Semi-Scratched Searchlight Signals

[grandeman]

Hi all. Here's a "how-to" for making semi-scrath built searchlight signals. Now, before I go any further I want to say, I certainly don't feel qualified to teach many of ya'll anything. I just thought this would be a fun post for someone who's looking at signalling their RR and likes "Projects".[:)] Keep in mind as you're reading this, there's usually a right way, wrong way, and Grande Man's way of doing things. [8)] I'm not sure how much interest there is in building signals, but it's a fun project if you're so inclined. It's some tedious detail work. If you're not into that, the price of prebuilt signals will be money well spent. [;)]

I started out building an Oregon Rail Supply signal kit I found at the LHS. While there, I noticed they had ORS searchlight (and standard) signal targets in stock. We had 3/32" brass tubing and brass wire at home, so all that was required was the targets and some Miniatronics 3mm bi-polar LEDs.

What follows is a simple description of the process, photos and a materials list. You may notice that some of the instructions seem to be slightly out of step with the pics. Does "school of hard knocks" mean anything to you? [:D] I'd suggest you do as I say and not as I did...

Materials List:

3/32" Brass Tubing (K&S brand, available at the LHS or Hobby Lobby)

• Solder
  

• Paste Flux

• 020" Brass Wire
  

• 3mm Bi-Polar LED (3 post, Miniatonics #12-230-05)
  

• Oregon Rail Supply "Single LIght Target" Kit (#102)
  

• Flat Black, Silver Paint
  

• 5 Minute Epoxy
  

• Medium CA
  

• Testors Clear Parts Cement
  

• Hairnet material
  

• Thin Sheet Styrene (optional)
  

Materials


First, drill a .050" hole about 1/4" from one end of the brass tube. Tube length can vary, as you'll soon see. While less than 4" of the signal will be visable on the layout, I went with an 8" section of tubing because the area this signal will be installed has a 4" thick foam subroadbed. The extra length prevented me from having to fi***he wiring thru the foam.


Next, solder a wire to the opposite end of the signal mast from the hole you just drilled. Solid conductor phone wire woks well. This will be the common wire and will need a 470 Ohm limiting resistor to protect the LED during use. By installing the resistor on the common (ground) side of the circuit, the need for two resistors is eliminated. The Miniatronics LEDs come with the resisitors, so you won't need to purchase them separately.


Because the target on a proto searchlight is typically installed off center of the mast, the mount provided in the ORS kit needs to be trimmed at an angle.


Since the target mount has an undersized hole, open it up to the correct size. I used a #40 drill bit.


After the mount is prepped, install the mast base (from the top, opposite the wire you just soldered) and then the target mount itself on the brass tube. A base can be kitbashed to form a "relay cabinet" or the sunshade from a signal target can be removed, and the target inverted to form a base for use with a separate relay cabinet. After using both methods, I prefer the latter as I like the look of a separate relay cabinet. I bonded the base to give a signal height of 3.1". That's about what the factory ORS kit I'd previously built came out to.

Feed two small, coated wires gently thru the hole in the top of the mast. I used wires from an old Athearn motor, but would recommend something a little heavier. I'm guessing coated wire could be purchased by the roll at Radio Shack. The Athearn motor wires are very delicate! Vinyl insulated wires are out due to size requirements. This is especially true for multi head signals.


Bond the target mount to the brass tube with CA slightly above the .050" hole. You'll have to fit it in such a way that the hole for the LEDs wiring will be in the right spot. Next, bond the target to the mount. Bond the fenial (provided in the ORS kit) to the top of the mast. The LED can now be installed. I used Testors Clear Parts Cement to bond and seal the LED to the target so paint won't wick between the two. Cut the LED's center leg to to length and carefully solder it to the signal mast. Cut the other two LED legs to the proper length and solder a wire to each. The coated wire should have the coating carefully removed from a small area near it's end before soldering. This will ensure proper electrical contact. HINT: lightly tin the LED legs (wires) and the coated wire before soldering. Soldering needs to be accomplised quickly and with minimal heat transfer to the LED!!!

At this point, what you have should resemble this.


For the ladder/service platform, you'll need the .020" brass wire. Using the flux, solder the rungs in place. Keep in mind, the top will need a length of wire above the top rung to form the handrails and top of the service platform. I just made a ladder that I thought "looked right" in regard to width and rung spacing, nothing to high tech here. The trick to this type soldering is a fine tipped iron and flux. With the tip of the iron lightly "tinned", quickly solder a joint so as to not build up excess solder and ruin the ladder's dimensions.

