00-SF Gauges in stock at C&L, DCC 00-SF Gauges

[Arthur]

Had a phone call from the very helpful lady at C&L this morning, Thursday, informing me that the 00-SF track gauges are back in stock. I ordered mine and should have them by the weekend.

 

By chance, I also had an email from Gaugemaster earlier in the week informing me that the DCC 00-SF gauges that I ordered are also on their way, could well be here later today. I'll report back when they arrive.

[Arthur]

Like the proverbial bus, nothing for ages then two come along together.

 

As expected, my DCC 00-SF gauges from Gaugemaster arrived today. When I ordered them, they were on Gaugemasters site as 'not in stock, available to order', from DCC in Australia. Whether they now have stock in for sale or they're still only available to order I couldn't say.

 

Here they are as packaged;

 

 

 

Out of the pack. Note that the handle can be screwed out and that they're not an identical pair, the one with the handle in has no flange at one end.

 

 

 

And with a C&L gauge, the 15.2mm variant, for comparison, the DCC gauges are much larger. C&L nickel silver bullhead rail is a snug fit into the DCC gauge grooves, about the same fit as the C&L gauge.

 

 

Not much else I can add.

 

Martin, if you'd like to have a closer look pm me your address and I'll send them on. You'd be better able to critique them than I.

[Jintyman]

Had a phone call from the very helpful lady at C&L this morning, Thursday, informing me that the 00-SF track gauges are back in stock. I ordered mine and should have them by the weekend.

Oh that's good news, thank you Arthur, I'll be able to crack on with my trackwork now.

The DCC Concepts gauges look nice, Hope they cut the mustard with the others.

 

Thanks again Arthur for the 1mm shim also.

 

Jinty ;-)

[bigdaveadams1]

Oooo I best get ordering then.

 

Oh and where am I able to purchase a 1mm shim please?

[hayfield]

Oooo I best get ordering then.

 

Oh and where am I able to purchase a 1mm shim please?

 

 

I got mine from the EM gauge society

[Campaman]

Most sets of feeler guages has a 1mm one included.

[Focalplane]

I bought a strip of brass 1mm by 10mm from Eileens along with other supplies.  Cut off 50mm and it's perfect for the job.

[sp1]

I bought a strip of brass 1mm by 10mm from Eileens along with other supplies. Cut off 50mm and it's perfect for the job.

But isn't there a danger of soldering a brass shim to your track assembly? - isn't that the reason steel or aluminium shims are used?

 

Edit: yes, I do realise some people use the new-fangled method of gluing their track together!

[Focalplane]

But isn't there a danger of soldering a brass shim to your track assembly? - isn't that the reason steel or aluminium shims are used?

 

Edit: yes, I do realise some people use the new-fangled method of gluing their track together!

Yes, there is that possibility.  So far I have not had a problem, perhaps because the brass shim is tarnished?

[hayfield]

I have used a steel gauge without any problems, yes there is a chance of soldering it to the copperclad strip, but I think the rail acts as a heat sink. Glueing chairs to form a common crossing is not very strong and there could be various gauging issues. Common crossings are usually soldered together

[Captain Kernow]

I left part of the order a bit late, and the C&L 'triangular' OO-SF gauges are out of stock again, although Pete has ordered more in. I ordered all three gauges on the website and will wait until the triangular ones are in stock before taking delivery.

[Focalplane]

I would suggest that the triangular gauges may not be necessary if your minimum track radii are in the order of 30" or more.  I stand to be corrected on this but simple trigonometry suggests I may be right!  And if you are using Templot templates you can also be "generous" on simple curves, at least as a test.

[gordon s]

I left part of the order a bit late, and the C&L 'triangular' OO-SF gauges are out of stock again, although Pete has ordered more in. I ordered all three gauges on the website and will wait until the triangular ones are in stock before taking delivery.

 

Are you coming over to join us on the dark side, CK?…...

 

Personally, I don't consider the triangular gauges necessary if you are using normal 00 flexi track as that automatically takes care of any gauge widening requirements.  The only place they may be useful is on curved pointwork, but only then if they are of tight radii or you are running long wheelbase loco's with limited side play in the drivers.

[martin_wynne]

This topic has got a bit irritable about 00-SF -- or maybe it's me?

 

 http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/97424-the-ends-of-wing-rails-and-check-rails/

 

Martin.

[sp1]

This topic has got a bit irritable about 00-SF -- or maybe it's me?

 

 http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/97424-the-ends-of-wing-rails-and-check-rails/

 

Martin.

No Martin, it's not you!

I was just about to post a reply to one of the recent posts, but held off, realising that you would probably respond (which response would have been much better than mine!).

Then I thought, perhaps I should respond, before your head explodes!!

But I didn't ... I'm not worthy....

 

I can see now, more than ever, why some superb modellers leave the forum - I wish I had your patience! : I have said before - why not get all this info included in a 'sticky' at the top of the 'handbuilt' track section - it would at least save you the tedium of repeating the same info ad infinitum?

[martin_wynne]

I have said before - why not get all this info included in a 'sticky' at the top of the 'handbuilt' track section - it would at least save you the tedium of repeating the same info ad infinitum?

 

Yes, I will look at that. Getting it all together in a readable sequence is no 5-minute task. Also, I'm not sure I have the required forum permissions to make stickies. Do folks read them?

 

00-SF has its own web site, so it would really make more sense for me to update that: http://00-sf.org.uk

 

I'm not sure how I seem to have become the 00-SF spokesman -- I have enough to do with Templot, and my own modelling, such as it is, is in 7mm scale. When I was modelling in 4mm scale it was in EM and P4. It is nearly 40 years since I last built an 00-SF turnout -- but admittedly I was then making dozens of them commercially. Where are they all now, I wonder?

