School T-Trak Club

[tossedman]

I'm trying to get another T-Trak club going at the school I teach at. Last time I tried, it was at my son's school but we got derailed by the pandemic. The kiddo has since moved on to high school, so I'll try it at my school. The shop teacher teaches next door to me and has a six year old who has discovered trains. Dan (the shop teacher) has gotten the bug as well and is keen to try T-Trak. I pitched it to his engineering club today and about a dozen kids are keen to try. I showed them some modules and then we watched some stuff online. Hooked 'em! More may be keen to get involved when they see what it's all about. Hope so!

 

The club will own the corner modules and power supplies and the odd train. Each student will own their own module and take it home at the end of the year. We got a couple of hundred dollars from the school as seed money. Might have to do some fund raising if we need more. Laser cut trinkets anyone?

 

Next step is to talk to the local hobby shops to see if they'd like to sponsor the club. I'm on a first name basis with the owners of a couple of model train shops here in town. Noah and I have spent enough time and money in them for them to know who we are. Hopefully we can get a bit of a deal for the school club. Who knows, we may be sending many more customers their way.

 

We are going to build or modules using 1X3s. Easy. Here's a link to the T-Trak Wiki and their how to. http://ttrak.wikidot.com/1x3s We thought of laser cutting the modules but Baltic birch is so expensive these days. Baltic birch laser cuts better than other plywoods it seems. We'll also be able to use a lot of offcuts from the wood shop. With the table saw, jointer, and planer we can make out own 1X3s. That's cheap! Did I mention schools love cheap?

 

Here's a pic of a module "kit".

 

The computer lab I teach in can get a bit noisy with that machinery running next door. I also have the band room on the other side of my lab. We get bombarded with quite the cacophony of sounds in my quiet little room.

 

I drew a single module up in SketchUp and threw it onto the SketchUp 3D Warehouse to help the students plan their modules. They can download it and use it to help with their planning. We used to have a licence for SketchUp Pro at school but Trimble has changed the licensing to schools and we now use the online SketchUp for Schools. It works but is not as feature packed. No plug ins. ☹️ 

 

We'll make 210 mm deep modules to keep costs down and make it more economical for students. Storage will also be easier. Space is at a premium here at school these days. I like the look of these anyways and so far everyone is deferring to me. Who knows, once they know more they may decide to make larger modules.

 

Here's a picture of what we're looking at building. The club meets once a week so it may be a while before things get rolling. 

 

 

Hopefully we get a little further along with this attempt. I'll keep you posted.

 

Cheers eh,

 

Todd

 

 

Edited February 11, 2023 by tossedman

[cteno4]

Todd,

 

hey this is great! Hope it comes off for you. Maybe the engineering club can do some arduino widgets for the layout like a pause circuit to automate the running some? 
 

one thing you might look at just doing 3 bolts instead of 4 with two front and a single in the rear. I’ve been doing this for years now and it greatly simplifies leveling as front two you level up along the track then the single in back center to level back to front. Super stable and they don’t tip at all even with heavy modules and big buildings on back corners.

 

also I’m playing with 10-30 bolts instead of 20-1/4” and using threaded rivets for the inserts. Smaller, cheaper and no banging in t-nuts or trying to screw in inserts. Just glue in along with the pressure fit. 1/4” are such overkill for modules and they were only used as that’s what they used on big ntrak modules legs. I’m liking them.

 

might also play with scanning some sankei kits and cutting your own to help with prices. Assembling those kinds of kits are super good spacial relationship training and engineering. Double layer of colored cardstock equals about sankei laserboard thickness.

 

keep us posted! 
 

cheers

 

jeff

[tossedman]

Some great ideas there Jeff, thanks for those. I'm not familiar with either 10-30 bolts or threaded rivets. Do you have a link to either or both of these?

 

Cheers eh,

 

Todd

[cteno4]

Sorry my bad it’s 10-24 not 10-30

 

here are the rivets. Basically threaded about halfway through, enough for leveling.

