Blog Archives
A new website for Miscellany Models
I will be making at least some of the items that I have been developing available for sale.
Therefore, I have set up a separate website entitled Miscellany Models that shows what is available, how to get them and (when I get some time to do it) will become a repository for prototype information that I have on the items I have made, construction/finished photographs and instructions.
You can find this website here. If you look hard, you will see some hints as to what other things I have been working on and are expected to be made available in due course.
Progress on Benfieldside’s Signals
Back in February (where does the time go?) I put some pictures up of some signals I was restoring for Benfieldside.
Matters have progressed; although I did find that one signal was beyond repair and both of the remaining needed quite a liot of work to do to them as all of the landings, ladders and in some cases balance arms/finials had dissappeared over time. They are not quite finished, as the final painting, weathering and installation of the spectacle plate glass is still to be done. However, this is what they look like:
In addition to the three signals to be restored, I have a number of others which were missing altogether. Here is the first of them:
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……….
One good turn leads to another…………
I managed to get most of another day in Tim & Julian’s joinery workshop. With the assistance of Tim, we managed to get the three boards assembled with pattern maker’s dowels; along with the beginnings of the ground profiles.
A start was also made on the last of the four boards that will form the main station area. I didn’t want an ordinary square board on the corner as the layout will be viewed both front on and from the end. Therefore, we have had to profile the corner piece around a mould.
But all this help does have a price……………………. Tim and Julian have recently acquired Benfieldside. This rather exquisite layout was built by Martin Wright and was subsequently owned by John James. If you want to see how good it is, find yourself MRJ 38 and you will see what I mean!
Over the years, the layout has suffered some damage so it is going to need to be restored. This is where the use of Tim and Julian’s joinery shop ceases to be free – there are a number of damaged signals and even more that are missing altogether. My brief is restore those that still exist and to set them up for servo operation. Here are the first three; all of which have different issues.
This one has a shattered post and is missing its access gantry/ladder. In addition, the signal arm has become detached and as the signal is slotted (ie the arm is within a slot in the post), this is going to be quite difficult to fix in situ.
This one also suffers from problems associated with the slotting – when Martin made this he only used lattice work for the front and back in order to provide a slot for the arm. This however has made the signal very weak. In addition, the gantry and ladder are missing.
One of the arms us detached from its operating arm, its ladder and finial are also missing.
Fortunately, the North Eastern used Mackenzie & Holland as their signal suppliers as well as the Highland. Therefore, I will get to use my etches! Anyway, the signals have been stripped and restoration has started; a post next week will show how they are coming along.
Test Etches and Prints
I have had the test etches back for some time and have had a play with them. This is what they look like back from the etchers:
I did find that I had made a number of the components to fine. I had prototype information, so I had made things like the balance levers to absolute scale and this is too delicate, certainly for 4mm. So they look beautiful in the etch but would not survive on a layout. Fortunately, I had also done an etch of the arms and signal components in 7mm, so I was able to do a little bit of 7mm modelling. This used a Lochgorm Models etched post and my design of base is where it gets too (sorry, slightly fuzzy picture):
I also got the first of the 3d prints back from Shapeways and these are very good indeed, so I am well chuffed with them! They are slightly difficult to photograph but here is what these look like:
I need to make a couple of tweeks to these and get a revised print done of them. I have a miniature etch for the handles done, then I will make a few resin copies of them and they are done!
I also had the finials and lamps printed; the lamps worked fine and so did the finials in 7mm but they proved far to fragile in 4mm – so again I need to make a few key elements overscale to be able to use it.
More 3 D Printing
Whilst my orders for earlier work are underway, I have done a bit more drawing and have now drafted up some lamps for the signals; as below:
I have also managed to sort out a drawing that I did some time ago for a water column. The larger of the models for 3 D printing need to be hollowed out (to save on the printing medium, which is charged for by its volume). This took some time to get right, as I had multiple different parts I was working on.
So these have also be sent of to Shapeways for printing. As before, I will use the lamps as masters for lost wax casting (another new trick to learn!) but the water column will be used as a master for some resin casting (the old dog really is going for lots of new tricks) – it will also need an etch for its operating arm.
However, lets see how good they come back first – as I think I am probably counting chickens prematurely here……….
More on the etching and hopefully some 3-D printing
I received the test etch back from the etchers and after a family holiday (Lisbon – hot but great and with fab trams – see below………) I have had a chance to look at it.
