Can anyone offer a machining service for small batch runs of parts?

[alan2525]

I'm not sure if this is the right place to post this but here goes!

I've got a few ideas about developing a small 16mm Garden Railway Loco, in between myself and a model engineering laser company, and buying off the shelf parts, I'll need some parts turned on a lathe. It would be very small quantities, and very simple parts, things like bronze bearings and silver steel axles, with a few shoulders turned on the ends.

The small batches would be something like 12 sets of bronze bearings for an 0-4-0 Loco and axles to match.

Would anyone be interested, or can anyone recommend someone who would be interested in such small quantities? It's just a stab in the dark really. And early days for the loco, but after some success selling bufferbeams and parts for loco's the next step seems to be to package it all together!

It's all for 16mm:1ft scale, narrow gauge running on 32mm track, so the axles would be something like 70mm long, turned down to 4mm for the crank, 5mm for the bearing and 6mm for a press fit for the wheels. Obviously I'd supply dimensioned drawings when I'm at that stage!

Many Thanks in advance for any help!

Alan

Edit: I'm in Essex, UK

 

[rickharris]

Better tell people where you are - Essex UK - Postage to from USA - Australia could be expensive.

 

[alan2525]

Better tell people where you are - Essex UK - Postage to from USA - Australia could be expensive.

Ooops...I thought it came up in the panel that I was from Essex, UK!

 

[JMe]

Hi
postage is not very expensive, i just receive 3 motors i buy on Ebay.
Weight 9 lbs 11 oz !
Shipment from Florida to Belgium : USD 38.95
Material shipped with USPS, 8 days for the travel.
Just my 2 (Euro)cents ;-)
Jacques

 

[Bogstandard]

Alan,

Just a bit of advice

See if you can source the bronze bearings. If you can buy sintered bronze (oilite) ready made, they will be much cheaper than having someone make them. Even if it means modifying your plans slightly to accomodate off the shelf parts.

http://www.bearingboys.co.uk/Plain_Oilite_Bearings-1158-c

http://www.bearingboys.co.uk/Flanged_Oilite_Bearings-1256-c

You should be able to find them cheaper than this.

John

 

[Bogstandard]

In the lightly loaded areas he will be needing these bushes, in fact a sintered bush will be more than ideal. But of course the choice will be up to Alan.

Another point to raise would be supply of spares. It is easier to give a customer a standard part reference number for oilite bushes, than trying to keep stock of a specially produced bearings, that most probably won't be called for, for at least a couple of years.
When I produce a batch of engines, I enclose a sheet that tells the customer what to buy in the event of failure, even down to what screws are used, and where. Nothing is worse than a company going bump, and the customer, who usually doesn't have the facilities to make or get made, spares for his expensive lump of metal, being left to fend for himself.

I should think 100 to 150 hours per year would be the maximum the engines are run. Thru experience of using them, many thousands of running hours could be expected from a pre-oiled sintered bearing, whereas a badly lubricated or non lubricated bronze bearing would give considerably less, and because of their hardness, if unlubricated, would cause considerable wear to the shafts, whereas oilites, because of their oil retention properties would most probably carry on lubricating until they were considerably worn. Which would you prefer, say £10 for a replacement set of oilites, or a great deal more for custom made bronze bearings.

Now a bit for Alan,

If I could suggest using stainless steel for the shafts. You should find that it is easily compareable in price to silver steel for cost, and it won't corrode as easily in the steamy and wet environment of an outside track. Nothing will wear quicker than a rusty shaft in a plain bearing.

I have modified this post so that it should not offend anyone too much, and my sincere public apologies to Peter (kf2qd) who was the original target.

John

 

[rake60]

Let's go easy gents.

Over the past 20 years I've had the opportunity to machine and repair both
straight bronze and oilite bushings.

Straight bronze bushings are great for someone with an oil can in hand to keep
them lubricated. It's stronger than oilite if you place it under a compression or
tensile strength machine.

Oilite is basically a sponge made of bronze.
It is impregnated with oil so the manual oiling is not required.
Which one will last longer depends on how vigilant the guy with the oil can
might be.

