OO6 roller gauges.

One of my long term aims is to produce 4mm scale 6mm gauge models, which would represent 18" gauge stock. To do this I will need to make both track and loco mechanisms myself, which is part of the attraction!

To make a start I've turned up a pair of roller gauges. My thoughts are to use the same basic standards that we use for OO9, but with 3mm taken out. It may work, it may not. I won't know until I try, and I'll have fun trying!

The first step was to find some brass, in this case some odd scrap that was laying around the bottom of the stock box. This was turned down to 8mm dia.;

Then I bolted a DTI to the bed, so I could move the grooving tool along the work with a high degree of accuracy;

I'd already ground a grooving tool, this I made .45mm wide, a little narrow for the code 40 rail that I intend using (.5mm head) but better than too wide. This was positioned 1mm from the end of the gauge, DTI set at zero, and the first groove cut, 1mm deep ( bottom of the groove 6mm dia.). As it was too narrow I moved the saddle along and took a light cut on the side of the groove, checking with an offcut of rail;

To set the next groove for check rail clearence (1mm) the tool was moved along the width of the check rail clearence + the width of the tool, 1.45mm;

The next two grooves were cut at 4.95mm and 6.45mm;

All the time the grooves were checked for position with a pair of digital calipers, and for size with rail. The centre section could then be turned away;

And finally the gauge was hacksawed off (small lathes don't like parting off!) and then the cut end faced to length. My grooving tool was starting to lose its edge on the second gauge, and could be seen flexing when cutting away the centre section.
And here's the two gauges together, along with some rather bent code 40;

The next step is to make a short length of track, but that can wait a while.

Paul.