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  • 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 Some of the earlier pages of this topic are now out-of-date.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.

Loose jaw plug track - rail inclined inwards?

Quick reply >
Hi Stuart,
Click on the [3D] button, top left of screen to ge the experimental 3D screen:-
1726752928446.png

Click on the [ DXF/STL file export... ] button to get:-
1726753044094.png

Click on [ show settings ]:-
1726753087941.png

click on the [ Rail ] tab:-
1726753131921.png

Click on the custom : radio button, then click on the [ set custom BH rail...] button to get:-
1726753227482.png

Replace my special rail with for example DCC Stainless Steel and click ok, this presents you with the data entry form:-
1726753335935.png

I have depicted it having pressed <cr> through each of the fields until fish angle 1:

All the PLugtrack parameters are accessed through the [show settings] button & the tabs revealed etc.

Hope this helps ,
Steve
 
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Hi Stuart,
Click on the [3D] button, top left of screen to ge the experimental 3D screen:-
View attachment 11468
Click on the [ DXF/STL file export... ] button to get:-
View attachment 11470
Click on [ show settings ]:-
View attachment 11471
click on the [ Rail ] tab:-
View attachment 11472
Click on the custom : radio button, then click on the [ set custom BH rail...] button to get:-
View attachment 11473
Replace my special rail with for example DCC Stainless Steel and click ok, this presents you with the data entry form:-
View attachment 11474
I have depicted it having pressed <cr> through each of the fields until fish angle 1:

All the PLugtrack parameters are accessed through the [show settings] button & the tabs revealed etc.

Hope this helps ,
Steve
Hi Steve
Excellent
Yes this does help me.
Many thanks
Stuart
 
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message ref: 13379
Hi Stuart,
Click on the [3D] button, top left of screen to ge the experimental 3D screen:-
View attachment 11468
Click on the [ DXF/STL file export... ] button to get:-
View attachment 11470
Click on [ show settings ]:-
View attachment 11471
click on the [ Rail ] tab:-
View attachment 11472
Click on the custom : radio button, then click on the [ set custom BH rail...] button to get:-
View attachment 11473
Replace my special rail with for example DCC Stainless Steel and click ok, this presents you with the data entry form:-
View attachment 11474
I have depicted it having pressed <cr> through each of the fields until fish angle 1:

All the PLugtrack parameters are accessed through the [show settings] button & the tabs revealed etc.

Hope this helps ,
Steve
Hi @Steve_Cornford & @Martin Wynne

I've been working locally with Stuart on printing over the past few months leading up to his posts above. After your advice, changing rail measurements and a little patience we finally managed to get some S1 and a 1:6 crossing set printed. A slight cant as with the OP's comments but a massive step in the right direction for us after a lot of confused and frustrated modelling sessions.
Next steps will be following this thread to adjust the cant and finally get a full turnout set printed :D

Cheers,
James
 

Attachments

  • 20241004_213818.jpg
    20241004_213818.jpg
    3.6 MB · Views: 45
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message ref: 13613
Hi James & Stuart,
Once you have got the rail settings dialled in, use the [ save custom data ... ] button on export DXF /STL file... custom tab.
1728121507981.png


Then when you next invoke Templot you can restore your settings using the [ load custom data ... ] button.

Also it would be useful if you can perform a screen print of your working rail settings (display the detail & press <alt+prt scr> & post here ( <ctrl v>) for others to use, or for us to add into the rail options.

Steve
 
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message ref: 13615
I have the same problem with non-vertical rails. I am certain that it is dimensional accuracy of my printing that causes the problem. The ‘cones of calibration’ are more to do with tensile strength than dimensions. The 'cubes of calibration' are for dimensional accuracy. I found this very instructive web chat about the differences and uses of these two calibration models.
It really helped me understand why calibration is the key to success for printing rail chairs. It is quite long, but well worth the time. He talks a lot about all the variables, temperature, printers and the also apparent randomness of success. It resulted in me purchasing two new resins to mix, and a heating controller to keep the temperature constant in the printer. As soon as work calms down a bit I hope to find time to calibrate properly and see if it makes a difference. I will try to post my experiences here. One of points he makes is that simply copying somebody else’s settings may give you a print that is a success…but for the wrong reasons. Many prints are a ‘success’ because they look complete and right to the naked eye, but the dimensions may be off, or if they are right size, the print might be too brittle to last. His claim is that by using both these models in a controlled experiment, you will be able to find the sweetest spot possible between dimensional accuracy and strength for the particular printer/resin combination you test with.
 
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message ref: 15913
Here is a quick update. After a few weeks of too much work (60+ hours a week during the Christmas “holidays”) things have calmed down a bit. To start off at the base level, I used a thermometer to discover that the room where the printer stands is generally too cold. The temperature in the printer was between 19-21 C. The optimum temperature for resin printing seems to be (according to the internet: 25 C). I could have turned up the heating but decided instead to buy a small heater that fits inside the hood of the printer: https://www.chitusystems.com/produc...62LOGQf5uUqTQDN2BE3YjC&variant=45296441983212 It cost about £40. It takes a minute to warm the air up inside the printer hood, but I generally start it about 30 minutes before printing, so that it can also warm the resin up a bit. This gives a much more controlled environment,

I printed the cones of calibration with a 2 second exposure. When measured they were all too small the 4mm cube was about 3.94mm, the cubes were also loose when but inside each other. I tired again with a 3 second exposure. Here the cubes were a closer match in size, but the walls became too thick, and they could no longer be slotted into each other. I did another trial at 2.7 seconds and the fit was now correct but the dimensions were still a bit small 3.96 in x, y, and z axis. I found this website https://blog.honzamrazek.cz/2022/06...ghting-resin-shrinkage-and-exposure-bleeding/ and used the tool to try and find what levels of scaling I should use.

I settled on printing at 100.35% of size, using a 0.05 mm per layer and an exposure time of 2.7 seconds. This gave me a dimensionally accurate cubes of calibration model. I have now printed at set of fixed jaw chairs for a section of straight track. This has given me a much better result. The rails slide easily through the chairs with no damage. The rails are now very close to vertical. I have tried to show this in a couple of photos, but it is difficult to capture. I am satisfied with the result.

20250127_135056.jpg


20250127_134042.jpg


So, does this mean I am now committed to this approach? Well yes... apart for the fact that I have just ordered a 0.2 mm nozzle for my Bambu1 P1S, so that I can try a 4MM COT track test.
 
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