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TEMPLOT 3D PLUG TRACK - To get up to speed with this experimental project click here.   To watch an introductory video click here.   See the User Guide at Bexhill West.

  • The Plug Track functions are experimental and still being developed. Some of the earlier pages of this topic are now out-of-date.

    For an updated overview of this project see this topic.   For some practical modelling aspects of using Plug Track see Building 3D Track.

    The assumption is that you have your own machines on which to experiment, or helpful friends with machines. Please do not send Templot files to commercial laser cutting or 3D printing firms while this project is still experimental, because the results are unpredictable and possibly wasteful.

    Some pages of this and other topics include contributions from members who are creating and posting their own CAD designs for 3D printing and laser-cutting. Do not confuse them with Templot's own exported CAD files. All files derived from Templot are © Martin Wynne.
  • The Plug Track functions are experimental and still being developed.

    For an updated overview of this project see this topic.   For some practical modelling aspects of using Plug Track see Building 3D Track.

    The assumption is that you have your own machines on which to experiment, or helpful friends with machines. Please do not send Templot files to commercial laser cutting or 3D printing firms while this project is still experimental, because the results are unpredictable and possibly wasteful.

    Some pages of this and other topics include contributions from members who are creating and posting their own CAD designs for 3D printing and laser-cutting. Do not confuse them with Templot's own exported CAD files. All files derived from Templot are © Martin Wynne.

Experimental Plug Track: 3D-printed, CNC-milled, laser-cut

Quick reply >
.
I'm intending to release 236d later today. I know several folks are waiting to play with the loose jaws.

I'm in two minds about this, because I know just how many unfinished loose ends there are, and functions not yet fully working. Plus all the half-finished stuff that I have forgotten about.

On the other hand if I wait until everything is done and dusted, it will be weeks or months before I get anything released. And I do value the feedback and encouragement I get from everyone -- so I know I'm not wasting my time. :)

But just a reminder -- it's all experimental. Experimental.

If you try any of the 3D export stuff you are helping me to conduct an experiment. I'm grateful and interested to read your reported results of the experiment. But please don't use words such as "error" or "bug" as if this is a finished piece of working software, because it makes me bad-tempered. :)

If you get unexpected results, just say you have found a problem, or discrepancy, or quirk, or dead-end, or something failed or looks wrong or needs more work. Thanks.

cheers,

Martin.
 
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Elegoo now showing as Neptune 3 Pro sold out for UK!
@Steve_Cornford

Hi Steve,

I'm sure this wasn't on Amazon the last time I looked:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Odin-5-F3-Foldable-Integrated-Carborundum/dp/B08NDM71Q6

Dual Z-lift. Direct-drive extruder. Glass bed. Manual levelling.

But what really stands out for me is the video! The guy is in a workshop, making something sensible, instead of those ugly fantasy characters which appear in every other 3D printer video:



But strangely, the maker's web site says it is "unavailable" (which means rather more than "out of stock"):

https://www.fokoostech.com/products/fokoos-odin-5-f3-3d-printer

cheers,

Martin.
 
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.
Program update 236d is now on the server. Restart Templot to update.

cheers,

Martin.
 
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.
A few quick notes about 236d.

The chairs with loose jaws which I have done so far are all interchangeable -- i.e. any S1 chair is interchangeable with any other S1 chair, whether loose jawed or solid. Except that the P slide chairs are not interchangeable for different flangeways. So P4 slide chairs are not interchangeable with EM/00-SF slide chairs (although their loose jaws are). The switch block chairs which are specific to their position on a template have not yet been done with loose jaws.

So far with loose jaws: S1 - S1J - P - L1 - SC

(SC are the stock-rail part of the 2-part switch block chairs.)

Note also that L1 bridge chairs from 236d, solid or loose jawed, will only fit timbering bricks from 236d. L1 chairs from previous versions of Templot won't fit, and L1 chairs from 236d won't fit timbering bricks from previous versions.

An STL file for chairs must be all loose jawed or all solid, you can't yet mix them up in the same STL. That will come later.

