Quote from: deemery on April 04, 2026, 10:08:28 AMI rarely watch videos.  But I make exceptions for two fascinating YouTube video series.  "wreck2restored" talks about the restoration of a couple 2' gauge Davenport (steam) locos.  "Iron Jonsey" talks about restoring 19th century (British) machine tools, using those same era tools and techniques.  Both posters have new releases today. 

When I'm done with those, I'll do a bit on the exercise machine and get back to trees...

dave

I watch both of those, plus Blondihacks, Inheritance Machining, Click Spring and Joe Pie, plus a few more.

Bernd

Oh wow. Hoping everything turns out good for you.

Been thinking about you.

Bernd

Dave,

Found my pictures I took back when I built these signals.

Pictures shows a test set up. The little white rectangle is the LEDs I worked with.



This shows how I stacked a red, yellow and green to form a three colored search light. I had to file down the size to make them all fit in diameter of the prototype glass lens size.



The back of a search light signal with the LEDs encased in a clear resin.



Pictures I took today with a better camera and in color. Note the realistic weathering dust. 



Here you can see the green and red. Apparently the yellow doesn't work any more. Note the green LED up near the top and the red near the bottom.



A much better picture of the back side showing the encased LEDs and wiring.



It would probably be easier to build one of these signals today with the much smaller LEDs. Those black and white pictures were taken with a Konica 35mm camera with black and white film for a proposed article back then. It never went any further than the pictures.

Bernd

 

Quote from: Olddude on March 30, 2026, 02:11:27 AMWhat size ledd's. Are in your signals. I use 1.6mm bi-color in mine
Would love to post a pic of my ho scale search lights but, the thread won't let me.

Dave

These signals were built over 25 years ago. The only thing available at that times where, I believe 3mm dia. LEDS. To get the 3 color light I filed down three LEDs and glued them together and cast them in a clear resin. That's about all I can tell from memory at the moment. I did take 35mm slides and of course they are located among the thousands of others I took back then. I'll need to dig them out from were ever they are and take some individual pictures of them.

Bernd

Bernd

I did do a video about 10 years ago. 


Bernd

Was digging through my files and came across an experiment of making signals many years ago.

There's only four to post. Don't want to hi-jack the thread.

I used these plug in dip connectors for quick plugging in and unplugging.



Epoxied the scratch built signal on top and ran the wires through the pole.



I built a box with the electronics inside and modified the top to plug in the signals. The circuit did a sequential lighting of the signals.



A still picture showing the lights at some stage of running through the sequence.



I have a video of them working, but not on U-tube. Don't know if the forum can handle an MP4 video. Nope won't load. for one thing it's to long. guess I'll upload it to U-tube and then post it here.

Bernd

Quote from: Pennman on March 26, 2026, 10:58:55 PMBernd,

Great presentation! n One question:  Does the cutting edge steel have to be replaced after cutting thick
 metallic sheets somewhere down the road?  Or is what I'm seeing at the back just part of a clamping surface?
Or, am I not understanding how this tool cuts? 

Rich

Rich,

Go back to the first two pictures. Those two shiny bars, the close up with one that has the tape in it, are hardened steel held in by screws. Once the cutting edge gets dull the face can be ground to put a sharp edge on it again. Kind of like sharping a knife. Cutting steel with ware the cut edge down faster versus softer metal such a brass or copper. The shear works on the same principle as a pair of scissors.

In the second picture the top blade will come down and shear that part of the tape sticking out. Just like cutting a piece of paper with scissors. The blades will also clamp the piece as it's being cut.

Also you are limited to the thickness of metal you can cut. Grizzly suggests the 17 gage (.053" thick) mild steel is the largest you can shear. The brass I sheared would come out to be 24 gage (.020" thick) Obviously styrene much larger can be cut. That one piece was .080" thick which would equate to around 13 gage, but due to it's softness can be cut. It just won't fit all the way to the right. You would need to place it more toward the center to get the sheet under the blade. 

Clear as mud? If not ask away.

Bernd

Dave,

Thanks for the come back. Interesting subject. One I like since it's tied into model railroading.

Bernd

Curt,

I just have to ask. Are the Skunks descended? Also I though or read you can't have a Skunk for a pet. Just curious. We have one that comes around to the bird feeder to pick up what the birds have spilled on the ground. I'm sure the make a good guard animal if they're not sleeping.

