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Post by mugbuilder on Sept 5, 2021 4:12:02 GMT
Barry,You make it look so easy, I have always been in awe of your work, cheers dennis Thanks for that Dennis. |
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Post by mugbuilder on Sept 5, 2021 4:22:23 GMT
Thanks Matt for your effort to explain the odd fitting on the tank top. I suppose that i will have to make an effort to make a copy now. I have continued working on the rear details of the bunker. I was lucky to have a full size bunker lamp here so was able to make a reasonable copy of it.Those lost wax cast marker lamps are a real boon. This almost completes the rear of the engine but there is a lot to go on the front half.I have enjoyed the work on the tanks and associated details and had better soon start thinking about the boiler and smoke box.   |
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Post by Jim on Sept 5, 2021 5:45:30 GMT
Hi Barry,
I love the detail in the lamps and the conduits for the electrical cables. For me it's the fine detail like that differeniates between a model and a true miniature of the prototype
Thank heavens for our hobby at times like this.
Hope all at OSME are safe and well.
Jim
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Post by suctionhose on Sept 5, 2021 6:41:53 GMT
Hello Barry,
Please don't immortalise that horrible looking modification some willing fitter came up with to open the blowdown. Some things are best forgotten forever!
I wanted to ask you about soldering on the tanks. Do you use ordinary tin/lead soft solder or 965 tin/silver solder? I'm thinking to use 965 on the tank of my TE for the strength. Any thoughts?
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Post by mugbuilder on Sept 5, 2021 12:10:27 GMT
Hello Barry, Please don't immortalise that horrible looking modification some willing fitter came up with to open the blowdown. Some things are best forgotten forever! I wanted to ask you about soldering on the tanks. Do you use ordinary tin/lead soft solder or 965 tin/silver solder? I'm thinking to use 965 on the tank of my TE for the strength. Any thoughts? G,Day Ross, If the strength is not important I usually use ordinary tin/lead solder But for some delicate or stressed items I use 965. It is important to use the proper flux for 965 and I find that this flux is also better for ordinary solder as well. It has the advantage of being not as corrosive as Bakers flux. 965 requires a lot more heat than the other so care must be taken to eliminate any distortion to large areas. 965 flux is not readily available in some places and I purchase mine on line. It is a CIG Comweld product and not cheap. Regards Barry. PS. I think that I will take your advice with regard to that horrible fitting.
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Post by Oily Rag on Sept 7, 2021 20:29:11 GMT
Today, I am going to order 965 and flux later. Things learnt. Ta.
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Post by matt2534 on Sept 7, 2021 22:33:00 GMT
Hello Barry, Please don't immortalise that horrible looking modification some willing fitter came up with to open the blowdown. Some things are best forgotten forever! I wanted to ask you about soldering on the tanks. Do you use ordinary tin/lead soft solder or 965 tin/silver solder? I'm thinking to use 965 on the tank of my TE for the strength. Any thoughts? |
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Post by matt2534 on Sept 7, 2021 22:36:05 GMT
Ross
Your opening line says it all of the appearance of that bracket, looks like they couldn't decide to weld or bolt so did both.
The handle protruding from the tank would suffice for model. (something catch cleaning rag on)
Matt
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Post by mugbuilder on Sept 23, 2021 1:51:18 GMT
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Post by mugbuilder on Oct 12, 2021 4:08:29 GMT
Some additions to the front end of the engine. The smoke-box shell is done and mounted in the frame. There is still quite a few details to be added to it including the chimney. I have been concentrating on the lower front of it and the foot plate that fills in the front frame section.I am fairly happy with the dummy snifter valves as I took some photos and dimensions of the full size valves and valve rod tail covers.   |
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Post by mugbuilder on Oct 12, 2021 4:17:34 GMT
Sorry about that last picture being a bit blurred. I have also noticed that at times digital cameras seem to distort the image a bit, making square items look a bit skew whiff.
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Post by d304 on Oct 13, 2021 10:57:59 GMT
Hi Barry
Zoom your lens out and this should reduce the “fisheye” distortion.
Regards
David
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Post by mugbuilder on Oct 13, 2021 21:04:22 GMT
Thanks for that David.