The switch block chairs which have not yet been done with loose jaws will be exported solid regardless, but might have jaws missing. It's best not to include them when making loose-jawed chairs.

If using loose jaws, the STL must be all slotted chairs, or all the loose jaws for them. If using loose jaws therefore, you will need to create two STL files, one containing the slotted chairs, and one containing the loose jaws. You can't mix them up in the same STL.

For chairs, before doing anything else click this to omit all the timbering:

dxf_chairs_only_236dpng.png


Don't click that later after making other settings, it might undo your changes.

If you want solid slide-on chairs you don't need to do anything else, the default settings should work as before.

If you want to export slotted chairs which can receive loose jaws, now untick and tick these boxes. This will apply to all the chairs in the file:

dxf_slotted chairs_only_236d.png



If you want to export the loose jaws to go in them, untick and tick these boxes instead, and clear the 2 combo boxes (right-click on them). This will apply to all the chairs in the file:

dxf_loose_jaws_only_236d.png


Add the rafts as before, using rectangles in the background shapes. You can now twist them to an angle if it helps.

Create batches of chairs by reducing the track gauge to save space on the raft, and overlaying multiple templates. But don't reduce the gauge if creating block chairs for a switch.

Have fun. :)

I will write more about all this later.

cheers,

Martin.
 
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Martin,
Well done with 236d, my printing den available again so will unbox the Mars and perform some more experiments :)

With regard to the Fokoos, I read one review that listed as a "con" the manual bed levelling, but which for our intended use is actually a "pro".
They also reported that the product cooling fan was very noisy and would be a candidate for upgrading to a decent quiet fan.
There was a "sold out" sticker just above the top left cornner of the illustration when I looked.
Neptune 3 Pro versus PLus and Max
very interesting, especially for a group of modellers, eg a club.

Steve
 
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message ref: 5480
.
A chilly grey sunday afternoon, so I stayed put in the computer den and made a start on the CC 4-screw check rail chairs:

check_rail_chairs1.png


Unlike the switch block chairs, these will be 1-part chairs only. The stock-rail jaws will be optional solid slide-on, or loose-jaw. The ones on the check rail side will be loose-jaw only.

Like the P slide chairs, these CC chairs will be interchangeable only with the same flangeway gap. i.e. EM interchangeable with 00-SF but not with P4.

(But unlike the slide chairs, S4/P4 will not be interchangeable with S4-X)

Lots still to do, and the angled check end chairs, but I thought I would post some evidence of progress. :)

cheers,

Martin.
 
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@Steve_Cornford

Hi Steve,

I'm sure this wasn't on Amazon the last time I looked:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Odin-5-F3-Foldable-Integrated-Carborundum/dp/B08NDM71Q6

Dual Z-lift. Direct-drive extruder. Glass bed. Manual levelling.

But what really stands out for me is the video! The guy is in a workshop, making something sensible, instead of those ugly fantasy characters which appear in every other 3D printer video:



But strangely, the maker's web site says it is "unavailable" (which means rather more than "out of stock"):

https://www.fokoostech.com/products/fokoos-odin-5-f3-3d-printer

cheers,

Martin.
You need to go to the UK site here: https://uk.fokoostech.com/products/fokoos-odin-5-f3-3d-printer

regards

Alan
 
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message ref: 5510
I am a bit worried about the reported noise of the "product cooling fan" whatever that is.
@Steve_Cornford

Hi Steve,

It's the fan which blows across the model around the nozzle to cool the model after fresh polymer has been extruded onto it. Otherwise it would get hotter and hotter as it builds up, to create a squidgy mess. The fan normally switches on after the first few layers have been laid down on the hotbed. The fan speed can be controlled from the slicer settings. The model needs to be warm enough for fresh polymer to fuse into it, but cool enough to retain its shape. Typically 50 degsC is about right.

As it's a direct-drive extruder, there is likely to be another fan blowing across the filament tube between the extruder gears and the heated nozzle. This is to stop heat from the nozzle softening the filament in the gears, which would prevent accurate feeding of filament.