Now the difference in cutting the two different materials is where it becomes fun!

Cutting bronze throws that annoying spray of very fine hot chips that will find their
way into any and every crease that would be the most painful for them to land at.

Cutting oillite does almost the exact same thing, but you can see a tracer trail of
yellow fire from the impregnated oil burning to tell you where it's going to hurt a
microsecond before it BURNS!

It also pops and crackles as that oil ignites.
Use a dull tool to cut it, and you will defeat it's design.
The finished surface will be smeared and close off the pores that should allow
the oil to seek the heat source.
A sharp tool will shear over those pores, leaving them open to alllow the oil to
naturally be drawn to the elevated heat of the friction zone.

Just keep your mouth closed when machine oilite!
Blisters on tongue from hot bronze chip flying at you are miserable.
Adding the taste of burning oil just makes you mad!

Rick

 

[Kludge]

Over the past 20 years I've had the opportunity to machine and repair both
straight bronze and oilite bushings.

Thanks for the edjamakation, Rick. I've never turned either (though I have turned brass bushings) so this is delightful.

Adding the taste of burning oil just makes you mad!

But we're already mad or we wouldn't be doing these things!

Oh. You meant the other kind of mad. :-[

Best regards,

Kludge

 

[tmuir]

Hmmm another topic I need to read up on. :

Never heard of oilite before and at some time I plan on making a simple oscilating loco and was just going to use brush bushes.

I must say I'm usually te guy with the oil can in my hand.
Its all part of the fun of running live steam locos, having to oil everything before hand and checking nothing has worked loose, much more enjoyable than just turning on the battery pack. I'll just quickly add I'm talking about O guage, guage 1 and G guage model locos only. I've never had anything to do with the larger ones.

 

[Bogstandard]

Hi Tony,

Don't want to hijack the post, but I used to have a 300+ ft layout for 'G' gauge. All electric though.
The grandson lost interest, and the garden was turned into a more user friendly place, plus of course my workshop had to go somewhere. So away it went.

John

 

[tmuir]

I don't want to drag this post more off topic but I wasn't having a go at anyone who likes electric trains just for me I prefer the live steam. The checking, oiling and prep work is all part of the fun. ;D

 

[JohnS]

Years ago I built a live steam garden railway (16mm:1foot scale (1:19) narrow gauge railway running on 32mm gauge track). I built three radio controlled steam locomotives from kits produced by Roundhouse Engineering in Doncaster (UK) http://www.roundhouse-eng.com/. They were then, and still appear to be, one of the major manufacturers of garden railway steam engines in the UK and it is interesting to note that they fit plain brass axle bearings to their models. I am sure Alan will be fully aware of Roundhouse and their products.

With low running speeds and the benefit of frequent trackside oiling I can't imagine that wear on axle bushes is too much of an issue. Sadly my track was left behind when we moved to a smaller home though I still have the three engines which one day will be passed on to my three grandchildren as bedroom shelf ornaments.

Now in my slot car racing days bearing material was much more critical due to very high rotational speeds and bronze and oilite bushes were very much 'de rigeur'.

John S

 

[tmuir]

John I have built the Roundhouse Lady Anne but its scheduled for a rebuild to fit a whistle and redo the timing. They are nice locos.

 

[JohnS]

Tony

My last two were 'Lady Annes' but the first was a meths fired engine, no reverse and the name escapes me.
AAaaagh - happy days !!!

John S

 

[alan2525]

Very rarely do I get annoyed by someone sticking their nose in and trying to quote text at me. But in this case I will.

I was trying to give a much cheaper alternative to what he is proposing. Not TELLING Alan to do anything, just advising.

In the lightly loaded areas he will be needing these bushes, in fact a sintered bush will be more than ideal. But of course the choice will be up to Alan.

No worries, I'm open to suggestions, thats one of the main reason for posting in the first place, all good advice too.

Stainless steel axles would seem like a good idea, although I normally make sure everything is oiled prior to a run. I've actually got a PM from one of the members on here who kindly offered to possibly machine the parts for me!

It's just down to me to do my sums, mess around with some cylinders and a steel rule and put pencil to paper with intent!



Alan