Building a 31/2" Gauge Locomotive Engine

[sbwhart]

Hi Nick

I recon I'm at least two months away from an air run, progress will speed up though as I'm finishing work (retiring) end of July  

The little bits are nothing to be afraid of the main thing is to get the hole centres the same and thats easy enough if you drill one first then drill the second off the first, the rest is just filing work with buttons and hand eye co-ordination.

The parts that were fabricated in hindsite could be made better from solid, I was guided from good old Curlie's words and music, and that is the way he did it, but he was writing in an age when small milling machine were as scares as Rocking horse s***t, today most people have them so I recon that would be a better way to go, I'm half tempted to remake those bits from solid but I'll see how it goes first.

Stew

[Darren]

I recon I'm at least two months away from an air run,
Stew

Looking forward to that day Stew, hope you can do a video cos I recon all those moving parts would be memerising 

[sbwhart]

I recon I'm at least two months away from an air run,
Stew

Looking forward to that day Stew, hope you can do a video cos I recon all those moving parts would be memerising 

I thought I was Dave 


 

Stew

[Darren]

Indeed sometimes you are......

[bogstandard]

As you know Stew, if you need it, just ask. I can only say one of two things.

There are no problems locally case hardening, I do it myself, to very good effect, I was just asking if you had taken the solder joints into consideration, don't want you to lose all that good work.

The swivel chair has now been replaced with a new one, and the old one is outside waiting to die, even a new wheel won't resurrect it.


John

[sbwhart]

The swivel chair has now been replaced with a new one, and the old one is outside waiting to die, even a new wheel won't resurrect it.

John

Can't you recycle it into an engine   

Now ther's a chalenge for you 

Stew

[Stilldrillin]

I recon I'm at least two months away from an air run,
Stew

Looking forward to that day Stew, hope you can do a video cos I recon all those moving parts would be memerising 

I thought I was Dave 


 

Stew

Isn`t that me?

[sbwhart]

I recon I'm at least two months away from an air run,
Stew

Looking forward to that day Stew, hope you can do a video cos I recon all those moving parts would be memerising 

I thought I was Dave 


 

Stew

Isn`t that me?

Dave

I think we should wear name badges when we're on line, to avoid confusion  .

      

Stew

[Darren]

OK guys, I'll try harder in future....

Just names and faces have never been my thing. I can talk to a shop owner on a regular basis for years. Bump into them in another town whilst out shopping and they say hi.
I have to ask the missus who they are 

It's a real solid mental blank with me.....never understood why...

[NickG]

Stew,

Congratulations on retiring!  If I can take early retirement at 61 (will probably lose a lot of pension) I only have 32 years to go!   
Maybe I should just  only joking of course!

The only problem with Stew's engine is, all those parts are hidden away inside the frames, so when it's built together, you can't see any of the moving parts except the conrods and wheels! 

I know what you mean about making from the solid, but I definitely wouldn't make them again, you've done a great job on them.

Nick

[CrewCab]

Stew,
Great thread, really entertaining, great pics and we're all (well, most of us) learning something  your making the intricate parts look waaaaayyyyyy too easy 

Keep up the good work, and the posts

CC

PS: ............ what's a "filing button"  ............... I think I can sort of imagine and I tried a quick google, but that only seemed to find obscure computer and office related links  ............ just curious.

[sbwhart]

PS: ............ what's a "filing button"  ............... I think I can sort of imagine and I tried a quick google, but that only seemed to find obscure computer and office related links  ............ just curious.

Thanks Chaps


CC

A filing button is just a sacrificial guide that you work up to with a file to get nice neat rads, you just turn them up to the required size out of any scrap material and fasten them on like a nut and bolt.

Her's one in use on the mill, you just mill down until your just about kissing it, and your down to size.




Nick

I'm retiring after 45 years with the same company I started with RO when I was 15, In this day and age I don't think there will be many people staying with the same company for as long, also as you know final salary pensions are now a thing of the past, I count myself very lucky to be retiring at 60 with a good pension and good health (touch wood)

Have fun

Stew

[NickG]

Stew,

It's well deserved. I'm paying into a final salary scheme at the moment but have my doubts about how long that'll last! It's a great company to work for though and hopefully I will be able to do the same.

Nick

[sbwhart]

Stew,

It's well deserved. I'm paying into a final salary scheme at the moment but have my doubts about how long that'll last! It's a great company to work for though and hopefully I will be able to do the same.

Nick

Nick

They've had one bite out of the cake, I lost out a little bit with that and I know younger guys like you lost out a lot, I wouldn't be surprised if they didn't come back for a bigger bite.

Cheers

Stew

[sbwhart]

Well thats the valve linkage done, with the exception of the case hardening, I,m running a bit short of the powder so I've just ordered a kg off Chronus goodness knows when it will get to me with their delivery record.

So making a start on the reversing mechanism, this works by winding a handle in the cab which changes the relationships of the valve linkage. Because of the linkage, winding the handle clockwise would put the loco in reverse, this is counter intuitive so to put it right the drawing calls for a 3/16 BSW left hand thread:-  BSW is a course thread so you don't have to give a lot of turns of the handle.