I wouldn't worry about the noise of the fans. All fans are noisy. You could put a cardboard box over the printer if it's a problem.

It seems clear that this is clearance price of a printer which is no longer in production. The spec is very good for the price, but there is likely to be no support or spare parts, and we don't know the construction quality. So it would be a bit of a gamble.

But it's the perfect spec for timbering bricks -- glass bed, manual levelling, dual Z-screws for accurate layer thicknesses.

cheers,

Martin.
 
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.
Another day, another setting. :)

dxf_fw_tweak.png


This allows a correction* to the check gauge if everything else is working ok except that.

n.b. Writing this now in case I forget later. On the templates the flangeway gap is template-specific. i.e. every template can have its own flangeway setting. That won't be possible on the 3D exports -- the flangeway gap will be taken from the current setting on the control template and applied to all templates in the export. Otherwise the check rail chairs wouldn't be interchangeable on different templates. That would introduce a whole new layer of complexity and I have to draw a line in the sand somewhere. :)

You can of course create plug track with different flangeway settings, but it needs a separate STL for each setting. For gauge-widened plug track for example.

* This adjusts the chairs but not the position of the check rail if it is included in the export for 3D rendering -- there will be a discrepancy in the STL. Normally rails are included in the export for rendering display purposes only, so there would be no reason to make a flangeway adjustment in it. The same applies to the other adjustments in that box -- rendered 3D rails won't change position. If rendering rails, leave all these on zero.

If you are actually intending to 3D-print the rails (battery, clockwork, pull-along string), make the gauge and flangeway settings on the templates in the usual way, and leave the corrections on zero.

cheers,

Martin.
 
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I will be on the demo stand at the Manchester show on the 9th and 10th of December. If anyone is interested in seeing what I have been up to with my card laser cut sleepers and 3D printed chairs I can bring some along to show. I can also have some of Martin's individual key and jaw samples which you can look at too.

If you are planning on coming please let me know and I will make sure I put this in my bag for bringing otherwise I am demonstrating model buildings made with a laser cutter.

More details of where and when here Manchester Exhibition

Ralph

Edited for typo!

Hi Ralph,

I just discovered this new approach yesterday and I'm so struck that I didn't consider printing the track components sooner!

I'll be at the Manchester show on Sunday, primarily to see the P4 layout Ryburn, so if you could bring along some stuff to have a look at that would be greatly appreciated. Cheers!
 
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message ref: 5516
if you could bring along some stuff to have a look at that would be greatly appreciated.
Certainly James. I had planned to bring it along anyway together with Martin's method of which I have got a couple of examples. The quality from Martin's printer is better than from mine but you will be able to get the idea of how it all works.

Ralph
 
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message ref: 5517
Manchester show on the 9th and 10th of December.

I think that should be 10th and 11th.

I remember when the Manchester show opened on the Friday evening -- it was the best time to visit. :)

cheers,

Martin.
 
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message ref: 5519
Certainly James. I had planned to bring it along anyway together with Martin's method of which I have got a couple of examples. The quality from Martin's printer is better than from mine but you will be able to get the idea of how it all works.

Ralph
Excellent, thanks a lot.

I don't have an FDM printer on hand and don't reaallly fancy learning the other side of the coin if I can avoid it. I can feel there is probably one in my future though.

I have an Elegoo Saturn which is a bit of a veteran at this point. I'd quite like to give printing whole resin timber sets for turnouts a go. My layout plan requires all the track work be bespoke so any way to make things easy and accurate is very much a win for me. Looking forward to taking a close peek at what you've achieved so far.
 
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.
Another day, another setting. :)

index.php


This allows a correction* to the check gauge if everything else is working ok except that.

n.b. Writing this now in case I forget later. On the templates the flangeway gap is template-specific. i.e. every template can have its own flangeway setting. That won't be possible on the 3D exports -- the flangeway gap will be taken from the current setting on the control template and applied to all templates in the export. Otherwise the check rail chairs wouldn't be interchangeable on different templates. That would introduce a whole new layer of complexity and I have to draw a line in the sand somewhere. :)

You can of course create plug track with different flangeway settings, but it needs a separate STL for each setting. For gauge-widened plug track for example.

