martin_wynne

@hayfield

Hi John,

If your resin arrives today and you are planning to try your first prints on the Alkaid, a couple of important points:

1. thoroughly clean the build plate with solvent or water/detergent before you start. It will likely still have some traces of factory dirt/grease/fingerprints on it as supplied. This is often the reason a beginner's first print fails. Ask Steve.

2. if using the ABS-Like resin, do not use the print settings contained in the Alkaid manual, which are for the standard Geeetech resin. The ABS-Like resin rafts needs a longer bottom exposure time. I will be posting my suggested settings on the Templot Club forum.

Martin.

1 hour ago, PhilH said:

Would that not depend on a) if you have the money and b) where that money comes from, whether borrowed or taken from other, arguably more important, budgets?

 

Obviously spending money has to be planned according to needs. That doesn't make "spending" a bad thing, which was my objection to the original post.

Martin.

8 minutes ago, Crosland said:

 

Apologies for being gloomy, but is there a succession plan for Templot?

 

I'm not a user yet, but may be after the next house move in a few years when I can have a permanent layout room.

hi,

In 2018 I released Templot open-source as it then was -- https://github.com/openTemplot/openTemplot

When/if I get the 3D stuff to a stage where it can be regarded as stable and fully-functional, I shall do the same again.

What happens to it after that will be up to others, but the code will be out there if anyone wants to take it on.

Martin.

1 hour ago, Northmoor said:

attempt to repackage normal "spending" - which sounds like a bad thing

Why does spending sound like a bad thing? How do we expect to get anything worth having if we don't pay for it?

Martin.

10 minutes ago, NFWEM57 said:

And therein lies a problem as having made my first scratch build crossover in bullhead, I wanted to do the same in FB.  No parts available..! No equivalents of timbers or chairs for FB with concrete save for some out of stock chairs from the EMGS.  The only FB turnouts with concrete sleepers I have seen are those made by British Finescale for N gauge.  Plain track is available from the EMGS .  The 3d printing approach is fine if you need a lot of turnouts but I only need 2 crossovers and 4 crossings in FB with concrete timbers so outlay for 3D printers well exceeds getting a return on investment.  Given that most modern themed layouts should be using FB with concrete I am surprised there is no availability of parts.  Started another thread on this as I do need to make FB turnouts with concrete 'timbers'..!  And as simply as  made the BH versions..!  

I can see your problem.

But my position with Templot is that I'm 75 years old. I grew up with bullhead. I know about bullhead. As it is it's going to take me a long time to complete a full range of bullhead options in the 3D plug track.

I know very little about flat-bottom, and I doubt I have enough lifetime left to find out and develop a plug track range for FB. Even a cursory glance at the subject shows a minefield of different prototypes and periods, compared with the comparative simplicity of BH where the present-day designs have been essentially unchanged for 100 years.

We need a youngster with a good knowledge of present-day track to come along with a replacement program for Templot to take the whole thing forward. How about you?

p.s. you can't necessarily expect a return on investment in 3D printers from track alone. Once you have the printers, a whole range of other model-making options opens up.

Martin.

hi john,

there was no need for the rectangular slab -- it will be blocking in the sockets

no time to write more

martin,

38 minutes ago, Methuselah said:

I'm modelling Woofferton,

hi,

if modelling Woofferton, you may be interested in this video:

 https://85a.uk/templot/companion/get_map_from_the_web.php

martin.

33 minutes ago, Methuselah said:

Cant.

 

I have several queries regarding track Cant. This relates to modelling the Shrewsbury & Hereford Rly in Edwardian times, circa 1912, when it was LNWR/GWR Joint - if that makes any difference ;-

 

a) Is there a relatively quick/easy way to lay track with the correct amount of Cant...?

 

b) On a double track main line - such as the S&H, would the two Canted tracks be level with each-other, or would the whole track-bed be Canted....?

 

c) Was the Cant used on connected branch lines, such as the Tenbury Branch different owing to the lower speeds - 40mph max' in that case....?

 

Any info'/suggestions much appreciated.

hi,

a)

The usual way to introduce superelevation into model trackwork is to angle the baseboard risers, something like this:

These can be adjusted on each cross-member to create the required cant gradients (twisting transitions) in the trackbed material at each end of the curve.

n.b. these twists will cause derailments on a model unless you are modelling radii and lengths to exact scale, i.e. you are building a layout in a barn. general advice is to understate model superelevation unless you can model the cant gradients to exact scale. even then it requires models having suitable suspension.

b)

the two tracks would be level. the underlying trackbed is level. superelevation is done with the ballast.

but to model it, split the tracks in two, as a) above. putting packing under model track makes it difficult to get a constant top and smooth cant gradient at each end.

c)

probably yes. but done empirically by the p.w. gang to minimise track maintenance, rather than to specific engineering drawings.

martin.

