Thoughts on this Crossing Vee and Switch Blades Please?

[polybear]

Hi,
I've been spending time getting up to speed with the use of an EMGS Crossing Filing Jig - here's my latest attempt and I'd appreciate any comments (good or bad) on the finished article please; it's a #8 Vee using HiNi Code 75 B/H Rail - the tip measures a scale 3/4" (0.25mm) and the top rounded slightly.

Top:

Bottom:

Splice Rail:

Running Rail:

Many thanks
Brian

 

[Phil O]

Brian,

That looks better than anything I've ever knocked up.

 

[Martin Wynne]

@polybear

Hi Brian,

Welcome to Templot Club.

That looks excellent. Very nicely finished vee nose.

Maybe there's a bit too much solder visible at the back of the splice. A common problem which is difficult to avoid and makes model vees look rather like cast crossings (a very rare breed in bullhead). You can probably hide it by filing at an angle with a triangular needle file, and some dark paint.

One advantage of plug track is that no vee soldering is needed. If the vee rails are prepared in the 3D-printed filing jigs to the exact angle they will fit snugly together in the chairs without soldering (as in the Finetrax kits). Just maybe a little superglue or epoxy can be added on the underside of the rails after assembly. Or the resin chairs will resist soldering temperatures if you are quick. A little solder cream (SMT paste) applied during assembly can be flashed in situ and will be invisible.

On the prototype there is often some accumulated crud in the back of the splice, but not usually up to rail top and only for a couple of inches or so:

cheers,

Martin.

 

[polybear]

Many thanks Martin & Phil - that's encouraging
I originally struggled with instructions for the filing jig, but after (re) discovering notes written by Geoff Cook it all started to make sense.
Tomorrow I'll try out the blade filing jig....
Cheers,
Brian.

 

[Rob Manchester]

Hi Brian,
I think you did a good job too. Close up pictures can be very cruel but it looks fine. Quite often people end up with a step where the two rails join but yours looks good here. In 7mm scale the Scale7Group produces filing jigs that have a rebate in the point rail to allow the splice rail to seat nicely. See this link and scroll down to figure 10. Not sure we need to go that far though.

Rob

 

[Stephen Freeman]

7mm scale Waverley Kits from Specialised Products supplied the vees in 2 parts milled with the recess but LH and RH kits had the same parts. I always found the point blades needed taking down a bit, still it was a sad loss to the hobby when he died suddenly.
You might be able to reduce the solder by careful use of some solder wick but I doubt it would be noticeable.

For others, machining the two parts the Martin Wynne way as outlined some years ago is the best way, no jigs required.

 

[Steve_Cornford]

Would it be worth having an ideal tip profile that one could print out and then use to compare your own tip profile against as an aid to production?
Steve

 

[polybear]

Hi all,
Many thanks for all your comments; today I tried out the Switch Blade Filing Jig to produce a pair of "B" Blades using Code 75 B/H Rail - I'd be grateful for any comments please - they do still need a final polish, though look a lot worse in the photos than they actually are due to picture enlargement. I've rounded the top corner at the tip slightly, though I suspect more of a ramp profile would be beneficial; the thickness of the blade at the tip is 0.2mm.
I had a C&L Ready Made Blade (only one, strangely) in my spares box and they seem to compare reasonably well with that.

Inner & Closing Faces:

Rail Head Uppermost:

Rail Foot Intact:

Underside:

Rail Head:

Closing Face:

Inner Face:

Many thanks
Brian

 

[Phil G]

Hi Brian,
These look excellent, your clearly filing dead square to the rail web, not an easy task even with filing jigs.
Seen as you file so square yo would have no issue with a true spliced vee, with no solder required. if you use the right plug tracks chairs.
well done.
cheers
Phil

 

[polybear]

Thanks Phil - the Switch Blade Jig does all the hard work, and the instructions are clear and accurate. Now if only the instructions for the Crossing Vee Jig were anywhere near as good......

 

[Hayfield]

The 3D switch rail jigs are much easier to use,

 

[Martin Wynne]

The 3D switch rail jigs are much easier to use,

@polybear @Hayfield

Hi Brian,

It's important to note that for plug track the vee point rail is filed on one side only. This differs from the traditional method where the point rail is filed on both sides, after bending the first filed face.

If you do that, the point rail won't fit in the plug track "A" chair. More info at:

https://85a.uk/templot/club/index.php?threads/experimental-plug-track-continued.673/post-8369

This is not relevant if you are not using plug track of course.

cheers,

Martin.

 

[Phil G]

Hi Martin,

Thanks for the clarification, I was getting a bit confused, as at first I had assumed Brain was using your filing jigs.
it was only after rereading all the posts I realised Bran is actually using the EMGS jigs.

cheers
Phil