peteh
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Post by peteh on Nov 22, 2011 8:28:00 GMT
Believe me - it only LOOKS organised! It's probably the only little bit of order in the chaos of my shed. Mind you the plan protector was less than $10 - so well worth it in terms of protecting the plans. I reckon it will also give me an hour or two extra in the shed during the summer as it gets so bright that I can hardly see what I'm doing.
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peteh
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Post by peteh on Nov 22, 2011 12:37:08 GMT
Hour and a half in the shed tonight and got all four spring pins for the driving axlebox completed. God I hate machining 1/8 Stainless! I always bend at least one attempt - and there's a lot of it in this locomotive. Still at least it's one more component on the finished list.
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Post by Jo on Nov 22, 2011 12:54:53 GMT
What type of stainless are you trying to machine? 303 is lovely stuff to machine.
Jo
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Post by Deleted on Nov 22, 2011 13:40:42 GMT
Pete
I use a lot of stainless, and I always machine small stuff in a collet. This is because older three jaw chucks (like mine) however accurate, tend to have a slight 'bell mouth' which permits tough stuff like stainless to wobble, and occasionally flip up!
You don't need an expensive chuck: a split brass bush will do nicely.
JB
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peteh
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Post by peteh on Nov 23, 2011 0:21:54 GMT
Jo -
K&S Stainless from the local hobby shop - only local supplier! Grade i not stated from memory.
Simplyloco -
Thanks for that tip - I will have to try it
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Post by Shawki Shlemon on Nov 23, 2011 7:25:23 GMT
There is a thread here about machining small diameters with pictures of special tools , I don't remember the name of the thread , I tried to find it but I failed , may be some one knows the thread and bring it up for you .  |
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Post by Deleted on Nov 23, 2011 7:52:21 GMT
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peteh
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Post by peteh on Nov 23, 2011 11:44:15 GMT
Thanks guys - Those look like good possiblilities. Will look into it further when I need to reduce my next piece. My main problem is that I have a combined mill/lathe and it takes a while to convert, I therefore like to get all the turning out of the way before converting to mill mode. Not always practicle though  Good news is I got a phone call at work today - the laser cut frames and other pieces are ready to be picked up |
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Post by Jo on Nov 23, 2011 14:00:35 GMT
Pete,
You should be able to get 303 from most metal suppliers. I suspect that the stuff sold in the K&S stands is a different grade which is good for hand rails but they are not expecting you to want to turn it.
I happily turned half a dozen of so 12BA bolts 5/8" long from 1/8" 303 Stainless held in a collet using a simple HSS tool. The trick I have found is to use a home made rear tool post with a slight groove to stop it bending. (I tried the small radius tool with the bush, which you drill to size, but it did not work as well as my cheap bodge up of a rear tool post. I also tried the original rear tool post was no good either!).
For info: my cheap bodge up rear tool post is nothing more than an L shaped piece of aluminum with a bit of flat brass 1/8" thick with a slot through it which it is bolted to the L on the side nearest the chuck. The work supporting groove in the end is very shallow being cut with a triangular needle file. The slot in the support enables you to adjust the brass to support the work and the other trick is don't be in a rush: take very shallow cuts.
Nearly forgot: you cut a few thou in front of the support. Not behind it because I found that the tool pressure had a tendancy to slightly bend the material and weaken it.
Jo
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peteh
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Post by peteh on Nov 24, 2011 11:18:24 GMT
Picked up the laser cutting last night, very happy with the result. I was pushing the limits of this suppliers machine so I have two sets of parts cut. The first set is with the holes cut (or centres etched) as well and the second has no holes. At the end of the day it cost no more as I was still on their minimum charge ;D Here are the main frames - ![]() [/img] Attachments:
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peteh
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Post by peteh on Nov 24, 2011 11:22:57 GMT
Gee that last photo was a bit small - here's a larger one of the Horn Plates Attachments:
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peteh
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Post by peteh on Nov 24, 2011 11:26:56 GMT
Last one - showing buffer beams and valve rods. If you look closely at the valve rods you can see that one set has crosses cut instead of a circle. Attachments:
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peteh
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Post by peteh on Nov 24, 2011 11:31:35 GMT
Just a quick heads up that I may not be doing much this weekend - I have to take my wife to the hospital tomorrow for surgery, nothing too major but will have to look after kids plus visiting.
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Post by Shawki Shlemon on Nov 25, 2011 6:18:32 GMT
I hope everything will be OK , you don't need to do any thing this week , the laser company done that for you ;D , you are half way there . ;D
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peteh
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Post by peteh on Nov 25, 2011 8:36:21 GMT
All's well thanks Shawki. My wife rang up after surgery  Now has 6 weeks without heavy lifting so that means she can't help in the shed  ;D Joking aside, it's not worth getting too filthy as between taking my mother-in-law shopping tomorrow morning and taking the family visiting in the afternoon there isn't much time left to get filthy! ;D |
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Smifffy
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Post by Smifffy on Nov 26, 2011 9:45:03 GMT
Sorry Shawki, I'm going to have to correct you there. Pete is only a quarter of the way there, as I now expect him to be building two Northumbrians :-)
Pete, I wish your wife a speedy recovery to full strength.
Smifffy
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peteh
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Post by peteh on Nov 26, 2011 13:14:23 GMT
Hi Guys, Surgery went well and wife gets home on Monday Tempting idea there Smiffy - I guess at the end of the day there isn't that much extra work in producing two engines instead of one. Just a case of repeating each job However (isn't there ALWAYS an however! ) funds probably won't stretch far enough at the moment. My wife is the major money earner in our household (she's a GP) so with the fair system we use she earns it and I spend it (God I'm dead if she reads this ;D ) With two kids still at home we arn't in easy street by a looong way yet, be nice if we can finish paying off the house before the world's economy totally crumbles! |
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Post by Shawki Shlemon on Nov 27, 2011 8:07:00 GMT
Pete , from experience I can tell you to build two at the same time , it will take you approximately 1.5 time to build one , so Smifffy is wrong too ;D as you are 1/3 the way . Money is only good for spending , the pleasures and services that money brings are that matter .  |
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Smifffy
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Post by Smifffy on Nov 27, 2011 9:57:40 GMT
Lol - good response Shawki :-)
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peteh
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Post by peteh on Nov 27, 2011 13:04:07 GMT
;D ;D likewise LOL !
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;D