 

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07FB6ZTWK/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

https://www.amazon.com/Hillman-92174-10-24-Inch-Phillips-100-Pack/dp/B003VFZWYA/ref=sr_1_3?crid=1S4B0Z3FBM70M&keywords=10-24+bolt&qid=1676081378&sprefix=10-24+bolt%2Caps%2C60&sr=8-3

 

basically just next size down. T-nuts tend to come loose with time unless you add some epoxy or use a press to insert them, hammering always causes them to enlarge the wood some around the spikes and with time they come loose. Threaded inserts are nice, but to drive them vertically you  Ed a threaded insertion tool and need to make a jig to hold it all perpendicular as the insert starts biting (they tend to want to angle as soon as the threads bite). With the rivers they pressure fitted in the hole I drilled (can’t remember if it was a metric or imperial sized bit I used)

 

cheers,

 

jeff

 

 

[tossedman]

Brilliant! Thanks Jeff. Easy is good. Cheaper is good. And If we use your 3 bolt trick we save 25% right off the top. I'll pick some up and give it a go.

 

Can't say I like T-nuts. They can split the wood when put Into the bottom of a 1X3. Haven't had much experience with threaded inserts but good to know they're not as easy to use as they look. Shall have a boo at threaded rivets.

 

Cheers eh,

 

Todd

[cteno4]

I have a 2 ton press that does t-nuts pretty well, but even then with longer bolts I’ve had a couple come loose… hammer on t-nuts is just bad…

 

the threaded inserts work pretty well.p, but are not quite as inexpensive. For the fully threaded inserts you need a threaded T handle to insert them (you can do a trick of a bolt and nut glued in place and thread into insert and use a socket wrench, cheap, but clumsy). 
 

https://smile.amazon.com/POWERTEC-71383-T-Wrench-Threaded-Installation/dp/B07R2JDX8Y/ref=sr_1_13?crid=1YXKMFRRC32HX&keywords=Threaded+insert+handle&qid=1676084945&sprefix=threaded+insert+handle%2Caps%2C92&sr=8-13

 

To make the T handle jig I took a 4” hunk of 2x4 and put a hole big enough for the T handle to go thru the long center of the block. I drilled a larger hole in one end of this hole that was bit larger deeper than an insert. Then you can slide the T handle thru the block and tread an insert onto the T handle. Then you can use the block to hold the T handle/insert perpendicular to the surface. The block helps keep the insert going in perpendicular. same thing can be done with a block to use a T hex driver if you use the rivets that use the a hex driver. Doesn’t work with the slotted screwdriver inserts as scre drive can’t be tight in the block…
 

It’s simple and works, but a bit more work than the rivet or press insert into a hole with a dab of glue…

 

jeff

[tossedman]

I've redrawn my SketchUp model with 3 bolts instead of 4 and reloaded it to the SketchUp 3D Warehouse. Jeff has embedded the link into this page so you can see the model in 3D. Click on the image below and you will be able to orbit around the model to see it from all sides. Here's the link to the 3D warehouse page.

 

Cheers eh,

 

Todd

[tossedman]

Made a trip to the one our local hobby shops yesterday to purchase some supplies and maybe try to wrangle some sponsorship for our QEHS T-Trak Club. Unfortunately, Johnnie, the owner, is out of town until sometime next month so we'll have to be satisfied with buying some track. No wrangling occurred.

 

Picked up a Kato M1 and V5 track set which will give us the four corners that we need. Also, a bit of wiring, another transformer, and some straight track for the student modules was purchased. The corners and power supplies will belong to the club while the students will purchase their own modules. We'll probably scrounge wood from the wood shop program to keep costs down and sell them track.

 

Got approval for all that was purchased by the two resident experts as you can see below.

 

 

 

 

Our next meeting is February 24 but I've heard through the grapevine that at least one student has already started 3D printing some accessories for her module. Looking forward to seeing what they come up with.

 

Cheers eh,

 

Todd

 

Edited February 17, 2023 by tossedman

[tossedman]

Had a club meeting Friday afternoon and the students and Dan the shop teacher managed to whack out 12 modules. Using a table saw, a chop saw, bit of glue, a nail gun, and a bunch of donated plywood scraps made short work of them. Here are the results.

 

 

Next week we'll get around to laying some track.

 

Cheers eh,

 

Todd

 

[cteno4]

Great todd! Had all the club members had a shop class yet or was it new to building stuff for them? It’s so cool you guys have a shops, they are very rare now days down here. I think those classes in jr high were the best to at least have to learn a bit of building and home stuff. Especially these days as few parents seem to so any sort of wood or metal working as a hobby. Maker world helps, but it usually goes to the techie side and not basic old hand skills as much.

