097 - Build - Creating Flexible Track Templates

Рет қаралды 646

5 ай бұрын

Welcome to Ian's N Gauge channel!
In a previous video I showed how some home made Tracksetta-like templates had helped me to lay some code 55 track.
In this video I’m going to show how I created the templates using Inkscape, the free vector drawing application, and my Cricut machine.
Thanks very much for watching.
Ian
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Пікірлер: 38

@Wickford_N_Gauge 5 ай бұрын

Greetings Shelfington and hello Ian 👋 The Iansetta goes from strength to strength 💪 Your thoroughness here will definitely pay reliability dividends in the future 😇 points will always be the weak point of your track work 😲 and smooth transitions are the key 🔑 😉 Best part was you didn't show any rail joiners 👍 🩸🤕 Very best wishes from the Emerald Isle ☘️

@iansngauge 5 ай бұрын

Good morning Paul and hello to Wickford and The Shelf! Haha! The Iansetta! I'll have to TM that before you do! I'm hoping that by using every tool in my armory, I'll eventually get my track work looking half decent - but am not looking forward to the rail joiner months / years, even with those nifty Rail Joiner Mates at my disposal! Just waiting for points to arrive now, and we'll be tackling the tricky bit! Cheers, Ian.

@AVMR66 5 ай бұрын

Hello there Ian. Great work on the templates to answer your question at the end I mostly do my track work with the peco way gauge. *spoiler alert. next video will have a sped up section of track laying so you can see how I lay mine. I really like your cricut machine looks very tempting. Happy modelling, Nat 🚂

@iansngauge 5 ай бұрын

Good morning Nat! Thank you! I'm very much looking forward to watching your next video then! The Cricut machine itself is great, but the Design Space software is garbage - hence me using Inkscape! If I had my time over, I'd be looking at a different make of cutting machine, and possibly a laser cutter, which seem to be more affordable nowadays! All the best, Ian.

@thegrowler-blackwoodngauge 5 ай бұрын

Evening Michael ..... sorry Ian thought I'd tuned into Chandwell 😂 for a minute. All very clever stuff and very "a la Ian" A Peco 6' way gauge modified to give me a half way house is all I use Ian. Where you have parallel tracks you lay the inner first and then using the gauge the outer track will follow at the desired track spacing and radius. I do use Tracksetta to give me an idea of the radius but to honest most of my track is laid by eye. Cheers Euan

@iansngauge 5 ай бұрын

Haha! Morning Euan! I can only wish that I had Michael's Inkscape skills! I really admire that you can lay your track by eye, with the help of a 6' way gauge occasionally! I've tried, believe me, but it just looks wrong, so I need all of the help I can get! Cheers, Ian.

@lynganddistrict 5 ай бұрын

Great idea Ian - well done. THanks for sharing it. Regards Steve

@iansngauge 5 ай бұрын

Thanks very much Steve! The templates work really well! All the best, Ian.

@hayridgemodelrail4046 5 ай бұрын

Good morning Ian, great little update tutorial. Might be something I look into great for those awkward sections that the standard tracksettas can't manage. Keep up the great work. Allan

@iansngauge 5 ай бұрын

Good morning Allan, and thank you very much! They'll definitely come in useful when I start laying track down for the tricky bit! Enjoy your weekend! All the best, Ian.

@chrisbarber9098 5 ай бұрын

Hi Ian just found you in the nick of time. I’ve just started my n gauge project after a 35 year layoff. From what if seen so far you are going to save me some grief. As a bonus you make me smile. Thank you

@iansngauge 5 ай бұрын

Hi Chris! Haha! It took me 35 years to get back into the hobby too! Must be the prescribed period! As you'll know, a lot has changed - especially the prices!!! I'm really pleased you're getting some value out of my videos! Thank you for watching and taking the time to comment! Good luck with your project! All the best, Ian.

@chrisbarber9098 5 ай бұрын

@@iansngauge I have a question where did you buy your XPS foam from. We’ve been trawling the local builders merchants to no avail. TIA Chris

@iansngauge 5 ай бұрын

@@chrisbarber9098 - Hi Chris! I've purchased the XPS foam from Wickes and B&Q before, but have lately been ordering it from Amazon! There are some affiliate links for various sizes in the description of the video if you'd like to take a look! Cheers, Ian.

@chrisbarber9098 5 ай бұрын

@@iansngauge cheers done B&Q and wicks big fat zero in both cases. I’ll have a look at the links. I binge watched just about every episode over the weekend

@iansngauge 5 ай бұрын

@@chrisbarber9098 - Gosh! Binge watched eh? I'm just muddling my way through, but I hope you found some of the videos interesting, if not informative! I'll actually be starting to lay track soon, so wish me luck! :) All the best, Ian.

