth I cut some pieces to the rough shape of the platform.

 

Next it was affixed to the plasticard surface with spray on carpet adhesive.

Once set it was trimmed to shape and the given a coat of the Blackboard Paint, It will have a dusting of Talcum Powder once fitted to take away the blackness and also leave a none uniformal colour. 

 

Then lastly I had a look at the stone work I will be using on the Peco Platform edging. this is as near as I could find to Bittons Stonework and once coloured will be fine.

 

Edited December 29, 2014 by Andrew P

[trisonic]

Progress apace!

You must be feeling good, Andy!

 

Best, Pete.

[Andrew P]

Progress apace!

You must be feeling good, Andy!

 

Best, Pete.

Thanks Pete, yes but I'm O.K. in small spirts, do to much and I know it.

 

Cheers and a Happy New Year to you.

 

Whoops did that the other day  , Oh well two for the price of one,

[Ray H]

I've had problems in the past when drilling holes through glued down foam. It tends to twist around the drill bit rather than be cut through. You may then find that it'll do the same with Copydex underneath with unwanted results.

 

Do you have a small hole punch that you could use to separate the foam where the hole will be from the surrounding foam before drilling your holes and minimise/eliminate the risk of that happening?

[PeterBB]

Morning Andy,

Struggling to catch up and haven't posted much due to having picked up some sort of nasty bug!

Keep up the steady progress mate, and I'll try to look in later to check out the 'major work' you mentioned yesterday!

Kind regards,

Jock.

Hi Jock,

 

Hope it soon passes ... but not onto somebody else! 

 

Peter

[Andrew P]

I've had problems in the past when drilling holes through glued down foam. It tends to twist around the drill bit rather than be cut through. You may then find that it'll do the same with Copydex underneath with unwanted results.

 

Do you have a small hole punch that you could use to separate the foam where the hole will be from the surrounding foam before drilling your holes and minimise/eliminate the risk of that happening?

I will be cutting the foam away with a sharp knife before drilling a hole, I have tried this on a small piece last week but forgot to photograph it. 

[Andrew P]

BTW, there was also a question about electro magnets earlier, I have a couple of things planned for the magnets, but they wont be electro magnets though.

 

I have some large powerful Kadee magnets to go under the track, and these will be inserted into the foam.

 

However should that fail I have a backup.

 

A friend of mine Derek Gelsthorpe has a rather neat idea for magnets on his Sutton Junction layout. He has used some micro magnets that are 3mm diameter and 2mm deep, he bangs a nail in between the sleepers and the magnet sticks to it. Now he is using Sprat and Winkle Couplings but I am taking a couple of wagons to the Stafford Show to try them on his Layout if I cant fit the big Kadee Magnets.

Edit = once painted and weathered you cant see them

Edited December 29, 2014 by Andrew P

[emt_911]

I'm starting to worry Andy. All this planning can't be good for you.  

 

Seriously though, it looks like you have everything covered. Now looking forward to the results.  

[Jock67B]

Good morning Andy,

Well done mate, pleased to see you are not rushing things, and listening to your body when it says enough!

As to Joanna and 'totty', perhaps a glance at my chat-up line in the Lounge will give you all a clue!

Kind regards,

Jock.

[tender]

BTW, there was also a question about electro magnets earlier, I have a couple of things planned for the magnets, but they wont be electro magnets though.

 

I have some large powerful Kadee magnets to go under the track, and these will be inserted into the foam.

 

However should that fail I have a backup.

 

A friend of mine Derek Gelsthorpe has a rather neat idea for magnets on his Sutton Junction layout. He has used some micro magnets that are 3mm diameter and 2mm deep, he bangs a nail in between the sleepers and the magnet sticks to it. Now he is using Sprat and Winkle Couplings but I am taking a couple of wagons to the Stafford Show to try them on his Layout if I cant fit the big Kadee Magnets.

Disc Magnets.jpg

Edit = once painted and weathered you cant see them

Hi Andy,

I think you'll find that banging a magnet in the middle of the track won't work very well with a Kadee. Kadee's work by having the magnetic field from the side of the track as the droppers have to be pulled sideways to uncouple not up/down as for Sprat and Winkle couplings (and similar derivatives).

To use the magnets you have you will need to have two, one mounted on each side of the track. I've used similar (rectangular magnets) on CQ after seeing them used by 'CambrianCoaster' on 'Pwllheli'.

 

http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/67862-camel-quay-a-north-cornwall-inspired-layout-in-4mm/?p=1264232

 

You'll be able to see them in action at Stafford. The nice thing is you can add them after the track has been laid and exact position worked out.

 

Ray.

Edited December 30, 2014 by tender

[Killybegs]

Hi Andy,

I think you'll find that banging a magnet in the middle of the track won't work very well with a Kadee. Kadee's work by having the magnetic field from the side of the track as the droppers have to be pulled sideways to uncouple not up/down as for Sprat and Winkle couplings (and similar derivatives).

To use the magnets you have you will need to have two, one mounted on each side of the track. I've used similar (rectangular magnets) on CQ after seeing them used by 'CambrianCoaster' on 'Pwllheli'.

 

http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/67862-camel-quay-a-north-cornwall-inspired-layout-in-4mm/?p=1264232

 

You'll be able to see them in action at Stafford. The nice thing is you can add them after the track has been laid and exact position worked out.

 

Ray.

 

I agree Ray, as demonstrated by this little device I made for separating my rake of coaches that all have Kadee couplings. The magnets came from a brand of uncoupler kits (who's name I can't remember) used by the narrow gauge community.

 

[Andrew P]

Hi Andy,

I think you'll find that banging a magnet in the middle of the track won't work very well with a Kadee. Kadee's work by having the magnetic field from the side of the track as the droppers have to be pulled sideways to uncouple not up/down as for Sprat and Winkle couplings (and similar derivatives).

To use the magnets you have you will need to have two, one mounted on each side of the track. I've used similar (rectangular magnets) on CQ after seeing them used by 'CambrianCoaster' on 'Pwllheli'.

 

http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/67862-camel-quay-a-north-cornwall-inspired-layout-in-4mm/?p=1264232

 

You'll be able to see them in action at Stafford. The nice thing is you can add them after the track has been laid and exact position worked out.

 

Ray.

Funnily enough I found you bit on CQ last night as I was thinking the same thing, George has some larger round ones (OR DID HAVE) on Hempshaw, and he said they were fine but again he was using DG's.

I liked your ones on QC and so will fit the ones I have and if I have any issues then I will change to the same as you have.

 

TBH I'm hoping to use 3 link in the stuff for the yard, but that just an idea having worked Jason's Bacup with them and thoroughly enjoying the experience.

[Andrew P]

I'm starting to worry Andy. All this planning can't be good for you.  

 

Seriously though, it looks like you have everything covered. Now looking forward to the results.  

 

Good morning Andy,

Well done mate, pleased to see you are not rushing things, and listening to your body when it says enough!

As to Joanna and 'totty', perhaps a glance at my chat-up line in the Lounge will give you all a clue!

Kind regards,

Jock.

Morning Duncan and Jock, having loads of time to just sit in the chair between jobs does let the old brain work out correct sequence of required events.

 

Hopefully more this morning.

Cheers Guys.