Keith_W

Jack, Row, Mark, Steve, Matt, Denis and Carl, thanks for the encouragement.
Thanks to all for the likes.
 
I took a break from the drive train today and fabricated the Valve caps these are there to allow the valves to be removed from the head because on the full size engine the head was a single casting. because of the small size of my model I have built the head in two parts. I haven't fully resolved how I will join them yet.
 
The two outside caps which line up with the inlet ports are also set up as priming ports with a couple of little cups above the stop cocks that are threaded into them. like these on the top

 
So I had a bit of fun having a go at making a stop cock to fit into the top.
Looking down into the open valve.
 

 
Now closed
 

 
From the side
 

 

 
The valve cap is threaded 8x36 into the head these were made from some 3/16th rod from Home Depot (nice hard brass)
The valve body is machined up from some 1/8 hex stock, I have a fair bit of it left over from a commercial job 20 years ago (it was a special order locally and I had to buy 16 feet of it) it is also a nice free machining hard brass.
 
The steel insert is a mystery steel (salvaged rods from a library card catalogue system filing cabinet) it seem to machine freely and is 1/8th in diameter.
 
The threads on the valve body is 1x72 with a # 59 drill hole through the length. The cross hole was 1/16 then tapered with the largest clock making tapered broach. the steel was tapered to match on the lathe and threaded 0x80 for the retaining spring and nut. the handle end was shaped with needle files while still on the lathe then heated in a pin vice and bent with some flat pliers.
 
Once the steel was shaped I set it into the brass body put it back into the lathe and drilled through the steel with the handle in the open position using the same #59 drill from the opposite end. It looks a bit crude and now that I know I can make one this small I will set up and make a pair that are a bit closer looking to the ones on the 1:1 engines
 
Michael

Herr Katze-kopf, if you look at my Bounty Launch, I sanded and re-stained it probably 4-5 times. It looks OK. 

Sorry to hear, Cathead. Why don't you try this: brush a diluted 80:20 PVA to water solution over the gaps. Wipe off the excess with a damp cloth. Wait until the glue goes tacky, then sand. The sawdust will clog up the PVA and create a filler the same colour as your wood. 

Thanks for all the likes today.
 
I reached a milestone today and got the main bearings roughed in.
 
First I machined up the keeper blocks. and some studs.
 

 

 
Assembled them in order to ream them for the 1/8th shaft.
 

 
I thought it best to use the hand reamer rather than setting it up in the mill for the machine reamer.
 

 
After thinning down the area on the upper crankcase it all went together quite nicely. and the shaft rotates easily.
 

 
I am still deciding whether to fabricate the crankshaft or machine it from solid bar, either way it will be tricky.
 
Michael
 
 

Thanks to all the builders who pushed the like button.
 
Denis, I am learning a lot about engines myself at the moment.
 
Steve yes I am going to make the reverse mechanism as well.
 
Today this morning I was drawing up the feed-water pump, I ended up finding a good internal design in one of my old Model Engineer mags page 1265 October 1981 for a 3 1`/2 inch gauge Stanier 8F. I will need to make it smaller but the design will fit into the pipes that are on the prototype buffalo which pumps off the camshaft like this one on the Old Marine engine site
 
I worked on the pan today and roughed out the half round bottoms for the crankshaft and drilled and tapped all the 0x80 holes for the studs.
 

 
I looked at all my stashes of steel wire and rods looking for some .060 to make the steel 0x80 studs from. I could not find any that was exactly .060"
I then came across a most unlikely source, the re-bar ties left over from building the house just happened to be .060 the stuff threaded up a treat. had to make a small open ended wrench to get to the valve side because of the overhang.
 

 
Did a test fit of the crankcase and pan and water-jacket, it all slipped together nicely. It has really helped with the accuracy of cutting and drilling to set up the dial calipers on the mill, and working from  a 0 centre 
 
Michael
 
 
 

Thanks for all the likes and encouraging comments.
 
I had to make another cutter to make the recesses in the main flanges
 

 
I have already drilled the holes to accept the camshaft bearings they are larger because I need to be able to clear the raised cams.
 

 
An overall shot of the progress to date.
 

 
A close up of the new cutter, I needed a long reach with a small diameter cutting edge to fit next to the body of the case. it is hardened drill rod the diameter at the cutting face is .086" The bolt holes are .060 and the case it tapped ready for the 0x80 bolts.
 

