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Post by David on Nov 2, 2018 21:26:42 GMT
Like Jim and Kerrin say, it's impressive watching your work on the blowfly and it's looking great. That's a very tidy pair of cylinders!
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Post by Jim on Nov 2, 2018 22:36:48 GMT
I'd second Kerrin's comment about a band saw.
I've had one of Hare & Forbes bandsaws that they advertise for yonks now and I reckon it is one of the handiest bits of kit to have. From cutting slices off lumps of metal or 45 degree angles to make right angle pipe unions or dare I say it, cutting up bits of wood for the fire box Then there are the neighbours who pop in to have a length of metal cut, it is just a very handy machine.
Jim
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Post by builder01 on Nov 2, 2018 23:26:08 GMT
If I remember correctly, Lisa mentioned that a simple angle vice is out of the budget. I would imagine that a band saw would exceed the cost of a vice.
David
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Lisa
Statesman
Posts: 806
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Post by Lisa on Nov 3, 2018 5:30:29 GMT
Hi Lisa, You are really keen cutting thru that by hand! Hope you switch arms from time to time! Guess it means you save funds on gym fees, I can see a bandsaw in your future! Doing a first rate job on those. It's either hand cutting or going without, and steam engines don't run so well without pistons! A bandsaw is definitely on my list, though it's a little way down as there's a couple of other things of higher priority (such as a boiler, not sure where I'm going to scratch up the money for all that copper and solder). I had a little poke around with some cardboard early this morning, and came up with a template for the cylinder cleading: The holes for the cylinder drain cocks are undersized just to check positioning, and I'll wait till I make the exhaust flanges before committing to metal, but they certainly look a bit prettier than the rough cast iron. Also I need to get some engine enamel or similar to paint the casting before hiding it away to rust!
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Post by steamer5 on Nov 3, 2018 6:37:53 GMT
Hi Lisa, Yep we do what we have to if we don’t have the tools! I was lucky I got my bandsaw as part of my 20 year gift, it’s now had a bunch of mods done that make it more useful. And you are doing great work without, an inspiration to all! One of the old guys, no longer with us,only had hand tools a lathe & drill press & he turned out some lovely locos!
Cheers Kerrin
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Lisa
Statesman
Posts: 806
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Post by Lisa on Nov 6, 2018 20:37:49 GMT
It was 38°C here today (or yesterday - I'm not entirely thinking straight), so I've mostly just been napping under the ceiling fan and eating cold watermelon; so workshop time is either very late or very early, as daytime is utterly horrendous. My sister has been awesome, and bought us a new air conditioner which should arrive before the end of the week, so I should be a little more alive in the daylight hours soon, even if the workshop's still out of bounds. Progress continues slowly however, the rest of the gaskets have been made, and the first piston blank is cut, the other is still in progress. I need to finish off the cylinder drain blanking plugs, then the lathe will be free to start on the pistons.
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Lisa
Statesman
Posts: 806
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Post by Lisa on Nov 8, 2018 2:48:25 GMT
The aircon is delayed, but fortunately the weather's a bit nicer now. So here's the piston rods cut to length, and the blanking plugs for the cylinder drains all made and in place; these will let me test on air without losing air out the drains, but will also become part of the steam-operated drain cocks I intend to make. Meanwhile, I just ordered the M3 nuts I need for the steam chest covers, and I'll probably make the gland nuts for the piston rods later today or tomorrow.
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Post by runner42 on Nov 8, 2018 7:25:24 GMT
Hi Lisa,
is that beads of sweat I see close to the piston rods? Steam operated drain cocks eh, now that pushing the envelope. Is it part of the Blowfly design or something you are adding at your initiative? I shall take close attention to that when you make them. Your dad must be proud of your achievements so far, I hope that he has sufficient cognitive functioning to appreciate it by the time you finish it.
Brian
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Lisa
Statesman
Posts: 806
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Post by Lisa on Nov 8, 2018 8:52:54 GMT
Hi Brian, A bit of oil from the gaskets, possibly mixed with sweat! Blowfly doesn't mention the cylinder drains beyond tapping the cylinders and a mysterious hole in the frames behind the cylinder cutout, so the steam-operated drains are my own decision of what to fit. There's a few things like that in the design; brakes for instance have holes for the hangers in the frames, and no other mention. On his good days, dad sort of recognises it as a steam engine; but he doesn't really have much of an idea about things most of the time.
