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Post by Roger on Dec 23, 2014 16:41:58 GMT
Thanks guys. Yes, it did feel good to sort it out. With that done, I can now sort out mounting the guide brackets, but first I need to machine them. That will be my next task after Christmas I think. Santa seems to have brought me a Sherline lathe, so I imagine that will need some setting up and testing. Cheers Tom I guess you've been a very good boy then, I can't see anything from Santa at the moment... I wonder how he knows?
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Post by Deleted on Dec 23, 2014 18:23:22 GMT
Hi Roger,
Yes I have been good, but I guess not good enough as I asked for a Sherline mill as well. Oh well there is always next year.
Cheers
Tom
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Post by Jim on Dec 23, 2014 19:34:12 GMT
Hi Tom, I have it on good authority that it's lathes only this year and next year will be mills. Of course if you're really really good and stay away from soothing ales for a day or two there may be a mid year delivery, only 'may be' as it depends on the mood the elves are in.
Have a great Christmas and lots of time with your Brit.
Jim
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Post by Deleted on Dec 23, 2014 19:49:02 GMT
Hi Tom, I have it on good authority that it's lathes only this year and next year will be mills. Of course if you're really really good and stay away from soothing ales for a day or two there may be a mid year delivery, only 'may be' as it depends on the mood the elves are in. Have a great Christmas and lots of time with your Brit. Jim Thanks Jim It looks like I am going to need lots of time, as I just did some careful measuring and it appears that the connecting rods are a tad too short (1/32 on one side, and a tad more on t'other). I am in need of a soothing ale or two. Cheers Tom
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Post by Deleted on Dec 23, 2014 21:52:42 GMT
1/32" ??...... that's a BIG "tad"....... I wonder, just out of devilment, how many of those Micron chappies that is ??--------------- Anybody out there who might have an inkling or two--Hmm ??"
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Post by Roger on Dec 23, 2014 21:58:26 GMT
I won't convert that, it's always depressing to see large numbers associated with errors. It always sounds worse in Microns. Oh well, it's annoying rather than catastrophic. It would appear that Model Engineering is akin to the game of 'Snakes and Ladders'.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 23, 2014 22:36:15 GMT
I am studying the problem and have a couple of blanks cut out and ready to start milling them. A we bit of liquid to keep me hydrated and concentrated on the job ahead. Roger, it looks like about 787.4 microns, but who's counting? Cheers Tom
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Andrew C
Part of the e-furniture
Posts: 447
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Post by Andrew C on Dec 24, 2014 10:06:41 GMT
Hi Tom
Your last few post have started the Alarm bells going
I would be inclined before you do lots of machining take this as a 'Huston we have a problem' moment and pause.
Before you go too far I would start checking some other critical dimensions. like the crank offset, are the cylinders the correct distance from the centre driver, are they the correct length and if not will the piston touch the cylinder covers at both ends? I know you had problems with overshoot on one side so is there another underlying problem?
Call me paranoid but I would check.
Merry Christmas
Andrew
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Post by Jim on Dec 24, 2014 10:43:05 GMT
Andrew makes a good point there Tom. I'd add a check of the dimensions of the throw of the crank against the length of the cylinders along with the checks already mentioned by Andrew.
You'll get it sorted I'm sure.
Jim
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Post by Deleted on Dec 24, 2014 12:08:57 GMT
Thanks Andrew and Jim,
Funny, I had the exact same thoughts, and I spent a couple of hours last night with the words and music and the plans, and assorted measuring devices. The long and short of it is that so far I found some pieces I can use, and some that I need to redo. I discovered that the frame is actually a mess and that the horn blocks need to be replaced and the cylinders are actually too short. So ... if I decide to go forward from here ...
I will start anew with a water jetted frame and a new set of cylinders.
As I think I said before, there seems to be two or three levels of skill shown on this engine so far. Some are within one of Rodger's microns, and some aren't. Perhaps I have found why this project was put under the bench all those years ago.
Anyway, I will continue to measure, (with the help of special coffee's and soothing ales) over the weekend, and see what can be done.
