Methods to flatten wire

[peteski]

Problem with hand-tapping is that (unless you are really good at hammering) the thickness and surface of the flattened wire will be uneven and it will not be straight.  We are talking about 0.015" diameter wire! 

I do like the idea of slicing off a strip of a 0.010" brass sheet. I have done that in the past and it worked well.  I use a hobby knife with a blade which has a broken tip and a ruler. I just repeatedly score the brass until it separates. It takes many passes but it will eventually come off cleanly.  Then sand the raised area left after cutting and you end up with a brass strip.

[nickelplate759]

You can easily get styrene applied straight if you can temporarily fasten a metal straight edge to the car side. I did this when modifying a Rivarossi sleeper to resemble  a Lackawana 10-6.  I applied a brass strip just below where the belt rail needed to go (held on with tape), then placed (without glue) the thin strip that would be the belt rail as a spacer, then another brass strip, again with tape.

I then removed the belt rail strip, applied cement to make it tacky, and glued the belt rail between the brass strips perfectly straight.   This might be harder on a freight car side that isn't flat, however.

George

[mmagliaro]

I've only done it for the flattened area at the ends of a surface grab iron or other such bracket.
On my SPS 4-6-2, I did it 2 ways: by hammering, or by simply squeezing the phosphor bronze wire
in a Panavise equipped with the steel jaws.    But I was only flattening a little area,
not an inch or two where you really need it to be uniform.

Detail Associates flat brass wire.  That would be the ticket.  This is what the make:

0.010" x 0.018" x 12",  #2522
0.010" x 0.030" x 12",  #2524
0.015" x 0.024" x 12",  #2526
0.015" x 0.042" x 12",  #2528

[bbussey]

Thanks guys.  I milled the two door tracks out of .010" brass stock, which actually worked pretty well because I could simulate L channel.  But definitely I will go the Detail Associates route next time and use the .010"x.018".

[Iain]

Although it seems you've got it sorted, for future reference:

Anneal (heat to red heat briefly, let cool slowly, the slower you can cool it, the softer it will be).

Place the desired amount between two steel plates.

Tap with hammer.

[peteski]

I thought that to anneal brass it has to be heated up and quenched quickly (opposite to annealing steel).

Also if the steel plates aren't parallel when being hammered then the resulting flat wire will not have parallel sides.

[randgust]

Bob, I'm feeling guilty because I've got like three packages of that stuff - Walthers made a shipping error and I got triple what I ordered of the .010x020 stuff, after it had been out of stock for a couple months.   Would have gladly sent you some! 

I'm having to make all the braces for this car out of brass - they are structural, styrene won't cut it.   I'm redoing an N Scale Kits flexivan spine flat with a whole lot of brass framing to pull this off:

http://www.railcarphotos.com/PhotoDetails.php?PhotoID=47612

That led me on my own wild goose chase for flat brass wire.

[bbussey]

No worries. The milling worked out well, although I will go with the flat wire option next time.

[skm]

nvm

[Big4Man]

These guys make some really small and accurate angle, bars, I-Beams and H-Beams.

http://www.specialshapes.com/index.html


I have used them in the past and the pricing isn't bad for what time it would take to mill them yourself.

Dan

[peteski]

These guys make some really small and accurate angle, bars, I-Beams and H-Beams.

http://www.specialshapes.com/index.html


I have used them in the past and the pricing isn't bad for what time it would take to mill them yourself.

Dan

I'm their regular customer!   Not only for brass shapes.   I didn't mention them here because the question was about flat brass wire.

[fire5506]

I thought that to anneal brass it has to be heated up and quenched quickly (opposite to annealing steel).

Also if the steel plates aren't parallel when being hammered then the resulting flat wire will not have parallel sides.

The procedure for annealing copper and brass is to heat it. You don't have to quench it. Some people quench it in a pickling solution to remove oxidation as it cools. You don't have to heat up red hot like you would for steel. Annealing temps for brass approximately 800-1350 degrees fahrenheit and copper is 700-1200 degrees fahrenheit. Phosphor bronze is 900-1250 degrees fahrenheit. the only way to harden them is to wok harden

Richard looking at MP 242 while working for the FEC Rwy.