BTW, if anyone should happen to have a drawing for a 2-way valve for the cylinder drains that they can share, that'd be lovely.
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Post by Jim on Nov 8, 2018 12:42:55 GMT
Dementia is difficult to manage especially when it's someone close to you but it's great to see the workshop holding so many happy memories for your dad such that his dementia starts to recede.
I'm sure I speak for many here when I say you are doing a wonderful job Lisa, not only in building your loco but in caring for you dad who is so precious.
Jim.
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barlowworks
Statesman
Now finished my other projects, Britannia here I come
Posts: 878
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Post by barlowworks on Nov 8, 2018 15:41:15 GMT
I must agree with Jim, dementia is a cruel illness and you are doing such a fine job dealing with it. I lost my mum to it a few years ago and unfortunately I abiding memory is my mum not having a clue who I am. Make the most off the good times when you can.
All the best
Mike
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Post by steamer5 on Nov 9, 2018 2:28:30 GMT
Hi Lisa, I take it you are looking for a steam on to close the drains, steam off to open ? Dad has one on his loco..... sorry I don’t think he got the plans with it but will ask..... he has commented on several occasions that it work great except that the steam/ hot water on opening the valve is hot on the fingers! Don’t think he has come up with a fix.
Cheers Kerrin
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Lisa
Statesman
Posts: 806
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Post by Lisa on Nov 9, 2018 4:04:48 GMT
Hi Kerrin, yes that's the sort of thing: The pipe to the drain cocks should either be connected to boiler pressure or vented to atmosphere. I'd imagine steam brake valves are probably similar as well. I can draw up my own, but a glimpse at the internals of someone else's design would be handy.
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Post by steamer5 on Nov 9, 2018 6:15:47 GMT
Hi Lisa, I called Dad, sorry he doesn’t have any drawings.
However if you PM me with your email I can send you a copy of the drawing from Nigel Gresley, approx size, 15/16 dia approx 9/16 thick.
Cheers Kerrin
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Lisa
Statesman
Posts: 806
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Post by Lisa on Nov 9, 2018 21:02:12 GMT
A bit of pre-breakfast lathework, and that's the piston rod gland nuts done. Meanwhile I've got the first piston setup in the lathe, and am gradually hacksawing my way through the second.
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Post by runner42 on Nov 9, 2018 22:19:41 GMT
Hi Lisa,
did you establish a pocket for an O ring in the piston rod glands or are you using the traditional form of packing.? Remember that hack-sawing is not a one arm activity the other arm works to pull the blade through the work and reduces the tendency for the pushing arm to not be aligned and skew the blade. This makes the sawing action more difficult and the saw cut is wider than the saw blade.
Brian
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Lisa
Statesman
Posts: 806
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Post by Lisa on Nov 9, 2018 22:33:28 GMT
Hi Brian, As designed Blowfly has string packing, but I redrew them with an O-ring pocket in the cylinder cover, so the gland nuts are basically just blanking plugs to hold the O-rings in place. I bought a decent hacksaw frame a while back which makes sawing easier than with the old thing I was using, but just doing a bit everyday is still my preferred method of getting through big lumps of iron.
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Midland
Elder Statesman
Posts: 1,875
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Post by Midland on Nov 10, 2018 18:19:38 GMT
Lisa You do lovely work! The other day when you were working at night and it was 36 degrees I wondered why ipswich was so hot when the rest of us were under drizzle and cloud, then I saw QLD!!! Stupid me.
Keep going D
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Lisa
Statesman
Posts: 806
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Post by Lisa on Nov 11, 2018 15:40:46 GMT
I once had someone on ebay send me a message complaining about the postage costs of something I was selling, they went quiet once I informed them that they were thinking of the wrong Ipswich! I thought I'd just do a little more to the valves tonight, but then seemed to just get in the swing of things and kept going. So here's the top half done, these are now ready to be cut in two, then finish to length and mill out the exhaust cavity.
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Post by Jim on Nov 11, 2018 18:13:17 GMT
Lisa You do lovely work! The other day when you were working at night and it was 36 degrees I wondered why ipswich was so hot when the rest of us were under drizzle and cloud, then I saw QLD!!! Stupid me. Keep going D David You're not the first to make that mistake. Ipswich, Penrith, Newcastle, Sandringham, Woolwich, just to name a few English towns, are all named after their Australian counterparts, just ask any Aussie.
Jim
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