* This adjusts the chairs but not the position of the check rail if it is included in the export for 3D rendering -- there will be a discrepancy in the STL. Normally rails are included in the export for rendering display purposes only, so there would be no reason to make a flangeway adjustment in it. The same applies to the other adjustments in that box -- rendered 3D rails won't change position. If rendering rails, leave all these on zero.

If you are actually intending to 3D-print the rails (battery, clockwork, pull-along string), make the gauge and flangeway settings on the templates in the usual way, and leave the corrections on zero.

cheers,

Martin.

Well yes and no. This has turned into a can of worms. :(

If you look way back in this topic you may remember that fine adjustment of the track gauge was going to be done by moving the chair jaws on the chair base, leaving the chair base and plug unchanged. Likewise for any tweaks to the flangeway gap. Which was working fine for small adjustments.

Until some fool had an idea for separate loose jaws. :)

Obviously if you move a loose jaw, either the slot through the chair base and the plug has to move too, or the loose jaw part has to move relative to its pin. I've been working on both these options, and both have produced a minefield of non-interchangeable chairs, or non-interchangeable and/or unprintable loose jaws.

I've come to the conclusion that it is not tenable. The complexity of this project would be getting out of hand. I can probably get the program code working, but there is no way I would ever be able to write the user instructions. It's a stage in the process which I'm already dreading as I add more and more settings and options.

So the options are:

1. Abandon any means of adjusting the track gauge. If it is coming out wrong the only option would be to adjust the printer scaling or shrinkage settings (which would upset a match to the paper templates), or

2. Make any adjustment needed on the timber sockets. i.e. If the gauge is coming out wrong it would be necessary to print a fresh timbering brick. But the chairs and jaws don't change and remain interchangeable with all others.

3. Likewise for adjustments to the flangeway gap. It would need a new timbering brick, but also some customised non-interchangeable check-rail chairs to go with it. But the loose jaws for them remain unchanged and interchangeable.

Changes to the track gauge obviously affect all chair positions. Changes to the flangeway gap affect only the check rail chairs, so being non-interchangeable can probably be lived with.

I'm still pondering what to do. Probably for 00, EM, 0-MF the non-adjustable output would be fine. I'm already finding that track gauges drop on the rails easily without any problems. But for P4 and S7 I just know that folks are going to want to make fine adjustments to suit their 3D printers and laser cutters.

Decisions, decisions ... :)

cheers,

Martin.
 
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@Steve_Cornford

Hi Steve,

In addition to the standard 1.3/4" flangeway, check rail chairs are made increasing in 1/4" steps -- 2", 2.1/4", 2.1/2".

However those are for intentional changes in the flangeway gap for gauge-widening on sharp curves. In Templot terms you would do that by increasing the gauge and flangeway on the template, and then 3D printing the template normally.

If the flangeway on a standard check rail chair turned out not to be 1.3/4", it would be a scrap casting.

But after 100 years of making REA bullhead track parts almost unchanged, the foundry has probably got the knack of making accurate chair castings. :)

A shrinkage allowance is built into the wooden patterns:




cheers,

Martin.
 
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message ref: 5547
What is a fiddle back crossing please
@Hayfield

Hi John,

I believe it is the K-crossing assembly within a slip. It's not a term much used, maybe unique to the LMS.

"Fiddleback" chairs (furniture, not track) have the back part shaped like a fiddle or violin body. It's not too clear how that relates to track.

But it deserves a place on the Templot menus -- I will see what I can do. :)

cheers,

Martin.
 
