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Bending AML Stainless track


Yardtrain
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Started our layout. AML stainless track & Norms bender. Not as easy as I hoped. Knob on bender keeps walking out. I think we are doing it properly. Finally went to store and added a stronger collar to hold slide instead of the knob. So far so good. IMG_3717.thumb.JPG.3ca0cb8b9ce9263203ceda30ba851513.JPGIMG_3718.thumb.JPG.84409f929333d739f961e4c4c4131bbe.JPG

 

Bending 

 

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Having trouble with 2 tracks together. Easier one at a time 

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When did my major layout expansion I wrestled with the decision on which way to go, 20ft diam sectional or custom bend.  I've been happy with the 20ft curves but no question custom allows far broader and better looking curves so good job taking it on :)

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I'm not familiar with this bender, but I have a lot of experience bending Aristo-Craft stainless using the Train-Li rail-bender. Yes, it's tough stuff, and requires over-bending quite a bit sometimes to get a curve to stay. And I bought more than half my rail used, which was even more difficult to straighten and then bend. It seemed like some of it was much more resistant to bending. But perhaps the biggest annoyance is that a lot of the new rail was twisted slightly. I could check a single piece of rail on a flat smooth table, and it would have a slight wobble. In order for the rail-clamps to align perfectly I found it helpful to straighten the rail, which required putting one end in a vise and using vise grips to twist the other end around. A 180 degrees seemed to be about where I had to start to get it to deform slightly.

 

I also noticed in your photos that the curve isn't consistent all the way through, which I also found to be a problem. I found that sometimes you have to adjust the rail-bender along a curve to make the curve consistent. It has a mind of it's own. I used plywood guides for 20' diameter to measure (although many of my curves are more freeform, so just looking right was more important) and I didn't rely on the rail-bender settings at all.

 

But after all the pain, it's well worth having stainless! It's really durable and it's great for its lack of oxidation when you have power through the rails.

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4 hours ago, benshell said:

 

 

I also noticed in your photos that the curve isn't consistent all the way through, which I also found to be a problem. I found that sometimes you have to adjust the rail-bender along a curve to make the curve consistent. It has a mind of it's own. I used plywood guides for 20' diameter to measure (although many of my curves are more freeform, so just looking right was more important) and I didn't rely on the rail-bender settings at all.

 

But after all the pain, it's well worth having stainless! It's really durable and it's great for its lack of oxidation when you have power through the rails.

 

Ben, when I put 2 sections together it didn't want to bend at the joiners. Not really sure why not.

Also it doesn't have to be to be exactly the same all the way thru the curve. IMG_3738.thumb.JPG.3fcc995f6d39fc871f0a663c998cfaa3.JPG

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25 minutes ago, Yardtrain said:

 

Ben, when I put 2 sections together it didn't want to bend at the joiners. Not really sure why not.

Also it doesn't have to be to be exactly the same all the way thru the curve. 

 

Are you bending with the rail joiners connected? I've tried to do most of my bending in place, with the Split Jaw clamps connected to the previous piece. I'm on concrete roadbed, it's a great base for aggressive work with the rail-bender. But when I've pre-bent track I've done it on a smooth concrete patio, with a short extra piece of track attached so I can bend all the way to the end. It's extra effort to connect a piece of track just for bending, but the only way I've found to get the radius just right. (I've also bought hundreds of extra 6-32 stainless screws for the Split Jaw joiners--used to be cheap from Enco, not sure where to get them now.)

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I've been bending on the garage floor so far to get a feel for it. I will go back to constructing the road bed, then laying track. 

The track bender isIMG_3713.thumb.JPG.6c29c8b3fc932c4d7132c3a97be10b8c.JPG

 

got it a few years back. Unfortunately the creator past away and is no longer being made. 

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  • 3 weeks later...

Ok. Vacation's over. Back at it. Layout area is surveyed & staked. First & tightest curve is marked. 18 foot outer. Inner will follow outer with 8 inch center to center spacing. 

Painted area is the total roadbed dug out to create a canyon. 

 

 

 

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  • 3 weeks later...
 
  • 1 year later...
 

Hi, I have bent all the different track types SS,BRass ,AL.  they all have 1 thing in common the screws on the back have to be removed to get good even bends and i have done the bending on several layouts with multiple tack lengths, with them clamped together. i used the aristo  bender and it was a breeze. we actually did 1 layout in one day the entire main line over 500 feet. just make sure your clamps have room to move and the ties do not bind up . there are plastic tie joiners on the back side you must cut to relieve the pressure they will apply during bending. good luck and happy running. 

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OK, what do you mean by the "screws on the back"?   The track that I am buying require that the ties be assembled to the rails.  Would it be better since the ties are not installed,  to bend the rails separately before installing the ties? Bob.

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Bob, I'm sure they're referring to the tiny screws that hold the ties in place that Aristo-Craft uses. The AML flex-track that I've had over the years didn't have any screws holding the ties in place.

 

Like this piece of Aristo curve track...

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Also if using Aristo straight ties or RLD ties need to cut like every other web so can bend a curve...

 

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RLD ties...

 

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On 10/18/2018 at 2:03 PM, rbrown7713 said:

OK, what do you mean by the "screws on the back"?   The track that I am buying require that the ties be assembled to the rails.  Would it be better since the ties are not installed,  to bend the rails separately before installing the ties? Bob.

 

What track are you buying ?

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