Ive had a spare couple of hours in which to have a crack at building a finetrax point. Ive been very much inspired by @Belstone and the great work he has done Longframlington.
Here it is
(http://www.ngaugeforum.co.uk/SMFN/gallery/43/492-200916192936.jpeg)
Some observations
There is no 2 ways about it, its fiddly. But perhas only as fiddly as we could expect, after all this is N gauge.
The worst bit for me was the chairs. Each one is sepately attached to the base, There are three different types of chairs too. And each chair must go in the right way round as one side is shorter than the other. If you get it wrong, the wheels wont go over the chair, so the instructions say. Getting them off the sprue onto the knife the right way round is very diffeicult and I did all my work under a magnifier so I could see which way was the right way round.
Here is a closer view
(http://www.ngaugeforum.co.uk/SMFN/gallery/43/492-200916192811.jpeg)
You can see I havent got the rails lined up perfectly with the frog, and it you look closely at the V end, youll notice I still have a couple of chairs to add.
And the other end
(http://www.ngaugeforum.co.uk/SMFN/gallery/43/492-200916204457.jpeg)
I didnt have a problem with making the switch blades, but I think I might try and get an even sharper point on the next one I do. The jig works really well.
Ive pushed a wagon over the point and it seems to work well across the frog in both directions which is pleasing.
All in all I think this is a really good piece of kit and Wayne Kinney cant be praised enough in my opinion. Yes its fiddly but I guess itll get easier the next time.
The esiest thing was installing the stock rails which just pushed in through the chairs in a few minutes. Really easy
Next I have to wire it up and then sort out the base board for it.
Thanks for looking
Cheers
Kirky
Looks nice and neat, they get easier the more you make.
Thanks for an informative post. :thumbsup:
Top quality work, thanks for showing us. Please keep us informed on progress! Hope your eyesight is OK with all those fiddly little chairs, even with a magnifier!
Great job Kirky and nicely illustrated. Not sure about the look of the cast frog, think Belstone's rail frog looks better but I guess a lot more difficult. :hmmm:
I must admit that since I first became aware of this product, I have thought that the cast frog detracts from the visual aspect.
I guess it could be improved with painting, but you may end up with an insulated frog!
The "frog" gets better once chairs are added to the sides. I also used a track colouring pen to colour the metal in the flange ways and it is a lot better.
The casting gets around building the crossing nose - 2mmFs filing jigs produce a great crossing but the cast nose is a great way to have a consistent nose and flangeway - it is the price paid for the ease of building.
Certainly echo comments on subsequent ones work better.
For wiring up I cut the base for building and used 0.3 brass wire to make bond between stock and switch rail and cut and soldered dropper to frog mounting stud and more droppers to rails beyond.
There is some benefit from having longer rails after crossing nose and perhaps building crossovers as a combined set rather than each as it saves on the short rail and lining up fun!
great job and well done and welcome to finetrak
Robert
Thank you so much everyone for the kind comments.
@robert shrives (http://www.ngaugeforum.co.uk/SMFN/index.php?action=profile;u=2605) @Bealman (http://www.ngaugeforum.co.uk/SMFN/index.php?action=profile;u=255) @Caz (http://www.ngaugeforum.co.uk/SMFN/index.php?action=profile;u=202) @GroupC (http://www.ngaugeforum.co.uk/SMFN/index.php?action=profile;u=2036) and of course @belstone (http://www.ngaugeforum.co.uk/SMFN/index.php?action=profile;u=2569)
I agree that Richards frogs are definitely better than the cast version. Interestingly its worth pointing out that that the 2mil version Easitrak, also has a manufactured frog, albeit milled as opposed to cast.
Readers may know that Richard has described how he made his frogs on his Longframlington thread. I was a bit reluctant to go down this road until I'd built a few points conventionally.
I've had a go at starting the next point. Spent an hour this morning making the switch blades and planting chairs. Definitely easier the second time. If I get half an hour this afty I'll try and take some more pics and see if I can finish off.
All of course if my back is ok enough to do anymore.
Thanks again for the for the kind comments guys. Much appreciated.
Kirky
The cast frog looks a lot better once it is painted (apart from the top surface, obviously). I soldered the two rails to it (at the end furthest from the blades) to hold them in alignment and reduce the amount of wiring. You won't melt anything if you are careful. My main concern with the standard design is the insulating gap between the switch rails and the frog - there isn't a lot apart from the tiebar to stop the rails moving, and if that gap closes up you will end up with shorting problems. Even if you are going to keep the cast frog, it could really do with a PCB sleeper to secure the switch rails and keep the ends aligned with the frog. That also saves a couple more wires as you can use the PCB to bond each switch rail to the adjacent stock rail.
But overall the Finetrax product is a good balance of appearance, strength and ease of construction. We need to see more Finetrax layouts - where are they all?
Richard
I've had a bit longer at the workbench. I've not done wiring as I said I would, but instead I've constructed another couple of points. Undoubtedly it is much easier second and third goes. The chairs seem to behave much better once the technique is mastered. Just a question of muscle memory I suppose.
Here are some more pictures
(http://www.ngaugeforum.co.uk/SMFN/gallery/43/492-230916165319.jpeg)
Here you can see where I've filed away a little notch for the switch blade. Seems to work OK.
