Scalefour Forum

I've been 3D printing to metals using Materialise in Belgium. They work like Shapeways, but offer different materials. Their stainless steel product is much higher resolution than Shapeways. I've used them for driving wheels for the 2mm Scale Association. Needs a bit of care to keep the cost of item...

Conversely, I (and several others I know) use Vallejo Model Air paints as our default choice. Works fine, doesn't clog up. In my case I'm spraying very small amounts - a few drops into the top of an air brush. There is a Vallejo chemical to improve flow which I use if spraying 10 drops or more of pa...

Depending how "NE" in England, there is a Northumberland and Borders "EM" group. Covers a large sparsely populated area, and, in practise a wide range of scales and gauges: there are active Scalefour modellers in the group (and 2mm, narrow gauge, 7mm, etc.......). Meetings when t...

This is excellent stuff. I particularly liked the support turning tool in the tailstock (I've used a different support method, but will try this one).

Its the sort of thing which needs to find its way into a resource for the future, not lost in the forum archives. As to how, I'm not sure.

If this kit is like the other Judith Edge designs I've built, then I separated the footplate from body structure using a piece of household aluminium foil, rather than the grease method in the instructions.

- Nigel

I was wondering if it is possible to turn a 00/EM wheel in a lathe to 18.83 standards? The reason I'm asking is because I have some RT models slag ladle kits which use a markits 8mm wheel. I cannot get these wheels anywhere else & markits don't supply them in p4. Can a wheel be turned down ? Ge...

I think it would end up being "fun" (*). You need to split the audio after its generated (in the sound decoder) and send some of that back to the baseboard either via the rails (tricky with all the DCC stuff already in the rails) or wirelessly. Wireless has an issue of any delay steps from...

I've already raised the question of a P4 version with the manufacturer who says he may well consider it once he has the OO and EM versions well under way. None of the 4mm parts appear as yet on his website - or at least they hadn't 5 minutes ago! Give Wayne a break - he said Jan/Feb for the first o...

A small technical point The other real advantage to using a paid for license is the additional features made available, in particular, it allows anybody in the meeting to share pictures with the meeting. The free "lasts 40 minutes" version of Zoom will let anyone share pictures, or other s...

I have a Veito free standing infrared heater. Bought it on recommendation of a friend who has had one for some years. Not the cheapest thing around, though I got mine in maker's sale. Its very effective at heating my workshop when I'm using it in the winter. The heat is nearly instant, and after a f...

richardvmcl wrote:The ultimate is the Bergeon 30432. Sturdy, well centred, holds down to almost nothing, lasts a lifetime.

H S Walsh stock them but now the price is around £20.

Cousins have them at £15.

- Nigel

Yes, there are dates, but those are for "full strength" situations. Important if building an aeroplane, or fitting parts to a motorcycle. Less critical for the gears on a model railway loco.

A certain amount of judgement should be applied.

Lots of theory says "must have compensation / springing" . Numerous people show in practise its not necessary, and depends on wheelbase and track quality. Sprung stuff which is "done well" (right spring rates, right weight, consistent across lots of vehicles) can make things look...

There is a software one implemented inside JMRI, so that's an option if a computer to run JMRI is available. Raspberry PI plus a display would be fairly cheap and compact. I doubt its that hard to "roll your own" with an Arduino and a display module. This looks to be a simple starting plac...

I agree with Philip and David, from what I can see on the maker's website and the "review" posted, don't bother. Output levels are not clear, foot switch is hopeless (I'm less worried about the mains lead - the currents at mains voltages shouldn't be high ). I've had a LRM unit for many ye...

Interested, but I think any form tool should have a bit of guidance on lathe rigidity needed. I suspect the lightest lathes might struggle with a form tool. I usually do wheel rim turning by estimates of cone angles, with a bit of a radiused tip to a tool for the corner between flange and tyre tread...

Cheap often means "needs work", and looking at the Ebay listing its hard to determine the actual condition. Certainly not pristine, but amount of corrosion/wear is key to things. Tailstock looks worrying (the black around it), and can't determine if the dings and corrosion on the bed is cr...

Thank you for your reply Nigel. Does the Mod number equate to an actual dimension on one gear tooth. Gordon A Yes-ish. For an Rack (straight line of teeth), Module * PI = pitch of the teeth in mm. More useful is the pitch circle - the value used to calculate where two gearwheels mesh. Pitch Circle ...

Chaps, I see gears as being quoted as for example Mod 0.2 or Mod 0.5. What does this relate to please? Module number. A measure of the tooth size and spacing. The metric equivalent of DP numbers. Smaller Module numbers are smaller teeth. Very roughly, Mod 0.4 is similar to 64DP (and will often enga...

Stephan.wintner wrote:Just a source of small gears I've not seen mentioned :

http://kkpmo.istore.pl/en_US/index?currency=EUR

Mentioned in the fourth post in this thread....

Either switch the frog using a microswitch which is operated by the mechanical movement of the servo, or fit a relay controlled by the Arduino on a second output. Or, if the wiring isn't excessive, the frog could be switched from a control panel using another pole on the switch which controls the tu...

There are outfits like KKPMO from Poland, who sell on website and Ebay as either KKPMO or Microantrieb. If there is stock, they have plastic and brass gears in a variety of sizes. (my experience of KKPMO is mixed - at their best great, but sometimes seem to disappear and not deal with significant or...

Ignoring the centre-pull idea, where I was incoorect, this photo seems to confirm the linkage arrangement discussed in the thread. https://transportsofdelight.smugmug.com/RAILWAYS/BRITISH-DIESEL-AND-ELECTRIC/PRE-TOPS-DIESEL-LOCOMOTIVES/i-763vLLx Zooming well in, I think the upper linkage is visible,...

Mike Edge (in the name of his wife Judith) does a kit for the earlier three 11700-2 which had the same brake arrangement. He is usually very knowledgeable in respect of the prototypes of his kits, so have you tried asking him? Yes, in part because I'm building one of his kits for 11706 (a different...

I see on the Precision website that they are selling Sharman wheels but not at the sort of prices Mike charged! They are about twice the price of Alan Gibson driving wheels Well, there's an opportunity for someone to step in and do it cheaper with new technology :-) The photos on the Precision webs...