Both shafts and axles should have end edges broken before mounting gears or drivers for ease of insertion and to prevent gouging by chisel edges.
1. Square edges which can be very sharp and is difficult to insert.
2. Chamfering at about 60 ° . If done on a lathe the edges can still be sharp and act like a scraper.
3. Best, exaggerated for clarity, is a combination shallow taper plus lightly rounded edge.
4. Ideal for axles, but insertion is only fair.
5. Complete rounding, as once done on Bowser axles. OK on shafts but it is cosmetically poor on axles, leaving a noticeable gap inside the hub.
Nonferrous and mild steel may be shaped with a file, but since axle material is usually very hard steel, removal should be done with as stone. This can be accomplished in a lathe or mounted rotor tool, shaping by hand. Another alternative is to chuck it in a rotary hand piece and shape against a stationary stone. More difficult is to chuck it in a pin vice and to shape on a grinding wheel. When finished, polish lightly with fine emery cloth or flexi-grit.
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FILING CHAMFER USING FOREDOM HANDPIECE CLAMPED IN HOLDER
Insertion of shafts, in gears or drivers, will be much easier, if the bore edge is also broken by hand with a large drill bit, countersink or triangular burr, if not done already.
Exaggerated for clarity.
Very often, when cutting wire for handholds and piping the ends are sharp or burred, making insertion difficult. Chamferring ends of these diameters is also difficult. A cup ended tool from Model-Expo simplifies the process with a few twists.
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WIRE CHAMFERRING TOOL
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METHODS INDEX
MOTOR TUNING
DRILLING METHODS
