how to produce metal model train weels?

[DMD_69]

Hello all worldwide friends,

I am planing to make metal model steam locomotives and I am facing a problem of weels production. The thing is I don't have any details instruction in any archives of weel production base on that I follow.

What I know is in order to produce metal weels, we need some machines such as CNC, drill, milling, lathe. Making weels with round shape, to drill round holes...it's easy, but making some others parts on it ( bars from rim head to weel center, counterweight...) is difficult.

If anyone has any archives, movies, images showing the process from A thru Z for this kind of production, please help me. I am hungry for it.

Thank you in advance!

DMD

[cabbage]

 Could I suggest before you put out the money for your tools you invest in the following titles...

"Simple Model locomotive building -Introducing LBSC's TICH" Map Technical Publication

"Model Steam Locomotives" Henry Greenly

Because, far more than the machinery -you need the formulae to work it all out. My late father was an expert on Railway Wheels and despite all the planning for the equipment that I would need to build my current loco -it has still been very hard work. I have so far completed 3 of the 6 driving wheels for my loco. This has involved fabrication from plate stock and bar. It is considered normal to machine your wheels from a "grey iron" casting. So, if you are going to make a lot of wheels then it might suit your purposes better to investigate your local patten makers and foundry, rather than machining from flat stock.

I have to make my own wheels because I model rather unusual locomotives and rolling stock.

By all means see what I have done and I hope you find it useful.

Snowflake Wheel

regards

ralph 

 

[Neiler]

Wow. I haven't decided if you're a genius or completely insane. Had you toyed with casting the wheels after making the first on or two?

Can't wait to see how it's coming along.

Neil

[cabbage]

Well I now have 5 of 6 wheels done and I am with in 2 working days (next weekend) of finishing the 6th and final one. The 8 bogie wheels have to be machined too...

I did contemplate making metal filled resin wheels -but making a polished wood pattern for grey iron casting is well outside my abilities at the moment(!) 

As to being completely insane, well I am completely sane -and that is the bulk of my problem. If I was crazy, then the reason why I insist on building what I do -might make some sense!!!

regards

ralph 

[Neiler]

Ralph:

 As for the smaller wheels - do you plan to turn them? I'd be interested in seeing your guage or template to make them all the same size and profile (if you use one).  As far as a wood patern, could the original be metal or styrene with which a rubber mould is made for a lost wax part to cast?

Neil

[DMD_69]

hi all

after days been making some production tests, I finally get pair of train wheel that made from aluminium, like this:

I can not accept its performance because it does not have spokes, counterweights..etc. No mechanist in here, VN, can make it look exactly like the real one though I have carefully guided them.

Any one help me with the next step to complete it?

Thanks in advance
DMD

[cabbage]

DMD,

Your next step is a milling machine with a rotary table.  You are going to have to cut a milled groove into the surface of the wheel and then rotate the piece. This will cut a sector out of the surface. You will have to cut 18 or 22 sectors with the line of the sectors stopping at your counterweight position. You should not cut all the way through your sectors as the aluminium will be too weak otherwise.

Here is my milling machine and rotary table 

The table is true to 4 minutes of arc, (and it is a cheap one!)

I would still investigate pattern making and casting, before going to the complex route that you are destined. Aluminium is very soft and grey iron wheel castings are very common. The National 2.5 inch Gauge Society here in the UK lists 105 different casting and my own favourite dealer lists 47 different castings...

 Neiler.

The bogie wheels are going to be machined from 8mm thick 60mm sq steel blanks. I will lop off the corners with an angle grinder and then rough cut a circle on the grindstone. Then it is simply a matter of turning them out to 55mm. I normally use a set of calipers rather than a micrometer -as I find "mikes" to be far to fiddly. I intend to "cone" the wheels to the std 2 degree angle.

This is the design for the bogie wheel. As above the slots are going to have to be cut with a milling machine...

regards

ralph 

 

[Jerry Barnes]

 IF your model has some wheels that someone has already molded, it simplifies things somewhat. You still need a lathe to turn them down to size/profile. Walsall's, in the UK, has quite a few,  http://www.walsallmodelindustries.co.uk/  ,but mostly of UK locomotives. David Bailey(DJBengineering) has some American profiles. Some Lionel wheels will work also. I've found some on ebay sometimes, the UK ebay has them at times also.  You might join the G1MRA, they have two books on making a gauge 1 locomotive and cover wheel profile,  sizes and some turning hints.