Author Topic: Gauge 1 IC Locomotive wheels CNC Style  (Read 10510 times)

Offline GailinNM

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Gauge 1 IC Locomotive wheels CNC Style
« on: May 20, 2014, 04:32:00 PM »
My friend Jim, who lives a couple of states over, and I have been building Gauge 1 Locomotives and other powered Gauge 1 items together for about 20 years.  Between us we we have built a dozen or so Locomotives plus 6 ditchers (self powered steam powered steam shovels) plus many modification to commercial locomotives.  Lots of one of a kind items that have helped each other on also including a Gauge 3 steam locomotive.  Our current project is two, one for each of us, Gauge 1 military locomotives used in WW2 for moving  supplies around behind the war lines.  They were small 0-4-0 gasoline powered locomotives of about 50 horse power. 

This thread shows the first metal cut which, starting from the bottom and working up, is the wheels. As this is an outside frame locomotive no crank pins are needed in the wheels.

The wheels start life off as a metal blank cut off from 2 inch diameter 12L14 bar stock to about 0.260 inch thick and then faced on one side to provide a smooth back for the wheel.  The facing was done in a 2 inch diameter 5C step collet in the manual lathe.

A set of soft jaws was prepared for the mill vice.  The photo shows the jaws after they have been used so the spokes show up where the cutter has cut the spokes.

The blank is clamped in the soft jaws with the finished side down.

First operation is to surface the blank off to  0.248 thickness which will later be finish cut to 0.244 thick on the lathe. This was done with a 3/8 4 flute carbide end mill using Micro-drop cutting lube to lube and remove chips.

Then the inside is recessed down to the spoke depth and leaving the hub and rim full depth.

A 3/16 center cutting 4 flute end mill is used to drill the hole for the axle and starting holes for cutting the spokes. This end mill cuts a little under 3/16 inch so the axle hole is reamed by hand on a drill press later.

Then the spokes are cut through the blank and to width with an 1/8 inch 4 flute end mill.

And the spokes are rounded off with multiple passes using an 1/8 inch ball end mill and that completes the milling operations.

A mandrel is made up to mount the wheels for the turning operations. The stub is 3/16 diameter and the screw is 8-32.

After reaming the axle hole, the blank is mounted on the mandrel in the CNC lathe and the outside face of the rim is
trimmed to the final thickness.  The tread is turned with a 3 degree taper and the flange tapers outward at 10 degrees. The radius on the edge of the flange is turned 1/2 way to the finished flange diameter.

The wheel is reversed and the inside 10 degree taper is cut on the flange and the other half of the radius on he flange is cut.

And the finished wheels.




Gail in NM
I would like to be the kind of person my dog thinks I am.

Offline Dave Otto

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Re: Gauge 1 IC Locomotive wheels CNC Style
« Reply #1 on: May 20, 2014, 04:42:27 PM »
Interesting work Gail

I have been wondering about you, haven't seen a post in a while; good to know you are still kicking around: Lol:

How does Gage 1 compare to G gage? We have a bunch of LGB Christmas train stuff we set up most holiday seasons. I always thought it would be fun to make a Clishay style locomotive based on Welsco parts to run on that setup.

Dave

Offline GailinNM

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Re: Gauge 1 IC Locomotive wheels CNC Style
« Reply #2 on: May 20, 2014, 05:07:59 PM »
Thanks Dave. 
A lot of life has been going on for the past few weeks so not much posting.  Read the forum every day however.

G Gauge is more accurately G  scale which runs on Gauge 1 track.  Gauge 1 track is 45 mm (1.77 inch spacing).  LGB uses G scale to scale their trains to fit and alters it for representing standard gauge or narrow gauge trains, but most of it is 1:22.5 scale.  This locomotive  ran on 3 foot narrow gauge tracks in real life and is scaled to approximately to 1:13.7 (7/8 inch / foot) to fit  45 mm track.  I mostly work in this scale or 1:20.8 scale so my locomotives are larger than LGB.

Go for the Clishay. It would be a fun project.  I have done a lot of Shay modifications for Gauge 1 and built 6 Heislers in live steam for Gauge 1 in 1:20.8 scale.

Gail in NM

I would like to be the kind of person my dog thinks I am.

Offline Dan Rowe

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Re: Gauge 1 IC Locomotive wheels CNC Style
« Reply #3 on: May 20, 2014, 05:18:58 PM »
Gail,
Nice stuff. This will be fun to watch as 7/8" scale or 2' gauge on 45mm track is the scale I build. The trench system was the largest 2' gauge rail system ever built.

Dan
ShaylocoDan

Offline GailinNM

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Re: Gauge 1 IC Locomotive wheels CNC Style
« Reply #4 on: May 20, 2014, 05:51:41 PM »
Thanks Dan,
The trench system was the largest but it is mostly unknown and forgotten.

