AndyID Posted March 2, 2022 Author Share Posted March 2, 2022 47 minutes ago, martin_wynne said: Hi Andy, But you were the one who said "The rail is really a bit low profile for UK F/B. It's 72 thou tall (Code 72)", so starting the rail discussion. The problem is that you are posting on a UK forum, where the commonly available flat-bottom rails are code 75, code 82, code 100. So those are the rails most RMweb members are likely to want to print for. The foot widths differ, so your STL files are likely to need adjustment to suit. You have said that the clips overlap the rail foot only marginally. p.s. on a Forum threads go wherever the contributors take them. To start a topic on which you have control of the content, use the Blogs section. That's what it's there for. cheers, Martin. Martin, BTW you were doing OK until you said "you were the one". In case you do not understand that sort of language is really quite insulting. Did you really mean that? Andy Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold martin_wynne Posted March 2, 2022 RMweb Gold Share Posted March 2, 2022 2 hours ago, AndyID said: Martin, BTW you were doing OK until you said "you were the one". In case you do not understand that sort of language is really quite insulting. Did you really mean that? Andy Hi Andy, You have rather lost me there. It was a simple statement of fact -- I have checked back, those were your words. I don't understand how a fact can be insulting. I certainly didn't intend to offend you. I have clearly done so, and I'm sorry. Martin. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndyID Posted March 2, 2022 Author Share Posted March 2, 2022 7 hours ago, martin_wynne said: Hi Andy, You have rather lost me there. It was a simple statement of fact -- I have checked back, those were your words. I don't understand how a fact can be insulting. I certainly didn't intend to offend you. I have clearly done so, and I'm sorry. Martin. Hi Martin, I'm not disputing the facts. Let me put it like this - If I used the "You're the one who....." in a debate with MrsID I'd find myself in the dog house for a week Cheers, Andy 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold martin_wynne Posted March 3, 2022 RMweb Gold Share Posted March 3, 2022 12 hours ago, AndyID said: If I used the "You're the one who....." in a debate with MrsID I'd find myself in the dog house for a week Hi Andy, Well yes, but in a domestic debate the normal rules of logic do not apply. For example, in a domestic debate the winning side is usually known before the debate begins. Martin. 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy Reichert Posted March 6, 2022 Share Posted March 6, 2022 Andy, Do you think it is possible to print FB base plates with presentable looking pandrol clips? Both 3.5 mm and 4 mm scale preferably Andy R Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndyID Posted March 6, 2022 Author Share Posted March 6, 2022 51 minutes ago, Andy Reichert said: Andy, Do you think it is possible to print FB base plates with presentable looking pandrol clips? Both 3.5 mm and 4 mm scale preferably Andy R Hi Andy, With FDM (filament) the base plates will look OK but the actual clips are a problem because of their small diameter and the fact that parts of them would not have any support layers beneath them. Despite that it might be possible to come up with some sort of approximation that will give the right impression but not look great at high magnification. I plan to give it a shot but I'm working on an elastic spike version first. Even there the spikes have to be a bit overscale. It should be possible to create more convincing Pandrol fixtures with resin printing although I wouldn't want to rely on the actual clips to hold the rail in place. I think they'd have to be purely decorative. One way to overcome that would be to print the rail and the fixtures in resin and make the rail conductive by attaching a N/S cap to the top of the web. I actually did that for bullhead and posted it somewhere on here a few years ago. Unfortunately nobody seemed to think it was a great idea Cheers, Andy 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Enterprisingwestern Posted March 6, 2022 RMweb Gold Share Posted March 6, 2022 If you are printing panels of track, would it not be possible to print the pandrol as part of the whole moulding/print? Mike. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndyID Posted March 6, 2022 Author Share Posted March 6, 2022 2 hours ago, Enterprisingwestern said: If you are printing panels of track, would it not be possible to print the pandrol as part of the whole moulding/print? Mike. Hi Mike, It should be possible to do that with resin printing but a Pandrol clip is made from 13/16" diameter round steel bar. That scales to 0.27mm in 00 which I think means it would be very flimsy and prone to breaking. It might be possible to make the clips from steel and install them just like the real thing. That would look great if it worked but it would be a bit of a pain to assemble. I might try it at some point just to see if it's possible. Andy Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndyID Posted March 11, 2022 Author Share Posted March 11, 2022 The elastic spike version turned better than I thought it might. I'll paint it and try to get some decent pics (not something I'm too good at.) 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy Reichert Posted March 12, 2022 Share Posted March 12, 2022 How does the printed part of the track stand up when you solder a power wire to the rail? Andy Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndyID Posted March 12, 2022 Author Share Posted March 12, 2022 4 hours ago, Andy Reichert said: How does the printed part of the track stand up when you solder a power wire to the rail? Andy Pretty much like any other plastic. I'm using something called PLA/PHA which melts at around 200 degrees C so you have to be quick. There are filaments with higher melting points, PETg for example but it's trickier to print detail with it. It tends to "string" (leaves thin whiskers of filament). PLA and derivatives seem to stop extruding cleanly as soon as the filament retracts. I'm definitely pushing the limits at 00/H0 scale and I doubt if the results would be acceptable for a commercial product but I'm pretty sure a major layout that used a lot printed turnouts and track would look quite acceptable to most people. AndyID Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndyID Posted March 12, 2022 Author Share Posted March 12, 2022 As someone said, "the road to hell is paved with good intentions". I had planned to tweak the design a bit and take some nice pix but the Sun was out this morning so I did a carpe diem and went skiing instead (It was jolly good too.) 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndyID Posted March 13, 2022 Author Share Posted March 13, 2022 Some pics. As printed Underneath With some rattle can paint. The thing on the rail at the third sleeper is a tiny ant In grey primer 5 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndyID Posted May 7, 2022 Author Share Posted May 7, 2022 Moving slowly along This is printed in regular PLA. It's less inclined to leave threads than other filaments. The timbers represent the 12" wide ones used in turnouts and the baseplates are type V for Pandrol clips. They are 10" wide. The timbers are printed very thin just to speed up printing while I experiment with the baseplates. The clearance between the rail base and the retention slots in the baseplates is quite generous. Normally that would allow the rail to wobble but the slots in these baseplates are not actually in line. They are alternately displaced slightly in and out. Effectively if one slot is acting on the outside of the rail's base the next slot is acting on the inside of the rail's base. That holds the rail quite securely and greatly reduces the likelihood of breaking the baseplate when the rail is inserted. Sorry about all the junk on my bench. 3 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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