HOW TO MACHINE A MODEL STEAM LOCOMOTIVE WHEEL - MODEL ENGINEERING FOR BEGINNERS - PART #14

How To Machine A Model Steam Loco Wheel - Model Engineering For Beginners - Part #14 - tips, information & help on how to machine a cast iron locomotive wheel.
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[@ianlainchbury]

Thanks for this Keith. As a beginner, I have 4 wheels to machine, and this is VERY helpful. Good to look through the "Keith" back catalogue.

[@Andreschannel_SA]

Keith. I find your videos both extremely entertaining and informative. Your narration is clear, without the usual loud music openings. I repair broken- and restore old air rifles for a hobby and your videos help me a lot in this department too.

[@ArcticWolfSilver]

A very nice and useful video! Thanks for sharing the knowledge!

[@dw.7655]

Good job and thanks for sharing your techniques, Dave

[@joedempsey8316]

First class, thank! I will certainly be putting your instructions to work.

[@machiningbasics1729]

I love watching these videos ! Even if I already know how to do what's in one of your videos I watch anyway because your video making is brilliant!

[@MrNigel1340]

Thank you for a very clear and informative video Keith, have just received a set of Sweat pea wheels that need machining and will now be happy to get them sorted, regards Doc Cox.

[@johnkinnane547]

Hi Keith thank you very much on showing how to machine drivers. This video I have added to your others and will be very helpful. You gave some great ideas and what I will need to do the job. As you said I will buy more driving wheels and practice. The independent 4 jaw chuck was a good tip as well as the gauge for cantering the crank pins. One again it was very good of you to show this video thank you kind regards John

[@bobyar2001]

Well made videos, especially on wheel concentricity. Although I have a live steam track quite near my house, I prefer to build static large-scale locomotive models out of wood, metal, plastic and other scrap materials. I have some machine shop skills but am not brave enough to tackle castings that sometimes cost $500. Also, as a retired railroader, I have no need to "play train" that others might. Static models can usually be built for less than $50.

[@kerrygleeson4409]

Great job Keith as always

[@daviddunbar5754]

My friend asked me if I would machine some loco wheels for him. Turned out to be the drivers for two 5"G 9F's. That was an interesting time but I have to say I enjoyed it. Oh and they had to be to scale too!

[@markbartlett8519]

proper job , thanks for sharing. l have 4 wheels to turn soon for my 0-4-0 saddle tank, this has helped me alot.

[@MecMod_Homeshop]

Hi Keith, your tutorial are very nice, perfect for a beginners like me, I will like to know, how you fit the axle in the wheels? Now for me is the time to fit and really I don’t know best method, glue? Interference fit method? Key way?, Please can you show us what do you prefer or any others? Thanks

[@jcameron2554]

Thanks for doing this video, I am wanting to machine some wheels from some steel blanks, and whilst trying to ponder how to do it, I thought I'd see if you had done a video, lo and behold you have, top marks Keith 😀

[@drjwrg]

Re Felis Leopard's comment on wheel cone angle, I suggest that the wheel does require a cone angle however small otherwise it will run from flange to flange contact at any speed. Try rolling a non cone wheelset without flanges down a rai trackl. It will roll off to one side or the other. A coned wheelset with no flanges will centre on the track. Without being too technical a wheelset having a zero cone angle will be unstable.

[@welshpete12]

Keep the videos coming, they are very helpful ! I like the idea of a unicycle steam engine. :-)

[@Herby-1620]

Can you use a "heat fit", where you heat up the wheel and insert the axle? When it cools, it will be very solid. Some automobile piston wrist pins are done this way. Sorry, I am not a machinist, but your work IS impressive!

[@keithappleton]

Yes, but another easier alternative is a tight press fit or "Interference fit " of an axle to the wheel.

[@BedsitBob]

Instead of loctiting the wheel onto the bar, you could machine a mandrill, from a piece of bar held in the chuck. Provided you didn't remove the mandrill, until all the machining was finished, the mandrill would be perfectly true. Also, when marking for the crank-pin, wouldn't a transfer punch be preferable to the drill?

