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Post by angleseyrailway on Sept 24, 2012 10:00:15 GMT
Has anyone ever machined a profile onto rectangular section bar, either in situ or before laying track?
I am concerned about using rectangular section track and spoiling the profile on the wheels of my loco.
Is it possible to attach a profiled cutter to a heavy router, take light cuts and machine a rail head profile. Maybe a profiled cutter set up on a miiling machine. Profile only needs to be on two edges.
I understand the inherent dangers of this idea; sufficient weight to apply cut, speeds and feeds, swarf removal et al. But just wanted to bounce the idea and provoke thought and idea generation.
Daniel
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Post by chris vine on Sept 24, 2012 14:48:36 GMT
Hi Daniel,
You don't say if it is bright drawn steel or hot rolled black steel.
If hot rolled, the section is usually fairly rounded anyway so I don't think you need to worry.
If bright drawn with square edges, you might just round of the gauge corners with an angle grinder or similar......
chris.
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Post by flyingfox on Sept 24, 2012 16:49:50 GMT
Greetings,
I ran extensively on a railway using black steel as a rail, and it rapidly removed the root radius on many wheels in use.
After that, the wheel treads wear, because the outside wheel has to travel further on a bend than the inside, and one of the wheels then becomes worn, as it is dragged round the track.
By all means try to profile the correct radius, but think of the work.
regards
Flying Fox
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Post by angleseyrailway on Sept 24, 2012 17:39:14 GMT
Black rolled was the preferred choice. If you could get the speed (rpm) and feed (Speed of loco), 'maybe' rounding to the correct profile could be achieved. Attach a router to a carriage with sufficient weight to hold into place with light cuts on each pass.
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jma1009
Elder Statesman
Posts: 5,901
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Post by jma1009 on Sept 24, 2012 23:45:07 GMT
black rolled is what everyone else uses unless you buy vignoles section. the ascott club used black rolled as did the IWMES and ive run my locos in both. ive never heard of anyone using BMS for rail.
cheers,
julian
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Post by ilvaporista on Sept 25, 2012 7:31:00 GMT
How about taking off the corner using an angle grinder on a carriage running along the top of the bar? www.youtube.com/watch?v=j0RN_C-iosUThough most clubs seem to use hot rolled with no ill effects. The profiled rail is very nice but quite expensive unless you buy tonnes of it. |
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NickM
E-xcellent poster
Posts: 230
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Post by NickM on Sept 25, 2012 13:33:41 GMT
Daniel
I think you should forget the idea of using a router to machine steel; from personal experience it doesn't work. Hand held / portable routers work on the principle of high rpm / low hp, the exact opposite of what you need for a milling operation. You can't get the RPM low enough and you will not be able to get the rail / cutter interface rigid enough; all you will achieve is blunt or broken cutters in very quick order.
That said black rolled bar works perfectly well for most applications. If you are running the railway on a high frequency, commercial basis black bar will eat cast iron wheels on something the size of a Romulus in one season (seen the evidence for myself) but for occasional hobby use cast iron wheels will give no problem. The ideal solution, as per full size practice, is steel wheels or tyres (EN8 preferably) which will give you no problems for years.
NickM
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