 
Michael

After doing a few experiments with the valve stem springs and keeper, I have increased the diameter of the valve-stem to .060" inches leaving the narrow section for the keeper at .046"
 
This was one of the early tests using the .046 stem the spring is .078 in diameter and the wire is .011. the keeper was a bit fiddly. I can safely increase the stem diameter and still maintain the .078 diameter springs the length of the springs are ..259" presently I am learning how to wind them so that there is a double coil at each end with the wider spaced turns in between. I have found that it is better to make them this way rather than winding a length then stretching it out to form the compression spring.
 

 
The crank case is progressing well at this time also. there is a fair bit of hand filing to finish up the corners because I do not have the requisite end mills to do all this work on the milling machine.
 

 
this next picture shows the flats on the sides of the liners slipped through the top of the upper part of the crankcase.
 

 
that's it for now.
 
Michael

Si, thanks for the kind words, Denis I like your new avatar, The song "Imagine" is my favourite song of the last century.
 
I started working on the crankcase it is cut from a block of brass that a friend gave me, it was given to him by somebody who melted down a bunch of odd bits of brass. it is hard and fine grained. The block was about 5 inches long and 3 wide and about 1 3/8 thick looked like it was cast in a mini bread pan. The brass cut nicely in the cut off saw.
 

 
This is the progress on the flats that will slot unto the crankcase hole. this will ensure that the sleeves remain seated, this is because I am not familiar with the differential expansion of the brass and stainless when the engine warms up. I doubt that there will be any problems so this is just to keep my mind at ease.
 

 
Michael

Thanks for the suggestion, Nigel. I saw Dr. Mike use that technique. As a MD myself, I have a near limitless supply of hypodermic needles In fact, I appropriated some from work to try. I have a selection of 18G (the largest), 2G, 22G, and 25G. I think i'll start at 22G (blue needles) and work from there. I am not sure if I have enough pear to waste on making treenails. I would rather use a cheaper wood species if possible. 

Sorry to hear, Cathead. Why don't you try this: brush a diluted 80:20 PVA to water solution over the gaps. Wipe off the excess with a damp cloth. Wait until the glue goes tacky, then sand. The sawdust will clog up the PVA and create a filler the same colour as your wood. 

No work today. Hit the workshop after dinner. Before I knew it ... it's 4AM!!! In any case, made some nice progress. 
 

 
All planking below the waterline is done, and the hull sanded down. It is smoooooooth. 
 

 
I made a decision to stop all work above the main deck level and complete planking below the waterline first. This was because I knew I had to invert the ship and did not want the delicate structures above the MDL to be vulnerable. As you can see, this planking is unsupported. The planking above MDL survived ... until I inverted it to sand the bottom. Because this generates so much dust, I do it outside. CRACK, the inevitable happened. 
 
I was never happy with the planks above the MDL anyway. I will rip out both sides and start again. 
 

 
I also made a start with the gunport lining. I am not sure of the shade of red I have chosen (Vallejo Flat Red). To me it looks a bit like lipstick. I have a more dull red in my cabinet (Admiralty Models Red Ochre) which IMO is too dull. I might persist with it for now. 

Hi Greg, I do have some fancy toothpicks which I picked up from a thrift store. It did not occur to me to stiffen them with 50/50 PVA prior to turning - thanks for that idea. My efforts at turning toothpicks thus far have been extremely disappointing. The wood does not hold a sharp edge, has too many fuzzies, and splinters too easily. I think I must have turned 10 of them before I got on which was remotely acceptable. Given that I will need about a hundred of these, I do not fancy trying to turn 1000 toothpicks to get what I need. I'll see if your idea works, otherwise i'll go with my beads. 
 
Since you asked for an update, here it is. But first, let me show off a little addition to the household: 
 

 
I love it when the postman brings me something other than bills! Particularly exciting when it is big, heavy, and comes from the USA! What's inside? 
 

 
Why, it's a BYRNES TABLE SAW!!! So shiny, i'm in love! 
 
The purchasing process went by without a hitch, except for the website going down when I tried to place the order. I rang them the next day and spoke to Donna. She was really apologetic. Order placed, money sent, saw is mine! 
 

 
The second layer planking has almost reached the keel. Why so slow? 
 

 
This is because I have cheaped out and i'm using the kit supplied second planking material for all planking below the waterline, which will be painted white. This meant splicing the kit strips with the pear strips I bought from Hobbymill. I should be able to reach the keel sometime this week. After that, lots and lots of sanding. Then I will line off the gunports and start the second planking upwards. 

Sorry to hear, Cathead. Why don't you try this: brush a diluted 80:20 PVA to water solution over the gaps. Wipe off the excess with a damp cloth. Wait until the glue goes tacky, then sand. The sawdust will clog up the PVA and create a filler the same colour as your wood. 