This view shows the ladder/service platform installed. I'd recommend that soldering be done as quickly and deliberately as possible to prevent melting the coating off the LED wires inside the mast. If this is a concern, the wires could be routed after the soldering is complete. Cut a piece of "grate" from the hairnet material and CA it in place on the service platform. I installed an optional styrene cover for the LED wiring on this signal. The cover shown was "fine tuned" from what's shown in the pic.


For a smooth mast, gently scrape away excess solder using an Exacto blade at a 90 degree angle.


Tape the forward target face and paint the entire signal silver. After the silver dries, hand bru***he target face flat black.


DON'T FORGET to add the resistor on the COMMON wire (the one from the mast). That's important. [;)]

Congratulations! You're now the proud owner of a semi scratched searchlight signal! [8D]

Here's a few views of the finished product...

[Anonymous]

Thanks for sharing that, I'm going to add it to Agro's Compilation of Highly Useful Threads![tup]

[loathar]

Cool! I was looking at the Oragon site thinking about doing the same thing.

[loathar]

Ken-could you please post a link to that compilation thread for me. My computer crashed and I lost ALL my book marks and favorite links last week.[:(]

[grandeman]

Ken, Thanks. You may see it again...

loathar, Go for it! They're easy enough to do, and fun too. They're a great rainy day project.

[Anonymous]

Exellent article Grande Man!

Just one question( pardon my ignorance) but where can I find the hairnet material? I've been searching for a material to make walkway grating with and I think you just showed it to me! [:)]

[grandeman]

QUOTE: Originally posted by R.W. King

Exellent article Grande Man!

Just one question( pardon my ignorance) but where can I find the hairnet material? I've been searching for a material to make walkway grating with and I think you just showed it to me! [:)]

Ours came in a Builders-in-Scale chainlink fence kit. I think it's the same stuff used in weddings to hold the rice...

[loathar]

RW- you can get lace trim at Walmart in the sewing dept. that works too. It make pretty good chain link fence when you paint it silver.

[ereimer]

nice article !

i think the fine coated wire at radio shack is called 'wire-wrap wire' . comes in different colors . i wasn't looking for wire when i saw it so i don't know if it comes in different guages or not , but my guess is that it does

[Anonymous]

Grande YOU are the man.

I am going to have to print this off. Here is an idea. Make a copy of your post. Edit it a little to make a nice flowing atricle and Sell it to Rairload Model Craftsman. They are in desparate need of articles like that. I am sure it would be a fun read. You would get a nice By line, and a little money for your troubles.

James

PS. If you make this into an RMC article though, You might have to make another one and duplicate the shots with 35 MM codachrome slides. I don't think they are up to using digital pics yet.

James

[grandeman]

ereimer, Thanks for the info on the Radio Shack wire.

Student of Big Sky Blue, I'm glad you enjoyed the post. As for an RMC article, I don't have a 35mm camera, just digital.

[cwclark]

good job grande man..here's my version of scratch built searchlight targets ...with the DALLEE train detection circuit in place to operate them when the train passes...click the next button to take you thru the pictures...chuck
http://community.webshots.com/photo/168980170/502979969xRQAKF#

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by grande man
Student of Big Sky Blue, I'm glad you enjoyed the post. As for an RMC article, I don't have a 35mm camera, just digital.

Then set it to the maximum resolution. And they still may be able to use it.

James

[grandeman]

QUOTE: Originally posted by cwclark

good job grande man..here's my version of scratch built searchlight targets ...with the DALLEE train detection circuit in place to operate them when the train passes...click the next button to take you thru the pictures...chuck
http://community.webshots.com/photo/168980170/502979969xRQAKF#

Nice work.

I'm not planning to signal our whole RR. There's a short section of track that ends up getting run twice when operating (what the heck, it's a small RR) and we run continueous loop for many visitors but go point to point (between staging) during an actual operating session. Because of these two things, we'll go with Logic Rail Technologies Block Animators. They'll give us all three aspects, work during point to point or continueous running, and will allow only the visable areas of the RR to be signaled and still work as advertised. You already know the drawbacks, that's why your RR is fully signalled! It's fun to run your train on your buddy's yellow block all night! [8D] That, I'll miss.[V]

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by grande man

QUOTE: Originally posted by R.W. King

Exellent article Grande Man!

