Thanks much everyone!
Even Mrs. D`s impressed....... (She paused, while wielding her mighty duster!).
Wow. I've never impressed a woman in any manner. So... That's a first, for me!
Mrs. D must be a very kind and tolerant lady. What a peach! : )
Making the door that goes over the cutout area on one side of the firebox where the burner slides in.
This took days of a bit here, bit there. I'm a slow builder, and interrupted shop time makes it worse!
Cut out the door shape from 1/8" brass sheet using a jewelers saw.
I've never been really good at this, even though I've done it a lot. I always end up with lots of file work.
I hope to be able to cut a straight line by the time I die. I'll be satisfied at that point. Hope I make it!
After the piece was mostly finished off with the file I made a small bushing that will allow the
door to swing to the side when it's mounted. Some flux and a small piece of 45% silver wire, and
it was ready for the heat.
The wire on the bushing is holding it down so it will stay flush with the back side of the door.
Another piece is cut out for the door handle, and finished to the correct shape with the file.
The piece is clamped to the door, and again, flux and a couple of bits of 45% silver wire.
I did just this end with the 45% wire. The part in the middle and the end at the top of
the door next to the bushing was done with 56% wire. Using the different silver alloys
I don't have to worry about the bushing at the top falling off when I do that end, since
45% wire melts at a higher temp than 56% wire.
After getting the door handle brazed on, the piece was put in the mill and the back milled flat.
The heat had warped the piece a little and the milling was to surface the back so it will
fit flat against the firebox.
I milled down the front a bit too, partly because of the warp from the previous brazing heat, but
also because I goofed when doing the last heat on this piece. I had the piece sitting at an angle
during the last heat, and of course a good deal of the brazing alloy ran off to the edge of the
piece when it got to heat. I actually
do know how to do this, even if it seems otherwise!
When the silver alloy ran down, it also left a visible groove where the handle edge meets the door.
I admit to being a little frustrated at what was a simple brazing job, and ready to be done with it,
I decided to just run a line of regular solder over the visible groove. Then it was filed and sanded.
That's one more piece done, and the last thing on the prints. In the next few days I hope to get a
pulley made for the crankshaft, and a small fan built that will run off the pulley and cool the fins
on the cylinder. I'll have the finished pics at that time, along with a video of the thing running
in its completed state.
Hopefully just a few days to go.
Thanks again for checking in!
Dean