No work today. Hit the workshop after dinner. Before I knew it ... it's 4AM!!! In any case, made some nice progress. 
 

 
All planking below the waterline is done, and the hull sanded down. It is smoooooooth. 
 

 
I made a decision to stop all work above the main deck level and complete planking below the waterline first. This was because I knew I had to invert the ship and did not want the delicate structures above the MDL to be vulnerable. As you can see, this planking is unsupported. The planking above MDL survived ... until I inverted it to sand the bottom. Because this generates so much dust, I do it outside. CRACK, the inevitable happened. 
 
I was never happy with the planks above the MDL anyway. I will rip out both sides and start again. 
 

 
I also made a start with the gunport lining. I am not sure of the shade of red I have chosen (Vallejo Flat Red). To me it looks a bit like lipstick. I have a more dull red in my cabinet (Admiralty Models Red Ochre) which IMO is too dull. I might persist with it for now. 

No work today. Hit the workshop after dinner. Before I knew it ... it's 4AM!!! In any case, made some nice progress. 
 

 
All planking below the waterline is done, and the hull sanded down. It is smoooooooth. 
 

 
I made a decision to stop all work above the main deck level and complete planking below the waterline first. This was because I knew I had to invert the ship and did not want the delicate structures above the MDL to be vulnerable. As you can see, this planking is unsupported. The planking above MDL survived ... until I inverted it to sand the bottom. Because this generates so much dust, I do it outside. CRACK, the inevitable happened. 
 
I was never happy with the planks above the MDL anyway. I will rip out both sides and start again. 
 

 
I also made a start with the gunport lining. I am not sure of the shade of red I have chosen (Vallejo Flat Red). To me it looks a bit like lipstick. I have a more dull red in my cabinet (Admiralty Models Red Ochre) which IMO is too dull. I might persist with it for now. 

No work today. Hit the workshop after dinner. Before I knew it ... it's 4AM!!! In any case, made some nice progress. 
 

 
All planking below the waterline is done, and the hull sanded down. It is smoooooooth. 
 

 
I made a decision to stop all work above the main deck level and complete planking below the waterline first. This was because I knew I had to invert the ship and did not want the delicate structures above the MDL to be vulnerable. As you can see, this planking is unsupported. The planking above MDL survived ... until I inverted it to sand the bottom. Because this generates so much dust, I do it outside. CRACK, the inevitable happened. 
 
I was never happy with the planks above the MDL anyway. I will rip out both sides and start again. 
 

 
I also made a start with the gunport lining. I am not sure of the shade of red I have chosen (Vallejo Flat Red). To me it looks a bit like lipstick. I have a more dull red in my cabinet (Admiralty Models Red Ochre) which IMO is too dull. I might persist with it for now. 

No work today. Hit the workshop after dinner. Before I knew it ... it's 4AM!!! In any case, made some nice progress. 
 

 
All planking below the waterline is done, and the hull sanded down. It is smoooooooth. 
 

 
I made a decision to stop all work above the main deck level and complete planking below the waterline first. This was because I knew I had to invert the ship and did not want the delicate structures above the MDL to be vulnerable. As you can see, this planking is unsupported. The planking above MDL survived ... until I inverted it to sand the bottom. Because this generates so much dust, I do it outside. CRACK, the inevitable happened. 
 
I was never happy with the planks above the MDL anyway. I will rip out both sides and start again. 
 

 
I also made a start with the gunport lining. I am not sure of the shade of red I have chosen (Vallejo Flat Red). To me it looks a bit like lipstick. I have a more dull red in my cabinet (Admiralty Models Red Ochre) which IMO is too dull. I might persist with it for now. 

..As I had expected..,
at last, I'm finally able to present an update.
 
The ST kit includes 2 ship boats, so I continued with building the second one.
The build method I used for the second one is pretty much the same as i used for the first one.
 
Mainly because of the experiences/practice I had with building the first ships boat, this one was pretty straight forward and without too many problems.
 
I decided to post a photo sequence of the progress so far, the pictures should speak for themselves..
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
So this is "status quo" after removing the template.
this time I could remove the body without destroying the template.
 

 
You also might notice that this boat is a bit different in shape, therefore I’m planning to add some other details to it.

Hello my friends
 
a little update today. I work on the yards at the moment - and within with the running rigging. It is a pleasure for me to see the ropes grow and to understand how the ships were sailed long time ago. I prepared the yards on my lathe and stained them with a mixture of dark walnut (ca 70 %) and oak tree (30 %). I have attached the anchors... the ship turns more and more into a complete model. I think I have about 3 or 4 weeks (my vacation is done now... not so much time to build anymore) to finish the Royal Caroline. All in all it will be about 9 months (!) to do the ship...
 
