Plug Track - User Guide

[Martin Wynne]

@James Walters

Now that James has published a link to his excellent User Guide for plug track, I can post the link here:

https://85a.uk/bexhillwest/

With brilliant guides, tutorials and videos about plug track.

Please note that it is still under construction, so remember to check back frequently for updates.

Many thanks James for doing this. It's a wonderful contribution to the plug track project for which I'm extremely grateful, and I know many users will greatly appreciate it and find it very helpful.

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Eventually my own write-ups and reference material for plug track will be in the Companion at:

https://85a.uk/templot/companion/plug_track.php

but there is not much there yet, and there won't be until this project is much further forward. In the meantime please refer to James's User Guide above. Thanks.

cheers,

Martin.

 

[James Walters]

Thank you Martin, I'm only too pleased to give-back in a small way and appreciate you kindly hosting the pages.

Just so as everyone is aware, the pages are not in competition with the Companion. Hopefully they can co-exist and take a little pressure off Martin when it comes to answering questions, and help folks get to the information they need.
I'd encourage others who are enjoying Templot to produce guide pages too. I can upload them, and of course all contributions will be fully credited to their rightful owners.
As a thought, I'd like to include a page of recommended Plug Track settings for different printers etc. Ultimately of course, is it up to individual users to experiment to achieve the optimal results with what they have, but a spreadsheet style table of settings which Templot Club members have had good results with might be a nice starting point for a novice.
So if you're getting great results let me know what you are doing, preferably with a photo or two and I'll build up a databank.


All other thoughts and ideas will be most welcome.

Best,

James

 

[Phil G]

Hi James,
I noticed under the plan track heading 2.2 laser cut timbering you have drifted over to turnouts whilst explaining the possibility of snib conflicts. Nothing wrong with that though and its hard to find exactly the right cut off point. I did wonder if it maybe better to change the tile away from plain track to simply trackwork though?

One though I have been playing around with (mainly at this stage in my mind) more than practically is the idea of using both FDM and laser cut components in the same turnout. Why you may all ask? well the thinking is simple, I am trying to get the best out of both ideas.

For me at least, nothing looks better than stained wood to represent timbering so that's my first choice.

However there are some great features in the FDM approach not least being the idea of a vee groove formed under the timbers at the switch toe soleplate, by making a mating part in resin you should be able to create an almost invisible switch blade driving system, you could in fact incorporate two diving sliders, which could be be driven by one of your excellent servo motor sliders units.

If you expend the idea a bit more then you could also have an adjustable linkage driving mechanise between the second and third stretcher bars. All the stretcher bars could then be cosmetically made from resin to look the part from above. ( so the compromise would be a total of either 2 (two tie-bars) or 4 (three tie-bars) plastic timbers that need to be disguised as wood, the soleplate acutely looks better in plastic, and for that you gain a very robust switch blade driving system.

In order to do that however you would have to target a composite turnout and very importantly get the thickness of both the FDM parts and the laser cut timbers to be very close to the same depth. I only mention it now, as I think its something that should at least have provision for covering off in the plug track book of words.
Once I have the idea out my head and working, I will be happy to do any write up required.
cheers
Phil