Need a Machine Shop

Contact Andre Garcia - he is a master craftsman when it comes to brass. I don't want to post his email address without his ok, but feel free to contact me and I will provide it to you.

publisher@ogaugehobbyist.com

I will also alert him to this thread. He goes by "AG"

 thought of having to try and admix brass and plastic is mindnumming

Actually, plastruct H beams with more readily available brass angles glued on with Zap-A-Gap is a pretty easy, and realistic approach:

Hello,

If you are talking about 1/4" brass H beams, we just finished milling over 250 feet of 1/4" brass bar stock in my shop into brass H beams, some for the Cherry Valley club catenary system and the balance for a friend who is getting ready to build a layout with catenary.  He did all manual labor of installing and removing the bar stock between each cut.  I supplied the shop and tools.  The machining is done on an antique Brown and Sharp horizintal millling machine with a vertical head and x axis power feed table.  A 3/16" end mill cutting about 75 thou deep on both sides creates a nice sturdy beam.  I have made up a special fixture that holds the bar stock true for its length while milling.  The bar warps when one side is machined due to internal stresses in the metal being relieved but comes back to perfectly straight when the opposite side is milled. My fixture clamps the warped bar nicely while the second cut is made.  Brass barstock was obtained locally in Baltimore at a cost of $17.00 for a 12 foot length and cut to length desired on a power hack saw in my shop prior to milling.  Two different lengths were produced.  I don't know if my friend wants to do any more machining of H beams but if you are interested I will work up a cost to do this for you.

Joe Foehrkolb

Baldwin Forge & Machine

Glen Arm MD

I was in Railroad Hobbies in Roseville CA the other day and noticed that they had a good stock of K & S brass H beams.

Allan

I did call and no stock in needed sizes.  Thanks anyhow.

mikeg

Have ordered angle brass from special shapes and plastic H and T beams from plastruct.

All inquiries re brass from stock seem very complicated and probably quite expensive.  After looking and relooking at John Sethians catenary, I bit the bullet and ordered plastic. 

Glued angles, (brass) to H beams and holding well. Much improved re single beam in middle of nowhere.  Will add crossmembers shortly.

We will see

mikeg