Hi Rob, great "tutorial"! Just a note for readers following this advise. At 3:16 on the clip, you advise drilling a 3.5mm hole approx. 5mm further in from the 1.5mm hole. This is bad guidance because if the 3.5mm hole is centered over the 10mm hole in the baseboard, the 1.5mm fixing hole will be on the edge of the 10mm hole and will not provide a good anchorage point. This advise would be fine if you clarify that the edge of the 3.5mm hols and 1.5mm hole should be 5mm apart. I would advise that the centers of the 1.5mm and 3.5mm hole should be at an absolute minimum 8mm apart and suggest 10mm as a comfortable distance.
I have done something similar, except I mount the servo vertical. On each side of the servo, I mount a micro switch. When the servo rotates, it activates one micro switch and deactivates the other. Be sure to use micro switches with NO/NC connections. These then can be used to power the frog and indicator lights, just like a tortoise switch machine.
Hi Rob, what a great solution. Seams to simple to work, a little time and care and the mounts should be great and good to go. Thankyou for this solution. Best Marc
@@earlcory That does look interesting but I have the servos and the micro switches and just need the mounting brackets. I may have to look for something for a 3D printer. Thanks for getting back to me.
Your video describes exactly what I do. I scratch build my turnouts, and I power the frog with a micro-switch which I control with another wire connected to the servo. I use CA cement to fasten the micro-switch to the aluminium. I do glue the servos into the channel with CA.
Warning! I've used this exact method, the first time it worked _perfectly_, the second time (U channel also from Wikes) the servos fell out - the 15.5mm is the external dimension, the thickness of the channel section is not part of the measurement and apparently can vary a bit batch by batch. you can deal with this by putting some sellotape round the servo to thicken it a little, doesn't need much but be aware it may not fit securely first time. it works very well once you get it though another trick though, useful when you have two points toe to toe, have the toe end mounting screw a bit further back so its under the servo once installed, uses less channel as well in the end I moved to home made 3d print servo mounts (on thingiverse if anyone cares), but the channel method is perfect for those without. note also the channel can be drilled and tapped on the sides to mount microswitches as well and operated by the side bits of the cross shaped horn (you need to cut off the end of the horn that goes inside) that said, having watched your earlier video on using servos convinced me totally, 100% behind using these, the are quiet, nice slow action and amazingly cheap thumbs up all round
Hi, I check the servo link you add to amazon for buying, the quality seems not to be a hit? Many buyers seems to text servos not working after some time…
Hi Rob great video as usual, I use a couple of different 3d Printed mounts depending on the use ie. signal head or point, above or below base board. I find 3d printing the most flexible way of mounting servos as you can modify depending on need.
@@LittleWicketRailwayRailway Us John's are clever blokes, LOL. No Rob the GETS is too far for me to travel too from Norn Iron. Costly too, Rob with the C.O.L. rises stripping every last penny for a lot of people never mind myself.
Great video Rob. I saw a similar idea on the megapoint controllers site (by Dave Fenton. He coupled his with switches for point indication and frog switching which was neat) Works really well but working under a baseboard to fit was challenging but not impossible. Thanks for sharing (I have voted for you re best channel) Keep them coming please!
looks too simple to work. But what a great idea. Are the 3d printed mounts available anywhere but MERG? I have not joined yet and still need to buy their block detectors... once i know what I'm doing...lol
@@LittleWicketRailway you probably already know by now, but it means using a hammer and punch to "mark" the centre line, creating a small dent allowing the drill the centre itself and stop it from wandering while drilling
It's a bit confusing. Some SG90s have a metal spur gear, but the other gears are plastic. MG90s are all metal gears, but are about twice as expensive. I've never used an MG90, so I'm not sure if they are the same dimensions as the SG90.
Check out John JMC's channel at ua-cam.com/users/napa1985 and his Halland exhibition layout at facebook.com/Hallandlayout 👍
Hi Rob, great "tutorial"! Just a note for readers following this advise. At 3:16 on the clip, you advise drilling a 3.5mm hole approx. 5mm further in from the 1.5mm hole. This is bad guidance because if the 3.5mm hole is centered over the 10mm hole in the baseboard, the 1.5mm fixing hole will be on the edge of the 10mm hole and will not provide a good anchorage point. This advise would be fine if you clarify that the edge of the 3.5mm hols and 1.5mm hole should be 5mm apart. I would advise that the centers of the 1.5mm and 3.5mm hole should be at an absolute minimum 8mm apart and suggest 10mm as a comfortable distance.