@nig87101 5 ай бұрын

Yes, Ian, this right here! When I was constructing my sorting sidings, about ten weeks ago, I was having the same issue. I found that making sure the track joining the diverging point was dead straight, then use a straight tracksetta, set to the required gap to the next line, would create an acceptable curve. But a bespoke tracksetta for 6 or 10 foot gaps would be far better. Great work, sir!.

@iansngauge 5 ай бұрын

Thanks very much Nigel! I'm also planning on using strips of 2mm greyboard as spacers between adjacent tracks to ensure tracks remain a constant distance apart! Hopefully these, along with the templates, will ensure that my track work is a good as it can get! All the best, Ian.

@ngaugefouroaksstreetstatio6932 5 ай бұрын

A great idea Ian, certainly will give 100% consistency and above all keeping the join to the point aligned which is crucial for helping avoid derailments. I do not think anything is over the top when it can be used over and over again as it will be in your case.

@iansngauge 5 ай бұрын

Hi Chris! Thank you! That's exactly what I'm hoping for! I'm also going to make some straight strips that go between adjacent tracks, to ensure everything remains straight - a bit like your two and three track wide tools! I'm not too far from beginning track laying then - just waiting for some points to arrive to be honest! All the best, Ian.

@exehavenharbour 5 ай бұрын

Hi Ian, another informative and interesting video, I no longer have a desk top computer or a laptop, just my trusty IPad so Inkscape is out for me although I realise that there are alternative similar products for Apple products. I very much use the same method as Euan and Tracksetta’s. I find that because of the space I have things aren’t always uniform and I can get a reasonably accurate look by just using my eye. I think what you’ve done is marvellous though and helpful for those who have all the right equipment. I shall be back in the cabin in an hour or two as today is a non golfing Saturday. No video from me this week as I’ve not got enough to show. I’ve also had to spend time moving stuff out of the way so that I can progress further. I’ve also started another project which will appear in next weeks video. Have a great weekend mate, cheers for now John

@iansngauge 5 ай бұрын

Good morning John, and thank you! I don't think I could get by without a computer! My eyes are at the stage where they need a 27" iMac screen to see what I'm doing! Lol! I think because of the lack of width I've got, I'm very wary about getting too close to the edge, so want to ensure my eventual track follows the plan as close as I can get it! Unlike yourself and Euan, I've tried laying track by eye, and while I think it looks okay, I never seem to get smooth curves at the desired radius, hence all of this template palaver! Have a great day in the cabin, and good luck with whatever your new project involves! Exciting stuff! All the best, Ian.

@PChisholm 5 ай бұрын

I like this idea. I have a laser cutter which could achieve the same. I think I will make some, and some to go across the joints especially - I can lay curves by eye (badly) but have fun at the joins.

@iansngauge 5 ай бұрын

Thank you! It's a great idea to make templates that go across the joints! I'm jealous of your laser cutter, as I'd love to have made the templates from 2mm or 3mm thick MDF! They'd be much sturdier than the greyboard ones I've made! I don't really have the space for a laser cutter, but would love to get one one day! Good luck with making your templates! You'll have to let me know how you get on! Cheers, Ian.

@greatnorthernrailwaytother4711 5 ай бұрын

Great idea Ian. I have made my own curve templates rather buy them but hadn’t thought of making some for turnout fitting. Thinking further you could also design some for spiral transitions. Cheers Peter.

@iansngauge 5 ай бұрын

Thanks very much Peter! It's great having the tools to be able to create these templates so accurately nowadays isn't it? Yes, you could definitely create them for all sorts of situations, including easements! My next ones will be used to go between adjacent pieces of track, to ensure they're the correct distance apart, instead of relying on the Peco 6' way gauges! All the best, Ian.

@terrycharleslewis7565 5 ай бұрын

Hey there Ian, very innovative idea there mate. Thing is with tracksetta you buy them, use them once or twice to lay track, then what? You'll have no further use for them?? Keep up the good work mate regards Terry.

@iansngauge 5 ай бұрын

Thanks very much Terry! Exactly, Tracksettas are good, but they're expensive, and you only need them once or twice during their lifetime! In my experience, you always seem to end up with radii that don't quite match a Tracksetta too! Thanks for watching and taking the time to comment! All the best, Ian.