Cheers
Merry Christmas All
Tom
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Post by Deleted on Dec 25, 2014 16:45:15 GMT
Well, a modicum of success today. I had mentioned I think that the horn blocks were not machined evenly, some having larger axle box openings than others. When I had dismantled this engine to get ready for painting, some shims had fallen out and I wasn't sure where they had come from. Bright spark that I am, It has taken a while but I finally figured out that they fit the horns to hold the axle boxes straight.
I have spent nearly three hours ... frame upside down ... axles and coupling rods in place ... turn the wheels and look for box movement ... insert shim ... turn again ...
Finally, it moved freely, no binding at all ... installed the springs and keeps ... held my breath ... turned the wheels.
Right side up, and the frame moves smoothly on the boxes, the springs compress and release with no binding, and on slight slant of the track, the engine rolls freely.
Note ... No Soothing Ales or Special Coffee's were consumed during this exercise.
They will be now though!
Cheers
Tom
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Post by Roger on Dec 25, 2014 17:17:16 GMT
Excellent! That really good news. It's such a relief when it all turns as it should. I thought I'd got it spot on but an error still crept in to make it bind at one point. Trying to tie down where the error is out of all the possible ones is no easy task.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 26, 2014 0:36:23 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Dec 29, 2014 22:44:49 GMT
OK ... A silly question since it is almost the end of the year and I think there is one left in my quota ...
Reading Mr. Clarke's book on Britannia's details ... Near to the ends of their lives, some/most of the engines seem to have been painted in a "economy green"(plain green).
Would that have been green all over? Frames and everything else? Would the frame have been the usual black/red and the rest green?
This is not going to be an exact, rivet counted replica, but I would like to have it closer than not. I haven't chosen the one yet, but it is going to be in the second or third delivered batch #'s. I like the look of the plain, fish belly rods.
That's me until New Years now.
Cheers
Tom
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jma1009
Elder Statesman
Posts: 5,901
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Post by jma1009 on Dec 29, 2014 23:10:21 GMT
hi tom, 'plain green' means unlined green on tender, boiler, cab, and cylinders. i dont know much about the BR Brit liveries, but as they were 'frontline' passenger locos i suspect that very few were ever unlined unless repainted in the very final year/s, though you will need to refer to the standard textbooks on these locos. frames outside were always painted black. there is a reason for the fish bellied rods. if you do a bit of research you will find out why! cheers, julian
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Post by Deleted on Dec 30, 2014 11:37:15 GMT
Thanks Julian
I don't have my book at the moment, but if I remember, the fish bellied rods were to solve the problem of the fluted ones breaking? I think they were also slightly lighter ... the book was a bit contradictory on that part. I believe the wheels also needed to have different weights with those rods as well, although there are all sorts of pics with the heavy wheel weights and lighter rods or the reverse.
I need to read more about that next week when I get my book back.
Cheers
Tom
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Post by Jim on Dec 30, 2014 12:08:57 GMT
Hi Tom,
I don't recall you mentioning if you are building any particular Britannia. From scratch building MR 0 gauge locos to the present project I've found it handy to model a specific example, in my case 70036 Boadicea. With a specific loco in mind you can research and collect data on it and build up a collection of photos that answer questions such as what livery was used and when, what shed numbers did it carry, what modifications were carried out, did it head named trains etc etc.
For me the model begins to take on a life and personality of its own and that adds another dimension to the hobby.
Keep up the good work.
Jim
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Post by Deleted on Dec 30, 2014 12:17:33 GMT
Hi Jim,
You are correct in that giving it a name gives it some personality. I am still thinking about that one. It will be in at least the second batch of numbers and maybe the third. I just don't like the names that were given, and since there were very few differences between them all, I started off with a "generic one" if you see what I mean.
Perhaps a couple of "Soothing Ales" over New Years will help.
Cheers
Tom
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Post by Jim on Dec 30, 2014 12:54:41 GMT
Hi Jim, Snipped.... Perhaps a couple of "Soothing Ales" over New Years will help. Cheers Tom I'm sure they will Tom, I'd be up the wall by now if it wasn't for the calming influence of a soothing ale. Just remember though Tom no known Britannias were named "Old Speckled Hen' 'Bishop's Finger' or 'Old Peculiar' Jim
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Post by Deleted on Dec 30, 2014 13:46:03 GMT
Spoil Sport!!!
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