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message ref: 5551
Hi Martin,
Would it be too simplistic to have a small
Set of pre-defined check chair flangeway widths for a given scale/gauge combination and relate their use to a range of radii?
Steve

Hi Steve,

It's all doable, at least for plain track. Templot can calculate the gauge-widening needed at any location, even within a transition curve. And adjust the socket positions accordingly. Without a check rail, so far so good -- all chairs and jaws interchangeable.

Likewise adjust the check chairs for a continuous check rail, if one is present. But the difficulty then is how to reference a resin-printed check-rail chair to its correct position on which template? The differences are unlikely to be visible. We could have a series of dots or numbers on the raft referencing the template ID number and timber number. But that is going to waste a lot of raft space. Or print a paper map of the raft showing which chair is which. Lots of ideas, but someone has to write it all up as instructions, and I'm not sure I'm up to it.

For gauge-widening within pointwork it could easily turn into a minefield. Single turnouts should be doable, but for diamonds, slips and complex junctions it is all but impossible to do -- generally it is advisable not to attempt gauge-widening in such formations anyway, and some are impossible (e.g. parallel-wing crossings -- in tandem turnouts for example).

Onwards and upwards -- one thing at a time. :) I'm hoping to print some check-rail chairs later today if I can get the support pyramids for double slot washing sorted out.

Also trying to get the Mark 2 tweezer tips finished and printed -- there is a tickbox bottom-left in 236d for the Mark 1 tweezers if you want to try them (and have some M2 or 8BA screws and nuts). See the notes for the filing jig somewhere on here for how to get STLs for both hands of tweezer tip.

cheers,

Martin.
 
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Hi Martin,
Should be getting printing den operational again later this week so will try the mk 1 tweezer tips. I have found the filing jig note regarding setting y parameter to minus1.0 to get the other tip.
Also I have obtained some tenacious resin to try a bit of resin mixing.
Steve
 
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.
Some notes about the chair keys.

This is the check rail chair:

check_chair1.png


check_chair2.png



In this case it's the solid slide-on option for the stock rail at S, and a loose jaw option for the check rail at C. This is for EM/00-SF flangeway.

All the chair keys exported so far have been as at S. There is a small pressure pad area making full contact with the rail, and a tapered lead-in at each end. This makes the chairs easier to slide on, and ensures that if the key is significantly offset, the pressure is still applied roughly opposite the inner jaw while sliding. If the rail-fit is a bit tight, the pad is small enough to wear down to a better fit while sliding along into position. It's not the prototype design of course, but almost invisible in use.

For the loose jaws there is no need to allow for sliding along the rail. So in the next program update, the loose jaws option will have a key with a much larger pad area as at C. This should make for a more robust fixing and prevent the jaw twisting in its slot. There is no change to the S version for the solid slide-on option.

check_chair3.png


cheers,

Martin.
 
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.
Just putting this in writing while I think of it.

For industrial-style turnouts shorter than about 1:4 it will be necessary to use equalized timbering to get the plug track chairing. The same applies to diamonds and slips, but they are always equalized anyway.

The reason is that some chairs in the turnout road will be skewed at an excessive angle on square-on timbers, with the result that the socket would break out of the sides of the timber. In such cases Templot just ignores the socket entirely.

Here for example is a rail crossing square-on timbers at about 1:3

socket_overlap1.png


These are the socket rectangles for S1 and S1J chairs. The ordinary S1 chair just about makes it, although the actual chair would overlap the timber (and the chair screws would be very close to the edge). But the socket for the S1J joint chair is impossible to print, and wouldn't appear.

These problems are avoided by using equalized timbers, which are almost always used on the prototype for such short turnouts.

There was a time when equalized timbering was the default in Templot. But there were so many objections that I changed the default to square-on, just for a quiet life. :) Remember to change it back to equalized when making plug track for short turnouts. It usually makes the timber shoving easier anyway.

(The small black rectangles are the slots for loose jaws.)

cheers,

Martin.
 
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** Hope this is ok to post here, if not Martin, please delete and let me know where it should be put! **

Hi Martin et all,
You've inspired me to give this a go! I acknowledge its all experimental at this stage, but I am going to put a little cameo board together in S Scale, yes yes, I know what I said about it not being for me, but I have got five wagons built that really should have a home, rather than being sat in a box.

