My new rail bender
Moderator: Harold_V
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My new rail bender
This past November I bought nearly 800 feet of used rail for a pretty decent price. Very little of it was curved, most was straight sections, and unfortunately most of my proposed layout is nothing but curved. And the radius is going to be 30' , so I figured that a rail bender was a necessity to keep from winding up with a bunch of inconsistently bent rails. Why didn't I just buy one? A: it's smaller rail, and B: zero budget. So, build it out of stuff I have on hand. Luckily for me I have a foundry and a few machine tools.
So, after a week or two of planning headscratchery I started by casting some blanks for the rollers and turning the rail profile into them. I had some scrap 1/4" thick aluminum plate, just enough to cut a couple side plates out of.
My first iteration I thought I would be able to push the rail through by hand, but that wasn't going to happen without some potential bloodletting, especially at the radius I need. So back to the drawing board.
I needed to power two of the rollers somehow. I thought about using gears, possibly using a motor. I couldn't think of a safe or inexpensive way to do it with what I had on hand.
What did I have? I had a hand crank, bicycle chain, and a couple of matching tooth count sprockets I made for a previous project. Bingo! All I had to do is make up a couple of shafts and put it together. I even had a stand to mount it to.
And, shockingly, the damn thing works. Now all I have to do is run 700 or so feet of rail through it!
So, after a week or two of planning headscratchery I started by casting some blanks for the rollers and turning the rail profile into them. I had some scrap 1/4" thick aluminum plate, just enough to cut a couple side plates out of.
My first iteration I thought I would be able to push the rail through by hand, but that wasn't going to happen without some potential bloodletting, especially at the radius I need. So back to the drawing board.
I needed to power two of the rollers somehow. I thought about using gears, possibly using a motor. I couldn't think of a safe or inexpensive way to do it with what I had on hand.
What did I have? I had a hand crank, bicycle chain, and a couple of matching tooth count sprockets I made for a previous project. Bingo! All I had to do is make up a couple of shafts and put it together. I even had a stand to mount it to.
And, shockingly, the damn thing works. Now all I have to do is run 700 or so feet of rail through it!
"If you took the bones out they wouldn't be crunchy!" -Monty Python's Flying Circus
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Re: My new rail bender
A quick video of it in action... https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_ ... 8529468927
"If you took the bones out they wouldn't be crunchy!" -Monty Python's Flying Circus
Re: My new rail bender
Can't view the video. I don't do Facebook, and the video isn't accessible unless one logs in to FB.OddDuck wrote: ↑Wed Feb 03, 2021 6:32 pm A quick video of it in action... https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_ ... 8529468927
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Music isn’t at all difficult. All you gotta do is play the right notes at the right time!
Music isn’t at all difficult. All you gotta do is play the right notes at the right time!
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Re: My new rail bender
Well, it's not that exciting of a video, truthfully. Let me see if I can upload it to YouTube. Gimme a minute.
"If you took the bones out they wouldn't be crunchy!" -Monty Python's Flying Circus
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Re: My new rail bender
BDD, how's this? https://youtu.be/GK48vsc-9MQ
"If you took the bones out they wouldn't be crunchy!" -Monty Python's Flying Circus
Re: My new rail bender
Your bender seems to work pretty good. Next step would be to motorize it.
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Music isn’t at all difficult. All you gotta do is play the right notes at the right time!
Music isn’t at all difficult. All you gotta do is play the right notes at the right time!
Re: My new rail bender
Nice shop made solution, do you have a right angle variable speed drill ?
That might be a no cost solution to powering your bender.
That might be a no cost solution to powering your bender.
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Re: My new rail bender
Thanks guys! Thought about a power solution, I don't think I have the parts to do it, and I'm not likely to lose digits with a hand crank. Simple is good, and I don't need batteries or extension cords.
"If you took the bones out they wouldn't be crunchy!" -Monty Python's Flying Circus
- Greg_Lewis
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Re: My new rail bender
And you'll have nice strong arms when it's over!
Greg Lewis, Prop.
Eyeball Engineering — Home of the dull toolbit.
Our motto: "That looks about right."
Celebrating 35 years of turning perfectly good metal into bits of useless scrap.
Eyeball Engineering — Home of the dull toolbit.
Our motto: "That looks about right."
Celebrating 35 years of turning perfectly good metal into bits of useless scrap.
- makinsmoke
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- Location: Texas Hill Country
Re: My new rail bender
You didn’t need to chain drive anything. Turning the one roller by hand pulls the rail through, and the other rollers, well, roll in the rail.
Nice shop project in any case!
Take care,
Brian
Nice shop project in any case!
Take care,
Brian
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Re: My new rail bender
Makinsmoke, a little extra tractive effort couldn't hurt, it's a very positive feed. I was a bit concerned that the smooth rollers on the smooth rail would slip, but it doesn't seem to. I have no way to knurl the rollers for more grip.
"If you took the bones out they wouldn't be crunchy!" -Monty Python's Flying Circus
Re: My new rail bender
If only it turned out ALCO trucks!
"Always stopping my train, and risking my ankles, with American made, New Balance sneakers."