Planning a points layout board

[stmartins]

Currently I have 2 Gaugemaster PCU1 which work perfectly but with 40 points I struggle to remember all the numbers and run into trouble when changing some section points. I want to construct a "plan of the layout" and fit switches on the board so I can see exactly what point to change.
The wiring is no problem but I am struggling to find some decent material to build the circuit diagram with. Have googled it and all the videos are details of how to wire up the circuit. My thoughts are a white plastic board or similar so I can add the diagram of the layout then drill and add the point switches. I have seen professionally made boards at exhibitions but never though of asking where they were obtained. Does anyone know of a good material to use or anyone that makes up these boards to a design provided . Any assistance appreciated

[End2end]

I bought a laser cut wooden one from ebay. - viewtopic.php?f=22&t=48176&p=617753&hil ... el#p617753
Sadly I cannot find the seller at the moment.
Thanks
End2end

[roganty]

I bought a laser cut wooden one from ebay. - viewtopic.php?f=22&t=48176&p=617753&hil ... el#p617753
Sadly I cannot find the seller at the moment.

I saved the seller, graingeandhodder-online

Is this the item?

[End2end]

Excellent. Thanks roganty.
Yes that's the one.
As my linked post shows, I managed to get the specific size I wanted of 600mm x 250mm.
Thanks
End2end

[TimberSurf]

Here is how to use a standard plastic box, a sheet of clear plastic (or laminate) and printed paper.
Very easy to accomplish ANY type of graphics and easily dismantlable for change later.
Lumsdonia Mimic

[Mountain]

I've always used wood for control panels in the past. For 00 gauge past layouts I used the stud and probe method with DC section switches also n the panel. The track diagrams were first drawn and then painted over and each section had a different colour for clarity purposes.

[brit-in-bama]

there are many ways to do a mimic board, most seem to go with one board, well I (just to be different) with my roundy roundy decided to make it easier on the wiring aspect to make three simpler mimic boards, one on each side inside my center hole, few pics, explanations and what I used. for the boards themselves I used 1/8 thick plastic from a for sale sign, and a bit of plywood for the frame and back. the plan of the mimic was drawn on the computer first, them on paper and glued to the board, then I drilled it out for the switches and leds, then it was covered with a no-glare file folder,so it didnt look shiny at night.

as you can see it just sits in a small wooden frame

and it is held in place with little neodymium magnets at the corners and an anti-depression screw in the middle

I used cat 5 wire because its easy to solder, more than capable of carrying the load, and real easy to find (we had a bunch left when they redid the offices) connectors to make board separators as my layout is all made from 4'x2ft panels, with 24 pin (D) plugs and sockets, and also 9 pin and 4 pin for minimal boards. and yes I used motherboard to hard drive plugs/sockets and tape wires, I kept the wiring as simple as possible, the blue switches on/off are the section lights so I can isolate any section of track, the green momentary switches are for the points, I used twin colour LEDS, red and green as indicators so they change colour with the direction of the polarity by adding two diodes one from each leg to the center negative leg of the diode, so depending on which way the current flows, it will either be red or green, but never both, or if the light is off that section of track is off.

and also because I have two loops I can change polarity (direction) at the same time, thus transfer trains from one track to the other or run them separately in opposite directions

there are many ways to wire a layout up, but I try to keep it real simple. and this was as simple/reliable as I could get it. it may seem daunting, but just do one bit at a time, remember a BIG machine is just lots of little machines working together like an orchestra, and you are the conductor!

[Paul-H]

When I did mine I bought a white picture frame the right size, 12x36 inches in my case and replaced the glass with white faced hard board, then laid out the plan using black lining tape from Halfords gave it a quick spray with laqure to protect it the drilled ill the holes for the switches and LED's. Point to point wiring at the back is not a pretty sight but it works and no one sees the back as it's screwed to the wall.

Paul

[Bigmet]

Wuldn't dare show you mine after such professional efforts. Sheet of old ply salvaged from the back of an old wardrobe found as a wreck in our first house, salvaged brass cheese head screws for the contact studs, probe from an old lead from a long departed iron (round pin plug, that's how old) one pin of the plug is the probe, diagram hand drawn in felt marker. Functional and effectively free. (That last word in the previous sentence is a major factor in my hobby activity.)