Slightly Bent End of Track

[Christophl]

I was using a 1400-LR32 track and a TSO GRS-16 outside for sev. days as I cut up sheet goods.  I left the GRS on the track and leaned up against a shelf pretty much vertical but not perfectly straight.  I finished the project, and tried to use the same setup in my shop yest. and found that the end with the GRS slightly bent that end of the track so it sticks up about a 1/16" off the wood.  I had no idea this could happen...did I permanently ruin this track or is there a way to fix it?  Such a stupid mistake!

 

[usernumber1]

bend it back? cut it shorter?

 

[Mark Katz]

bend it back? cut it shorter?

I don't know about bending it back, but you can't cut back an LR32 unless you cut it at exactly right place since the  LR32 function depends on registration from the ends. Of course, if you only use the track for the saw, then you can cut it anywhere.

 

[AlexThePalex]

Hammer and anvil time.

 

[Michael Kellough]

It didn’t bend from simply standing up. The part of the GRS-16 sticking out must have been hit by something while stuff was being shifted around.

If you duplicate the force and fulcrum that caused the bend but from the opposite side it will get straight enough. Bent metal is readily bent back to the original shape and resists bending farther so don’t worry too much.

Use a straight edge on the convex side to find the apex of the bend and figure out if the bend was straight across or at an angle to the sides of the rail. You want to place a pair of fulcrums parallel to the bend and equal distance from the apex. One fulcrum will be at the end of the rail. The fulcrums are just blocks of wood at least as long as the width of the rail and thick enough that you can push the rail past flat. You need to go a little past flat. You might need to notch the blocks to fit the raised ribs on the rail, or add shims to the fulcrum to fit the ribs. The rail will spring back to flat if you succeed. You can try several times.

 

[Christophl]

Outstanding advice Michael, Thank You!

 

[mino]

bend it back? cut it shorter?

I don't know about bending it back, but you can't cut back an LR32 unless you cut it at exactly right place since the  LR32 function depends on registration from the ends. Of course, if you only use the track for the saw, then you can cut it anywhere.

Not really, theLR32 system registers to the hole, not the rail endings (which are NOT guaranteed precise).
So one can cut a LR32 rail anywhere in 32 mm increments and if done properly, will get the exact result as form the factory, just shorter.

The holy rails are made in lengths which are multiples of 32mm plud 24mm (12 mm each side from the center of the holes to the end). This is so that when you join two of them using the LR32 accessories, you get a 8mm gap between the rails. As long as you maintain that 12mm-from-center-of-last-hole rule, you will have exact same alignment behavior as factory rail.
That 8mm "dead area" also means that you have plenty of material to for two precise cuts, aligning both sides of the cut to the 12mm distance from holes.

As for "unbending". I would not advise that if the bend is anything but very slight. The rails are made to machinist straight edge tolerances, and it is very likely you will affect the accuracy of even the "good" part of the rail while trying to straighten it.

 

[imdking]

Why didn't original poster not post pictures of said bent rail? . Everyone commenting and advising is guessing as to what the rail in discussion must look like. With today's phones, taking a picture should be a breeze. I don't understand why you didn't post pictures. This thread honestly doesn't make sense, until you can show us some pictures.