Wheel Profile tools and Julia's appeal

[chrisveitch]

I noticed the appeal on Julia's blog regarding assistance on the making of wheel profile tools and remembered this article from the Manchester MRS website on the methods Sid Stubbs used to do this - it's so good it's probably with reading even if you don't intend to make one. 

 

Regards

 

Chris

[autocoupler942]

What was the funding cost to The Association for the range of wheel rims to make your own items? I am curious as to how many rims have been stocked, sold or, more importantly,  been successfully used. An article on their use/application would not go amiss!

[Graham Hughes]

Probably questions regarding the Association's finances would be more appropriately asked on the 2mm Association's Virtual Area Group or to the relevant Officer directly. 

[Izzy]

What was the funding cost to The Association for the range of wheel rims to make your own items? I am curious as to how many rims have been stocked, sold or, more importantly,  been successfully used. An article on their use/application would not go amiss!

 

I would guess that they are supplied out of the stocks of steel rims held for Loco/tender/bogie wheel production, and I wish they had been available when I made the wheels for my class 15 diesel, it would have made life a bit easier. As it was I made a 'slide-in' part form tool since not only is this simpler to grind up from HSS tool stock, but it imposes less strain on the smaller, simpler, home based lathe than plunge-in type form tools and helps to ensure a more reliable result as regards finish and diemensions, especially on steel as opposed to brass etc. Cruder in application since the flange edges need finishing off using files/gravers whilst rotating in the lathe, so care is needed for both safety reasons and acurate finish, but quite feasible.

 

Since these rims are available now I assume Julia needs sizes that are not covered by the range provided. I believe Dapol Pannier tank wheels have been converted to 2FS with them.

 

Izzy

[Phil Copleston]

I noticed the appeal on Julia's blog regarding assistance on the making of wheel profile tools and remembered this article from the Manchester MRS website on the methods Sid Stubbs used to do this - it's so good it's probably with reading even if you don't intend to make one. 

 

Chris,

 

Thanks for posting the link. The Manchester MRS website is a useful and interesting resource of workshop and modelling information. Not one of which I was previously aware.

[2mm Andy]

What was the funding cost to The Association for the range of wheel rims to make your own items? I am curious as to how many rims have been stocked, sold or, more importantly,  been successfully used. An article on their use/application would not go amiss!

 

Izzy is right - they're simply some of the stock used for the Association's range of loco wheels. So no funding cost as such (merely selling what has already been purchased!) and stocks will be whatever has been split from those used for the loco wheels. As to articles on their use, it has already been done! The August/September 2014 2mm Magazine contains an article by Nick Mitchell on converting the Farish WD to 2FS standards by machining down the Farish wheels and fitting these wheel rims.

 

Andy

[Nigelcliffe]

And, their listing in the shop is really just formalising what's been available for as long as I've been a member (more than 30 years);  if you contacted the products team then any sub-components used in manufacture would be made available if it were possible.  

 

 

- Nigel

[chrisveitch]

Chris,

 

Thanks for posting the link. The Manchester MRS website is a useful and interesting resource of workshop and modelling information. Not one of which I was previously aware.

Thanks Phil. The S4 Society Central London Area Group have a similar site which might be of interest - obviously it's very strongly S4/P4 biased but does have some useful scale-agnostic morsels, although it's not as well organised as the MMRS site. 

 

I've often wondered if there's an opening in the market for a "model engineering for railway modellers"-type book which concentrates on these types of engineering techniques for those in 4mm scale and below. There are plenty available for the larger scales but our sort of stuff requires a slightly different and usually more accurate set of techniques which aren't often covered very well.

[Phil Copleston]

Thanks Phil. The S4 Society Central London Area Group have a similar site which might be of interest - obviously it's very strongly S4/P4 biased but does have some useful scale-agnostic morsels, although it's not as well organised as the MMRS site. 

 

I've often wondered if there's an opening in the market for a "model engineering for railway modellers"-type book which concentrates on these types of engineering techniques for those in 4mm scale and below. There are plenty available for the larger scales but our sort of stuff requires a slightly different and usually more accurate set of techniques which aren't often covered very well.

 

Chris,

 

I completely agree! A decent and lucid book on 'model engineering for railway modellers' (for relative beginners to machining and metal-working) would be extremely useful to have next to one's workbench. I'd certainly buy a copy! Although I'd extend your 4mm upper limit to S scale (4.76mm = 1ft), as this has more in common in techniques with 4mm and below than the much larger 7mm scale and above. Not sure who's write/edit it, but set up a pole on RMweb and see what the response is like...

 

And thanks for the additional link to the P4 Society CLAG webpages - most useful!

[Baby Deltic]

I would be tempted to use a very sharp single point HSS tool and set the compound slide to the profile angle to cut the main proile, then either file the flange profile or set the compound slide steeply across the front of the work at the flange angle and cut it on the other side with the lathe in reverse.