I got them from Tracey Tools http://www.tracytools.com/

The first bit is the activiating block, and I'm making it out of that old rail spike.

Square the material up and bring it to size 1/2" * 1/2" * 3/8"



And again as its one of those square jobs where its easy to get features in the wrong place, mark it out.



Then mill out the first slot with a 1/8" slot drill, flip it round making shure the orientation is right and mill the second slot 3/16"



Then drill No 26 tapping size for 3/16 Whit



Then tap 3/16 BSW left hand:- now her's a funny thing I knew it was a left hand tap and I kept telling myselve it was left hand, so guess which way I tried tapping it

Correct right hand  it realy is strange how the mind works:- well my mind anyway. Who decided that threads were to be right hand in the first place, it just seems so natural to have right hand threads is it something in humane nature  .



Now for a bit on filing buttons, this block has a rad on one corner, to do this nice and neat I made a 5/16 dia button. I make them out of mild steel as I need them, it only takes 1/2 hr, and depending on their condition when I've finished with them I often throw them away, you can use them three or four times before they become US, they can be made out of silver steel which you can harden, but catching the hardend button with your file will take the edge off the file.





This is how its used.



And this is the completed job with the button.

That was a nice interesting bit to make.

Have fun

Stew

[CrewCab]

A filing button is just a sacrificial guide that you work up to with a file to get nice neat rads,

Did I say I had an idea what they were  .................... I was completely wrong  .................. assumption, the mother of all "mistakes" 

Thanks Stew, excellent tip 

CC

[sbwhart]

Now her's an intersting little chalenge the Reversing Shaft



You can see from the drawing that its a bit on the spindly side, with these sort of components its always worth it to try and understand the function of each feature, the two 1/8 dia at each end of the thread have to be concentric with the thread as these are bearings that keep things lined up the Square and the 9ba thread keep the handle on the shaft so its not so important thet they are concentric, in other word they can be turned as a second op, also with this typ of component the operation sequence is important.

So first job is put a small centre in the end of the bar, and then supporting it with my nice little running centre  turn up the 3/16 dia by 2" length (don't forget to allow for the removale of the centre hole in the length.) Tip you need a good sharp tool for this type of work HSS is ideal.



Then turn down the 1/8 dia for the longer length (where the square is to go)



Cut the left hand thread with the die



Turn the 1/8 dia at the other end and part off





Then make a 1/8 brass split  bush.



Then griping by the split bush turn it down to 3mm for the square  (I went away from drawing for this bit)



Then turn down for 8BA and run the die down it (no pic)



To file the square I used the bush to grip in the vice to get one flat, then with this flat up against one edge of the vice it alowed me to file the other sides square (hand eye cordination) I left a bit of meat on the square to alow a bit of fudge factor to fit to the handle when I make it





I made two in case I had a scrapper.

I'll post a pic of the finished shaft when my camera recharges.

But its job done

I do like jobs like that 

Have fun

Stew

[Stilldrillin]

That`s marvellous!

You`ve got a LOT more patience than me, Mate....... 

(Not Stew)

[sbwhart]

Thanks Not Stew

Her's a pic of the completed Shaft with a spare



Not Dave

[CrewCab]

Not Dave 

Cracking write up and good pics, thanks for takin the time to share it with us, I suspect posting the thread took longer than making the part though   

atb

CC

[sbwhart]

Thanks C C

The write ups don't take too long, I just let the pics tell the story, the hardest bit is trying to remember to take the pic  . If I had to do a wordy write up it would take me an age, writing and spelling is not my strong point.

Have fun

Stew

[sbwhart]

Started on the Reversing Frame today.

The frames made from 1/8" hot rolled mild stel plate, cut the frame out to shape with hacksaw, mill and file, and made the two little bushes, one of the bushes is threaded 7/32 * 40 ME, into which the bearing bush proper screws, its this design so you can assemble the screw and the block,

This is how it goes together.





A shalow 1/8" slot was milled into the bush to locate the frame and the whole lot silver soldered together.

This is how I held it to do the soldering the 1/8" dia rod kept things lined up. You have to be carfull not to over do the solder or it runs into areas you don't want it    .  Thats not an easy thing for me as I tend to be a bit generous with the old solder.



But it worked out OK, things came apart and assembled together fine after the shonet was cleaned off.



Also made a start on the lever again this was a saw, file, mill job. The end has a 3/16" rad end, but with no holes to fix a button, so I tried gluing the button on with supper glue, it stayed in place long enough for me to file the rad out.



when its finished I'll show a pic of the assembly.

Cheers

Have Fun

Stew

[NickG]

Stew,

your last few installments have made me realise just how much can be done with sawing and filing! I tend to forget about hand tools these days, I'm always looking for a way of doing things on a machine but a lot of the time, as you've proven, it's not necessary. However, I've never really been that good with hand tools, I guess I haven't really been brought up with them like the 'old school' and people that have served apprenticeships etc. I would probably need a fair bit of practice!

Nick

[Darren]

Stew,

your last few installments have made me realise just how much can be done with sawing and filing!
Nick

Quite..!!

I have to say I seriously doubt I could achieve your finish with a file Stew 

Really nice work there 

[shoey51]

Ive just read this from the beginning what a great tutorial for us beginners
will be watching this thread