February 26, 2011
For a few hours this morning, Cam came over to get some more progress with the layout. We finished off setting up the base for the main helix – putting a fair number more braces upon which we can secure the lowest rotation of the helix. One more leg to support the weight and the base is for all intents and purposes is done for now. We’ve also measured and marked out the rough location for the holes through which we’ll thread the ready-rod. Unfortunately, we can’t really go much further for the main helix as we need to ascertain the exact position for the entry into the helix from Parksville. And for that, we need to finish the one turn helix at the other end of the basement – the connection from Bryn to the Parksville Industrial area.
And that’s what we worked on following a work-related outing to go bowling at the Glencoe Club. So, we started attaching the first sections of the lower level of the helix to the benchwork. Our first bit of actual trackboard attached to the benchwork!
February 21, 2011
Plenty of progress again today! Cam and I got the first bits of trackboard cut (most of Bryn, and exit from Bryn northbound towards Parksville, installed the benchwork for the support of the Parksville industrial area, and prepped the wooden helix parts for installation – namely lining up everything and drilling holes for the ready rod. We also got a fair amount of the ready rod cut for use in the Parksville Helix. Still more of that to do, in addition to a full suite of pictures for the website. Will get to that over the next day or so.
February 20, 2011
So having the MacBook doing all the duties of updating the website is turning out to be a larger challenge than I thought. I still have yet to sync up the iPhone to the MacBook in iTunes, but at least I managed to sync up the photos! I’ve got them on the computer, but out of time to put them onto the page. Will get to that later. Today was a clean-up day – lots of sawdust to sweep up, vacuum and otherwise dispose of for further progress tomorrow! And oh yeah! Update the website!
February 19, 2011
Started the day by working more on the dispatcher’s desk, got the desktop cut to the proper shape and then went to work on the pair of panels to the left and right of the main board. I found out that I’m not terribly great at cutting a straight line on a 45° bevel with my jigsaw. 🙁 Would’ve been much easier to use a table saw if I had one… Those will get glued into place when we’re closer to being done with installing stuff around the end of the peninsula. We’re finding it quite handy to have access all around the work instead of from just one side.
Cam and Dan came over this afternoon and we got a lot more benchwork installed, including a fair amount of stuff around the end of the peninsula for both the lower and middle decks. We also mapped out on the floor the space required for the Parksville industrial area as well as getting more stuff figured out for the peninsula helix.
February 16, 2011
Peter Bouma sent me an email yesterday saying he’s got the three sheets of plywood and they’re all cut into 2″ wide strips (save for two which are 4″ for the helix base) and I managed to get some assistance from Dan to transport the wood up to my place as I’m without a vehicle which can hold 8′ long strips of wood in that quantity. Love the fact I’ve got a window into the basement which can take these things from the outside without having to manoever the awkward stuff through the stairway down into the basement!
February 6, 2011
Cam had an unexpected day off from visiting family and came over to do some minor bits of work with me on the layout. Chief among the things done was getting the helix base up off the floor and onto four 2×4 legs. I found some 4″ levelling feet and brackets typically used for Free-mo modules, but surplus to my needs and those went onto the legs for fine adjustment of the helix once we get more stuff built for it.
We also removed the masonite crossbracing from within the bulb at the end of the peninsula and replaced it with the start of a decent dispatcher’s desk. Several large scraps of 1/2″ Baltic Birch completely without use in the garage made their way into the basement to become the new crossbracing and start of a decent dispatcher’s desk. Height on the desk might be considered a little high, but works for either standing or sitting on a tall barstool. So far, all that’s installed today was the main sheet at the back of the desk, and a couple 2×4’s across the width of the area to support the desktop once I get it cut to proper shape.
The plan is for the most part still fixed, but we’re making more changes to the lower deck. Further thoughts by Cam, and agreed by yours truely was the deletion of the newly-added Tsable River bridge and replacement with the Trent River bridge towards the north end of the basement. Buckley Bay gets moved a bit towards the octogon and Union Bay gets the nod for an additional flagstop for the Dayliner.
February 5, 2011
35th birthday today for me, and I spent most of it downstairs with Cam and Dan Hamilton getting a lot of stuff built. We like to term it “boning the fish” for the sheer fact that when you look at the 2″ tall bits of plywood extending out from both sides of the central wall, it looks much like a fish skeleton. We stopped short of where we wanted to be for want of more 2″ wide strips of plywood, but still some fine progress made!
Cam and Dan also got a fair amount of the helix base assembled using 4″ wide strips of plywood, though it’s not complete for the lack of a few more cross-braces to be put in for riser support for the base rotation of the helix trackbed.
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- Boning the fish
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- The first bit of benchwork!
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- Most of the base for the helix
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- The stack of 26″ helix parts – 8 levels worth.
Afterwards, much fun was had at dinner Michaelea made and a game of Empire Builder was played until the wee hours including Murray who came over just as we were getting started. Dan left early and Michaelea took over his empire and Murray ended up winning (Beginners luck!) despite his promise to his wife that he would let me win… Oh well, at least it was a nice win this time around compared to some of his past wins which were… shall we say “not nice”?
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