A J Reeve 5" 51XX Prairie Parts

[Rex Hanman]

Nice one Geoff. Wish you were doing it in 7 1/4". I'd buy one off you.

[bmwbob]

Hi,
I have just restarted work on my Prarie after a couple of years off. In my defense I Have built a Ken Swan Wren in between. Your photographs are very helpfull since the drawings are quite complex so thanks for that. Regarding your cnc work good on you there is so much detail in this model that as they say at Tesco Every little helps.

Regards

[bmwbob]

Hi,
I have just restarted work on my Prarie after a couple of years off. In my defense I Have built a Ken Swan Wren in between. Your photographs are very helpfull since the drawings are quite complex so thanks for that. Regarding your cnc work good on you there is so much detail in this model that as they say at Tesco Every little helps.

Regards       

[Rex Hanman]

Just spotted these castings for sale on the Model Engineer forum.....

www.model-engineer.co.uk/classifieds/view_ad.asp?ad=12235

[geoffbr]

Hi to you both, Happy New Year,

Thanks for your thoughts and information, I have to admit that I enjoy looking at other peoples designs and built parts to gain ideas on how I go about make my own parts. Thanks Rex I will go have a look at them.

regards Geoff

[geoffbr]

Hi everyone, sorry for not writing for a while. An update on the Safety Valve cover Form Tool, I am in the throws of making another former Punch and Die which tidies up things from the prototype version 1. I will update some photos in the next wee while, work is so busy at the moment I am making slow progress. I have machined the Die form and half way through making the Punch, I am making the punch as 2 parts so I can strip the part off the punch after forming.

I am thinking of the Split Holder for the 2nd Metal Spinning process (Top roll over) the Part will need to be mounted on a Short punch with the same Tapper angle as the former then an outer holding collar screwed as 2 halves also with the same angle this then gets screwed to a back plate that attaches to the Nose of the Spinner machine. Enough clearance must be given inside the Safety Valve Cover and the Short punch so the person Spinning the form has enough room to work. Design still in process main still in my head.

Anyway I will keep you posted on progress.

regards Geoff

[geoffbr]

I have been able to get the CNC machining of the new form punch done (has been chaotic time at work). The former works well, giving a nice even shape. The only problem is that with the Spinning process it has made the material work harden, so when pressing forming it has split the sides of the Safety Cover (ref pictures via link in first post). I may need to look at annealing before pressing, but did think that they may line up with the cutouts needed for the side steam pipe, but am not sure how the splits would hold up to the spinning forming of the of the Top Flange form. Will see once I build that tooling.

Also made time to do some manual machining of the Buckles since I could get on the CNC mill, I finished the Holes off for the Springs by EDM Spark eroding with a copper electrode to give a good rectangular hole.

regards Geoff

[Rex Hanman]

Well, it's progress, which is more than I'm making at the moment!

[geoffbr]

It's all about balance, the wife, kids, Scouting, Work then Train. Maybe not necessarily in that order.

[geoffbr]

I have added a couple of jpeg Screen Shots of the Second Spin Form Assembly drawing. This is for the forming of the top roll out of the Safety Valve cover, it seems elaborate but I don't see how to simplify it for holding the part securely. So the design has the Base which has a 1" tapped hole for attaching to the Nose of the Spinning unit and the other face has a pocket and key slot to house the locking spigot and Dowel and screw holes for the Form Collar. The spigot has a Key to allow the spigot to forward and back but not spin with a 16mm tapped hole that will have a long grub screw that when the part is set in place and the Split form collar fitted will be screwed in to push the spigot out putting holding pressure locking the part in place with the same taper as the first form punching. So now is only finding the time to make it.

Will keep you all posted once started.

[geoffbr]

I have been able to get some time on the CNC and have started making the 2nd Former, (have added a couple of photos in the Dropbox folder). I milled the inner face of Former on the CNC leaving material on the inside diameter for machining the taper later once all fixed together. I clocked up the job in the Manual mill to drill,ream and tapped holes as required on the joining faces, Ejector Pin off-cuts make great dowels. The 2 halves are held together by 2 - 8mm Cap screws, with the dowels to maintain location. I counter bored the heads so not to be a knuckle catcher.

So the next thing to do is to grind the cut face to size, then to reset up in the CNC to mill the tapper form and relief radius. Once that is done I can then turn over and machine the top radius of the Safety Valve cover, that will only leave the Spigot and Holding block to make that fits to the Nose of the Spinner and the tapped and dowel holes for holding the Split Block Former. All takes time but small bits at a time add up.

regards Geoff

[geoffbr]

I think I am on a roll, I have turned the Base of the Former. I drilled Diameter holes and bored the hole for the Spigot in the Lathe. I also was able to setup the Top Form on the CNC and milled the inside radius and side tapper. I have added some more photos in the 2nd Form folder in Dropbox.

Geoff

[rjf1024]

Hi all,
I'm in top gear now completing the piston rods. Guide bars, and nearly the motion plate. Target is running on air by year end. Nice to see others with similar addictions. Haven't looked at this site for ages assumed it had died, good to see it has not. My excuse for logivity of build is the complexity and a wren build in between...

Regards,

[geoffbr]

Hi everyone, it has been a while since my last update. I have been able to get the machining on the 2nd Spin former tool done, not without some small hitches (well is prototyping after all, ha ha) below is the link to the Dropbox folder if you wish to look at some photos, or use the link on the first page for other progress photos.

www.dropbox.com/sh/05nv42t8svqzh8t/AAAHaSK5hzpjFecXoQIOsOG-a?dl=0

We have our awards evening at CSMEE club beginning of October so will enter the former into the Workshop equipment table and see how I go. Here is a link to a Convention Week running csmee.org.nz/canmod-14-trains.php.

regards Geoff

[Rex Hanman]

Well done Geoff, I wish you were working in 7 1/4 as I would get you to make one for me!

[geoffbr]

Sorry Rex

[geoffbr]

Rex, I had a thought. For the size and wall thickness for a 7 1/4" you could look at getting a 3D Wax part printed then use it for a Lost Wax Casting. Amazing how far technology has gone.

regards Geoff

[sis]

Geoff,

Thanks for sharing your progress. Very interesting. Please do keep posting. And just like Rex, I'd be interested in a 7.25" version. :-)

Thanks
Steve

[Rex Hanman]

Geoff, a good suggestion that I shall keep in mind.

[geoffbr]

Hi everyone,

Sorry for not writing sooner, has just been to busy. Any way I need to get to the metal spinner soon and try the top radius former, but in the mean time I had some time at work to start machining the Keeper plates. I made a simple holding jig so i could batch machine the plates in each step to reduce the number of times I change tools and setups. I have added some photos in the Dropbox folder (link in the first post) I have a couple more photos to take and upload later. So I will get back soon with the results of the spinning, oh I have partly designed the Safety Valve side cover plates for a press tool to form those but like most things there will be finish fitting to be done. I will add a couple of screen shots I what I have so far.

Geoff