These little IC locomotives were more popular than steam because they did not make their presence known with plumes of smoke and steam so did not invite strafing runs by aircraft as much.

For those interested, here is a drawing of the general direction that this build will take.  That will be a separate build thread when the time is right.

Gail in NM

I would like to be the kind of person my dog thinks I am.

Offline arnoldb

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Re: Gauge 1 IC Locomotive wheels CNC Style
« Reply #5 on: May 20, 2014, 06:50:12 PM »
Nice going on the wheels Gail - that's a lovely little loco.

This is the first time I've seen a taper cut on the inside of the wheel flanges...  Is that for more reliable negotiation of points and switches ?

Kind regards, Arnold
Building an engine takes Patience, Planning, Preparation and Machining.
Procrastination is nearly the same, but it precludes machining.
Thus, an engine will only be built once the procrastination stops and the machining begins!

Offline Kim

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Re: Gauge 1 IC Locomotive wheels CNC Style
« Reply #6 on: May 20, 2014, 09:06:50 PM »
Hi Gail,
Lot of work in that little pile of wheels. They look great!

Thanks,
Kim

Offline steamer

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Re: Gauge 1 IC Locomotive wheels CNC Style
« Reply #7 on: May 20, 2014, 09:33:35 PM »
Cool project Gail!   Looking forward to seeing more!

Dave
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Offline GailinNM

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Re: Gauge 1 IC Locomotive wheels CNC Style
« Reply #8 on: May 20, 2014, 09:40:06 PM »
Thanks Arnold, Kim and Dave.

Arnold, You are right about the taper on the inside of the wheel flange.  They are standard on all full scale train wheels.  I follow the G1MRA standard profile on my wheels for 45mm Gauge 1 track.  All the other various model gauges have a specification for the tread profile that is similar.  The radius where the inside taper and outside flange tapers is also called out and is important also.  If left sharp the flange will shave the track.  This is particularly true on model railways where the rail is often extruded aluminum  or brass.

Kim, It's not as much work as it looks like with CNC.  After the few hours of programing the wheels go fairly fast. I program semi manually as I do not have a commercial CAM program.  After the first wheel is machined and checked to specification, the operations over lap. The mill takes about 20 minutes per wheel with loading, unloading and manual tool changes.  While it is running I can blank out the next wheel on the saw, face it on the lathe and turn the tread on the previously milled wheel on the CNC lathe. So everything overlaps and comes out to about 4 hours to machine the 8 wheels.

Dave, this is a long term project so don't expect  much action for a while.

Gail in NM
I would like to be the kind of person my dog thinks I am.

Offline GWRdriver

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Re: Gauge 1 IC Locomotive wheels CNC Style
« Reply #9 on: May 20, 2014, 09:41:00 PM »
Gail,
Who is this "Jim" guy?  He sounds like big trouble to me.   :stickpoke:
Cheers,
Harry

Offline GailinNM

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Re: Gauge 1 IC Locomotive wheels CNC Style
« Reply #10 on: May 20, 2014, 09:53:26 PM »
Harry, It's always big trouble when he and I get to talking. You know that as you have been sucked into a few of the projects.  Relax, this time also as this will be IC engine powered with no boiler.  He does have another project going on that is steam  powered. I made a few parts for it while he was here visiting for a few days 2 weeks ago.  I think he may have emailed you about it.
Gail in NM
I would like to be the kind of person my dog thinks I am.

Offline steamer

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Re: Gauge 1 IC Locomotive wheels CNC Style
« Reply #11 on: May 20, 2014, 09:57:10 PM »

Dave, this is a long term project so don't expect  much action for a while.

Gail in NM

 :lolb:

How long have I been working on my Wallaby?....
"Mister M'Andrew, don't you think steam spoils romance at sea?"
Damned ijjit!

Offline GailinNM

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Re: Gauge 1 IC Locomotive wheels CNC Style
« Reply #12 on: May 20, 2014, 10:01:14 PM »
Well, I hope this does not take THAT long.
Gail in NM
I would like to be the kind of person my dog thinks I am.

Offline steamer

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Re: Gauge 1 IC Locomotive wheels CNC Style
« Reply #13 on: May 20, 2014, 11:35:22 PM »
 :lolb:

Hey!   I get points for persistence!..... O:-)
"Mister M'Andrew, don't you think steam spoils romance at sea?"
Damned ijjit!

Offline Roger B

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Re: Gauge 1 IC Locomotive wheels CNC Style
« Reply #14 on: May 21, 2014, 01:09:01 AM »
There is one of those Baldwins still running on the Festiniog railway in Wales. It has been fitted with a Gardner diesel engine for better economy. They also have one of the British armoured Simplex locos, a small tank on rails.

I'll be watching the progress.  :popcorn:
Best regards

Roger

 

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