Bernd

Continuing on with the hand shear now that I've had a bit more time and playing around with it.

I removed the the guard that's suppose to keep your fingers from getting cut off. I really don't see how you can do that. Look back at the long piece of brass I'm cutting off. You need one hand to hold the handle and one to hold the piece of brass. No way are you going to get your finger cut off unless you are a Clutts and stick your finger under the blade. Kind of like looking down the barrel of a gun to watch the bullet come out. 




There is quite a large gap from the edge of the table to the blade. 1 11/16" inches to be exact. Those that work in metric can see the number 4.



This is the back stop. Another piece of useless appendage. Why? You'll see it in the next couple of pictures.



That is not an optical illusion. You can angle the back stop that much. I don't recall if the larger floor ones I saw at work could angle the back stop.



The stop is totally useless for under 1.25" material length. The stop butts up against the Blade Bow. Makes it a bit tough if you want to shear PC ties to prototype width.



I think I already have the solution for a new table and will be working on that between other Honey Do list projects. 

That's it for now.

Bernd

Quote from: deemery on March 25, 2026, 11:20:14 AMI'm thinking "pull-up the full wagon, back-down the empty wagon," but I know nothing about managing a team of horses.

dave

My ex-wife's father used to have Belgium workhorses that they took to stone boat pull's. Similar to tractor/truck pulls were a weight is pulled till it can't be pulled any further down a track. And that's not a railroad track.

In order to hook on to the "stone boat" you had to back the horses up. So I say your statement of backing down an empty wagon would be correct through observation and critical thinking.

Bernd

Quote from: deemery on March 24, 2026, 05:39:12 PMIt's a little detail, but the pulley will explain that door 'hanging in midair' on the terrain.


dave

Didn't they use the pulley and door to get hay/straw into the upper part of the barn? It is a neat little detail. Now all you need is a rope and some kind of hook on the other end.

The shingles look great. The color and unevenness make it really good looking.

Bernd

Quote from: Olddude on March 24, 2026, 09:00:05 AMThank you for the post Bernd.
One of the reasons for the difficulty of starting up again, is my isolation. Internet, is non-existent here where I live. Tried one satellite provider, that was a bust. Am giving another a very hard look. Expensive! But I do miss the forum and sharing.

All I have at the moment, is my phone.

I take that you have tried Star Link? I have a cottage up in the 1000 Islands. They do have internet through the area. Last year Verizon ran fiber optic cable through our area. I was thinking of hooking up. I've read about Star Link and how T-Mobile was involved with that set up for testing. I'll be looking into Star-Link before we go back up this spring.

QuoteNot many hobby shops around here, so anything I buy in that regard, is on the internet.

Same here. I order through the internet. Love having the stuff delivered to the door in the winter.

QuoteAlso, I have redesigned the signal system and do so want to share.

I do believe one member asked if this system would drive searchlight signals. Yes, it will. Type D and SA can be driven.

The LED's for searchlight, are very expensive though. Like 10.00 a pop.
Unless they can be bought less expensive someplace else that I am not aware of.
If anyone has this knowledge, a share of source would be appreciated, as I am a major fan of type SA myself.

Thanks
Dacs
West Virginia

I have done some electronics work in the 1980's and 1990's. Taught myself electronics by building Heath Kit's. First kit ever was R/C for model airplanes. Dad and I build one each. A friend back when I was working got me interested in digital logic. I went so far as to even build my own computer, an 80286 with DOS and was using a program call PADS to design circuit boards. I discovered ExpressPCB and ExpressSCH for designing boards. I'm a bit rusty on these since I haven't done any PCB designs in many years. Been to busy playing with my CNC machines. The one I just purchased recently is supposedly capable to doing circuit boards. I'd really like to try that out as soon as I find out more about the software needed.

Anyway, I'd like to see you start this subject up again since I'm very interested in building the circuit boards and circuit design along with building my own signals.

Sounds like this could be a fun subject to pursue again.

Bernd

Little short of time here, but to answer you back. I'll get back later, like maybe around 4:00PM or after and read through your post here. We can discus some ideas on the subject plus the phone. I'll get into more detail when I'm back this afternoon.

Bernd

Dave,

Just quickly surfed through this post. I have an interest in electronics. I remember a couple of articles in both MR and RMC on signaling.

You get going again and I be following so close that if you stop I'll run you over. And I'm oldy 5 years younger than you.

Bernd