I will have several wooden access gates on the east side of the channel on my layout and have decided to use Monroe Models wood fencing. The fence will be nearly 4’ long and will cross tracks and a road into the scrapyard.
I have never liked the idea of an always open gate, or trying to animate one, so I am trying an alternate, one-finger or coupler pick swing version using magnet chunks.
The concept is simple. I have an abundance of .060” dia. x .25 long cylindrical rare earth magnets that are really easy to snap in half, one glued to the main fence and the other to the gate. When you flip them so that ther plated ends attract they stay centered and pivot very smoothly.
The only issues I have is that for n scale, they are chunky, but they can be disguised as heavy duty end posts, and the second is ensuring their axes are parallel in all directions.
In the images below, they are acting more as a slip pin hinge, and the magnets easily hold up the long gate but they are somewhat non parallel so the gate pivots on an upward spiral.
I think this has promise as the next test version will have a 0.060” dia. x .0.031” thick disc magnet on each end of the long cylinder magnet. The two discs will be glued to the gate and the long pin glued to the fence post.
For now here is the gate on my workbench separated.
Here they are snapped together in flat
Range of motion views:
Views on my testing board:
Closed:
Open:
From above. Note the axial misalignment twisting the gate slightly. I will say that the movement is effortless and smooth and the magnets hold so well it’s nearly impossible to knock the gate off the fence, but a slight pull perpendicular to the axis allows them to come apart. They will jump to each other when returned.
I say proof of concept is feasible, even without refinements, but I think they will help with alignment.
It’s going to be fun opening and closing the gates dutpring operation. Now for a version for my later chain link fence around the engine house and aggregate biz.
