# router turning and attic 1:1 railway plan



## SE18 (Feb 21, 2008)

1. 

Back in high school shop around 1971, we used a wood turning machine and devices you help by hand to gouge the wood. 

I recently determined there must be a better, more accurate and safer way to turn wood and control the depth precisely without the use of calipers. I found my answer in a router.

I've been playing with different bits all day, at first determining to make some more wood figures for the trains but then instead doing a quick wheel experiment.

This is my first foray into seeing what my router can do (I've also got a plunge router that I'm going to make jigs and templates for and eventually mount it on rails like a CNC.)

I've already found bits I need to mass produce tippers. It is pretty exciting discovery.


Dowel diameter is same as for Bachmann wheels (I could have made my own dowel with a ¾ round bit)










Here's the look after using a 1/2” V pilot and then a 3/8” straight bit










A clamp ensures the bit will track true thru the dowel and not wander off course; hands are far away as the dowel is turned










Band saw yields wheels; these are my first ever, but I can tweek the height and depth of bit to alter slightly











2.

I'm now going back to my attic and clearing space for junk from the garage. I installed an attic ladder and now am thinking about adding a 1:1 functional railway of sorts. The space is about 30 feet and longitudinal and I'm building shelving. Trouble is, you have to bend low to navigate. To better navigate and also to haul boxes, I'm planning a primitive railway.

I'm using 4" caster wheels and gonna make a flanged rail for the caster to move against like they used in drift mining during waggonway days. I'd be game to use a flanged wheel type and 2X4 rails affixed with strap iron. However, I've been unable to locate any that are light and don't want to spend lots of time making my own.

If you have ideas, I'm game.


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## rkapuaala (Jan 3, 2008)

Cool, how did you make the spokes and the axle?


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## SE18 (Feb 21, 2008)

The resin casting is just to show you the size; I haven't yet done anything further than the wood blanks. I'm not sure how well pine would react to delicate spokes; probably not very good. Solid wheels might be the better way to go. This is just a test wheel to see how well the router turns wood; extremely well. 

Other types of woods or even composites will be the next order of affairs for my router turning projects. If you're into furniture, you can use router bits and routers to turn furniture legs as well; no need to clutter the workshop with wood routers; save the $$$ for metal turning lathes. The router I have will also turn aluminum, believe it or not.


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## 3lphill (Feb 22, 2008)

Good Morning,


For your attic system look for v grove caster wheels, Iron or plastic, and run them on angle iron set with the legs pointed down.  ^  Using rigid caster frames will probably track better and costs less, but you could use swivel frames with a swivel lock so you could roll the units off the track and steer them if you need to. (Be careful hard wheals will scratch the floor like no ones business.)


Phillip Timmons


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## SE18 (Feb 21, 2008)

Built my first 1:1 railway 

It's 16 inch gauge and only about 16 or 17 feet long. The attic is 10 feet above the garage floor. 

It carries freight and passengers and is operated by cable (2 rollers at each end). 

Why? Since clearance is extremely low, it saves stooping and head bumps. Big time. 

It can carry about 300 pounds when loaded with freight. I may add a second dolly later to carry freight and passengers. I'm in process now of installing shelving on the wall to the left. 

It is actually a waggonway, with wood “rails”. 

If it were longer I'd probably power the cable but since it is so short, it doesn't take much effort to sail from one end of the attic to the other. 

This actually is the small attic above the garage; the one above the rest of the house is separated by a wall that can't be penetrated (well, perhaps). 

The larger attic will have a more elaborate track with turnouts and I have some other ideas for cable power I'll apply (using a winch or crank); but that will be a project for later. 

Why do this? 

My basement and garage are cluttered and I need space to set up my power tools used to build trains. 

For you guys with long indoor layouts, I'd think you'd want one of these babys beneath your table for quick and easy trouble shooting. 

In fact, using metal, such a railway could be constructed outside to get from one end of the garden to the other. The potential is unlimited. 





































video 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uabs1Ifa4Tk


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## SE18 (Feb 21, 2008)

just put up shelving and now getting ready to place boxes in. Here's video of a freight run (after the photos) 



















http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fXk_uzHEcsk


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## Torby (Jan 2, 2008)

That's using space! 

How hot does it get in the summer time?


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