[modeleng] Re: Flat bar bender?
- From: "Phill Smith" <steam@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <modeleng@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Tue, 31 Mar 2009 11:16:31 +0800
G'Day Bede,
Flat bar track is easy to make. But there are some serious problems for the
un-informed. Briefly, this is how it goes......
To make straight sections, you need a roller block. This consists of 3
rollers, with the centre roller able to be moved in and out of the gap
between the other 2 rollers. The rollers also need flanges to guide the flat
bar through them.
To make straight rail from comercial flat bar, you must pull the flat bar
through the rollers to put a defined curve into it. Then pull it through the
rollers to remove the curve you have put in, and make the flat bar curve the
other way. It is now time to roll out this radius so that the flat bar is
straight once again. This process is esential to remove kinks and buckles
along the length of flat, which if left in, will chop and change the the
guage of your track. Any easy/easier spots to pull through the rollers
indicate a bend or kink that needs to be taken out.
Use your track jig for assembly of the entire length of rail. Do not do it
in bits, it doesn't work.
To make curved track, make a jig that will hold your sleepers and rail in
position to the correct radius. Then, fit your sleepers to the jig. Using a
length of flat bar that you have already straightened for straight track,
pull it through the rollers to form it into a radius. Do this in small steps
until you are familiar with how it will behave when being rolled to a
required radius. Once you get proficient, you will be able to do it in
larger steps. Pull it through from both ends of the flat bar, as this will
help eliminate making a cone due to the rollers not being perfectly parallel
in all axies. Use the jig as your guide for rolling to the correct radius.
Once the radius is correctly rolled, drop in your rail and secure the
sleepers. Don't forget that the inner rail is rolled to a smaller radius
than the outer rail.
Track jigs are usually built to have 3 or 4 radius's of track within the one
jig. Often you will see the straight tract jig on one side as well.
The ends of the rail are trimmed to remove the ends of the flat bar after
assembly, as the ends are not properly rolled. Also the trimming to a common
radial line on both rails of eachend of the curved sections are required.
I hope this helps.
Cheers,
Phill.
----- Original Message -----
From: <bede@xxxxxxx>
To: <modeleng@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Monday, March 30, 2009 5:33 AM
Subject: [modeleng] Flat bar bender?
> I'm planning a simple end-to-end line here in NY and am planning to use
> the "groovy track" method - flat bar (3/8" x 1.5") in slotted
> ties/sleepers sort of like this:
>
> http://www.discoverlivesteam.com/magazine/128/
>
> We've made up a few sections of straight which is easy enough, but I'd
> really like to try to pre-curve flat bar for the curves. Does anyone
> have any experience using a flat bar bender to make curves? One model
> I've seen is a Grizzly:
>
> http://grizzly.com/products/Compact-Bender-System-Floor-Model/H3184
>
> It seems simple and affordable, if anyone has any comparable
> alternatives, suggestions, or experience using one of these benders to
> make curves, I'd be grateful for any advice.
>
> Thanks,
> Bede in drizzly Brooklyn.
> MODEL ENGINEERING DISCUSSION LIST.
>
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