Bending handrails (nicely)

[PM47079]

Hi, can anyone share the secrets of doing this. I have handrail wire and have attempted to do handrails before but.. they never seem to look convincing. I cant get the gentle curve I want. I seem to get too much of a right angle bend. Any advice???
thanks 

[brossard]

I dunno, I always use pliers to get a bend.  I use brass wire.  I suspect NS wire will have less of a curve to it because it is hard.

 

One thing to know is that, for 00 or 4mm, handrails are usually 0.31mm.  For 0 or 7mm, 0.5mm is good.

 

John

[PM47079]

Lovely thanks, I will be going and finding out what wire I have !

[RosiesBoss]

G'day, all,

 

I have been using 0.4mm nickel silver and phosphor bronze interchangeably for several years.

 

I bend the wires with circlip pliers, which have rounded jaws, thus avoiding the more acute angles that conventional, flat-jawed pliers make. In this way, I also avoid the breakages that used to happen when using ordinary pliers. For the handrail at the front of the smokebox, I achieve the curve a little at a time, moving along the length bit by bit. Here's a "work in progress" shot of GWR 680, which shows the result to good effect:

+

 

Details of the  project may be found here:https://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/154031-gwr-680-–-ex-alexandra-docks-0-6-0st/

 

I hope this helps.

 

Regards,

 

Rob

[DCB]

Getting the curve right is a challenge  but it's great when you do get it right. I tend to use pliers,  ordinary house hold to hold the wire and miniature pliers, ordinary, long nosed, etc to gently form the curves.  Piano wire stays put when bent  but N/S and brass spring back. Piano wire can't be straightened and re bent when bent 90 degrees which can be a pain.  Paint also falls off N/S and Brass all too easily and makes the handrail too fat but 90% plus of Handrails were just steel anyway, polished where people used them a lot, or loco colour, very little polished brass..

I used to get piano wire from Cheltenham Model Centre  pre Covid but I guess you could get a Piano on Freecycle and break it up.

[brossard]

For me, brass wire works best.  It can be a challenge to get the wire to the right shape for a more ornate handrail.  Running it between finger and thumb with give give it a subtle bend.

 

If the handrail needs to be blackened, you can use chemical black or, a Sharpie seems to work fine.

 

John

[PM47079]

Thanks all for your help. Lots of ideas, I think some miniature pliers will be order.

[ianLMS]

I use these to bend my handrails. Cheaper ones are available!!

 

https://www.cooksongold.com/Jewellery-Tools/Round-Nose-Pliers-130mm,-Plain-----Pliers-prcode-999-698?gclsrc=aw.ds&&gclid=CjwKCAiA8Jf-BRB-EiwAWDtEGitqvQKBGGyhTeVdVAtFVygG2KRAasEsAWSJA0giXYATpCxx6Q7Y1RoC3KMQAvD_BwE

[doilum]

Or hammer a 2,3,4" nail into a lump of scrap wood. You now have a set of formers to bend round.

The trickiest in any scale are the ex NE locos that have a one piece handrail from cab, round over the smokebox and back to the cab. Order in several extra long lengths  from Eileen's and accept that you will need several attempts. The failures are then salvaged and added to stock.

Edited December 1, 2020 by doilum
Predictive text error

[The Johnster]

Right angle bends can be done with a small long nose piiers, and the outside radius of the jaws helps for forming the sort of gentler curves of about 2 -4mm radius.  I've recently had to make curved  handrails of much larger radii to go on the ends of coaching stock and simply drill the holes, fix the handrail wire in at the top end, and allow it to develop it's own curve as I bend it to fit in the bottom drilled hole, at which point a 90 degree bend is put in.  If the shape doesn't look right, there is a degree of manipulation with your fingers that will 'persuade' it to something more realistic.

 

Brass wire is the easiest to work with but I would recommend blackening it, and the handrail knobs, as every sort of paint I've ever used comes off eventually.  For locos other than those in black liveries, you can paint over the blackening.

 

GW and similar loco boiler handrails that are continuous with a jiggle between the right angle at the front end and the start of the smokebox curve are made up by estimating the total length of the handrail plus a surplus to cut the wire.  Then, at the central point, form the smokebox curve by bending the wire around something of a suitable radius that is solid enough for the job; if it is tapered so much the better as you can make different radii for different classes using the same item.  I have an ancient tapered hardwood coffee table leg, or to be more accurate a cut out section of one, that performs this function but mostly lives in the bottom of my useful bits drawer.

 

With the front curve formed (you need about 30 degrees or so of arc depending on the class of loco and the boiler it carries), using the piiers bend the wire to the horizontal on each side, and then put in a right angle bend to take the wire back along the side of the smokebox and the boiler.  Don't fret if you don't get this exactly right, as the knobs will hold the rail in the right position when you are finished.  If the loco is a pannier tank, you will have to measure the correct length of wire to carry the rail across the front of both tanks before putting this right angle in.   Thread the knobs on to the wire,  then put a piece of tape on each end of the wire so they don't fall off every 5 minutes and drive you bonkers, and drill the holes for them, then fit the knobs in the holes (glue from inside the boiler if you can).  Remove the tape and trim the handrail wire at the back on each side. to fit into holes drilled in the tank front for side tank locos, and to length for tender locos or panniers; the knobs will hold the wire to shape and position, so you don't have to worry about taper boilers and such. 

 

Panniers with top feeds have a jiggle in the handrail where the feed pipes go up the side of the pannier tank just ahead of the cab; the outside radius of the plier jaws are about right for this job.  If you are removing the top feed and it's associated plumbing from a Bachmann pannier, remove the handrail (3 knobs at the front have to come out, then gently pull forward) and straighten the jiggle out, then re-thread the rail through the tank side knobs.  You will have to trim the rear ends of the handrail to fit the cabside knob, and glue the front 3 knobs back in.

 

 

[jasp]

Bill Bedford produced a handrail bending jig, currently available from Eileen’s Emporium

Excellent

Jim P

[PM47079]

Thank you all, I think I will invest in some tools, I quite enjoy doing detailing and the frustration of not getting it right would appear to be down to what I haven’t got