Next year on our community layout, I want to make a tractor go in a circle when a kid pushes a button. I am looking for a 12" or 16" circle. The tractor is a small 1:40 or so scale. With us being a farming community, I think this push button would be a hit. What are your thoughts for animation?
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How about a ring cut into the table with a rotating platter underneath, Tractor mounts to the platter.
Spin the platter with a belt drive reducing speed from a DC motor or a small wheel on the motor rolling on the outer edge of the platter.
How about a ring cut into the table with a rotating platter underneath, Tractor mounts to the platter.
use a cheap "lazy suzie with a rod and a disco ball motor to drive it.
How about a ring cut into the table with a rotating platter underneath, Tractor mounts to the platter.
use a cheap "lazy suzie with a rod and a disco ball motor to drive it.
…and, for the extra credit point: Hide the mechanism under a piece of masonite and couple the drive to the tractor with a pair of neodymium magnets.
My approach, I would make or buy a turntable and reduce speeds so it runs slow with a 12 inch diameter.. Mount it under the layout with a strong magnet on the disk perimeter. Mount an aluminum disk or sheet plastic on top as a layout floor. Put a magnet on the tractor and hope it follows the magnet on the turntable..Never tried it,just and idea.
WWW.allelectronics.com has all kinds of motors.
Dale H
I use a 2.5 rpm gearmotor from www.MicroMark.com for a rotating animation. It runs off of AC, is nice and slow, and costs $21.50. You can have a thin rod coming up through the table to pull the tractor in a circle. My motor has been functioning for 7 years whenever the layout has been turned on.
Check out the following non-circular animation by Lee Willis of a boat and water-skier on a lake.
https://ogrforum.com/t...-on-lake-20---videos
It uses the magnet concept so no slots need be cut on the surface. Your circular implementation would be a simplified version. If you trace back his postings, he discusses other methods and experiments which you might find useful.
Check your library for the book "A Beginner's Guide to Creative Effects for your Model Railroad" by Paul Newitt. In Chapter 5 he has a section "Using Magnets for Animation" which discusses a boat on a lake as well as a dune buggy in non-circular animations. The book is nice as it starts with the basic of motors, gear-motors, mechanicals (gears, cams, sprockets, pulleys), electricals, etc.
There was an OGR thread discussing the non-circular bicycle animation using a similar concept. I realize you want to keep it simple but what was interesting about the bicycle animation is it was a skinny almost back-and-forth pattern rather than an open circle/oval. This made me think of a tractor in a field going back and forth which is arguably more prototypical and would surely generate the ultimate compliment of "Hey Dad, how did he do that?!"
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