[@keithappleton]

I would normally use a mandrel mounted in my collet chuck, but I usually do it as I described in the video - it is simple .... I have made a few miniature locomotive like this ......

[@crookedriver2079]

"Also, when marking for the crank-pin, wouldn't a transfer punch be preferable to the drill? " You're better off with indicating in the axle hole on your mill _having a digital readout_ and drilling/reaming the crankpin hole with the given dimensions directly from your blueprints--- _digital readouts are getting cheaper and cheaper_ !!

[@villijs33321]

Love to watch your videos. Have just one question - maybe it sounds stupid but why not make wheels from steel - my dad worked it big steel factory where wagon wheels was made from steel - not sure what type of steel but know that it was not cast iron. for me t sounds kind a easier to get and cheaper to make... any comments?

[@szymongorczynski7621]

Cast iron is quite easy to machine and is also self lubricating because of the graphite content, steel isn't.

[@crookedriver2079]

Umm...steel tyres are customary and......they give better traction on the rails than any other metal (generally)

[@FelisLeopard]

Shouldn't the working wheel surface be on some angle to the axis? The railroad wheel is actually a cone with a top cut away to handle the turns.

[@crookedriver2079]

"The railroad wheel is actually a cone with a top cut away to handle the turns. " They are. However in the scale we dealing with..say: 1/8 scale...the tread can be anywhere from 0° to 2° taper (but NOT any more than 2°). Part of the reason is at our scale we only going 5 mph with a 500 lb 1/8th scale loco ---- not 60 mph (with a full size freight locomotive) !!!

[@ddrusa]

What about diy tracks

[@keithappleton]

There is a lot of info on my website: www.mainsteam.co.uk/post/my-garden-railway-once-i-built-a-railroad-and-made-it-run

[@op-dm8gv]

how wide should wheels be for 5 inch gauge???

[@keithappleton]

Try this - I found it by Googling your question ....... www.cheltsme.org.uk/index-wheel_standards.html

[@Splunkzop]

Reamers - 'Half the speed, twice the feed'.

[@jimallen9442]

Buy 8 so you can wreck 2, the fact I found that so funny probibly tells you I own a lathe, but Im not an engineer either.

[@adirondackcarfoundry368]

Do you not taper the tread?

[@keithappleton]

Not usually, I prefer maximum contact with the rails in these small sizes, better for adhesion

[@adirondackcarfoundry368]

@@keithappleton The dihedral design is very important for overall ride quality and staying centered on the rails. I honestly don't know of any model engineers who build otherwise. But I did enjoy the tutorial. :)

[@trainsbangsandautomobiles824]

I've never heard of using loctite to hold a axle in.

[@keithappleton]

I've been using Loctite on axles and crankshafts since the 1980s . . . it works for me, but you also need to pin the parts too for added strength . . . . . .

[@trainsbangsandautomobiles824]

Nice tip! I've also became a lot more familiar with different types of loctite from watching your vids! Before I only knew of two types, blue and red haha

[@nickgproductions6843]

How do we machine the spokes?

[@keithappleton]

with a needle file - !

[@nickgproductions6843]

ah. ok. I thought you were going to run a milling bit through them. Also, how do you machine they key way on the wheel?

[@Severn-Boatworks]

I found the "locktite" method is no good, always pin them then they will never slip the quartering, also use slip gauges when quartering, makes it more accurate then using a jig and you can get them within half thou difference each side, nice and smooth engines would never go back to using jigs after a friend informed me about the method. TMS

[@keithappleton]

Loctite works for me - I always pin them too, as I think I mentioned in the video . . . . . I also quarter crankshafts and loco wheels in my Lathe . . . .

[@jcameron2554]

Do you have a video on quartering wheels? I know this would mean machining another wheel and axle if you haven't 🤔