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Post by mugbuilder on Oct 23, 2021 22:47:01 GMT
 Somewhere inside this block of cast iron hides a chimney.  Forming the base to fit the smoke box.  The shape is starting to emerge.  The profile is done ready for the bottom flange to be filed to shape.It has been bored out to size and the bottom has been threaded for the petticoat pipe.  The petticoat pipe has been turned and threaded to fit the chimney bottom.  The chimney mounted in place. For some years now I have been screwing the petticoat pipe into the bottom of the chimneys as it makes it easier to get at the smoke box interior if required and I always take it out for cleaning after a run. |
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Post by mugbuilder on Oct 23, 2021 23:01:06 GMT
I always use a spirit level placed on top of the chimney before fixing it to the smokebox top to make sure that it is truly vertical and square to the engine frame. The smokebox door and associated hardware are done and fitted.
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Post by steamer5 on Oct 24, 2021 0:23:01 GMT
Hi Barry,
Very nice work! Guessing that it was a bit of a work out on the arms to finish the bottom profile.
Cheers Kerrin
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Post by mugbuilder on Oct 24, 2021 23:40:02 GMT
G,day Kerrin, It only took an hour or so to profile the chimney base, thanks to flap discs and pneumatic file followed up with some file and hand work. As I had to use an 80mm dia. piece of cast iron, there was an awful lot of swarf generated in turning the chimney and a good deal of the cast iron dust ended up in my nose which didn't do much for the sinuses. I had to revert to a suitable mask after a while which was very uncomfortable to wear. I'm not sure what to do next as I am a bit undecided at the moment on what shape to make the boiler and prefer the detail work anyhow. I will probably end up making the boiler mid-summer in the heat and wish that I had done it sooner. These tank engines were converted from 4-4-0 tender engines which were originally fitted with a much skinnier chimney than the one shown fitted here. I don't know how many tank conversions were later fitted with the larger diameter one shown here but as the engine that I am building had the bigger one fitted , that is the one copied. Bound to be some criticism along the way sometime.
Regardss, Barry
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mbrown
Elder Statesman
Posts: 1,790
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Post by mbrown on Oct 25, 2021 10:20:47 GMT
What I love about your chimney is that you have got the relationship between the top ring and the barrel just right. With few exceptions that I am aware of among all sorts of chimney designs, the top ring is essentially a continuation of the taper of the barrel. But many models seem to get this relationship wrong and the result never looks right. You have got it spot on.
What I can't quite fully understand is that you have done so much fantastic work here but fitted her with slip eccentric motion. I bet you'll have a fully detailed set of cab controls - but no reverser! I guess if she is to be used for steady running on continuous tracks, you might not use the reverser much anyway, but it still seems a strange omission on such a superbly detailed model. Each to their own, I know, and always the builder's choice.
Malcolm
Malcolm
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Post by runner42 on Oct 25, 2021 22:05:36 GMT
Hi Barry,
a novel approach to have the petticoat pipe and chimney threaded. I understand your reasoning for this approach, so that the petticoat pipe can be easily removed for maintenance operations in the smoke box. But maybe an unintended advantage is that you have control of the petticoat pipe's position with regard to the blast pipe, which I understand as a critical factor in making the locomotive a great steamer. Did you engineer this variability in the position or is it meant to screw fully home?
Brian
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Post by mugbuilder on Oct 25, 2021 22:47:29 GMT
Hello Malcolm, Thanks for your kind words regarding the chimney. I do understand your confusion about why I haven't fitted full valve gear to this engine. To be honest I'm a bit nonplussed about it myself. When i started this project just over a year ago ,it was only to be a simple machine made to keep me occupied for a while. I don't need any more locos but needed something to do. The aim was to make a pretty little engine, painted green all lined out and with the NSWGR coat of arms on the rear bunker, to sit on the shelf and look at and know that it would run if needs be. As our local track is 5" ground level, and is age is rapidly catching up,I doubted very much that i would be able to reach into the cab to drive the thing, so at the time opted to fit the slip eccentric gear. I intend this to be the last of a long line of engines and was rather tired of making and fitted so many full valve gears. I do enjoy the detail work and have got a bit carried away with this job. I have already fitted a fairly good copy of the original screw revers-er into the cab and the option is there to fit the Stephenson's gear at a later date if required. The dilemma at the moment is what to do with the boiler. The full size engines had Belpair boilers with the firebox placed between the driving wheels. As this is supposed to be a simple quick build I was intending to fit a superheated round top boiler and clad it up to suite. It would be possible to extend the boiler over the rear axle and slope the grate toward the front. This would have the effect of bringing the backhead further into the cab and thus make it a bit easier to drive. This alteration could be done with either the round top or Belpair version. But here again we have a more complex addition to what started out to be a simple build. Maybe I should just go and have a good lie down.
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