52 minutes ago, KeithHC said:

use up my terrible orange filament

hi keith,

the colour doesn't much matter, but for the timbering bricks you do need the toughened PLA-PLUS filament:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B07FQ75QG2

what john didn't mention is that in cura you need to create a custom printer and download the curaprofile settings file which i posted.

you might need to download a full version of cura rather than the cut-down bundled version supplied with printers.

john did it live on a zoom meeting a couple of days ago. it's all in the zoom recordings online on templot club.

i don't think you will get such good results using a standard profile supplied with a printer.

john, i posted an updated profile reduced from 190 to 180degs. did you try it? works fine here, i'm interested to know your results.

martin.

hi keith

john is using the bricks profile for timbering, as intended.

however the dimensions are optimised for 4mm/ft and i think we could have a separate profile for 7mm/ft which would print faster.

this whole thing is still right at the beginning, it's about 2 years since i last did any 7mm stuff myself.

martin.

25 minutes ago, hayfield said:

Keith I have had a prototype 1-5 Vee filing gauge for well over a year and used it several times and its still fine

the jigs last well. they just need a bit more TLC than metal jigs, see:

     https://85a.uk/templot/club/index.php?threads/using-the-templot-rail-filing-jigs.728/

martin.

39 minutes ago, hayfield said:

The facility to print jigs comes with each Template you design, in this case its a simple 1-6 crossing, however if the turnout needs a crossing angle of 1-6.27 then the jig would allow you to print a bespoke jig. Switch rail jigs are in preparation and at some future period will also be available

@hayfield

hi john

they are available now:

see: https://85a.uk/templot/club/index.php?threads/using-the-templot-rail-filing-jigs.728/

martin.

10 minutes ago, hayfield said:

For most this is very basic stuff, however I have created my first print file

 

 

I guess unless you are into 3 D printing it meant little

 

What I have done is to take a 2D plan in Templot and using Templot's magic made a 3D plan. After running it through 2 programs one similar to 3D builder and the other was Cura and a file is waiting to be loaded on to a DXF card, the trouble is my card is in the printer 

 

 

My printer is working away in the background printing a 1 in 6 Vee filing jig.

 

Next purchase is a second file stick

 

As I said for some its very basic stuff, if it works its a big jump into track building

 

 

Hi John,

Whoah! You have made a mistake! You have sliced a timbering base with the profile settings intended for filing jigs. It will print much faster than the first A switch part, and the quality will be very poor.

Change to the bricks profile and slice again.

So much to think about!

martin.

14 minutes ago, polybear said:

How thick are the printed sleepers - am I correct in thinking perhaps just over 3mm?  If so then perhaps one downside will be ballasting.

@polybear

hi brian,

the default thickness in 4mm/ft scale is 3.2mm (1/8").

you can set whatever you want, but if less than 3mm the loose jaws option doesn't work, and the plugs will not clip into place.

the suggested bottom ballast layer is crumbled/broken cork (pet shops - reptile bedding). with a thin top layer of crushed walnut shell ballast.

you can set whatever you want -- this applies to everything in plug track.

just like the rest of templot, it is a workshop tool for folks who know what they want.

martin.

1 hour ago, Izzy said:

One aspect to be aware of with canted rail is that it will tend to curl upwards/downwards when curved/bent so needs to be worked to lie flat at that 1:20 angle. This is seen with the inside rail with curved track where the ends will rise - with the outside it will rise in the middle - but is most noticeable with wing rails at crossings. I find the need to use pliers to get these bits to lay flat after making the sharp bend. You have to fit the chairs and see how it lays and then bend it to suit as one end or the other will otherwise stick up in the air.

 

Bob

which explains why the rail in templot plug track is all vertical and we are not touching canted rail with a bargepole, ever.

if you want canted rail (no-one can see the difference) plug track is not for you.

on the prototype all check rails are vertical, and from 1970 to 2000 all pointwork renewals were vertical.

martin.

8 hours ago, Torper said:

Incidentally, one measurement of which I've never previously been sure about is that the switch opening width for P4

hi.

the prototype switch opening is 4.1/4" = 1.42mm for P4

for EM and 00-SF the recommended opening is 1.75mm which can be set using a 20p coin as a spacer.

for standard 00 the recommended opening is 2.0 mm.

martin.

