Suggestions for laying out a wheel pattern

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Adirondack
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Suggestions for laying out a wheel pattern

Post by Adirondack »

Hi folks. I'm working on designing the pattern for a large estate-railway wheel. Given the deep dish shape and cross section, how would you suggest setting up the match plate? The top plate seems straight forward, but getting the deep dish in the back is where I'm lost.

Thanks!

Chris
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heywood wheel with cross section.png
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ChipsAhoy
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Re: Suggestions for laying out a wheel pattern

Post by ChipsAhoy »

Look up "cheek". As in Cope, Cheek & Drag. That may help you get where you need to be.
I tried it on a journal box... made a hellofamess because I didn't think it all the way thru first.
Scotty
FKreider
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Re: Suggestions for laying out a wheel pattern

Post by FKreider »

Match plate will have to have an irregular parting line.

Basically illustrated in this video by MrPete where he does this basic concept with a mini frying pan as a demonstration:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wmaku9GZdBQ

(He flips the match plate over in the first 2 5seconds of the video and I think you will see what I mean.)
-Frank K.
patternguy
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Re: Suggestions for laying out a wheel pattern

Post by patternguy »

Adirondack, I have a YouTube channel Dave Clark The Pattern Guy. I do some segments called chalk talks. I will make one showing how I would go about making this project. As a matter of fact, I made a wheel similar to that a few years ago. I still have the pattern. I'll try to get the chalk talk out in the next couple days.
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Adirondack
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Re: Suggestions for laying out a wheel pattern

Post by Adirondack »

patternguy wrote: Thu Sep 16, 2021 6:57 pm Adirondack, I have a YouTube channel Dave Clark The Pattern Guy. I do some segments called chalk talks. I will make one showing how I would go about making this project. As a matter of fact, I made a wheel similar to that a few years ago. I still have the pattern. I'll try to get the chalk talk out in the next couple days.
That would be awesome. Thanks!

Chris
Adirondack Car & Foundry
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A little locomotive with 4 wheels on the track is a lot more fun
than a 1/2 finished one with 16 wheels on the bench!
jscarmozza
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Re: Suggestions for laying out a wheel pattern

Post by jscarmozza »

My two cents, for what it's worth. If the foundry requires match plates then that's what you do, if you need a lot of wheels then you'll want to use a match plate, but if you're making just a few castings, a match plate is a lot of work, think about using cores. John
FKreider
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Re: Suggestions for laying out a wheel pattern

Post by FKreider »

jscarmozza wrote: Fri Sep 17, 2021 11:41 am My two cents, for what it's worth. If the foundry requires match plates then that's what you do, if you need a lot of wheels then you'll want to use a match plate, but if you're making just a few castings, a match plate is a lot of work, think about using cores. John
In this day and age most match plates are CNC machined out of solid (tooling board or aluminum) and/or 3D printed and simply attached to the match plate. Sometimes its a combination of these two methods. In either case its "a lot" work in CAD/CAM but not so much in actual pattern making.

Fantastic 3D printers are available for extremely cheap so these methods are well within the average hobbyist's means - especially with the barrier to entry of CAD basically non-existent due to good free software.

Making a match plate the old school way is a lot of work but it's also a lost art in todays world.
-Frank K.
patternguy
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Re: Suggestions for laying out a wheel pattern

Post by patternguy »

I got a video up for this subject. I, also going to do another one showing a match plate made from a mold. As soon as I figure how to post links I will do so. If anyone has other subjects they want me to touch on leave me a note.
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ChipsAhoy
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Re: Suggestions for laying out a wheel pattern

Post by ChipsAhoy »

Would it do to use "lost PLA" and skip the match plate altogether?
Scotty
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Harold_V
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Re: Suggestions for laying out a wheel pattern

Post by Harold_V »

patternguy wrote: Sun Sep 19, 2021 8:25 am As soon as I figure how to post links I will do so.
All that is required to post a link is to copy and paste. No buttons are required unless you wish to embed the video.
Wise people talk because they have something to say. Fools talk because they have to say something.
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Adirondack
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Re: Suggestions for laying out a wheel pattern

Post by Adirondack »

Link for those who are interested.

https://youtu.be/kKxBMzeYQHM

BTW, I am running these in iron in batches of 24.

Chris
Adirondack Car & Foundry
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A little locomotive with 4 wheels on the track is a lot more fun
than a 1/2 finished one with 16 wheels on the bench!
FKreider
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Re: Suggestions for laying out a wheel pattern

Post by FKreider »

Hi Chris,

Qty.24 at 14" is a good bit of Iron!

How are you making the pattern? I know you do a lot of 3D printing but 14" is fairly large... multiple prints and glued together afterwards?
-Frank K.
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