Crimping beads and HO scale hand rails make good power pole components. Headed to the Bay of Fundy now to prospect for materials for my display case.
Full day of hobbying today. First activity is crushing and sifting Nova Scotia gypsum into four grades. Some of this will be used as ground cover and hopper loads in the display case.
Particle size ranges for each sifter are provided by the manufacturer Aanraku Glass Studios Located in San Mateo, CA. The finest powder particles are less than 0.2 mm, then 0.2 - 1.2 mm, 1.2 - 2.7 mm, 2.7 - 5.2 mm. Pieces that don't go through the largest sifting mesh are greater than 5.2 mm.
In order to load the hoppers with HO scale gypsum, I have visited the old abandonned gypsum hoppers in Hantsport, Nova Scotia to see first-hand typical prototype ore sizes. Ten centimeters is quite a reasonable dimension, so I will load the model hoppers with Grade 0.2-1.2 mm.
This is what the loads will look like.
Working on lighting. Miniature LED's will be mounted on the power poles to provide lighting to the hoppers. This is the quarry company's security lighting. The '3-phase' lines on the power poles will be small guage electrical wires and the 3-volt power supply, LED series resistors and auto dimmer circuit will be located behind the back sky panel. I do all my own electronics including custom circuit boards.
Here is my small breadboard test circuit In the light. The LED is still lit. The entire dimmer electronics will fit on a small circuit board the size of this breadboard.
Three-phase insulators mounted on the power pole with neutral on the side. Lighting support will also be on the side above the neutral line.
Zinc-plated steel safety pin is ideal for a lamp fixture. A few modifications to the pin, including electrical insulation, and concealing the wires will work.
Experimental version.
LED lamp looks nice when shrink wrap covers both leads and the safety pin. I haven't heated the shrink wrap yet. I will add an electrical junction box to the pole to facilitate connecting the LED wires to the '3-phase' pole wiring.
Better close-up.
Every update I read on this project makes me want to take a stained glass class at the adult education center!
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-Kevin
Living the dream.
SeeYou190 Every update I read on this project makes me want to take a stained glass class at the adult education center! . -Kevin .
LOL I primarily took stained glass classes with my wife so I could incorporate glass technologies of all kinds into my model railroading kitbag. In the process I found that a lot of stained glass tools and materials are also useful in model railroading like the crusher (frit maker), calibrated sifters, E6000 glue, Diamond Tech grinder, SG assembly tray, and aluminum L-brackets. This display case is what I decided to start with.
In my electronics lab tonight developing miniature electrical connectors using spring-loaded contact probes and copper decals. I will need two of them to install into a tiny box for mounting on the power pole. The probes permit solderless connections that can be easily connected or disconnected by hand (i.e., no tools or de-soldering needed).
Once again, safety pin technology will be handy. This time to support the junction box on the pole.
Junction box platform completed. Includes part of a safety pin, copper decal wrapped around the safety pin, hookup wire loop for strength, and solder. The platform was smoothed on a grinding wheel then painted.
LEDs installed on both poles and shrunk tubing with hot blow feature on my butane torch. A little more work and the poles will be ready for the '3-phase' lines.
Picked up two of the three router bits I need for the base and 100 grit sand paper recommended for Douglas fir. Also got an offer from the hobby shop for a quantity of my wooden power poles. Think I'll opt for a store credit in return.
OldSchoolScratchbuilder Also got an offer from the hobby shop for a quantity of my wooden power poles. Think I'll opt for a store credit in return.
Also got an offer from the hobby shop for a quantity of my wooden power poles. Think I'll opt for a store credit in return.
Alton Junction
My little wooden power pole is my free contribution to the model railroader community. Build many and prosper ya'll.
BisWhat size lumber did you use for the pole and cross bar
Used my router to make some soft fluffy softwood sawdust from a piece of kindling. Some of this sawdust will be used as fall ground cover.
OldSchoolScratchbuilderBuild many and prosper ya'll.
I don't think I could even build one.
That pole is really good. I have never had power poles on any of my layouts. To me they look silly without wires, and wires get in the way, so I do without.
Everything I need for three more power poles. I use a large needle nose for two reasons: I have a hard time using smaller ones because of advanced arthritis in my fingers, and the extra weight makes it easy to push stiff wire into the wood (at least for me). The masking tape also makes it easier for me to hold on to the doweling because of arthritis.
SeeYou190 I don't think I could even build one.. That pole is really good. I have never had power poles on any of my layouts. To me they look silly without wires, and wires get in the way, so I do without.
I don't think I could even build one..
A power pole is really nothing more than a horizontal piece attached to a vertical piece, plus some other minor attachments. But, why even build one when there are so many varieties of HO scale power poles available from several manufacturers? In fact, Rapido has manufactured one with power lines attached.
What the OP is building is fine because it is part of a diorama for all practical purposes. He has a somewhat unique interest in designing a working power pole setup that most of us would probably not spend the time necessary to design and build for our own layouts.
But if you really wanted to build your own power poles for your layout instead of purchasing commercially available power poles, that would seem to be among the more simple forms of scratch building.
Rich
There is no fun in buying a bag of plastic power poles. Three commercial power poles with lights at my hobby shop for $35+tax CDN. Mine cost me less than $2 each! My power poles will carry real electricity and that is a project filled with creativity.
OldSchoolScratchbuilder My power poles will carry real electricity and that is a project filled with creativity.