Masokits vs Ambis vs Exactoscale tiebars

Discuss the prototype and how to model it.
nberrington
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Masokits vs Ambis vs Exactoscale tiebars

Postby nberrington » Sun Mar 21, 2021 7:12 pm

So - I’ve spend a fairly frustrating weekend trying to make a half decent tie bar. It was 5 tries at making the masokits version, before it looked half presentable. Realistically each one is going to be the best part of an hour until I get over the learning curve.

The Exactoscale one looks ready to go, but is probably not suitable for all the turnouts on the layout........

I’ve written to Alan - maybe the Ambis version is easier to cobble together. Thoughts?

960718AE-A424-49AA-B37B-C0F71A698F2C.jpeg
15B155BC-3001-40D9-BB13-4C887470A130.jpeg
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Julian Roberts
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Re: Masokits vs Ambis vs Exactoscale tiebars

Postby Julian Roberts » Sun Mar 21, 2021 8:00 pm

viewtopic.php?t=7028&start=25

https://85a.co.uk/forum/view_topic.php? ... forum_id=6

Hi Neil

The 2nd of those links is perhaps more helpful...

I think it depends what your criteria is/are. Are you intending they actually actuate the blades or are more by way of being decorative?

I'm sure with your expertise shown in your inspiring threads you'll soon be happy with your stretcher bars!. I reckon they are that crucial it's certainly worth an hour spent. But mine (will) do the actuation. I think I spend a lot longer when taking into account fixing them to the blades. I'll time my next efforts. I find the trickiest bit is getting them isolating properly end to end. Also I'm still finding I get a narrow blade opening, a problem I didn't have at first.
I think you have still to fold up another tab for the rail to sit in.

Couldn't make head or tail of my Ambis ones! Haven't any idea re Exactoscale.

Philip Hall
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Re: Masokits vs Ambis vs Exactoscale tiebars

Postby Philip Hall » Sun Mar 21, 2021 8:12 pm

I used ones like those in the picture with the wire in the tube on my old Taw Vale layout and found them reasonably robust. I used two per turnout, one attached to the operating mechanism, but every so often a soldered joint would fracture on one or other of them, usually at a show but it was a quick job to repair with a dab of solder. My preference these days is for something a little less to scale, fibreglass strip with brass pins (Norman Solomon's design) but they're not as elegant or prototypical looking.

Philip

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Winander
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Re: Masokits vs Ambis vs Exactoscale tiebars

Postby Winander » Sun Mar 21, 2021 9:30 pm

Neil,

This may help https://www.scalefour.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=4765&hilit=tie+bars.

There are also two articles in S4 news

Howard Bolton (JFS) issue 181 page 26
Mike Norris of Preston fame issue 181 page 31
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Terry Bendall
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Re: Masokits vs Ambis vs Exactoscale tiebars

Postby Terry Bendall » Mon Mar 22, 2021 8:24 am

I have used the Masokits ones successfully on three different layouts in functional mode with a piece of 0.45 wire soldered through the holes to a functional crank at the side of the track. I do get the occasional failure but generally they are successful and work well. Assembly is a bit fiddley but if the instructions are followed it is possible. It is important to tin the inside surfaces that mate with the piece of copper clad board and make sure you have a good bond otherwise when the insulation gaps are made the layers may separate. Once they have been made up it is important to check that each end is insulated before they are installed.

I have some Ambis ones but as Julian has said, working out how they go together is not easy.

Terry Bendall

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Winander
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Re: Masokits vs Ambis vs Exactoscale tiebars

Postby Winander » Mon Mar 22, 2021 2:09 pm

Terry Bendall wrote:I have some Ambis ones but as Julian has said, working out how they go together is not easy.


Howard's article in S4News 181 has a blow by blow account with pictures - he says it isn't easy to do but it does demonstrate how.
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hughesp87
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Re: Masokits vs Ambis vs Exactoscale tiebars

Postby hughesp87 » Mon Mar 22, 2021 10:24 pm

Neil,

I may have posted about this before on here, if not then on RMWeb. I make my own tiebars, using a combination of 1.00mm x 0.5mm U section brass and thin copperclad sheet, both from Eileen's.

Cut two lengths of the U section, about 20mm each. File off the short 'legs' of the U section at one end to give a flat about 2mm long, then bend this to a right angle. Tin both sides of the flat and solder to one side of the copperclad. Repeat the exercise, ensuring that the two lengths of brass are in a straight line, both horizontally and vertically. The copperclad can then be cut roughly around the joint and the whole lot trimmed with a fine file to reduce the size of the soldered tab. Check with a meter that both sides are electrically insulated.

My turnouts have two tiebars. The one at the toe end is soldered to the TOU droppers and the blades. The other one is secured to the rails with a small inverted U of 0.3cm NS wire and a small amount of solder. A tip - when soldering the tiebars to the blades I clamp the soldered tab joint with a pair of insulated tweezers!

20200914_143257.jpg


The attached photo shows the end result. Quite robust, with a little bit of flexibility and extremely reliable in practice.

Regards,

Geraint
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Geraint Hughes
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Julian Roberts
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Re: Masokits vs Ambis vs Exactoscale tiebars

Postby Julian Roberts » Tue Mar 23, 2021 7:45 am

That looks a good way to go.

Seeing Geraint's post above reminds me of these (Turnout Ground Connection Kit) that you can get from the Society Stores.

Scalefour Soc stretcher bars.PNG


I made them up a few years ago but they needed modification to get this result. They work fine at keeping the blades the right distance apart. As you can see they are not used for actuation which is by means of a moving extra sleeper :o

Scalefour Society stretcher bars.PNG
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