My thought is that the board will just be a short 22" long board that will fit in a plastic box for storage with straight and slightly curved track on it. Should a second board ever come about, that would have a point or two (am I suggesting that a second board would come on stream when Martin completes the point work chairs?? :) maybe!)

The purpose of saying all this, is that I am going to attempt this with no 3D printer or my own and no real background in 3D printing, although I have done 3D cad design previously. I have spoken to a 3D printing company at Sheffield who have FDM and Resin printers and are willing to quote and then run the prints off for me.

So in order to get the STL files out of Templot, I just wanted to check (having read back through several pages of this thread) that my understanding of what I need to do is correct for both the resin chairs and 3D sleeper bricks. I have designed the trackwork up with Templot set to S Scale. @Steve_Cornford mentioned (this post) about the sleeper bricks spanning 60ft lengths, I presume that happens automatically? If I select 3D print presumably the base options should give what is needed - I acknowledge that the initial prints may end up scrap and tweaking of settings may be required. For the avoidance of doubt, with this initial board I am not looking at pointwork, just plain track using S Scale Society Code 87 Bullhead.

I think this would be the first time that Plug Track has been printed for anything other than 4mm (or at least reported on here) so if there is anything that you wish to know @Martin Wynne to assist with the development or checking measurements, do let me know, and thanks again for all the work your doing on this.

As an aside note, the Sheffield company say they can FDM print up to 1.1m on a build plate, so if at any time a full size point sleeper brick is required, I'd be happy to get one printed. I dont know what kind of printers they have, but presumably something bigger and more professional than a home one.

Rich
 
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@Marsh Lane

Hi Rich,

You have got me all jittery. This is what I feared would happen when I released stuff which is still extremely experimental.

The idea is that you experiment with it on your own 3D printers. Find the settings which produce good results on them. The defaults in the program at present are just those which work on my printers. They are probably close to what will work on other home printers, but I have no idea what a commercial 3D printing company would produce from them. I doubt a timbering brick is typical of their usual work. Or resin chairs.

I don't know what costs are involved in commercial FDM printing, but I doubt it is cheap. There is every chance that you will be wasting your money on something which won't work. The chairs might not fit in the sockets, or they might be too loose, or they might produce the wrong track gauge. The timbers might not be a constant thickness all over. If you go ahead, please first send them a short timbering brick of just a few timbers as a test.

Likewise get just a few chairs resin-printed to see if your rail fits them, and how they fit in the sockets. You can set up your S-scale rail section settings in Templot using the custom button (make sure you have set S scale in the control template first). It's extremely likely there will be some trial and error needed. Are you planning to use the loose jaws?

If I was you I would be saving my money for my own 3D printers, rather than paying it to someone else without knowing what I will get back or whether it will be usable. It's so much better to make stuff yourself (or with the help of friends) so that you are in control of the results. But that's just me of course. :)

Already someone has got laser-cutting done of turnout bases which are scrap because although Templot appears to produce sockets under the V-crossing they are a complete nonsense, just what the program spews out uncontrolled. Nothing is ready to be used until I say it is -- and even then it might probably will change later!

When I have got this project a bit (or a lot) further on I shall be writing it all up, with advice on what settings and materials to use. But we are not there yet and I can only go at a sensible pace. It's my hobby, not work.

I have designed the trackwork up with Templot set to S Scale. Steve Cornford mentioned about the sleeper bricks spanning 60ft lengths, I presume that happens automatically? If I select 3D print presumably the base options should give what is needed

Nothing happens automatically! The "base options" as you call them are just what I am using for testing on my own printers! I'm still at the initial stage of finding out what works. Only when I know that will I be able to automate any part of it to produce a usable Templot function, and a sensible user interface. At present the DXF dialog is just a jumble of settings and buttons to allow me to test things.