I still have some things to learn, as where I have drawn things up at 4mm the smaller elements have come out a bit fine. so things like the framing around spectacle plates or the cross to the centre of the brackets is a bit too delicate to use. Also, I made a number of the fold lines and the holes are a bit too small so need to be drilled out. Thus, whilst the 4mm ones are usable, they can be done better so I am going to edit the etch.
I also included the signal arms etch at 7mm and this is much better. Whilst one or two elements would benefit from a slight redraft, it is definitely usable and therefore I am just in the process of some 7mm modelling (excommunication from the Scalefour Society?). I’ll get some posts up when I can get it a bit further.
In the meantime, I have also managed to have a bash at some 3-D modelling on CAD to get some finials made up. The idea will be to do an initial set via 3-D printing and then to use these to make some lost wax castings. Whilst these are available via MSE as a whitemetal casting, they are very delicate and will last very little time in my clumsy mits. I will do a lamp via the same route for the same reason.
Anyway, this is what the 3-D model looks like (actually the final version has a sprue coming of the top to support the top of the finial but it rather blocks out what it is you are looking at):
And to give a flavour of the trams in Lisbon:
Etching Artwork
I have not actually picked up a modelling knife or soldering iron for a couple of weeks now; largely because I got a bit of a bug for sorting out the etch artwork.
I have now completed, I hope, all of the artwork I will need for all of the signals that will be required on Glenmutchkin. Indeed, it should do all the signals I and just about anyone else ever needs for any scheme based on the Highland era!!!!
I am fortunate that I have a couple of an 1895 McKenzie & Holland catalogue and a further partial copy from a bit later. I have also been provided with a number of really good drawings of bracket signals from M&H, prompted by my ramblings on the web. This has given me with a pretty good handle on how they were constructed and I can draw up rather more comprehensive (and a little more specific to the Highland) artwork than are available form any of the other sources.
So this is what I have come up with. Firstly, an etch of all of the arms, balance weights and a track mechanism for raising the lamp to the top of the post (I think this was peculiar to the Highland):
and then an etch that includes the large brackets used for the multi-doll signals and all of the support brackets and landing.
and this one is the smaller bracket; used on twin doll signals:
I have been recommended to use PPD as a first port of call for etching, so they have been winged off tonight. Lets see what a week or so brings us…………..
As this is now out of copyright, an article by OS Nock on the Highland’s signals from the Model Engineer might be of interest too – it may even show what I am trying to make in the etchings a little more clearly.
And for my next task, I am going to have another bash at the water column and the finial; more on this when I think I have been successful!
No, this is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning. Interlocked Lever Frame – Part 4
With thanks to someone else for the quote.
I managed to get all of the locking bars, installed over the weekend and the dogs (the teeth that engage in the sliding bars) to get the interlocking going. And this is what I get to:
This shows all of the components assembled in place. The dogs engage in slots in the sliding bars but the dogs have angled sides – so if nothing holds them in place the movement of the slider pushes them to one side and the slider can move. When another slider is in the way (ie there is an opposing lock set) then this can not occur – so it locks shut.
To stop the sliders popping up when they encounter a lock, a lid has been fashioned. I wanted all of the locking to remain visible, so this is just a skeleton.
I did find that the angles of the slots needed to be just over 45 degrees for the locking bar to move easily and they also need to match the dogs quite neatly. If I do this for real, I think some lost wax masters and then castings will be required to ease the process of manufacture.
The frame does lock well and neatly. Of course I made a few errors in where slots were to go but having made it from plastic, these were actually quite easy to sort out. What is more significant is that there is some slop in the levers – this occurs worst where the yoke of the bar that runs through to operate the toggle switch and sliding bars goes over the base of the lever. The hole in this is a bit too big and it means that the lever can move 30 % of its intended movement before it makes the sliding bar move and hence encounter the lock. This does slightly defeat the object of the locking and will need some work. I have an idea of linking the two more physically but if this does not work, then it may be back to the drawing board.
All in all, it works though and it is quite fun working through the desired move, working out what then needs to be thrown and in what order – although this may send my team a bit over the edge in the heat of an exhibition! However, some manufacturing refinement is going to be needed to make it work better. I remain tempted to use the potential kit that might be available but this makes the locking invisible and I am not so certain about this. Food for thought!
Interlocked Lever Frame – Part 1; Experiments
And this is the locking chart that I think is right:
If people out there think there are errors in this; especially the locking chart (locking logic is a bit mind twisting) then please pipe up as I will be building it soon!
highland miscellany 