I have done something similar, except I mount the servo vertical. On each side of the servo, I mount a micro switch. When the servo rotates, it activates one micro switch and deactivates the other. Be sure to use micro switches with NO/NC connections. These then can be used to power the frog and indicator lights, just like a tortoise switch machine.
Any chance of seeing how you attached the micro switches and where you got them from?
Hi Rob, what a great solution. Seams to simple to work, a little time and care and the mounts should be great and good to go. Thankyou for this solution. Best Marc
Thanks Marc, but credit really goes to JohnJMC for sharing.
@@LittleWicketRailway indeed should have mentioned and thanked him also. 👍👍
Great info. Do you know of a source for servo mounts that include a mount for a micro switch? Thanks again for the valuable video.
Walters makes one.
@@earlcory That does look interesting but I have the servos and the micro switches and just need the mounting brackets. I may have to look for something for a 3D printer. Thanks for getting back to me.
Your video describes exactly what I do. I scratch build my turnouts, and I power the frog with a micro-switch which I control with another wire connected to the servo. I use CA cement to fasten the micro-switch to the aluminium. I do glue the servos into the channel with CA.
Good to know this is a tried and tested technique on other layouts. Scratch built turnouts sound impressive!
How did you center the servo
Warning! I've used this exact method, the first time it worked _perfectly_, the second time (U channel also from Wikes) the servos fell out - the 15.5mm is the external dimension, the thickness of the channel section is not part of the measurement and apparently can vary a bit batch by batch.
you can deal with this by putting some sellotape round the servo to thicken it a little, doesn't need much but be aware it may not fit securely first time.
it works very well once you get it though
another trick though, useful when you have two points toe to toe, have the toe end mounting screw a bit further back so its under the servo once installed, uses less channel as well
in the end I moved to home made 3d print servo mounts (on thingiverse if anyone cares), but the channel method is perfect for those without. note also the channel can be drilled and tapped on the sides to mount microswitches as well and operated by the side bits of the cross shaped horn (you need to cut off the end of the horn that goes inside)
that said, having watched your earlier video on using servos convinced me totally, 100% behind using these, the are quiet, nice slow action and amazingly cheap
thumbs up all round
Great video Rob, I am wondering where you got the servo controller in the video from?
That's an Arcomora DCC Next www.arcomora.com/dccnext/
Hi, I check the servo link you add to amazon for buying, the quality seems not to be a hit? Many buyers seems to text servos not working after some time…
Hi Rob great video as usual, I use a couple of different 3d Printed mounts depending on the use ie. signal head or point, above or below base board. I find 3d printing the most flexible way of mounting servos as you can modify depending on need.
Hi Mike, agreed 3D printing is a game changer. Where do you get your designs?
@@LittleWicketRailway mainly thingyverse but sometimes I make my own for simple servo mounts etc.
Great method looks like it can be used in other prototyping applications using servos.
This is how it's done on the mega points controller UA-cam channel too
A super tip Rob, thanks for sharing it with us.
Thanks John, credit really goes to John JMC. His Halland layout will be at the Great Electric Train Show if you're going.
@@LittleWicketRailwayRailway Us John's are clever blokes, LOL. No Rob the GETS is too far for me to travel too from Norn Iron. Costly too, Rob with the C.O.L. rises stripping every last penny for a lot of people never mind myself.
Great video Rob. I saw a similar idea on the megapoint controllers site (by Dave Fenton. He coupled his with switches for point indication and frog switching which was neat) Works really well but working under a baseboard to fit was challenging but not impossible. Thanks for sharing (I have voted for you re best channel) Keep them coming please!
Thanks Stig55! I think John JMC also uses MegaPoints controllers.
looks too simple to work. But what a great idea. Are the 3d printed mounts available anywhere but MERG? I have not joined yet and still need to buy their block detectors... once i know what I'm doing...lol
Excellent stuff
Cheers Robin! 👍
Thankyou for the video
Thanks Mark 👍
You forgot to centre punch the position of the holes.
Laurie, I don't even know what that means, that's how bad I am at this stuff! 😬
@@LittleWicketRailway you probably already know by now, but it means using a hammer and punch to "mark" the centre line, creating a small dent allowing the drill the centre itself and stop it from wandering while drilling
I've looked around for the servos and it seems to me that the metal-geared ones are called MG90, instead of SG90.
It's a bit confusing. Some SG90s have a metal spur gear, but the other gears are plastic. MG90s are all metal gears, but are about twice as expensive. I've never used an MG90, so I'm not sure if they are the same dimensions as the SG90.
Brillant