Bridge building on the cheap!

[spike]

Nice one Mick

If your breaking drill bits get yourself a cone cutter.

 

[tramcar trev]

Nice one Mick

If your breaking drill bits get yourself a cone cutter.

I have a sheet metal punch I bought years ago. A bit like an over engineered clippies punch with interchageable mandrels... will punch 1/8" holes for pops in 2 thicknesses of 26 G sheet no probs. An invaluable tool and the parts tend to stay where you want them. Its the movement between the 2 sheets that causes the drills to break.... My only hint would be to clamp securley before drilling but thats not easy since invariably where you want to drill is always under the clamp in pursuance with Murphys first law of pop rivetting and Jennings corrolary covers the clamp always covering where you want to drill

 

[trammayo]

Thanks again for your kind comments! The proof will be in the pudding as they say (and I have eaten too much pudding to personally act as a test load). This stuff is oragami in tin foil but its safety in numbers so I'm hoping the mass is exponetially stronger than the individual part

Cone cutters? Mine's two big - do they make tiny ones? Left myself open there maybe.

Its all my own fault really although I shouldn't blame the operator. It is deflection of the metal as Trev says - wouldn't mind borrowing the hole punch! It is a little awkward getting in to drill things things but I must say two drills broken was a repetition of the same action - not enough support, another was well supported but deflected when it hit the edge of the workmate, and another was when I knocked the drill on to the floor.

However, I managed to cut all the component parts for the second bridge yesterday (before Sunday afternoon visits from neighbours) and managed to regrind one broken bit with option to do the same with another. So on with the motley!

 

[tramcar trev]

They are not cheap but hey for sheetmetal vork ze are inwaluable. Whitney punches no doubt invented by Mr Whitney who got annoyed drilling holes in Sheet metal...

http://www2.blackwoods.com.au/infoBANKProduct?SG=2000165&S=4084731&G=2004785&P=7219693

Check out ebay too.....

 

[trammayo]

Looks a handy gadget Trev!

 

[trammayo]

WEll I spent quite a lot of time in the shed yesterday and, with the help of a couple of hours this morning, finished the second bridge (cross-bracing to be fitted on the top when I find out how much metal I will have spare after the third one), and had a go at posing them in the area they are intended for.

Temporarily resting on 3 concrete blocks and packing they will run at an angle to facilitate curves on the hedge side. The end piers will be built from blocks and rendered, and the middle one will be made of wood and painted to match. The level is nearly right although the first pier will be a lot nearer the Leylandii.

Still have to fit track and decking but may well wait until I build the piers (its getting a bit cold to work outside in the mornings). Here's this mornings pics...

 

[robsmorgan]

Morning Mick! hope the weather is very mild and dry over there - I can't wait to see the bridge(s) in 'working' mode... as usual you have turned out a great piece of self build

Regards
Rob

 

[nico]

wow wow ,great bridges Mick:admire::admire:

 

[trammayo]

Hi Ross, I've yet to test it under load! (I'm keeping mi fingers crossed)!

Rob - started carving up the existing railway ready for new pointwork and stuff. Weather a lot cooler and damper.

Nico - how are you doing? Hope the knee jobs are sorted out for you.

Thanks for your kind comments all.

 

[nico]

never rains but it pours:crying::crying:

 

[trammayo]

never rains but it pours:crying::crying:

We'll see poor after the budget

 

[steven large]

it so damp and wet ere!! bit cold..some sunny,,,,
i ave been repair my old wore out fencel panels tht it went brittle so i ave to cut down the holly tree...take the tracks off and aslo get rid of the rockery tht it push agianst the panels..need REVAMP into deck truss bridge at the bottom aslo new deckin top plus stuffs to be sort out....
p.s.need space and tidy as i dont want holly there as it so annoy me while i clean the tracks so i did chopped it down and bin it..lol
look clean and fresh and space and tidy....more light !!!

 

[trammayo]

Hi Ross. The stuff I'm using cost about 84 cents a metre but its very lightweight. Of the 64 metres I bought, I've used 50 so far.

 

[trammayo]

Hi Steven - I've replied on your thread

 

[mbiff]

really nice - want one

 

[Dtsteam]

What a great build - and so quick too.
I haven't seen the smooth angle anywhere, but the pressed bobbly stuff in your first post looks like British Gypsum stock code GA1.

 

[trammayo]

What a great build - and so quick too.
I haven't seen the smooth angle anywhere, but the pressed bobbly stuff in your first post looks like British Gypsum stock code GA1.

Thanks David. You're right about the angle too. I use many feet of it capping the plywood paneling on my trailer build and thought of it as a strong material for a bridge build. Alas what I ended up with was something that looked better but was rather flimsy.

Somebody said it looked a little like the angle used in suspended ceilings, which I agree with!

 

[trammayo]

What a great build - and so quick too.
I haven't seen the smooth angle anywhere, but the pressed bobbly stuff in your first post looks like British Gypsum stock code GA1.

Good price Mick.


HOMEBASE have smooth aluminium angle ....at a price!
There are lots of places who have it, but prices seem to vary greatly.
Web/forum pages seem to favour Wickes for the smooth ally angle beating DIY stores in price. However, a good search is indicated, 'cos you can bet your bottom dollar, when you think you have a bargain...you'll find cheaper..too late!

Ross - I wouldn't think the stuff I'm using would be good enough for a permanent bridge without a lot of work but the angle your looking at is far superior. If I was to build a permanent bridge out of metal I'd choose 3/4" mild steel angle - although I used bed iron (found in the hedge bottom) for one.

 

[trammayo]

- although I used bed iron (found in the hedge bottom) for one.

Tough stuff was that bed angle iron Mick. Took a lot of stress

 

[trammayo]

Made a start on the third bridge (well, the first abutment). Because of the angle, the abutment - which will end up being integral with the lift out bridge - the structure is triangular to "square up" with the bridge.

As can be seen, its made from total scrap timber, put together with a nail gun! ....

Where the bridge will "spring" from....

Tracks will be aligned to become closer together for the 300mm wide bridge decks.