rrmrd66
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Post by rrmrd66 on Apr 9, 2023 8:12:55 GMT
Hi miken
I have found Craftmaster coach enamel (in an aerosol) excellent and highly resistant to almost everything.
On the other hand Edding paint sticks whilst producing a fine white line and particularly poor with any contamination and smudge however dry you think you have got them.
Cheers
Malcolm
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rrmrd66
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Post by rrmrd66 on Apr 9, 2023 6:08:31 GMT
Hi Adam
Yes spot on, that is the reason.
Cheers
Malcolm
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rrmrd66
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Post by rrmrd66 on Apr 8, 2023 8:42:04 GMT
Good Morning all In the unlikely event that you were wondering had I ever finished my Hunslet engine, well, yes I did. It only took about 7 years, so no truth in the rumor that scratch building a 5" engine in easy and quick!
It is now almost 2 years since my last post on this project. Attached is what is supposed to be me on the elevated track at the York model engineers track doing one of my inaugural laps. I may have lost the "motion" element of the video. Unfortunately due to things beyond my knowledge in Flickr and the transfer of video files between itself and Model Engineers Proboards. However you get the idea. It all works fine.
Why the two year gap I hear you ask? Well various reasons. I had started a 7 1/4" Ken Swann Bridget for one. A continually leaking regulator valve in the Hunslet for the other. I searched for some 'expert" to solve the problem and was guided to all sorts of people. As is always in life some were good at talking about it others could actually do it! Eventuality I went to Tim Jenkins of Rufforth Steam at Southport ( ex Steam Workshop) who had the engine for a few weeks and got it running smoothly. I would recommend him to anybody. Nothing too bad found but lots of little things that he put right including the dreaded Stroudley regulator. Being from a Tool Making background many years ago I had made the engine too "fine" and it was very stiff. Should have been more generous with my clearances. Will try and do better in future.
Back at Rydale Club at Gilling I had a lot of help and encouragement from Mr. Lin Bisgrove, whom I would like to thank publicly here for his mentoring. Without him I think i would have given up.
After a bit more fettling I got the engine through its hydraulic and steam tests. Upon completion of these tests We pushed it onto the turntable which has gauging blocks that comply to the Gilling GL5 standard loading gauge and guess what? It would not pass through the blocks. Result: I am not able run at Gilling!
To say i was peeved was an understatement. 7 years of subscriptions and no word from anyone up until that moment. Say no more other than to anybody else who is thinking of running an industrial NG engine at Gilling is don't bother or at least check the loading gauge requirements first.
What to do? Look for an elevated 5" track which Gilling does not have. How to do that? Go to the Model Engineering Exhibition at Harrogate where most of the Northern England clubs had stands and was literally inundated with offers of help. York and District track is almost equidistant to Gilling from my home near Thirsk and they have a 5" elevated track. Everybody was very helpful and I managed a lap of the track on the first day there. A little bit more work on injector feed etc and I was up and running. The attached video hopefully shows the evidence of that.
So back to the Ken Swann locomotive, which is coming along quite nicely. I will give occasional updates on another thread if you are interested?
Cheers
Malcolm
If you are running an Ad Blocker you may need to turn it off to run the video.
Tim Jenkins new address is Rufford Steam Works in Brampton near Carlisle (not Rufforth, my mistake) He is on Facebook.
IMG_1802 by Malcolm HARWOOD, on Flickr
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rrmrd66
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Post by rrmrd66 on Mar 13, 2023 7:32:24 GMT
Agreed Dan
Excellent show hope the organisers do it next year. More trade stands would be good and maybe give them more warning to enable them to prepare.
Malcolm
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Post by rrmrd66 on Jul 18, 2022 15:15:19 GMT
I'm a huge fan of 'O' rings, but I've only used them on the Wet Header of the Superheater. The outputs from the Superheaters use flat copper washers. I don't think 'O' rings are suitable anywhere near the output of a Superheater. It may be of interest, and apologies for thread wander, but steel continuous casting machines basically pour molten steel (1550-1650°C) into water cooled copper mould boxes on the "second or third floor" and gently lower the semi molten steel to ground level. The moulds are mounted in a large radius. Water supply copious.
The cover plates of the mould boxes were sealed with, guess what?
!0 - 12mm cord diameter Silicone O rings. British Steel were happy to change them regularly as it was the only material that would give something like acceptable service life. Weeks not months.
Most elastomers, including Viton, are particularly poor in steam service.
Cheers
Malcolm
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rrmrd66
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Post by rrmrd66 on Jul 18, 2022 8:45:32 GMT
Morning Bob and everyone else I do love these discussions about a topic I was involved in for 40+ years. Sorry to say Bob, someone beat you to it with your idea of ridges in flat shim washers. See: www.nicholsons.co.uk/products/corruplus/They were the only seal that would work in Concorde's Olympus engines back in the '60's Cheers Malcolm
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rrmrd66
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Post by rrmrd66 on Apr 1, 2022 13:55:00 GMT
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Post by rrmrd66 on Apr 1, 2022 11:00:25 GMT
Hello Everybody
Whilst on the subject what are members preferred methods for tackling the edges left by laser/water jet/gas(?) cutting equipment.
The excellent frames that MEL provide have a very hard "wound" that looks unsightly. Is it a question of draw filing off dressing them with an abrasive belt sander?
