Monthly Archives: April 2014
Baseboard Supports
I have been putting more work into the baseboard supports this weekend.
Rather than to go for adjustable feet, I have elected to make the junction between the beams and the trestles adjustable. This was formed fairly simply by utilising a pair of bolts that are permanently secured to the trestles and then clamp a plate between a pair of nuts. This plate will then be fixed to the underside of the beams.
Simple enough idea, but I went for M10 bolts because I wanted to be sure they did not get bent or broken as these components are moved around. This meant that there was a lot of drilling and cutting to do – so much so that I broke three drills (two of which were 10mm so fairly chunky) and melted my Black & Decker! Not quite such a cheap solution as I had in mind but this is what was created:
More on my casting and etching
We haven’t had an update on the etching and mastering that I have been doing for the signals for a while.
Well, I have had both the rapid-prototype masters and etching in. Using the former, I have also had my first set of lost wax casting done – in this case for the lamps and finials. This is what they look like – which I think is pretty good and a lot better than the white metal ones from MSE.
and the etching looks like this – brackets, arms, ladders and a few other bits and pieces.
So it was time to make a signal – in this case a fairly simple single arm Highland signal. So using a post from Lochgorm and then my parts for the arms, spectacle plates, windlass, balance levers, ladders, finials and lamp, this is what it has come out like:
and the castings close up looked like this.
So all in all, I am pretty chuffed!
It does mean that I think there is some more signal building to come on these pages……….
Portchullin on Tour
Portchullin will shortly be going on tour with a double header exhibition.
This weekend, 12 & 13 April, we will be at Trainwest – http://www.trainwest.org.uk/
……and the forthcoming weekend we will be at York – http://www.yorkshow.org.uk/
I have been fettling the layout over the last weekend and sorted out the couple of issues that it had – a burnt out turnout motor and a melted servo control unit. I am hoping to have at least one additional item of stock (a DMU for specials) and one other for York (a further close 26).
Stop by and say hello if you are going to these show.
Photo with thanks to Andy York
More Baseboards and A Peek at Benfieldside
I managed to get most of another day done on the baseboards at Tim & Julian’s workshops. The bulk of the first four are now done; although the decks are still to be put on these. A slightly fuzzy picture to show the progress is below:
In addition to this, I had a look at their layout Benfieldside. As noted in past posts, they have recently acquired this from John James, who was the custodian of it for some years. Its original building was John Wright.
A great layout; I think anyway!
I have managed to restore the first two signals – well entirely rebuild one! I will post some pictures in the next few days with a bit of luck.
highland miscellany 