Garden Railway Forum

Hi has anyone come across a pre-made Lathe form tool for turning wheel profiles? I presume ours would need to be coarse scale gauge 'O' I've looked online and in my catalogues but nothing comes up.
Thanks in advance.
John

cncmodeller wrote: ↑Sat Dec 30, 2017 3:37 pm Hi has anyone come across a pre-made Lathe form tool for turning wheel profiles? I presume ours would need to be coarse scale gauge 'O' I've looked online and in my catalogues but nothing comes up.

Coarse scale O would probably work, but the wheel profile shown on the 16mm association website for both 32 and 45 mm gauge matches the G1 'standard' profile.

Mark Wood lists a form tool for the G1MRA standard wheel profile on his website.

http://www.markwoodwheels.co.uk/wheels/formtools.htm

How big a lathe do you have? I've never used profile tools in garden scale, as my lathe struggles to turn the root radius without chatter, so no chance it would successfully turn a wheel in mild steel with a profile tool............

Graeme

Graeme has raised a valid point. Having used one for 5" gauge you do need power and a good rigid lathe to use one successfully (mine is a 9" Hercus with a 1/2HP.) unless you do most of the work with a normal round nose tool and take a very very fine skim with the form tool.
Personally I find it just as quick to grind a round nose tool to match the root radius, set it up so that the left side matches the flange angle with the compound slide set to cone the tread.
Grant.
PS I also write down cross and compound slide values to repeat same for all wheels.

OK thanks guys, I hadn't thought of that I think. I'll get some wagon wheel rims of the correct diameter and cnc machine some centres and shrink the tyres on.
John

LNR wrote: ↑Sun Dec 31, 2017 1:36 pm <snip> Personally I find it just as quick to grind a round nose tool to match the root radius, set it up so that the left side matches the flange angle with the compound slide set to cone the tread.<snip>

Do what now?

It's amazing the difference in skills, experience and techniques that this hobby caters for, from bodgellers like myself to true model engineers. I am in awe

OK I'm answering my own question here but It may be useful for future reference:_

http://www.markwoodwheels.co.uk/wheels/formtools.htm

The tool 'Gauge 1 Standard' is the right one.

John

Lonsdaler wrote: ↑Mon Jan 01, 2018 11:42 am Do what now?

I'm not sure, is that a question. If it is I don't understand.
Grant.

John (cnc modeller)
An apology, I guess if I had noted the CNC part of your name I might have realized that you have access to more sophisticated machinery than I have.
Interesting to note that in the form tool brochure he mentions that the Gauge one standard tool has the taper on the back to avoid a step etc. Important in wheels of the size generally associated with garden railways, and I believe the most important aspect of the whole profile to avoid picking point blades and check rails.
Grant.

LNR wrote: ↑Mon Jan 01, 2018 11:23 pm

Lonsdaler wrote: ↑Mon Jan 01, 2018 11:42 am Do what now?

I'm not sure, is that a question. If it is I don't understand.
Grant.

Sorry Grant, I was trying to be 'with it'. http://onlineslangdictionary.com/meanin ... t-now%253f
I didn't understand the whole of the sentence you posted, and in my post I was trying to express admiration at the range of abilities within our great hobby, from the less skilled bodgeller like myself, to the true model engineers, like yourself.
I'll fetch my coat...

No worries Phil, you had me wondering. The online slang dictionary looks intriguing. Particularly "other terms relating to DO"
Grant.