Cheers
Malcolm
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rrmrd66
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Post by rrmrd66 on Mar 27, 2022 18:01:43 GMT
Hello Jason Quite correct to take me to task over this. Have a look at page 559 of the attached. That covers dynamic applications www.powerparts.it/simrit_pdf/o-rings_static_seals.pdfOf course life is never that simple as most oil hydraulic sealing elastomers are not that suitable for steam service. Cheers Malcolm Love the traction engine btw.
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rrmrd66
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Post by rrmrd66 on Mar 27, 2022 8:08:49 GMT
Good morning all Here is the only "O" ring chart you will ever need. It covers ID,OD and face sealing. It did for me for 30+ years working with Germany's two biggest seal manufacturers. www.fst.com/-/media/files/sales%20sheets/merkel%20o-rings.pdfPS Hydraulic seal manufacturers never like using O rings in dynamic applications. An O ring is a static seal. Happy sealing Malcolm
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rrmrd66
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Post by rrmrd66 on Nov 12, 2021 9:16:03 GMT
Coca-Cola?
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rrmrd66
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Post by rrmrd66 on Nov 1, 2021 18:19:12 GMT
Hi John
Is page 11 of my thread on the Don Young 5" Hunslet build of any use?
I used two different grades of solder to silver solder the joints (see CuP Alloys).
Followed by a tank sealant which appears to have worked well.
Good Luck
Malcolm
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rrmrd66
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Post by rrmrd66 on Sept 28, 2021 9:15:27 GMT
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rrmrd66
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Post by rrmrd66 on Sept 20, 2021 17:35:10 GMT
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Post by rrmrd66 on Aug 17, 2021 6:20:08 GMT
Good point abby reference files
Buy Swiss made Vallorbe, not cheap ones. I get mine from Axminster Tool. They last for years.
Cheers
Malcolm
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rrmrd66
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Post by rrmrd66 on Aug 16, 2021 14:45:44 GMT
Hi Ross
That is a remarkable model. You should be very proud of it and yourself.
Best wishes from a Moor Road Hunslet "incomer".
Malcolm
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rrmrd66
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Post by rrmrd66 on Aug 16, 2021 9:10:24 GMT
Morning Harry Robinson and everybody else.
That's more like it. Useful stuff. More use, IMHO, than things like buying small cars and crypto currency (I'll be getting my coat then!).
The most often used thing in my workshop is an A2 size laminated wall chart from Presto Drills that gives metric,imperial (decimals and fractions) in 0.1 mm increments up to 1 inch diameter. It has all letter and number drill sizes included.
I would suggest essential if you are a first time builder of say a Don Young design.
I am always amazed how often I refer to it.
Best of luck Harry.
Cheers
Malcolm
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rrmrd66
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Post by rrmrd66 on Aug 9, 2021 12:00:49 GMT
Thanks guys for all the useful suggestions.
Your time and experience is much appreciated.
This morning I spent 3 hours removing the smoke box and saddle tank. I can now get at the steam feed into the valve box(es). I intend to turn up two blanking plugs and test regulator,super heated steam pipe and return tubes where they enter the valve block(s), all at once.
I hope it all goes back together!
cheers
Malcolm
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Post by rrmrd66 on Aug 8, 2021 18:09:07 GMT
Hello John (Baguley)
Thanks for the advice.
My problem is that I am getting water, under pressure, past the faces of the Stroudley type regulator. I lapped them in, but maybe not enough?
This resulted in water getting into the cylinders and emerging through the blast nozzle into the smoke box. Not what I wanted to put it mildly.
To get into the regulator means stripping the boiler manifold/super heater feed right back and re-lapping the faces.It has been suggested that maybe I could blank off the super heater feed but this appears to be as difficult as stripping it all out.
Frankly I am disappointed to have got this far, only to fail at the last hurdle.
The Hunslet may have to retire to the black hole under the bench!
All suggestions greatfully received.
Cheers
Malcolm
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Post by rrmrd66 on Aug 8, 2021 9:52:05 GMT
Hi John and everyone else.
Well, now you ask I would prefer it if you started a new thread for your build.
I have basically finished the build of my Hunslet. I am about to steam it. Major problem with the regulator valve not holding pressure on the hydraulic test.
I can understand the need for safety if involved with public running and club boiler tests. However bearing in mind the stricture of never filling the boiler higher than half way up the sight glass(es) I can not get my head around filling the boiler up to the very top of the manifold and then pressurising to 50% plus working pressure (120psi). This is a thing that would never occur in normal running unless one tried to simulate "hydraulicing" of the pistons/cylinders with all its dangers. I have a new Western Steam boiler plus works certificate (to 2x WP). All seems a bit OTT to me.
I may just run it on a garden track after having set the safety valves,. The engine pressure gauge seems, surprisingly, in line with the pressure gauge on my hydraulic pump.
Some final photos to follow.
After a non stop 4+ year build, like Roger, I wanted to do something different for a bit so have built a Hemingway pipe bending kit which, as always, was not quite as easy as I thought, the 5 circular cross section bending dies being a bit tricky. Anyway I will now have beautiful copper pipe radii for my next build (Bridget).
Thanks to all those who have followed this build thread. I hope you may have learned something? I have learned LOTS!
Cheers
Malcolm
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