I am using the AristoCraft rail bender only on AristoCraft stainless steel rail. To my untrained eye, the cuts in the die do not exactly match the rail head and foot, which causes the twist. I sent the first rail bender back to AC and eventually they agreed that the die was improperly cut. Then AC told me to wait (while they checked and corrected manufacture specs I assume) and eventually sent the current one, that is better, but still is off a bit. Perhaps AC changed rail die and forgot to tell the rail bender shop about the changes or perhaps the rail die was changed without AC corporate being told. After all, if the same company that shapes the rail cuts and bends it for track they would make any needed adjustments right away. The rail bender would take time before complaints built up enough by users providing feedback that management was willing to believe. Yup, management refused to believe me at first. In fact I sent a three foot section of AC rail back inserted in the bender and the shipping department immediately removed and tossed the rail. Management then insisted their bender was fine, until I sent another section of AC rail to them and then after a couple months of them puzzling over the lack of fit AC acknowledged the mis-matched die and rail. By the way, I have two different batches of AC stainless steel rail. I bought three tubes and then three years later bought three more tubes of 8' long rails. The first batch has a bumpy surface all over the rail. The second batch is very smooth. Neither batch of rail fits the first or second bender die exactly enough not to cause twisting or spiral curves. So, today the Train-li Easy Bend DuoTrak http://www.train-li-usa.com/railbender.html bender arrived. I will have to see if it works as well as advertised. So far I notice a little play in this bender, but the play may not affect bending.
~ Gary, scudding over Terror Trestle http://community.webshots.com/user/raltzenthor http://www.angelfire.com/or/trainguy/ -----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Walt Swartz Sent: Friday, June 16, 2006 3:22 PM To: Small-scale live steam discussions Subject: Re: [SSLiveSteam] Bert has fun all the way Hi, One of the "arts" we practiced in my metal shop, was bending all different shapes of metal.Hence the evolution of the code 332 rail bender we marketed for 10 years or more. Aristo Craft now manufactures the benders in China and markets them . "Canting" or twisting as the metal is bent is usually the result of dis-similar pressures on the metal being bent. If the head is getting more pressure than the foot, it will bend with the head having the smaller radius. If the foot is bending to a smaller radius, then the bottom of the rollers is exerting more pressure than the top. This can happen if the spindle of the rollers are not all in a similar vertical plane. The problem could also be the result of one or more of the rollers being improperly sized at the top of bottom. I don't know what bender you are using, but the pressure on the head, foot, and web should always be similar. It could be that the CNC machine hiccuped and one diameter of a roller is not exactly true to spec. It might also be that the bender was made for a specific rail profile, and your rail does not match that design spec. Keep your steam up! Mr. Lunkenheimer's associate (Walt) ----- Original Message ----- From: "Gary" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "'Bert & Edmunda'" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>; "'Small-scale live steam discussions'" <[email protected]> Sent: Monday, June 12, 2006 3:20 PM Subject: [SSLiveSteam] Bert has fun all the way > "Fun all the way down the line" Bert? > Fun as in on hands and knees working a rail bender? > It is the Train Li bender. I am glad to hear good reports. > I will be delighted if it works without twisting rails! > I got so frustrated with the twisted section I finally used two huge > Channel Lock pliers to twist the rail and squeeze it right out of the > tie strips until that section allowed trains to roll through without > falling between the rails! I have re-bent that section four or five > times and completely replaced rails three times with new rail just > bent three times, all with the similar twist problems. Other places > like my trestle the twist is minimized because track is screwed to the > trestle or other under track support material which tends to slightly > straighten the rail head enough to prevent derailments. > ~ Gary, scudding over Terror Trestle > http://community.webshots.com/user/raltzenthor > http://www.angelfire.com/or/trainguy/ > > > -----Original Message----- > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Bert & > Edmunda > Sent: Monday, June 12, 2006 10:12 AM > To: Small-scale live steam discussions > Subject: Re: [SSLiveSteam] Track Bender arriving soon > > Gary. > > If its the Train Li bender then it works. It has been used here in > Europe for some time and so far I have never heard any negative > remarks. My friend swears by it. > > This takes the ifs and buts out of bending rail and its fun all the > way down the line. > > > Bert, in surprise, surprise "SUNNY" Austria. > > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > _______________________________________________ > SSLiveSteam mailing list > Send messages: [email protected] > Cancel subscription: > http://postfix.45mm.com/mailman/listinfo/sslivesteam > Rules: http://www.45mm.com/sslivesteam_guide.html > > _______________________________________________ > SSLiveSteam mailing list > Send messages: [email protected] > Cancel subscription: http://postfix.45mm.com/mailman/listinfo/sslivesteam > Rules: http://www.45mm.com/sslivesteam_guide.html > > _______________________________________________ SSLiveSteam mailing list Send messages: [email protected] Cancel subscription: http://postfix.45mm.com/mailman/listinfo/sslivesteam Rules: http://www.45mm.com/sslivesteam_guide.html _______________________________________________ SSLiveSteam mailing list Send messages: [email protected] Cancel subscription: http://postfix.45mm.com/mailman/listinfo/sslivesteam Rules: http://www.45mm.com/sslivesteam_guide.html
