Camrail

Simon

Flying Squad
Any 2nd hand Gauge 1 up for grabs by any chance?

Will pop along by train from Cardiff on Saturday
Roger

Hi Roger

I look forward to meeting you. I don't think there will be any s/h Gauge 1 for sale but there will be a bit on display, my sound fitted 48DS and Cynric's amazing timber building. I think John Dale may still have one of his built up Ruston 48DSs for sale, a model which I would heartily recommend on various levels.

Simon
 

28ten

Guv'nor
Oh Lord, it looks as though I am going to have to do some serious work during the week if I have to demonstrate that I've moved on since the last report. :) The only problem is that the next development requires me to write my own Gcode (can't afford the £000's for suitable off the shelf software) and there's not much to show for that. :)

Jim.
Why do you need to write your own G code?
Im just interested to see the results:) Im just cutting some small bits of S brickwork to bring along :)
 

JimG

Western Thunderer
Why do you need to write your own G code?

The next job is to do Caledonian McIntosh bogie stock and these coaches have protruding bolections around the quarterlights. I did a test piece last year machining the bolections using 3D CAM software but this software generated code which was an X or Y raster with variable Z. The problem I have is that the head of the KX1 mill has a tendency to nod when you change direction in the Z direction due to the drive shaft being behind the column, so reproducing small scale detail becomes a bit difficult. I'm caught between a rock and a hard place with the KX1 since if I adjust the head gib to get rid of the play that allows the nodding, moving the head becomes much stiffer and there is then the possibility of losing steps. If I can drive the cutter in waterlines or contours, I can better control the nodding problem in the Z axis. But I haven't managed to source software which will generate waterline toolpaths at a price I can afford.

So I can do it by hand coding, which isn't too much of a problem since all the quarterlights are the same dimensions and I can write a subroutine to do one bolection using relative distancing, then call this routine for every quarterlight with the appropriate X and Y offset. It just means lifting all the X an Y co-ordinates off AutoCAD by hand and writing them into the GCode.

I did consider writing a program to take all the information from a DXF file, but I reckoned that I could hand code a lot quicker than it would take me to learn all the intricacies of AutoCAD's DXF standard. :)

So if all goes well, I might have a Caledonian 45ft bogie side made, but I am in danger of being too optimistic. :)

Im just cutting some small bits of S brickwork to bring along :)

Funnily enough, I won't be needing a lot of brickwork for my layout, but I will need a lot of Glasgow sandstone to build lots of tenement backs. :)

Jim.
 

28ten

Guv'nor
So its really a machine limitation, won't mach3 do the job? its years since i wrote any G code. Are you not tempted to go for 3d printing which might be easier?

But those sandstone buildings all need shells before the Das goes on :)) and i have a cunning little trick for tunnel lining ;)

I will be interesting to compare with Stephs 'Jenkinson' coaches and Jamies resin sides.


If anybody is interested I have found a box large enough for Dikitrikis bank so I might stick that in as well :)
 

JimG

Western Thunderer
So its really a machine limitation, won't mach3 do the job? its years since i wrote any G code. Are you not tempted to go for 3d printing which might be easier?

Mach3 has a backlash compensation setting which does work quite well, but the problem with the Seig KX1 "nod" is that it causes an overshoot on reversal which isn't typical for backlash, so if you backlash compensate for one end of travel to account for this overshoot, it can be well out for the other end . I'm talkinig a few thous here but with the bolection protrusion being all of six thou, a couple of thous out can make a noticeable difference.

I will be interesting to compare with Stephs 'Jenkinson' coaches and Jamies resin sides.

Likewise. :)

Jim.
 

D6331

Western Thunderer
Hi Roger

I look forward to meeting you. I don't think there will be any s/h Gauge 1 for sale but there will be a bit on display, my sound fitted 48DS and Cynric's amazing timber building. I think John Dale may still have one of his built up Ruston 48DSs for sale, a model which I would heartily recommend on various levels.

Simon


Thanks Simon - (tis I of the cemetery dwelling..) oohh a Ruston you say.. mmmmm.. Cheque books at dawn sir

Roger
 

JimG

Western Thunderer
So I can do it by hand coding, which isn't too much of a problem since all the quarterlights are the same dimensions and I can write a subroutine to do one bolection using relative distancing, then call this routine for every quarterlight with the appropriate X and Y offset. It just means lifting all the X an Y co-ordinates off AutoCAD by hand and writing them into the GCode.

Got the GCode written today - it went a bit better than I expected. There's a lot of repetition so there was a lot of cutting and pasting :) . I'll get it on the KX1 tomorrow and see what it looks like. I did a full pair of sides for a six compartment brake third, but also did a sampler of two and a half compartments to do a proving run which will take about two hours. I think the two complete sides would take about six hours to cut - I still have to do the full CAM files for them so can't do an accurate estimate at the moment.

Jim.
 

Captain Kernow

Western Thunderer
I'll also be doing the usual stint at CamRail on both days, selling sandwiches, bananas and any other exotic fruit to unsuspecting punters....:D
 

28ten

Guv'nor
If anybody visiting Camrail would like a couple of these let me know and i will bring them along as I have a few left
They are ideal for needle files and using as a paint stand for small parts. There may also be a few paintbrush holders kicking about. Cost is a fiver each

IMG_5445.jpg
 

marsa69

Western Thunderer
If anybody visiting Camrail would like a couple of these let me know and i will bring them along as I have a few left
They are ideal for needle files and using as a paint stand for small parts. There may also be a few paintbrush holders kicking about. Cost is a fiver each

View attachment 12488

Can I get one of each for Telford please mate?
 

Ressaldar

Western Thunderer
If anybody visiting Camrail would like a couple of these let me know and i will bring them along as I have a few left
They are ideal for needle files and using as a paint stand for small parts. There may also be a few paintbrush holders kicking about. Cost is a fiver each

View attachment 12488

and a set for me as well please.

cheers

Mike
 

28ten

Guv'nor
I shall have stuff for Telford :) a couple of new things in the works as well, it just takes a couple of weeks to prepare stock
 

Simon

Flying Squad
I'm just finishing the show guide and as mentioned over on Jamie's G3 coach thread I can now allocate a table to a WT "show and tell" type of operation.

I am quite happy to also use this to promote Western Thunder if you would like to Cynric, feel free to produce/bring along any promotional material that you would like to.

Simon
 

Steph Dale

Western Thunderer
I'm just finishing the show guide and as mentioned over on Jamie's G3 coach thread I can now allocate a table to a WT "show and tell" type of operation.

I am quite happy to also use this to promote Western Thunder if you would like to Cynric, feel free to produce/bring along any promotional material that you would like to.

Simon

Hehe - looks like Yorkshire Dave and I will have some competition company...
Hopefully I'll have a chance to prepare something during tomorrow afternoon!

Steph
 

Captain Kernow

Western Thunderer
If anybody visiting Camrail would like a couple of these let me know and i will bring them along as I have a few left
They are ideal for needle files and using as a paint stand for small parts. There may also be a few paintbrush holders kicking about. Cost is a fiver each

View attachment 12488
I'll happily have one of those as well, please, (at CamRail), if you've got any left?
 
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