(http://www.ngaugeforum.co.uk/SMFN/gallery/43/492-230916165402.jpeg)
And a soldered up frog as per Richard's suggestion. I will need to spend a little more time fettling, and I'm awaiting the arrival of a finer file.
(http://www.ngaugeforum.co.uk/SMFN/gallery/43/492-230916165433.jpeg)
A pretty poor frog in this pic, which will need a lot of attention I think.
(http://www.ngaugeforum.co.uk/SMFN/gallery/43/492-230916165508.jpeg)
a couple of points built together
and a third...
(http://www.ngaugeforum.co.uk/SMFN/gallery/43/492-230916165542.jpeg)
I've really enjoyed doing these points. Progress has been quicker than I anticipated, and I've had to get in to the garage to create a board to stick 'em onto. More of that tomorrow...I think I might start a new thread cos effectively it will be a shunting layout.
Thanks for looking and all comments welcomed.
Cheers
Kirky
they look really good and look forward to shunting layout ...
Robert
Thanks Robert, much appreciated.
Cheers
Kirky
Not sure if itsbeen said but soldering two droppers to each rail does mean if one fials you can still run - with one dropper having to make a repair will always be a pain and a bit of bomb proofing now will help with the future fun levels!
cheers
Robert
That looks really good. Well done!
Rail-joiners / fishplates. Are you using them? If so, who makes or sells them. Finetrax don't seem to sell them.
My finetrax points are only part assembled as I haven't decided whether to use the cast frog or use a rail built frog.
Ian
Hi, Wayne had been looking at some stampings for joiners/ fishplates but by careful use of the sleepe panels and overlapping joins and perhaps a drop of superglue on a next chair to secure means joiners not necessary, especially as it is the norm to have two dropers off each rail to thicker wire under the baseboard. This does of course mean a little more planning in laying to predrill holes.
robert
Quote from: ODRAILS on September 24, 2016, 03:19:57 PM
Rail-joiners / fishplates. Are you using them? If so, who makes or sells them. Finetrax don't seem to sell them.
My finetrax points are only part assembled as I haven't decided whether to use the cast frog or use a rail built frog.
Ian
As well as what Robert says, which is what I have done so far, that is there are no fish plates at all on the track work in the pictures. Rail is simply supported by the sleepers/chairs. However, when I bought my kit from Wayne I bought some Z scale fish plates which I may yet use.
And in addition to this I plan to have a small fiddle yard on the layout which will utilise an old three way point and code 55 track, so I'll have figure out a way to join up the two different codes.
Cheers
Kirky
Hi,
Not done it but might have a try - filing off foot of code55 rail - to overall height ofthe code 40 and fitting two brass sleepers - solder rails along with code 40 extensions into plastic sleepr section -say 100 mm long and make a plasticard base to support the bit of a slope. Remembering of course to spilt brass sleepers!
If it works out might have a a go later have got my interest..
Robert
Hi Robert
Thanks for that, did you mean file off a foot? that sounds an awful lot, unless Im misunderstanding the concept.
I was thinking to just file off enough to get the z gauge fish plates in. Any hight differrences will just be packed out and hidden hopefully.
Ive started a new topic
http://www.ngaugeforum.co.uk/SMFN/index.php?topic=34716.msg404029#msg404029 (http://www.ngaugeforum.co.uk/SMFN/index.php?topic=34716.msg404029#msg404029)
Just realised I should have put it in layout construction. Oops sorry mods, not sure how to move it.
Cheers
Kirky
Hi Kirky,
Yes off the foot its only 30 thou or so so not too long only need to get say 12mm into a pair of brass sleepers.
Robert
Sorry Robert, I was being thick, I thought you meant a foot in length! Doh! :dunce:
Hi, Well just finished making a converter track, about 90 minutes to basic filing and soldering, just washed off flux so tomorrow a case of gluing a base on to it to support ramp.
Sadly no pics my pentax camera is broke!
I will bring along to the Dapol club open day should anybody like a look.
cheers
Robert
@robert shrives (http://www.ngaugeforum.co.uk/SMFN/index.php?action=profile;u=2605)
Oh thats a shame that you haven't got pictures Robert. I'm not a member of the Dapol club an wouldn't be able to go anyway, but I'm sure others are interested. You don't have a phone camera presumably?
Are the brass sleepers the 2mm Association ones?
Anyway well done, I'm impressed.
Cheers
Kirky
Hi yes sleepers 9.42 but having to cut a gap then easy to use for N. Having looked this morning with fresh eyes stock would run over it but on the code 55 filed down I have created a vertical curve so one rail is higher - a twist in real railway terms so not good and will have to look at how to cure and prevent. Did not get further with plasticard for ramp.
Robert
@robert shrives (http://www.ngaugeforum.co.uk/SMFN/index.php?action=profile;u=2605)
its no good, I'm gonna have to join the 2 mil association just for the brass sleepers. Theyre a great idea.
Funnily enough you mentioned cutting them in half, well thats how I saw them being demoed by Mick Simpson from 2mil Assocn. He used a half brass sleeper opposite a convention easitrack sleeper, the other half being placed at a convenient location.
I need to see pictures to undertand about your 'vertical curve'.
Cheers
Kirky