Alignment dowel fixing

PeteScR

Alignment dowel fixing

Postby PeteScR » Sun Nov 07, 2010 8:17 pm

I picked up some Carrs Alignment dowels today, the pattern makers type.
I was wondering if there was a data sheet anywhere that outlines a fail safe way of fitting these so they line up.
I had planed to clamp the baseboard end pieces together and drill a small pilot hole for the forstner bit to align to, but I see the dowel has a spike on the back.

I must have been off school the day they did this in woodwork so any tips gratefully received. :D

Thanks

Pete

DougN
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Re: Alignment dowel fixing

Postby DougN » Sun Nov 07, 2010 9:29 pm

Pete, I have tried these and had a little success. I think if you look at the male section with the pip on the back. The idea I had was to drill Basboard A's side rail for the location, insert the male section back to front. Then clamp the Baseboard B to A there by marking the side for the Female. Turn male around and it should match the location of the Female section and every thing line up!

You might have to have a play to get the arrangement working with some scrap timber!

PS I don't want to think what Google will think of that lot! :shock:
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Re6/6
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Re: Alignment dowel fixing

Postby Re6/6 » Mon Nov 08, 2010 9:51 am

Pete, have a look here: http://www.rmweb.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=51572

I've successfully fitted 40 of the things to the DRAG test track using the method described in my post about 2/3rds the way down. It's a bit of a 'long winded' way but not having the skill or machinery to do it without the need for adjustment before the final fixing I used the method that I learnt from the German Railway Society many years ago, who seemed to have been one of the first (to me) to use them. Suffice to say we haven't had any levelling issues with our 20 board test track!
John

PeteScR

Re: Alignment dowel fixing

Postby PeteScR » Mon Nov 08, 2010 3:49 pm

Thanks to all for the great advice on the forum and for the PM John.
I should have known there would be something in S4News and there it is in issues 160 and 165.
Cheers
Pete

Terry Bendall
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Re: Alignment dowel fixing

Postby Terry Bendall » Mon Nov 08, 2010 5:41 pm

Pete

You can also have a look at my method described on page 28 of Scalefour News 161

Terry Bendall

Alan Turner
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Re: Alignment dowel fixing

Postby Alan Turner » Mon Nov 08, 2010 7:00 pm

Just one word of caution. Don't confuse 25mm dowels with 1" dowels. It may only be 0.4mm but it makes a difference.

Alan

Philbax

Re: Alignment dowel fixing

Postby Philbax » Tue Nov 09, 2010 9:27 am

Hi
I am about to undertake the same
My idea is to fix one set of the dowels, male or female to one set of baseboards.
then fit the other set to 32 square blocks.
Next push the two together and line up the baseboards, when satisfied that they are in line screw the blocks from behind.
Not tried yet but should work

Phil

steves17

Re: Alignment dowel fixing

Postby steves17 » Mon Sep 26, 2016 4:21 am

Right i've been reading about as i'm ready to try and join up a few of my first modular baseboards-would anyone say that the C&L pattern makers dowel is better than Eilleen's Emporium equivalent, or is there nothing really in it?

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Re: Alignment dowel fixing

Postby Terry Bendall » Mon Sep 26, 2016 6:53 am

steves17 wrote:would anyone say that the C&L pattern makers dowel is better than Eilleen's Emporium equivalent, or is there nothing really in it?


I have not seen the C&L product and there is no picture of them on the C&L website, but from the description they appear to be very similar to those sold by Eileens so it is likely that either will work equally well.

There are other sources of the same sort of product.

Terry Bendall

Albert Hall
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Re: Alignment dowel fixing

Postby Albert Hall » Mon Sep 26, 2016 7:32 am

Nothing to choose between them apart from price and the C&L ones come with screws which are not shown with the Eileen's ones. On the other hand Eileen's sell the appropriate drill bit.
Roy

Alan Turner
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Re: Alignment dowel fixing

Postby Alan Turner » Mon Sep 26, 2016 10:01 am

BEWARE there are 25mm dia ones and there are 1" diameter ones (and I can't remember who sells which). You must get the correct drill for the ones you have and they are not interchangeable. 25mm in a 1" hole will be inaccurate and 1" in a 25mm hole won't fit.

regards

Alan

steves17

Re: Alignment dowel fixing

Postby steves17 » Mon Sep 26, 2016 7:48 pm

Right well i've gone with Eileen's Emporium (with the forstner bit) as there were a few other bit-n-bobs I've been meaning to get. If the paired units do lack the screws I can just pick some up locally, cheers.

