Distractions

Originally posted 2/12/2009


Bad Horn is only meant to be a time killing project, to be worked upon while I'm waiting for materials for my larger H0 layout, Steinrücken. I'm too stingy to pay for express delivery from Europe, so I never quite know when things are going to show up. As such, having multiple projects makes me feel able to better use my free time- I'm bound to have something I can work on. Yet somehow, when a parcel containing points for Steinrücken was delivered earlier this week, I felt as if I was being distracted from more important work. Never one to do things by half, I decided that if I'll be having trains running on it soon, I'd give everything a spring clean and fit the alignment dowels I've had waiting in the wings for a while. This meant dismantling the layouts, and suddenly my playroom seems large again. The two H0 layouts, broken down, take up a small proportion of the floor space. Not pictured are the two helices, out of sight about where I stood to take the picture.

And this is what it's all about. These little fellows.

Thanks to Andi Dell for advice on fitting them. I'm fitting the male dowels first, and securing with generous quantities of araldite. My drilling isn't very precise, so there is a bit of slop in some holes. Doesn't help that I had the drill running the wrong way for a few. I thought the bit was just getting blunt...

Anyway, once I'm happy that they're set (I'm giving them three days), I will bolt the low level boards together and clamp the upper level as tight as I can get it- according to Andi, this should give me a good pilot hole to drill the hole for the female receptacle. I know these basic "bullet" dowels are not as good as the C&L ones, but I had them to hand and fitting is straightforward- a Good Thing, given my poor joinery skills.