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Post by durhambuilder on Feb 11, 2009 12:31:48 GMT
I've always been a little puzzled line boring cylinders in this way. The lathe saddle and cross slide has to have a certain amount of slack / working tolerance to enable it to move and also general wear and tear, backlash etc. So, as the cutter goes round it will try to push the saddle down, push it towards the operator, lift the saddle up and then push it away from the operator. Now I accept this may only be a thou or so and does this really matter?
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Post by durhambuilder on Feb 11, 2009 12:16:25 GMT
I have built a 2" Minnie, very straightforward and it uses alot of bar stock so fairly cheap as well. The 2" Durhams are very popular but end up a little smaller. Why not look at the 3" Little Samson, not much bigger than a 2" minnie and prices for the bits are extremely reasonable and using cast wheels will save a lot of time and effort.
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Post by durhambuilder on Jan 17, 2009 13:15:21 GMT
I think a set of loco drawings would have limited appeal and whilst perhaps gaining new readers may not be sufficiently tempting for some of the 'established' readers. Personally I would prefer to see prints from the tools range or perhaps a £1 off coupon every other issue which I could collect over time and get a bit of money off the plan I really wanted.
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Post by durhambuilder on Jan 9, 2009 19:19:27 GMT
Could you use 20dp ie a 25Tand 50T which gives the same centres, if so Myford change gears at a little over a fiver each from RDG may do the job.
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Post by durhambuilder on Dec 24, 2008 17:49:08 GMT
Flicking though some old ME's earlier and in the 6th -19th July 1990 issue (Vol 165 No 3876) is the start of a series on re-engineering the Mamod, my ME's are in a jumbled pile so I'm not sure how long the articles ran.
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Post by durhambuilder on Dec 19, 2008 17:45:19 GMT
It may be worth talking to the steam boat association , they have a library of approved boiler designs (go to news page on their website) . This may make a neat little engine to go with it! www.southdown4x4.co.uk/steam.htm
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Post by durhambuilder on Dec 2, 2008 19:33:09 GMT
The few bits of MIG or Arc welding I have done seem to turn out alot better when I push the torch/electrode rather than pulling it. ie being right handed work from right to left
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Post by durhambuilder on Nov 19, 2008 12:30:53 GMT
Bein' a dumb ol' country boy, I got an open fire, and a wood stove in the kitchen - stick 'em in one or t'other at night and fish 'em out in the morning
Or about 30 seconds in the woodburner to get copper plates red hot for flanging into boiler plates, that's how I did mine.
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Post by durhambuilder on Nov 19, 2008 12:27:33 GMT
The bathroom/kitchen hand soap dispensers often have stainless springs in them, always worth saving before they go in the bin
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Post by durhambuilder on Nov 7, 2008 21:37:48 GMT
Can anybody tell me what this casting is for. I bought a fully kitted Dore Westbury Milling machine and this was with it. It's got DORE cast in it so I assume it has some connection. Thanks
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Post by durhambuilder on Nov 3, 2008 16:42:49 GMT
Further to the above I picked up half a dozen old fashioned (?) 4lb weights from a charity shop for either 50p or £1.00 each, come to think of it I think I'll go back and see if they have the full range, no doubt come in handy for something.
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Post by durhambuilder on Oct 25, 2008 15:14:40 GMT
Thanks for the offer, to be honest I'm not sure how thick it should be, the drawing just says bronze spring strip, I would guess 10 thou or so but willing to be corrected if anybody knows better.
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Post by durhambuilder on Oct 24, 2008 16:38:29 GMT
The regulator in my 5" Ajax calls for a bronze spring made out of flat strip. I only need a little piece about 1/4" wide by 1" long so can any body suggest a source or perhaps an everyday item that may have once been thrown out and is hoarded in the back of my garage which could contain something suitable?
Thanks
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Post by durhambuilder on Oct 4, 2008 19:26:24 GMT
Station Road Steam quote for Western Steam - "Manufacturer of copper boilers, materials, tools etc for the model engineer. I have had boilers from here, in my opinion one of the best builders in the country"
I would suggest Station Roads Steam have seen more boilers than anybody else so that's a pretty strong endorsement.
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Post by durhambuilder on Oct 2, 2008 10:05:10 GMT
I can't really see aproblem with long lead times as long as the boiler is ordered as soon as you start cutting the frames!
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Post by durhambuilder on Oct 1, 2008 21:06:04 GMT
Maxitrak are quoting prices for TIG welded copper boilers on their site, £1425 for a Simplex and £750 for Juliet, not sure whether this includes VAT or not. www.maxitrak.co.uk/secondhand.asp
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Post by durhambuilder on Oct 1, 2008 20:19:33 GMT
I had three quotes for a 5" Ajax late last year, all between £1250 and £1270, Western Steam, Cheddar Boilers and Southern Boiler Services, generally about a 36 week delivery. I'm now 90% of the way through building my own.
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Post by durhambuilder on Sept 30, 2008 11:22:51 GMT
All of the boxford ABC with or without the UD suffix (underdrive) are interchangeable together with a lot of the southbend stuff, There are however two different centre heights either 4.52 or 5" so be careful with tail stocks etc. see www.lathes.co.uk for full information. I have used a myford vertical slide on mine but since upgraded to a proper mill. Nice photo by the way, my daily driver is a 2.6PI vitesse.
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Post by durhambuilder on Jul 8, 2008 12:02:12 GMT
I use Barrettine 'Knock out' drain cleaner. 96% sulphuric acid at £3.99 litre from my local hardware shop. Dilute about 10:1 and it's pretty effective stuff.
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Post by durhambuilder on Jul 2, 2008 11:58:11 GMT
Sorry just had another thought! Rivets should only be used in a fully silver soldered boiler which with some deeper fireboxes are tricky to make with normal propane torches, Threaded and nutted stays must be used if using a high melting point soft solder for caulking.
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