On 07/11/2023 at 21:22, ISW said:

 

Me thinks not, although I'm open to being proved wrong.

 

With round posts (instead of rectangular), if you imagine all the baseplates on a curved diverging rail installed, they'd be at any-old-angle. That's until the rail is threaded through the baseplates ##. At this point the rail would simply take up a curve that goes through all the baseplates (assuming the holes are in the right place, of course) and the baseplates would automatically rotate to be at right-angles to the rail (they being a close fit on the rail foot).

 

## I gather you slide the baseplates onto the rail, and then install into the bearers. I've detailed as above to to explain my point 

 

Ian

thanks for all the comments on plug track.

apologies for my one-finger lower case typing. i have severely injured my left arm and it's the best i can do at present.

why rectangular plugs?

the default recommended option at least for 4mm and above is that you DON'T slide the chairs on the rail.

the chairs are fitted in the timbers FIRST, which means the rail isn't there to align them.

the rail is then dropped onto them, and the loose jaw part is inserted to clip the rail into place.

round plugs would not be large enough to contain the deep slots needed for the loose jaw pins.

the chairs clip into the timbers with a click, and this is much easier to design with rectangular plugs. no glue is needed.

plug track is just one man's idea. a lot of folks seem to like it. but now that 3d printing of track is taking off i'm sure others will be coming up with different ideas.

there is a lot more information about plug track on the templot club forum.

martin. 

17 minutes ago, hayfield said:

Now there has been a short video produced by James Walters (Bexhill West) showing how the latest version works, at Scaleforum (2023) it was a show stopper

Thanks John. Here is James's video:

Martin.

27 minutes ago, hayfield said:

Seems to me that the A switch is both shorter and has a larger smaller radius within the turnout. Or is there something I am missing ?

Hi John,

"A" switches have a sharper 1:24 deflection angle, which makes them unsuitable for running lines. An A-6 is far more prototypical than a B-6, but is found only in yards and sidings. A B-6 is rare on the prototype, but is a good modeller's compromise. It's the shortest turnout which can be used in running lines and look the part, and the gentler 1:32 "B" deflection means a B-6 turnout can be curved within reason if necessary. An A-6 turnout can't be curved much, if at all, except in the contraflexure direction. If you wanted to make the shortest practical curved crossover in running lines for example, it would have a B-6 turnout on the outside, and an A-6 turnout on the inside.

I think Wayne has made the right decision for 00/EM, given that if you want a short turnout he already does an A-5. A B-6 will be more useful as an in-between size from the B-7. No doubt the Scalefour Society have chosen A-6 because they don't yet have an A-5 in P4, and might have chosen either of them.

cheers,

Martin.

22 minutes ago, phil-b259 said:

However there is precious little ‘fact’ when it comes to the future of HS2

Are we even sure it will be a railway?

It would make a fine dedicated fast trolleybus way, with hybrid battery buses diverting off to serve local towns. No need then to go anywhere near Euston.

Instead of taking the through traffic off WCML, why not take the local traffic off instead?

It's already been announced that some of the mythical "saved" money will be spent on buses.

Martin.

6 minutes ago, PaulRhB said:

Well actually I can as I’d just ping the correct info to Andy and if it’s important he makes the decision if it is relevant to 😉

That's making more work for the moderators than if you were left free to correct it yourself.

I've been running a web forum for over 20 years and I have never locked anything yet. Very occasionally remove or edit stuff.

Martin.

3 minutes ago, Bucoops said:

 

No, but it can prevent a defamation case or similar.

How does locking it in place prevent that?

Unwanted content should be removed, not locked in place. There is no reason why Warners should have any material hosted on their servers which they don't want there. Just delete it.

Locking a topic prevents those who have contributed to it from updating or amending it with new or corrected information. The internet is awash with utter rubbish and if you own an internet server it's important to make some effort to prevent Google indexing the rubbish for 100 years.

Martin.

3 minutes ago, Ron Ron Ron said:

 

When there are no sensible choices to make, what difference is that going to make?

Can we rely on the choice of inexperienced, unrealistic, idealistic and increasingly today, deluded younger voters?

It's bad enough when the same attributes apply to many of us older voters.

.

If it was thought young folk would affect the result, there would be sensible choices. They have all grown up with brains undamaged by tetraethyl lead. They are not as daft as they sometimes look.

Martin.

1 hour ago, adb968008 said:

If they cannot afford a car, then do they travel, do they need a train either ?

The most important station they need to get to is the polling station. If a few more young people did that, and governments knew it, we wouldn't be in the present mess.

Martin.