 

Martin.

[AndyID]

00-SF has its own web site, so it would really make more sense for me to update that: http://00-sf.org.uk

As I'm a newbie here, I didn't even know there was an OO-SF site. I only found out about OO-SF by trying to use Martin's Templot!

 

Went something like this: Thinks, "Ooooo, what's that OO-SF thing in the gauge drop-down? 16.2, what!? Hey, this looks really interesting. I'll have to give it a go."

 

I've only been mucking around trying to build decent points for 55 years! Some previous examples I built worked reasonably well, but I wish I had been using Templot and OO-SF a long time ago.

[hayfield]

I would suggest that the triangular gauges may not be necessary if your minimum track radii are in the order of 30" or more.  I stand to be corrected on this but simple trigonometry suggests I may be right!  And if you are using Templot templates you can also be "generous" on simple curves, at least as a test.

 

 

I do find them quite useful when building straight sections within the turnout, as they hold the rail in position. I have a set of the early gauges and they are a bit small in circumference, or rather I have got used to the fatter ones fold for other gauges.

 

Going off topic a bit. On a question of size I do have some older roller gages which are much thicker 15 mm and 12 mm. Though for some applications they may be too thick. One area that is always a bit of a problem to gauge is the tip of the Vee, The Peco flat disk gauge is fine for P4, EM & 00, bit the triangular 3 point gauge (back on topic) also has its use in this area. I do know its the check rail setting that's the most important in this area.

 

Another solution is a hand made one, Exactoscale do make simple +0.1, 0.2 & 0.3 mm roller gauges which fits the inside of the gauge only and screws into place. A home made one could be made with some 8 ba studding 4 nuts and 2 washers and set with an electronic calliper 

[AndyID]

Oooo I best get ordering then.

 

Oh and where am I able to purchase a 1mm shim please?

I use Formica. It's 1.1 mm thick, so I sand it down to 1.0. It does not take solder very well either

[hayfield]

I have said in either this post or a similar one, its a great pity no traders do a comprehensive selection of track building gauges designed for modern track building methods.

 

Credit to C&L for taking over supplying 00sf gauges, but Peter does not supply the wing rail gauge and his 00 roller gauges have 1 mm flange and check rail gauges on them, though it is quite easy to file flats on them to both disable these and allow the gauge to sit on the Vee.  I am having a chat with Peter on Friday, but its like many things it will go on the nice to have list and wait in the queue  

[AndyID]

I have said in either this post or a similar one, its a great pity no traders do a comprehensive selection of track building gauges designed for modern track building methods.

 

Credit to C&L for taking over supplying 00sf gauges, but Peter does not supply the wing rail gauge and his 00 roller gauges have 1 mm flange and check rail gauges on them, though it is quite easy to file flats on them to both disable these and allow the gauge to sit on the Vee.  I am having a chat with Peter on Friday, but its like many things it will go on the nice to have list and wait in the queue  

 

As they are not exactly a high volume item it's unlikely to be worth the cost of setting up a CNC machine to crank them out. I just made these OO-SF check gauges (I wish I could find my tripod):

 

I timed myself on the one that goes up against the vee and it took a good half-hour, and I was cutting a few corners at that (or more precisely I was failing to cut a few corners!)

BTW, the fat flange is to remind me that's the check-rail end. At the other end there is a  0.25" diameter projection that allows me to pop the gauge into a collet in case I need to tune it up on the lathe.

 

[hayfield]

The are excellent and as the time is irrelevant if you are doing it for yourself and doing something you enjoy then its fine. If I could turn metal I would make all my own gauges to a design that suites me.

 

 

What diameter are they ? 

[AndyID]

Yes, I don't care much how long it takes, but If I was making them as a business, I'd have to charge quite a lot

 

The are turned from 3/8 inch stock. The largest diameter is 0.31 inches. Slots are 0.25 diameter. My preference is for smaller diameters. The big ones seem to get in the way too much and jam on to the rail.

 

I'm using FB rail, so there is no point in making the slots very deep. They grip the head of a piece of rail enough to pick the rail up, but not enough that it takes any force to remove it.

[hayfield]

That's good if you are making chaired track as it allows the head to rotate for the cant in the rail. Also good to have one gauge with  a flat filed off on one end to sit on the Vee

[AndyID]

That's good if you are making chaired track as it allows the head to rotate for the cant in the rail. Also good to have one gauge with  a flat filed off on one end to sit on the Vee

 

On reflection, because I made a tool to cut the exact size of the slot, these are a very snug fit on the rail head, and they tend to resist any rotation. I know it's only a couple of degrees, but if I was using canted rail, I would angle the slot to match. It's not difficult to do that on the lathe. The other option would be to open up the slot a bit. That would probably work just fine.

 

I wrote the above and then I realized it's baloney! If both slots were angled and snug, it would be impossible to remove the gauge after the rails were soldered in place. Another approach might use one angled and one very shallow slot. The angled side would be on the rail that was being soldered.

 

BTW, how do you hold the rail at the correct angle to cant the rail during assembly? Would it help to have one slot that was the full depth of BH rail set at the desired cant angle? I wouldn't mind taking a shot at making such a thing as it would give me an excuse to use the lathe

 

Another approach would be to angle both slots but make the gauge in two pieces with a sort of hinge in the middle. Come to think of it, if the two halves were held together by some sort of spring force, they would allow the track gauge to be greater than the minimum gauge (sometimes required) but never less than the minimum gauge. The gap in the middle would indicate the amount of widening and, if desired, a shim could be inserted to preset a desired amount of widening.