In particular do not attempt to print your track templates directly from your track plan. The idea is that you copy parts of them into separate partial brick templates which fit within the build area of your printer. And add connector clips to them so that they can be assembled back into the original track plan. There is no necessary correlation between the brick boundaries and prototype rail lengths or your track plan's template boundaries. That's unlikely to be very practical unless you have a printer with a very large build area. And as you increase the model scale it becomes even less practical. Especially it's not a good idea to put the connector clips on the track centre line at rail joints because the timbers are too close to leave room for them.

More about all this in this topic:

https://85a.uk/templot/club/index.php?threads/extracting-a-3d-timbering-brick-from-a-track-plan.295/

Unfortunately there is a lot in that topic which is now out of date. See also my more recent posts about the connector clips.

I think this would be the first time that Plug Track has been printed for anything other than 4mm

I've done a few bits in T-55. I'm itching to switch to 7mm scale, but I know if I do that too soon I may never get back to 4mm, and I really must progress that first. I also want to do a bit it Gauge 3. :)

I'm sorry this reply might not be what you were hoping for, but I shall be upset if folks start spending good money and getting unusable stuff back as a result of my efforts on this project.

cheers,

Martin.
 
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Hi Martin,
Firstly, apologies for getting you all jittery - I did say at the start I acknowledge that all this is experimental and also that the first prints may be nothing but scrap, so I am fully aware of that :)

I dont want to deviate from the purpose of the thread, but equally I am unlikely to be the only one reading these threads and thinking I dont want, or dont have space, to get a 3D printer when there are other options. I am under no illusions with this if I go forward, I just thought the added info may be useful from another source that is a bit different.

I'll have a read through of the topic that you linked to, as I had missed that previously. But I'll give it further thought, apologies for the thread drift.
Rich
 
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Rich,

I would agree with Martin. For what you want for a short demo track in S scale I would use the S scale chairs and ply sleepers. The SSMRS plastic chairs are probably the cheapest available anywhere since their price is based on the invoice for their moulding in around 2008. :) You get the sleepers and chairs for a yard of track for about £5, or £2.50 for 18" using one length of rail. :)

Martin's Templot development is really for those of us with our own printer, and the time and patience to mess about with all the settings to get things correct. And we wouldn't be spending too much money either since the resin usage would be quite low. Going to a commercial printer could get quite expensive if you had to send several versions until you get things correct.

Jim.
 
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Hi Rich,
I would be quite happy to some test prints of chairs and sleeper bricks for you, but you will need to provide some measurements of the S Society code 87 rail.
1671041115689.png


so that we can fill this form in:-
1671041201792.png

The figures shown are just defaults and not necessarily correct for your rail.
Do you have a spare bit of rail that you could provide?
Steve
 
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Last edited:
@Marsh Lane @Steve_Cornford

Hi Rich, Steve,

Those default dimensions are the prototype BS-95R dimensions in S scale (1:64). It's very unlikely that the code 87 BH rail matches them exactly, especially the web thickness.

This is how the rail section is dimensioned:

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2_120508_000000000.png


BS-95R prototype dimensions in red. The dimensions in black relate to a sample of C&L rail from AndyB in 2016. Later batches may vary.

You can see that the all-important fishing faces are dimensioned from their intersect on the rail section centre-line. The head and foot depths can then be derived if needed.

n.b. the dimensions in black are NOT metric equivalents of the dimensions in red.

cheers,

Martin.
 
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Hi Rich,
I would be quite happy to some test prints of chairs and sleeper bricks for you, but you will need to provide some measurements of the S Society code 87 rail.
Steve,

From memory of when the SSMRS track components were designed quite a while ago, Wintwire were given a profile which was the standard 95lb rail scaled down by 1:64. I remember that Len Newman only had to make very small adjustments to the chair mould to get the Goldilocks fit on the rail.

I don't have access to a drawing of the rail profile - maybe Martin knows of a source.

Jim

PS. Yes he does. :)
 
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Hi Martin,
I have managed to print some mk 1 tweezers, just need to wash and cure them.