Just one question( pardon my ignorance) but where can I find the hairnet material? I've been searching for a material to make walkway grating with and I think you just showed it to me! [:)]

Ours came in a Builders-in-Scale chainlink fence kit. I think it's the same stuff used in weddings to hold the rice...

Thank you.

Well, that got me looking and I found some window screen replacement material made of nylon(?). Found in rolls, it comes in either black or silver and not only would make good walkway material(if not a bit oversize), it would make excellent fencing material as well. Easy to cut, too! You can probably get it at any home improvement store.

[cwclark]

QUOTE: Originally posted by R.W. King

QUOTE: Originally posted by grande man

QUOTE: Originally posted by R.W. King

Exellent article Grande Man!

Just one question( pardon my ignorance) but where can I find the hairnet material? I've been searching for a material to make walkway grating with and I think you just showed it to me! [:)]

Ours came in a Builders-in-Scale chainlink fence kit. I think it's the same stuff used in weddings to hold the rice...

Thank you.

Well, that got me looking and I found some window screen replacement material made of nylon(?). Found in rolls, it comes in either black or silver and not only would make good walkway material(if not a bit oversize), it would make excellent fencing material as well. Easy to cut, too! You can probably get it at any home improvement store.

I used that nylon screen material one time for a fence and the problem with it is that over a period of time the top of it starts to unravel..it's also hard to hide the glue...the glue has a tendency to stick out like a sore thumb because it tries to run in between the mesh and makes ugly blobs that you can't clean up without damaging the mesh after it dries...i believe it's microscale or detail associates that make a mesh from brass and or plastic that may work better than the nylon screen material...chuck

[grandeman]

QUOTE: Originally posted by cwclark

I used that nylon screen material one time for a fence and the problem with it is that over a period of time the top of it starts to unravel..it's also hard to hide the glue...the glue has a tendency to stick out like a sore thumb because it tries to run in between the mesh and makes ugly blobs that you can't clean up without damaging the mesh after it dries...i believe it's microscale or detail associates that make a mesh from brass and or plastic that may work better than the nylon screen material...chuck

I'd like to get my hands on some brass mesh material. Also, who's ladder stock are you using for your signals?

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by cwclark

I used that nylon screen material one time for a fence and the problem with it is that over a period of time the top of it starts to unravel..it's also hard to hide the glue...the glue has a tendency to stick out like a sore thumb because it tries to run in between the mesh and makes ugly blobs that you can't clean up without damaging the mesh after it dries...i believe it's microscale or detail associates that make a mesh from brass and or plastic that may work better than the nylon screen material...chuck

As I've just starting working with it, it's hard to say if it will unravel. It's got some kind of coating on the fiberglass strands, and after trying to pull individual strands out of the mesh, I can say that, unless the coating some how deteriorates over time, it shouldn't come apart. The hardest part so far has been trying to make straight and even cuts through the mesh without leaving half-cut strands. Since the edges will be sandwiched between two pieces of L-channel for the walkways, hopefully unraveling and glue gobbing won't be an issue.

[grandeman]

Here's the latest from the signal shop. As you may notice in the first pic, I've toned the ladder/platform size way down after looking at some local prototypes.

Standard three light hooded type and a dwarf for the yard.


This is a dummy two head searchlight. Because of it's position on the layout, there was no need in going to the trouble of installing an operating unit.

[scubaterry]

Awesome workshop on signal building. That is much better than paying 25 -30 bucks a pop. And they look store bought. I have a small contribution to make to the signaling build up. While stirring my "drink" the other day I noticed that I was using up some of the holloween stirrers we had stashed away. They are black and a 3mm led fits into it perfectly. I am building dwarf signals from PC board vertical led indicators. Once I had the led in place I cut a small section of Holloween stirrer. I then cut a bevel to it and CA'd it around the led. Bam! Cheap hood for a cheap Signal. Each dwarf signal costs me less then 25 cents.
Terry[8D]

[Anonymous]

Awesome idea. I may just try this.[:D][:D][:D]

[grandeman]

I'm glad some folks are considering making their own signals. They make for a fun project. Here's one of our latest...

[pcarrell]

Now this rocks! [tup]

[modelalaska]

Can you do that in n-scale for me? [:D]