 

This is going to be fun to watch! 
 

jeff

[tossedman]

Most of the students have had at least one semester of shop I think. A few of the grade sevens are in it now for the first time. We're a bit of a unique school in that we are grades 7 to 12. Students can chose to take shop for 6 years. When they get into grade 10 they also start to learn to use the laser cutter, CNC and more power tools. the 7-9 students use a lot of hand tools but also learn to use the band saw and drill press. I agree with you though, it is great to have these hands on kind of classes. It's missing from so many kids' lives these days.

[cteno4]

My jr high guidance counselor kept on me all the way through jr high (7-9 grades) as I took a shop course every quarter. He kept saying you’re an academic kid and will be a professional of some sort and these shop classes are a waste of time for you! I kept saying no they are good as I was in all these advanced academic classes and the shop classes allowed me to let my brain go a different direction for a while. I had learned wood working from when I could pick up a hammer from my dad and it just felt good to make things. It also got me being creative for a profession later in my life when I tired of research. As soon as I learned metal work in 7th grade I started doing metal sculpture to sell at local art shows and could make like $10/hr after materials which was quite good for the 70s and a teenager! I was making wooden toys for sale before in my dad’s shop, but they didn’t bring in as much per hour as the metal sculptures. Making the $10/hr was the only thing that shut the guidance councilor, not all the positive aspects on my brain, learning, and life. I often wonder how many kids that chap sent sideways with his attitudes.

 

jeff

[Cat]

That's great that you all got to do the shop work!
 
I had 2 years of woodworking shop in junior high.  I enjoyed it, but was a 'B' student, not my best medium.  Give me a hammer and anvil though!
 
After college, I was living with a bunch of friends in Vermont and we had a forge set up in a shed out back to make armour for medieval style fighting in the Society For Creative Anachronism.

After moving back down to Boston, I didn't have access to a forge anymore, but did pick up a 100 pound baby anvil.  For several years, I made a living making aluminum and leather armour for live role playing groups.  I could shape the aluminum cold.  It's still very pleasing having an anvil and it comes in handy for a number of projects.

(Never did get along with the stupid guidance councilor here neither!)

[tossedman]

Yeah, guidance counsellors don't always see the big picture. In 2016, 28.5% of Canadians aged 25–64 have a university degree, and another 22.4% have a community college diploma. That's almost 50% who don't go to or finish post secondary education. Many of those community college diplomas are trade related. It's just now that we are starting to realize that once the current crop of trades people retire there's not enough people trained to replace them. It all starts with these hands on classes like shop class. I've been teaching for 33 years now and see that this is the place for so many students to shine. It also teaches life skills as Jeff said. Important stuff!

 

A friend of mine dropped out of university and became a blacksmith. He's had a great career and has never been out of work. Can't say the same for all of the engineers whose jobs come and go with the ebbs and flows of the oil patch (Calgary, where I live, is Canada's centre for the oil industry). It's boom or bust in that industry. 

 

And now, back to trains. Yes Jeff, this T-trak project is fun to watch.

 

Cheers eh,

 

Todd

Edited February 26, 2023 by tossedman

[cteno4]

8 hours ago, Cat said:

After moving back down to Boston, I didn't have access to a forge anymore, but did pick up a 100 pound baby anvil.  For several years, I made a living making aluminum and leather armour for live role playing groups.  I could shape the aluminum cold.  It's still very pleasing having an anvil and it comes in handy for a number of projects.

(Never did get along with the stupid guidance councilor here neither!)

So have to ask, are you a forged in fire fan?! I love it and I can even get my wife to watch it, she kind of gets mesmerized by it!

 

Jeff

[Cat]

8 hours ago, cteno4 said:

So have to ask, are you a forged in fire fan?! I love it and I can even get my wife to watch it, she kind of gets mesmerized by it!

Ah no, haven't come across that before.  My old housemate who set up the forge and taught me the basics has spent decades really improving his technique and makes stunning swords and armour.  Another friend travelled a lot in Europe learning different techniques and now lives in Germany doing blacksmith art.
 
I could get the basics done.  Hot forged my own helmet, and cold forged the cuirass and other bits of armour.  For blades, I did a dagger and a spear tip.
 
