Module no 1

nberrington
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Module no 1

Postby nberrington » Sat Aug 18, 2018 12:58 am

4’8.5” modules. - first of several taking shape...
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MarkS
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Re: Module no 1

Postby MarkS » Sat Aug 18, 2018 1:42 am

Nice, very nice indeed...
Cheers,

Mark.
"In the end, when all is said and done, more will have been said than done..."

David Knight
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Re: Module no 1

Postby David Knight » Sat Aug 18, 2018 12:33 pm

The words, “solid and stable” come to mind. Lots of open space for varying heights of scenery too! :thumb

Cheers,

David

nberrington
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Re: Module no 1

Postby nberrington » Sat Aug 18, 2018 4:05 pm

Agree Dave. I did an experimental foam board version ala Stapleton. Didn’t think it would hold up against the rigours of transportation.

The hollow method is exactly to avoid the “flat table” look that afflicts so many layouts.
The terminus itself is however pretty flat. I have to 5hink about how to make it look more natural.....

Baltic birch is pretty stable, although modules I did a while ago have thickened up a bit... Winnipeg moisture.

nberrington
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Re: Module no 1

Postby nberrington » Sun Aug 19, 2018 1:45 am

Model 2 under way...
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Pannier Tank
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Re: Module no 1

Postby Pannier Tank » Fri Sep 14, 2018 1:39 pm

Very nice woodwork.

I wonder, (a) Did you laminate 2 pieces of Ply for the Outer Frame or did you use a "Router" to make the slots?
and (b) What Type and Thickness of Plywood did you use?
Regards

David

nberrington
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Joined: Thu Dec 04, 2008 2:15 pm

Re: Module no 1

Postby nberrington » Fri Sep 14, 2018 6:13 pm

Hi David

The main frame is 18mm Baltic birch ply. The cutouts are to reduce weight. The top is 12mm, with slots routed to fit to the crossmembers of the frame.

The track bearing areas are reinforced by a 2cm strip of 9mm ply glued vertically to its edge. This will hopefully ensure that the track bed is dead flat.

Most of the work is done on a CNC machine.
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Last edited by nberrington on Fri Sep 14, 2018 6:25 pm, edited 2 times in total.

nberrington
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Re: Module no 1

Postby nberrington » Fri Sep 14, 2018 6:16 pm

Baseboard alignment is with the the rather nice DC Concepts dowels
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steamraiser
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Re: Module no 1

Postby steamraiser » Fri Sep 14, 2018 6:53 pm

Very useful having a CNC machine available to you.

Nice workmanship.

Gordon A

David Knight
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Re: Module no 1

Postby David Knight » Fri Sep 14, 2018 7:35 pm

Hi Neil,

What would the weight be per module? I know there’s more to be added but a ball park figure would do.

Cheers,

David

nberrington
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Re: Module no 1

Postby nberrington » Wed Sep 19, 2018 3:25 pm

Hi David - sorry for the tardy response. I was down in Tampa at a conference and enjoying Ybor City (Latino food and cigars - very nice... but I digress....)

The basic module is 4'8.5" x 2'. The sides are 4" high with 4 crossmembers that are 6" high with customizable cutouts to allow for the trackbed to be up to 2" above the base of the scenery. This weighs in at 9lb. As a point of reference, Sam Swanson's module (albeit 4' long and thus smaller) is Gatorboard and foam construction, and complete with scenery is the same weight. I think having 18mm ply with a hollow frame construction like this is thus not too much of a disadvantage weight wise. (I have also done a version with 6"sides which will marry the 4" version seamlessly.)

The heaviest board is the MPD - it has an additional cross brace to accommodate the turntable, and already has a 12mm top. It weighs in at 15lb.

The baseboards are light enough for one person to move around, but I can tell you that 4'*8.5" is just a little awkward for one person to handle. It is a fun size but a tad impractical.

As much as foam is easy to work with and very light, I prefer a nice rigid road bed, especially if I am making the trackwork! I suspect all the North American layouts with foam boards have commercial track, which is (at least in my mind) more rigid. ( Mark is of course the exception - but he is quite the artisan. I have to make allowances for my technical shortcomings!)

Conceptually I like the modules. The design is readily adaptable and the components can be cut on the Shopbot in a few hours. Baltic ply is a bit of a bastage for splinters and requires some sanding, but other than that they come out square and rigid. The dowel positions are cut precisely on the Shopbot, so they line up every time.


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