Laser cut items

Evening all,

I have in mind to get some bogie frames laser cut in 6 mm thick material. I will need to bore holes for the 28 mm dia bearing. So will lasered holes at 27.5 mm be ok ? An extra thickening ring will be added for the bearing seat.

I am worried that you get a tough layer on the lasered cut ?

Pete

Hardening depends on the material, which you have not specified. If it is a hardenable material then laser cutting will create a thin hard "skin" Thi can be taken off with a dremel / die-grinder or similar before you bore it out.

Water jet cutting is an option that won't thermally affect material but I've no idea what cost for similar accuracy is.

Robert G8RPI.

Thanks for the reply Robert the material in mind is "ordinary ? " mild steel, ... just frames for garden loco items for the grandsons. Seem to remember oxy acetylene/propane cutting gave a hard surface skin?

Pete

Spokes on my wheels where Laser cut from 5mm and 8mm MS and they had a hard skin on the edge where it was cut and a slightly rough surface. They were within +/- 0.2mm of the correct size.

0.5mm machining allowance is a bit small. As you are going to bore the holes anyway, I would leave an extra mm or 2.

Paul

Thanks for the reply Paul. I intend to bore the holes on the mill, so was hoping to do one cut per hole, move the frame along onto a 28 mm dia location peg and then bore the other bearing seat?

I was hoping to get away with one set up of the boring head and was really trying to gauge how well my hs steel bit would stand up to 16 holes 12 mm deep?

Haven't got and never used a carbide boring cutter? Come to think of it, never used a boring head much, but don't want to mess up my lasered frames !

Pete

Edited By Pete White on 17/08/2020 13:34:19

Edited By Pete White on 17/08/2020 13:37:14

6mm is pretty thick for even a 5in 0-4-0. I would also suggest only one fixed axle despite the complicatons of suspension or you will be forever derailing.

Please tell me more Bazyle, 6mm is thick on reflection, thank you, so 5 or even 4mm then.

I am new to this rail stuff, don't understand,"one fixed axle", we are talking two bogies for a driving truck here, to manage long wheel base and tight radius corners ?

Input welcome, even thinking of acetal collars now for the bearings housings , bolted with a locating spigot into the laser cut holes in the frames?

Not looking for exhibition standard here, just some engineering, even with plastic? that is quick to build and works.

Pete

Pete

You do, even on EN3. Caused by the shield gas.