Just call me Paul O

OO one next

Design done in 123D Design



Sliced and converted in to an x3g file in makerware and now printing, hopefully in half an hour and I'll have one for testing

Paul

 

Hi ed

The filament I have used for these prints was PLA - from the wiki page

Polylactic acid (PLA) is a bio-degradable polymer that can be produced from lactic acid, which can be fermented from crops such as maize. This makes it an ideal candidate for use in certain energy rich, cash poor areas of the world. PLA is harder than ABS, melts at a lower temperature (around 180°C to 220°C), and has a glass transition temperature between 60-65 °C, so is potentially a very useful material.

It appears moisture may be something I may need to check in the future, but no details on thermal co-efficients, as the O gauge version has 25% infill and the OO version 15% infill, the inside is approx 80% air.

version 1 just off the printer measures 14.2 to 14.3 mm for 14.5, worryingly its a perfect fit for my Hornby wheels, but the 4mm slot doesn't clear the center bosses on the wheel, back to the drawing board

Paul

 

Hi ed

Version two finished - measuring 14.46 to 14.50, when pushed over the Hornby axel, very tight at first, but by the time the gauge hit the axel it felt good.

Big and little brother



Paul

 

Hi Gormo

I think the Laser cutters and home CnC machines are probably ready, but price (especially the CnC) and safety issues (my son has his doctorate in lasers, but wont build or countenance me doing it), if the laser is in a sealed box then it is a Class 1 laser and reasonably safe (fume extraction aside), however if there is an opening to allow the material to pass through then its immediately a class 4, and fume extraction even more important, and replacing a cutting head for a laser head was described as ing dangerous, the laser only has to touch a reflective surface and anyone's eye in the resultant path is blinded instantly.

3d printing for general purpose items is almost there, and you can even build your own

http://reprap.org/wiki/RepRap

for fine detail, though the newer SLA process (UV curing of a resin in a bath) offers great hope, unfortunately currently between £1000 and £4000, but makers have been having good results using mobile phone screens to act as the light source, so a price crash may happen soon.

But you're right Gormo I think we are close to these devices becoming mainstream, imagine a part fails you go to the manufacturers web site download the part file and print it, even online traders couldn't supply it that fast.

Paul

 

Further devlopments with the OO gauge B2B gauge setting

For commercial wheels use 14.4mm

http://www.doubleogauge.com/standards/commercialwheels.htm

DCC Concepts B2B gauge is 14.5mm

Finescale track and wheels use 18.8

http://www.doubleogauge.com/standards/finescalewheels.htm

C&L B2B gauge is 14.8mm

Generally summing up lots of threads on forums etc .....

Peco Track both code 75 & 100 are considered coarse scale so use the 14.4 or 14.5 B2B setting.

Paul

 

Finally chipped a 7mm loco

The victim - an Ixion Fowler 0-4-0 deisel mechanical shunter.



The body comes off with 4 screws and reveals



I was intending to fit a LaisDCC 8 pin decoder with stay alive, but room is very limited and there was no room for the stay alive, and the decoder would probably end up being glued to the motor. Toto had said he had removed the plastic assembly. However on closer inspection, that square block of plastic on the right hand side of the picture covers an SMD LED, for the front lamp.



Raking through my decoder box (see there not all lying all over the place) I found a Hattons direct mount 8 pin decoder. Seconds later the loco is on the traverser, and very smooth it is too.



And the head light works



Simples

Paul

 

Personally I thinks its a little over size - approx 43 times

Note to self - if a loco sits on the bench waiting for work - dust it before taking a photo

Paul

 

Well the time has come, the 4F has finally got chipped

And possibly one of the easiest I've ever done.

The body comes off with two screws, carefull of the ballast weight, its not fixed in and is **** heavy.

Nice easy access to the pickups and motor feeds

I decided to use a Lais decoder with stay-alive (mainly because I didn't have anything else, and as the urge was upon me I thought *** it, just do it).

First up the stay-alive was connected to the chip. Then the 8 pin plug cut off.

Looking from the cab end towards the front, the right hand pick up wire was traced back to the motor and the wire removed with a soldering iron.

The red wire is soldered to the pick up, and the orange wire to the motor.

The other wire is then removed, and the black wire soldered to the pick up and the grey to the motor.

The remaining wires were coiled up and attached to the decoder with insulation tape.

And tucked away into the chassis recesses.

Another piece of insulation tape over pick up contacts, then the ballast weight placed back on followed by the body.

And it runs - needs a fair bit of tweaking, but that may wait, as I think I will order one of the replacement motors, and fit pick ups to the tender.

Paul