Technology is great

This forum is dedicated to the Live Steam Hobbyist Community.

Moderators: cbrew, Harold_V

User avatar
John_S
Posts: 709
Joined: Wed Apr 06, 2011 8:21 pm
Location: Cumming, GA

Technology is great

Post by John_S »

A while back I brought all my rolling stock home to work on and they've been sitting on the floor in the garage. Pain in the butt! I decided I needed a couple roll-around stands for them so I sat down and designed a stand in CAD. I work for Ryerson and we have three tube lasers at our facility so I thought, "I could make quick work of all this tubing by designing the parts to be cut on the laser."

They're made from 1x1x065wall tubing. I designed each part with tabs and slots so they all basically "snap" together. This means that when I go to weld them up everything will already be square and aligned. It also means that I don't have to touch my bandsaw.

Here's the general design:
RollingStockStand.JPG
Here's some of the parts converted to 3d parts in Solidworks:
Spacer between rails, with material cut out to allow room for wheel flanges
Spacer between rails, with material cut out to allow room for wheel flanges
Leg brace
Leg brace
And here's the cut parts right off the tube laser:
Leg, leg brace, and rail spacer
Leg, leg brace, and rail spacer
Detail of the tabs on the end of the rail spacer part
Detail of the tabs on the end of the rail spacer part
(more ...)
User avatar
John_S
Posts: 709
Joined: Wed Apr 06, 2011 8:21 pm
Location: Cumming, GA

Re: Technology is great

Post by John_S »

Close up of the leg and leg brace tab/slot arrangement.
Close up of the leg and leg brace tab/slot arrangement.
Here's a video of the 9' long rail tubes being cut. It's hard to get good video because of the UV shield around the head of the laser.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kACHR1_3kXg



Over the next couple weekends I'll get these welded up. I'll post more as I go along.
User avatar
Steggy
Posts: 1976
Joined: Tue Jun 28, 2011 9:19 pm
Location: JB Pritzker’s Hellhole
Contact:

Re: Technology is great

Post by Steggy »

John_S wrote:I decided I needed a couple roll-around stands for them...we have three tube lasers at our facility so I thought, "I could make quick work of all this tubing by designing the parts to be cut on the laser."

They're made from 1x1x065wall tubing. I designed each part with tabs and slots so they all basically "snap" together. This means that when I go to weld them up everything will already be square and aligned. It also means that I don't have to touch my bandsaw.
That takes all the challenge out of it. Besides, why would you want to deprive yourself of listening to the screeching noises coming from the band saw as it cuts through thin tubing? :D
———————————————————————————————————————————————————————
Music isn’t at all difficult.  All you gotta do is play the right notes at the right time!  :D
User avatar
John_S
Posts: 709
Joined: Wed Apr 06, 2011 8:21 pm
Location: Cumming, GA

Re: Technology is great

Post by John_S »

BigDumbDinosaur wrote:Besides, why would you want to deprive yourself of listening to the screeching noises coming from the band saw as it cuts through thin tubing? :D
Whir, whir, whir, whir, sccreeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee, whir, whir, whir, clunk!

I do still have to cut up a bunch of 1/4x3 flat bar to make the bases that the legs and casters attach to, so I have that to look forward to!
User avatar
Fred_V
Posts: 4370
Joined: Sun Jan 12, 2003 3:26 pm

Re: Technology is great

Post by Fred_V »

That is amazing John. Does it wipe your butt too?
Fred V
Pensacola, Fl.
Jawn
Posts: 283
Joined: Wed Apr 09, 2014 12:39 pm
Location: Canton, GA

Re: Technology is great

Post by Jawn »

Very nice! Is 1x1 going to be rigid enough for a loco, or is it for rolling stock only?
User avatar
Steggy
Posts: 1976
Joined: Tue Jun 28, 2011 9:19 pm
Location: JB Pritzker’s Hellhole
Contact:

Re: Technology is great

Post by Steggy »

John_S wrote:I do still have to cut up a bunch of 1/4x3 flat bar to make the bases that the legs and casters attach to, so I have that to look forward to!
That shouldn't screech.

BTW, here is a pic of the erecting stand I built for my shop. It's eight feet long, rolls on eight inch casters with roller bearings and can support 2000 pounds. Needless to say, it wasn't built with thin wall tubing. :D
Erecting Stand, Side View
Erecting Stand, Side View
———————————————————————————————————————————————————————
Music isn’t at all difficult.  All you gotta do is play the right notes at the right time!  :D
Hobobill
Posts: 1
Joined: Thu Jul 14, 2016 5:58 am

Re: Technology is great

Post by Hobobill »

I like the concept of using lighter weight material. Looks nice!
User avatar
John_S
Posts: 709
Joined: Wed Apr 06, 2011 8:21 pm
Location: Cumming, GA

Re: Technology is great

Post by John_S »

Jawn wrote:Very nice! Is 1x1 going to be rigid enough for a loco, or is it for rolling stock only?
Rolling stock only, nothing over 150lbs.
User avatar
John_S
Posts: 709
Joined: Wed Apr 06, 2011 8:21 pm
Location: Cumming, GA

Re: Technology is great

Post by John_S »

A little work tonight getting started putting the first of two together. Building it upside down on the shop floor.
Rails and spacers clamped, no square required!
Rails and spacers clamped, no square required!
Closeup of the tab & slot system for the rail spacers.
Closeup of the tab & slot system for the rail spacers.
Tacked together
Tacked together
Test fitting a leg and brace
Test fitting a leg and brace
Only downside to doing this on the floor is the awkward welding position with the TIG.
Kimball McGinley
Posts: 809
Joined: Wed May 31, 2006 2:13 pm
Location: Laguna Niguel CA

Re: Technology is great

Post by Kimball McGinley »

That is great. Jon Eric Nystrom did a steam locomotive in LS&OR magazine a while back like that. Frame parts on one sheet, cab parts on another of thinner material. As I recall, his tabs came through such that he used TIG without filler rod.
User avatar
John_S
Posts: 709
Joined: Wed Apr 06, 2011 8:21 pm
Location: Cumming, GA

Re: Technology is great

Post by John_S »

Finished one of two stands tonight. It turned out nice. Lightweight, very strong, and rolls around smooth as butter.
Closeup of the fit between the diagonal leg brace and the rail tube before welding.
Closeup of the fit between the diagonal leg brace and the rail tube before welding.
Closeup of the joint between the leg and the rail tube before welding.
Closeup of the joint between the leg and the rail tube before welding.
Completed stand in cluttered garage.
Completed stand in cluttered garage.
Fun project, and I still have one more to go!
Post Reply