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Knuckles
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Re: Alignment dowel fixing

Postby Knuckles » Mon Sep 26, 2016 8:26 pm

25mm vs 1"

What's the difference, 0.01mm or something? Drilling through plywood or whatever with bits splintering and dust swarming surely isn't going to make that much difference??
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John Donnelly
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Re: Alignment dowel fixing

Postby John Donnelly » Mon Sep 26, 2016 8:30 pm

.4mm difference, enough to cause alignment problems with the tolerances we work to...

John

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Re: Alignment dowel fixing

Postby kelly » Mon Sep 26, 2016 10:21 pm

I've avoided some of these issues it seems by ordering the boards from Tim Horn, so the dowel bits are pre-drilled, and he supplied me the appropriate dowels for the boards.
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Knuckles
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Re: Alignment dowel fixing

Postby Knuckles » Mon Sep 26, 2016 11:09 pm

Ok fair enough.

I can see 0.4mm being a potential issue in areas.
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Noel
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Re: Alignment dowel fixing

Postby Noel » Tue Sep 27, 2016 9:08 am

Not just potential...

Alan Turner wrote:25mm in a 1" hole will be inaccurate and 1" in a 25mm hole won't fit
Regards
Noel

derekrussan
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Re: Alignment dowel fixing

Postby derekrussan » Thu Dec 08, 2016 3:20 pm

Nothing to choose between them apart from price and the C&L ones come with screws which are not shown with the Eileen's ones. On the other hand Eileen's sell the appropriate drill bit.


Not true.

Eileens are 1", The original cast ones that pattern makers have been using for years. The C&L I believe are 25mm.

Derek
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jim s-w
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Re: Alignment dowel fixing

Postby jim s-w » Thu Dec 08, 2016 6:40 pm

Does anyone build baseboards to a tolerance of 0.4mm without a laser cutter?

As long as the centres are accurate what difference does the diameter of the mount make? That doesn't set the alignment does it?

Cheers

Jim
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grovenor-2685
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Re: Alignment dowel fixing

Postby grovenor-2685 » Thu Dec 08, 2016 7:14 pm

It only matters in that you need your mounts and your drill bit to match. :)
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derekrussan
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Re: Alignment dowel fixing

Postby derekrussan » Fri Dec 09, 2016 9:30 am

As long as the centres are accurate what difference does the diameter of the mount make? That doesn't set the alignment does it?


If the hole size is accurate then there is less stress put on the mounting screws.

Regards

Derek
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Re: Alignment dowel fixing

Postby Armchair Modeller » Fri Dec 09, 2016 11:32 am

I have gone to an even greater level of abstraction than others.

I mount the male piece on a separate bit of plywood. I cut an oversize hole in the baseboard end and insert the male piece on the plywood through the back, sticking it to the back of the baseboard end with PVA. You may need a spacer or two between the male piece and the ply to cope with the thickness of the baseboard end. Everything is clamped together, including the adjacent baseboard with the female piece already screwed in place (with a hole behind it wide enough for the male projection).

Works absolutely perfectly every time.

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Re: Alignment dowel fixing

Postby jon price » Fri Dec 09, 2016 12:04 pm

Not just a higher level of abstraction Mr Armchair, but distortion of the space-time continuum. You posted at 12.32, but when I checked the time after reading it it was 12.03. Respect.
(Edit) Damn! this post Einsteinian reality is a tricky beast. I posted this at 12.03, but it immediately showed up on the forum at 1.04.
Connah's Quay Workshop threads: viewforum.php?f=125

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grovenor-2685
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Re: Alignment dowel fixing

Postby grovenor-2685 » Fri Dec 09, 2016 2:01 pm

Go into your user control panel and set yourself onto UTC time!
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PS User control panel hidden under your user name on the header row.
Time setting in 'Board preferences, Global settings'
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