5/8" dia pressure gauge

[92220]

Hi.

Help!  Does anyone know if it is possible to buy a 5/8" O.D.  0-100psi pressure gauge anywhere?

Bob. 

[suctionhose]

Some people are hard to please! There's 1/2", 3/4", 1" and 1 5/8"...I want one 1.25"!

[delaplume]

I buy mine direct from the manufacturer-----and they'll put a red mark on it as well if requested}-------

www.miniaturepressuregauge.com/model-engineering/

OK-- 5/8" isn't listed but you could always ask.....They may know of someone in the trade who can supply you ??

[mbrown]

Two thoughts...

Although I don't know of anyone selling 5/8" pressure gauges now, I wonder if suppliers from the past might have done so and whether one might be available second hand? As far as I know people like F Dinnis only did standard 3/4" and 1" gauges, but you never know....

Second, the gauges on some fire extinguishers look very like our model gauges but with rear entry rather than bottom entry. I wonder if they come from the same supplier, ultimately.... But if you found an extinguisher with a 5/8" gauge you could follow the supply chain back to source and see what they could do for you.

Finally, assuming you don't want to make one entirely yourself, could the insides of a 1/2" gauge be fitted inside a 5/8" casing which would be straightforward to make but maybe tricky to fit....?

When it comes to the glass, I have made replacement glasses from microscope slides roughly cut out then trimmed on an oil stone.

Not much help, but this may prompt some lateral thinking by others!

Malcolm

[92220]

Hi Guys.

Thanks for the comments/suggestions.

I thought of using the guts of a 1/2" gauge, inside a home-made case. It is a definite possibility to look in to.

I also contacted The Miniature Pressure Gauge Co. to ask if they could supply a 5/8" gauge. I also asked if they could supply me with the guts of a 1/2" gauge, with a 5/8" dial, because they do offer to make special faces for dials. Failing that, I think Malcolm's idea of the 1/2" inside a 5/8" case, is the way to go. Just trying to save some time!

As Malcolm also suggested, I did check on the fire extinguishers I have. The gauges are 3/4" OD x 3/8" deep.....just a bit too big unfortunately! You may be wondering why I want a 5/8" gauge and can't use either a 1/2" or 3/4" gauge. The reason is that there are 2 gauges, one above the other, on both sides of the backhead. Both scale at 5/8" and 1/2" on the driver side and 3/4" and 1/2" on the fireman's side. The 5/8" one I want, is the boiler pressure gauge, and the one below is the vacuum gauge. They are fitted onto the same shaped baseplate, and both gauges are fitted with back flanged cases, so I will have to add the flanges to both and adding a flange to a 3/4" gauge will make it way too big. It would clash with the regulator handle bracket, on which the gauge mounting plate is also fitted.

It will be interesting to see what The MPG Co can offer.

Bob.

[delaplume]

Sounds interesting---------Good luck Bob, and please keep us up to date ??

PS}---- If you are REALLY keen you could make the whole thing yourself ??...... after all somebody has to at some time or the other..I seem to remember Julian mentioning a while ago that either he had made a few or that he had a source of proper Bourden oval tube ....

[Deleted]

Oct 17, 2020 12:55:41 GMT delaplume said:

PS}---- If you are REALLY keen you could make the whole thing yourself ??...... after all somebody has to at some time or the other..I seem to remember Julian mentioning a while ago that either he had made a few or that he had a source of proper Bourden oval tube ....

That's what I plan Alan, including the duplex vacuum gauge. Somewhere I do have the articles for making the duplex gauge, it may have been Julian who gave them to me? So if anyone wants a copy PM me your email address and I'll try to find them...I think I have them saved in a file on my PC somewhere?

Pete

[don9f]

Hi Bob, the gauge “flanges” mount onto a wooden backboard, that is in turn mounted on a steel bracket, so could you have a dummy flange on the wooden board, with the rear part of the gauge passing through a hole, so it looks realistically “thin”?

Evening Star, along with other preserved 9Fs has carriage warming fitted nowadays, with the additional pressure gauge for that mounted below the boiler pressure gauge on the fireman’s side. The driver’s side has the steam chest pressure gauge, plus the train pipe vacuum gauge. Again nowadays, some engines have duplex vacuum gauges (ie train pipe plus reservoir) in place of the simplex gauge of BR days.

I must say that I thought the steam chest and boiler pressure gauges were the same, at 7”dia? (scale 5/8”).

Cheers Don

[mbrown]

I had a go at doing what Don suggests. I think - at least as modifications to the standard 3/4" gauge - these look reasonable.

The thread is here:

modeleng.proboards.com/thread/11475/looking-pressure-gauges


Malcolm

[92220]

Oct 17, 2020 14:10:35 GMT don9f said:

Hi Bob, the gauge “flanges” mount onto a wooden backboard, that is in turn mounted on a steel bracket, so could you have a dummy flange on the wooden board, with the rear part of the gauge passing through a hole, so it looks realistically “thin”?

Evening Star, along with other preserved 9Fs has carriage warming fitted nowadays, with the additional pressure gauge for that mounted below the boiler pressure gauge on the fireman’s side. The driver’s side has the steam chest pressure gauge, plus the train pipe vacuum gauge. Again nowadays, some engines have duplex vacuum gauges (ie train pipe plus reservoir) in place of the simplex gauge of BR days.

I must say that I thought the steam chest and boiler pressure gauges were the same, at 7”dia? (scale 5/8”).

Cheers Don

Hi Don.

Thanks. I knew about the carriage warming and gauge backing boards/plates. I am working on the gauge mountings now. I may well have to try making the gauges if I can't find a 5/8" or at least get the innards as a single assembly. I have emailed miniaturepressuregauge.com to ask if they can do a 5/8" gauge, or alternatively supply a 1/2" gauge innards with a 5/8" dial. They do offer to supply special dials so am hopeful. 

As far as the gauges being the same size, I don't know about other locos but Evening Star has a 7" gauge above a 6" gauge on the driver's side and a 4" gauge above an 8" gauge on the fireman's side. 

Bob.

[92220]

Hi Malcolm.

Thanks for that link. It makes me think modifying a standard gauge shouldn't be too difficult a job........hopefully!!!

Bob.

[92220]

Hi Guys.

I've just been looking for miniature vacuum gauges too, on the 'net, but haven't found anything. Does anyone know of a supplier or have I got to look into making my own?

Bob.

[mbrown]

As far as I know, the smallest commercial vacuum gauge is 3/4" dia. You used to be able to get them reading 0 - 15 ins as well as 0 - 30 ins, but only the latter are available now, it seems. Maybe too many people forgot to include a vacuum limiting valve in the system and over strained their gauge, but 0 - 15 ins gives a much clearer reading if, as is common, you run at 10 ins in the train pipe.

Bob, if you do come across a smaller diameter vacuum gauge, do let me know as I could use one for my loco!

Malcolm

[92220]

Will do Malcolm. I'm waiting to hear from the Miniature Pressure Gauge Co.

Bob.

[JonL]

For glass don't forget watch crystals are available on eBay, numbers such as 325 mean a 32.5mm glass usually.