@endoorrailway 5 ай бұрын

Hi Ian, Personally I don't like the consistency that comes from set track - I don't think the full-size railway looks like that - it seems to be made of the gentlest curves that suit the situation. For example to extend the gap between parallel rails after a point, from the streamline distance to the set track distance, I would want one big gentle curve, so would need to work out what the larger radius would be. Using Inkscape for templating is a great idea :) Next time I make an N gauge layout I'll use easements for transitions into curves, and I've no idea how to calculate a varying radius for an arc! So will most likely be by eye, but with some kind of template to make sure I don't go tighter than a particular minimum radius at any section. Great to see that Nine-millimetre Gauge does indeed have a 9mm gap between the rails, very reassuring! I was actually surprised because I mistakenly thought track gauge is the distance between the rail centres, but that would be silly, and it is indeed the inside gap.

@iansngauge 5 ай бұрын

Morning Jonathan! Hmm! I think there's some confusion! I'm not extending the gap from streamline to setrack! The 26mm gap is the gap between the centre of the tracks, not the gap between the two adjacent rails of the two tracks, which just happens to be coincidentally, the distance between adjacent rails for setrack - I think it's 18mm, or something like that, for streamline! The diverging lane of a unifrog point isn't one smooth curve! If you measure the point from the switch rail, you'll see that after the angle at the specified radius, there is a straight section (30mm in my case), which is how I came about the measurement! If you think about it, it needs to go straight, otherwise you'll end up with a tight S-curve in all of your crossovers! Hope that resolves any confusion! But yes, Inkscape is an incredible tool, and I'll be using it a lot in the future when I come to designing buildings, platforms and more templates! Haha! Yes, it was a bit of relief to see that 9mm gauge did indeed have a width between the rails of 9mm! All the best, Ian. P.S. Next time you make an N gauge layout? :)

@endoorrailway 5 ай бұрын

@@iansngauge Morning :) Sorry about my misunderstanding with the gaps - when you said that you prefer a streamline gap you showed a gauge that had the set track end separating the tracks, but looking back over it all of your words are consistent and clear, so I must pay more attention to them in future! :) Good point about the tightness of the 'S' - I remember reading (I think on the Peco website) that the points have a nominal radius but that they're actually a composite - it didn't say what it was a composite _of_ , but from your measurements it would seem to be one radius of curve and then a straight. Yes, Endoor is supposed to be my "just get something done" railway - I'm forever thinking grand thoughts about what I could build next, but it turns out that even my "quick" one is incredibly slow to progress, lol, so who knows how long it will be until I move on, and what I'll want it to be by then!

@iansngauge 5 ай бұрын

@@endoorrailway - Ah, yes! My bad! I was being lazy and just reused some footage from the 6ft Way Gauge Tool video I made last year! It's amazing how much time it takes to do things with a model railway, especially when real life has a habit of getting in the way far too frequently! Oh well! Have a great weekend! Ian

@Chris-BognorRegis 5 ай бұрын

Hi Ian - Very interesting but way over my head. I see you have a model railway exhibition in Eastleigh over the weekend. Have you been before and is it worth going to? If I go I can only make it on the Sunday. Regards Chris

@iansngauge 5 ай бұрын

Hi Chris! Thank you! I've not been to the Eastleigh model rail show, but have heard it's quite good! Unfortunately I won't be going, so you'll have to let me know how it was if you decide to go! All the best, Ian.

@nononsense3528 5 ай бұрын

Obviously you’ve used card because you have a cricut machine, but could the dimensions be transferred to a laser cutter and use wood for more robustness? I have neither machine and was just curious.

@iansngauge 5 ай бұрын

Hi! Absolutely! I'm pretty sure that any laser cutting software would support SVG format files exported from Inkscape, or would allow you to construct the templates themselves - Cricut Design Space is simply awful for this sort of thing! Using a laser cutter would produce muce more effective templates without the need for strengthening too! You could also go down the route of 3D printing, although you'd obviously have to modify the files to give the templates some thickness!! I'm also curious about laser cutters, and 3D printers, but don't really have the space to keep them! Hope this helps! All the best, Ian.

@Elvenhome 5 ай бұрын

I really must spend some time looking at Inkscape. It is such useful software for scratch building. The key thing is to have something that works for you to help you lay your track. The only option I had was the Peco 6’ way gauge and using my 1:1 print from Railmodeller pro. Between the two all my flexible track was laid and I just got used to doing it that way. Stephen

@iansngauge 5 ай бұрын

@@Elvenhome - Hi Stephen! I think it's definitely worth taking a look at Inkscape! Just look at how Michael uses it to create his buildings in Chandwell! I'm going to be using my own templates, and Tracksettas, and a 1:1 print from RailModeller Pro, and Peco 6' way gauges, and anything else I can lay my hands on to make the job easier! I've tried laying track by eye, but, alas, I just don't have that skill! I'm hoping the more track I lay, the better I'll get though! All the best, Ian.