Baseboard Legs Part 2 and Half-Relief Buildings Part 27

 I wasn't very happy with the position of the corner leg next to my workstation, not a lot of room to get my legs in past it 🤬

Original leg position

So this morning I have moved it. It still supports the baseboard, and I do have the option to fit it on the corner if needed

New leg position

I have also discovered that a Torx driver bit fits Allen key bolts, so popped it in my electric screwdriver, so much easier to use on the leg bolts. 😊

I cut the roof of the right-hand cottage and part of the cottage hospital so they sit closer together

This now allows the complete terrace to almost fit on the one central baseboard, as good as it is going to get

Keith

Baseboard Legs

 Having meticulously and carefully cut all 8 legs for the new layout to the same length, and fitted them to the baseboards, I discovered the floor is not level! 🤬.

This morning I added packing pieces to 5 of the legs to level the layout up.

No one will notice if you don't tell. 🤫

Two legs needed just one packing piece

One leg needed two packing pieces

Two legs needed three packing pieces

Keith

Point Operation

 This afternoon I made a start on installing some of the electrics. I mounted the SmartSwitch under the baseboard, this will control the operation of the 4 points.

I then mounted 2 of the SmartFrogs near to 2 of the points. All will be clearly explained as to how these work as installation proceeds. 😊

Keith

Walkabout Controller

 Busy day today, I screwed a hook into one of the baseboard legs to hang the walkabout handset on. Phew, knackered now!!!! 🤨 

It plugs into the back of the main controller on my workstation. 😊

Keith

Workstation

 Whilst I await delivery of electrical terminal blocks and wire for wiring the layout, I had a change around of my workstation. The 1st photo is how it was with the back against the wall, I have turned it 90° anticlockwise so the back is now against the chimney breast. It means my chair is no longer blocking access to my side of the bed, and as the baseboard is wider on the side the chair moves in between the legs more easily and when the sun is shining it lights up the workstation rather nicely, will save on electricity by not having to have my lamp on so much. Although the seat backs onto the cupboard, the chair moves easily out of the way. 😊

Original position

New position

I have dug out the controller from a box and sited it on the workstation ready to be wired up to the layout. 😊

Keith

Baseboards Part 11

 Well that is all the heavy engineering started this morning and completed this afternoon. 

I drilled the right-hand baseboard and legs to take the captive nuts and bolts. 

All assembled in place and ready to start building the layout. 😊 

Now for a rest for the rest of the afternoon. 😁

Keith

Baseboards Part 10

This afternoon I set about drilling the four legs and the left-hand baseboard frame, to take the Allen key bolts and captive nuts to secure the legs to the frame.

I first came across captive nuts when I made my climbing wall inside my house. They came with the climbing holds. Left-hand baseboard finished and in position, just the right-hand one to do the same.

Holes drilled and Allen key bolts in place on one leg

The Allen key bolts screw into captive nuts

This is a captive nut, the collar is threaded and the 4 prongs dig into the wood

All four legs attached to the baseboard

Completed baseboard and legs in position

Keith

Baseboards Part 9

 This morning the new set of alignment dowels arrived so I glued them in. I also drilled the holes for the bolts and wingnuts joining the 3 baseboards together

As I have to wait for the glue to set overnight the only other thing I could do in preparation was to number the legs are their locations in the 2 outer baseboards ready for drilling tomorrow.

1st leg numbered

Matching number on baseboard

8th and final leg numbered

Matching number on baseboard

Post Office doors 3rd coat of gloss red and 1st coat of red to the Post Office signs and post-box

Keith

Baseboards Part 8

 This afternoon I drilled and screwed the reinforcing pieces as I didn't want to just rely on them being glued on, belt & braces time again.

This one does not go against the front panel as the leg will go in the gap

Then I set about drilling out the inter board holes for cabling to pass between baseboards

 Then I drilled out all 4 alignment dowel holes

Finally gluing 2 pairs of alignment dowels into the holes

Female alignment dowel glued in

Male alignment dowel glued in

The pair of female alignment dowels

The alignment dowels protrude through the reinforcing pieces but glad I added them to hold the dowels firmly

Keith

Baseboards Part 7

 I had a play today whilst I still had the baseboards up on the legs, and by moving the 2 left-hand points onto the left-hand baseboard I can now get longer trains in the station, up to 5 long bogie coaches plus a small baggage, royal mail, parcel, milk, horsebox. I had previously designed to have all 4 points on the central baseboard to avoid cabling across the board joints, but having looked at the kit of parts for motorizing the points the ribbon cables have plugs on each end so easy to undo if I need to and the cables supplied are long enough to do the job. I have produced a new layout plan with this change in mind.

I then cut 4 of the strengthening pieces supplied with the baseboards in half to create 8, and glued 4 to the centre baseboard, and 2 to each to the outer baseboards. As the sides of the baseboards are only 6mm wide I needed to add these strengtheners for the alignment dowels which are quite deep at 15mm, mainly designed to fit into timber usually 50mm wide, and I just feel they would put too much strain on 6mm wide plywood, 12mm will be a lot better.

4 of the 8 strengthening pieces glued in place

One pair of alignment dowels, I am awaiting some more in the post to complete the job

Keith

Checking Reality Against My Plans

 I love it when a plan comes together, working it out on paper, or in my case with a computer program, is all well and good, but until you can actually put it into practice you are never quite sure if it will fit. As in this photo with only 400mm front to back on the central board and with the hidden track at the back, then the half-relief buildings, then pavement, road, another pavement, station building, platform and 2 tracks to fit in, I wasn't sure how much width I would have for the road, but there is plenty of room for a double-decker bus to get through as they say. 😁 

I would put a double-decker bus on just to prove it but they are in the bottom stock box out of 10 and I can't be flagged to get one out 🤣

Keith

Baseboards Part 6

 Quite a lot done this morning. I started by drilling and screwing the baseboard tops to the frames, I was hoping to avoid doing this, but  me being me with belt and braces, I wasn't confident in relying on glue holding the lot together. It isn't easy drilling through the baseboard top and into the edge of 6mm wide plywood and definitely not fun, but all drilled and screwed together.

I then temporarily clamped the central baseboard in between the other two and added some buildings

All 3 boards temporarily in place with some of the buildings roughly in place

I added some track, this is the right-hand end

The central section with half-relief buildings hiding the return line behind

Left-hand end, the castle ruins will be sited on a hill over the track

View of the line behind the half-relief buildings

The final plan I worked out, in comparison, is nearly spot on

Keith

Baseboards Part 5

 Busy morning this morning, I drilled and attached 8 feet to the 8 baseboard legs, these feet are to spread the load on the carpets.

Then I positioned all 8 legs in place and then put the first outer baseboard on its legs.

Then I put the second outer baseboard on its legs, I am awaiting delivery of some alignment dowels, which are on preorder, to be able to join the centre baseboard in between.

Even my cork board at the back of my workbench fits perfectly between the rear legs, almost as if I planned it that way 😁

Keith