As far as S scale timbering bricks, am i right in assuming that having set the gauge to S, I do not need to set the custom rail dimensions before I print timbering bricks?
I would only need rail dimensions in order to print chairs?

Steve
 
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Hi Martin,
I have managed to print some mk 1 tweezers, just need to was and cure them.

As far as S scale timbering bricks, am i right in assuming that having set the gauge to S, I do not need to set the custom rail dimensions before I print timbering bricks?
I would only need rail dimensions in order to print chairs?

Steve

Hi Steve,

That's right, the chair dimensions don't change with the rail section, so the timbering brick doesn't change either. At least for plain track.

I can't say for sure for pointwork until I have done the V-crossings and K-crossings. The chairs and timbering brick do change if you change or tweak the flangeway gap (if the brick includes part of a crossing).

If you are resin-printing a brick in S scale, you might want to look at / adjust the thickness of the sole plate (not for plain track of course). The scale size is 1/2" thick.

For a test, it is also worth setting 12" joint sleepers so that you can test S1J chairs in addition to S1. At timbering data...

Good luck with the tweezers -- it's a bit of a fiddle getting the two tips aligned, but ok once bolted up firm. You might like to experiment with filing away part of the shank so that the tips fit between close-spaced pins on the raft -- it's then easier to grip them with the tweezers and pull them off the raft. With practice you can install the loose jaws untouched by human hand from printer to track. :)

Also filing away so that you can actually see the slot you are putting the loose jaw into.

If you use only the front screw, you can rotate the tips to whatever you regard as the most comfortable angle.

All this will be incorporated into the Mark 2 version. Hopefully.

cheers,

Martin.
 
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Hi Steve,

TurboCAD Deluxe 2015

Can probably still be found with a bit of Googling.

I did recently try a trial download of the current TurboCAD Deluxe, but it's quite expensive now. The 3D rendering has changed to a more photo-realistic style which requires higher spec graphics hardware. Without it, the results are worse than in the old 2015 version, so I'm sticking with that for now. It's running fine on Windows11.
@Steve_Cornford

Hi Steve,

Two months on from that and my rusty brain finally remembered that I have another excellent 3D CAD program installed here -- and it's free.

Snappily named DesignSparkMechanical from RS Components:


dsm.png


Download: https://www.rs-online.com/designspark/mechanical-download-and-installation

To download you need a (free) account with RS but you probably already have one for ordering screws, connecting wire and suchlike. Easy to register if not.

It is aimed at getting folks started in 3D designing and 3D printing, for engineering-type applications. It won't open DXFs from Templot, but it does open STLs from Templot, both original (usually with some warnings) and fixed, after the mesh repair service. It can integrate with the Cura slicer for FDM printing. It works only in 3D, there is no option to print conventional 2D engineering drawings in the free version*.

Unlike Fusion360 it doesn't require an internet connection while running or make you jump through hoops to prove you are not using it commercially. Even if you don't intend to do any designing, it makes a nice STL viewer. There is a detailed beginners guide and tutorial in the right-hand column on the screen.

Having remembered it, I can't think why I haven't been making more use of it, instead of the more traditional TurboCAD:




If anyone is thinking of getting a 3D printer on the strength of plug track, this is an excellent free program to make the most of the printer and get into 3D CAD design.

* the paid-for 2D version appears to have been temporarily withdrawn because of its reliance on Internet Explorer.

cheers,

Martin.
 
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p.s.

Looking at DesignSpark Mechanical again set me thinking about how little non-Templot use I have made of my 3D printers in the last couple of years. Checking on RMweb to see the popularity of DSM v. Fusion360, I found this -- designed in DSM and printed on a Mars 2 Pro in 7mm scale:

52117434249_2813187b92_b.jpg

linked from https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52117434249_2813187b92_b.jpg

See:

https://www.rmweb.co.uk/topic/17410...here-to-start/?do=findComment&comment=4926660

I must not get distracted from Plug Track. I must not get ... :)

Martin.
 
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