Toto's Traversers

5h57m - almost a quarter of the time to print.


Difficult to see the detail but a little easier with the bearing and clamps added

Now I just have to get it off the print bed, and do the second one
Paul

 

Started on the woodern bits ......

This one is different again.

I'm building this up from a sheet of ply to make alignment easier.

A 6x2 sheet of 12mm ply was cut down to 53" x 20" (ish), Toto's standard baseboard is 54"x 21" (very ish ) so I can add 12mm sides and ends.

From the off cut 2 x 25mm strips were cut and added to the underside to help keep the board flat



Using a pair of 20T GT2 drive gears and the belt the distance between centers was established.
Next center lines were marked out and the Motor mount marked up and fitted.
Proof of the pudding, the bracket position was marked up the gear and leadscrew fitted.
Anyone would think I actually meant it







When I move the blue mount to the line the belt is nicely tensioned

One down one to go.

These will not be the final brackets - the next versions will use clamps to secure the bars, but there is not time at the moment, and on the slider unit the leadscrew will be slotted both of these changes will allow for easier assembly / disassembly.

Paul

 

Frankies wee brother - Phil - Philistein

 

A bit more work done this evening

Can't find the dremel, so have had to use a junior hacksaw - no I know why I bought a dremel, forget this keep fit lark ......

Two pieces of tube cut to length (ish), and the far end assembled.





And boy can these take the weight - well they didn't appear to flex, we'll find out for sure when Toto gets to play with his big toys.

Two more shafts to cut, when I get my breath back.

Paul

 

More like he's coming to give me another rod for my back

 

Time to resurrect this old chestnut

Needed for the Dundee (if were invited) and the Elgin shows are two additional traversers (well one should have been finished by now But......)

I've had time to re-think the progress so far.

On the mark 1 the supports and drive were separate, this gave issues for alignment, but was generally easier to fit and maintain, the mark 2 was proberbly over engineered, and I never got it finished.
As these are to be for Toto and my modular layouts for the foreseeable future, I thought I'd better design in some flexibilty, as Toto is forever moving the goal posts.
Originally the modular layout boards were meant to be 54" x 21" x 5", the 21" being a little flexible depending on the tape used , so the Mk 1& 2 traversers were designed and built to 21" with a single entry exit road at each end 10.5" from the front edge (this allowed for toto's dodgy tape measure).
During Luib bridge's rebuild the 21" evolved to 28" (too many curries and the wasteline expands ) and the track is no longer 10.5" from the front edge

To try and accomodate this I have made a few changes to the design.

Traverser depth is now 24" (makes it easier to get the ply the correct width and less cuts)

The entry exit position is variable, just align the entry road with the layout board track.

This is what it will look like (I hope)



The blue entry road runs in a slot, and is moved and aligned with the layout track then locked in position.

All that needs to be done is establish the distance (in steps) from the Zero position to the layout entry position (this can be different for each end), it is then a simple calculation to get the distance for each road on the traverser.

The ends and slots are to be made from 18mm ply, the sides and entry board are made from 12mm ply.

Paul

 

Well I had to make a start (again), the slots were cut using the router.

Then glued to the end, both are 18mm ply.

Second one now gluing in the clamps.

The change on this design is to use 12mm fully supported linear bearing & shaft

Hopefully there will be no sagging with Toto's heavy (if not overweigth) loco's.

Paul

 

Now I have the first traverser back, I need to add something to support the table when Toto places his heavier locos on it.

Test 1

A bracket attached to the under side of the frame, with a 8mm bolt and a 22x8 bearing mounted on the bolt and touching the underside of the traverser.



Version 1 just need to print it.

Paul