My trusty spear still comes in very handy for fighting raccoons.  Urban raccoons do not fear people.  The ones in my neighborhood have learned.  And they teach their young.  So our roof and compost bin are safe these days.
: 3

[tossedman]

So we haven't had a club meeting for a few weeks. Parent/teacher/student conferences today put the kibosh on this week's meeting. In between conferences though I had a bit of a brainstorm. Five minutes in Adobe Illustrator and about two minutes on the laser cutter and I had a set of these adjustment wheels. They're 3mm MDF and just slip onto the carriage bolts. A drop of glue should hold them on well but these are just friction fit at the moment. Makes raising and lowering the module a breeze. I've used three bolts as per Jeff's suggestion, two in the front and one in the centre in the back. I can put a 500 ml bottle of pop on a back corner and it doesn't tip at all so I don't think that any scale building or landscaping will be an issue. It's a sturdy as.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Stay tuned, more to come.

 

Cheers eh,

 

Todd

Edited March 10, 2023 by tossedman

[cteno4]

Cute little flowers! Or duck feet. Yes that is my biggest pet peeve with Ttrak, the @#$&%! Leving bolts and leveling modules! Front usually are easy to do unless you are only like a half inch of space or less to grab the bolts. But in back these will be gold to make it easy to feel for and not have to try to arch your hand and fingers over the back of the module and then under it and turn the bolt!

 

might experiment with them smaller as I expect you may not need much to do the trick on the front or may not even be needed on the front (it will be interesting to see what a row of these will look like, they may just become a strip with a row of modules or may visually grab the eye! Not sure), but on the back big is goooood!

 

don’t know if it will be any issues with little fingers right at the edge of the tables. Little kids almost always grab the table edge when standing there watching the trains.

 

I don’t think I’ve ever seen this done on Ttrak! You could probably sell them! If you’re interested I can put you in touch with the national Ttrak org as they might like a little 5 minute presentation on one of their Ttrak zooms sometime here.

 

nice work!

 

cheers

 

jeff

[cteno4]

Todd,

 

I wonder about putting your inserts now on a block of wood attached to the inside front of the module to pull your front legs back some from view and little fingers grabbing them on the edge. 
 

also we’ve found black full sheets (we get cheap polyester ones on Amazon, but not the fitted ones) make great table coverings and if the new adjusters are painted black to match it will make them visually step way back.

 

jeff

[tossedman]

Thanks Jeff. I thought about making these smaller, will have to give it a try. I just picked a random circle size of 35 mm to start and that's as far as I got. This is a good size if you are using 1" X 1" blocks to mount your bolts. I'll whack out a few smaller ones and see how they work. Black on black is a good idea.

 

I'd have to buy my own laser cutter to sell these. School doesn't allow for commercial work. 🙁

 

Cheers eh,

 

Todd

Edited March 10, 2023 by tossedman

[cteno4]

Perhaps one of the module makers may pick it up to sell. Ntrak/Ttrak was considering selling some parts for Ttrak, mainly if there might be a starter system for newbies, but who knows might be fun for them to have a batch commercially cut and engrave Ttrak on then! 
 

really neat idea Todd, again I don’t remember anyone ever doing this before! And for the back bolt it’s just gold! Neat thing that a laser cutter can so so easily! 

 

cheers

 

jeff

 

 

[tossedman]

Tried out making the adjustment wheels a bit smaller. Left the back one the same size and shrank the front two. Here are the results.

 

 

 

This is looking down from above. Still easy to turn but not as visually intrusive.

 

Cheers eh,

 

Todd

 

[cteno4]

Very cool! Maybe it could support you buying your own cutter? Just kidding.

 

jeff

[tossedman]

It could be a start Jeff. Need some more to go along with them though. One day I’ll get me one. 

[cteno4]

It really is nifty idea. Plus just so damn simple!

 

would also work with regular hex bolts as well with a 1/4” hole and a dab of CA glue or epoxy.

 

the only issue with some is they like to keep their bolts in for transport and screw them up into the module as many use the interior blocks inside the Ttrak box recessed a bit for the inserts. But your smaller version may fit in there. Usually 2x2 is used for the blocks so insert is 3/4” inside the box corner. So should work of the disc is under 3/4” diameter

 

jeff