Today one of my next Projects arrived: The kit of the Friedrich Wilhelm zu Pferde was delivered
 
Wish you all the very best
 
Cheerio
 
Max

Hi Greg, I do have some fancy toothpicks which I picked up from a thrift store. It did not occur to me to stiffen them with 50/50 PVA prior to turning - thanks for that idea. My efforts at turning toothpicks thus far have been extremely disappointing. The wood does not hold a sharp edge, has too many fuzzies, and splinters too easily. I think I must have turned 10 of them before I got on which was remotely acceptable. Given that I will need about a hundred of these, I do not fancy trying to turn 1000 toothpicks to get what I need. I'll see if your idea works, otherwise i'll go with my beads. 
 
Since you asked for an update, here it is. But first, let me show off a little addition to the household: 
 

 
I love it when the postman brings me something other than bills! Particularly exciting when it is big, heavy, and comes from the USA! What's inside? 
 

 
Why, it's a BYRNES TABLE SAW!!! So shiny, i'm in love! 
 
The purchasing process went by without a hitch, except for the website going down when I tried to place the order. I rang them the next day and spoke to Donna. She was really apologetic. Order placed, money sent, saw is mine! 
 

 
The second layer planking has almost reached the keel. Why so slow? 
 

 
This is because I have cheaped out and i'm using the kit supplied second planking material for all planking below the waterline, which will be painted white. This meant splicing the kit strips with the pear strips I bought from Hobbymill. I should be able to reach the keel sometime this week. After that, lots and lots of sanding. Then I will line off the gunports and start the second planking upwards. 

Hi Greg, I do have some fancy toothpicks which I picked up from a thrift store. It did not occur to me to stiffen them with 50/50 PVA prior to turning - thanks for that idea. My efforts at turning toothpicks thus far have been extremely disappointing. The wood does not hold a sharp edge, has too many fuzzies, and splinters too easily. I think I must have turned 10 of them before I got on which was remotely acceptable. Given that I will need about a hundred of these, I do not fancy trying to turn 1000 toothpicks to get what I need. I'll see if your idea works, otherwise i'll go with my beads. 
 
Since you asked for an update, here it is. But first, let me show off a little addition to the household: 
 

 
I love it when the postman brings me something other than bills! Particularly exciting when it is big, heavy, and comes from the USA! What's inside? 
 

 
Why, it's a BYRNES TABLE SAW!!! So shiny, i'm in love! 
 
The purchasing process went by without a hitch, except for the website going down when I tried to place the order. I rang them the next day and spoke to Donna. She was really apologetic. Order placed, money sent, saw is mine! 
 

 
The second layer planking has almost reached the keel. Why so slow? 
 

 
This is because I have cheaped out and i'm using the kit supplied second planking material for all planking below the waterline, which will be painted white. This meant splicing the kit strips with the pear strips I bought from Hobbymill. I should be able to reach the keel sometime this week. After that, lots and lots of sanding. Then I will line off the gunports and start the second planking upwards. 

Hi Greg, I do have some fancy toothpicks which I picked up from a thrift store. It did not occur to me to stiffen them with 50/50 PVA prior to turning - thanks for that idea. My efforts at turning toothpicks thus far have been extremely disappointing. The wood does not hold a sharp edge, has too many fuzzies, and splinters too easily. I think I must have turned 10 of them before I got on which was remotely acceptable. Given that I will need about a hundred of these, I do not fancy trying to turn 1000 toothpicks to get what I need. I'll see if your idea works, otherwise i'll go with my beads. 
 
Since you asked for an update, here it is. But first, let me show off a little addition to the household: 
 

 
I love it when the postman brings me something other than bills! Particularly exciting when it is big, heavy, and comes from the USA! What's inside? 
 

 
Why, it's a BYRNES TABLE SAW!!! So shiny, i'm in love! 
 
The purchasing process went by without a hitch, except for the website going down when I tried to place the order. I rang them the next day and spoke to Donna. She was really apologetic. Order placed, money sent, saw is mine! 
 

 
The second layer planking has almost reached the keel. Why so slow? 
 

 
This is because I have cheaped out and i'm using the kit supplied second planking material for all planking below the waterline, which will be painted white. This meant splicing the kit strips with the pear strips I bought from Hobbymill. I should be able to reach the keel sometime this week. After that, lots and lots of sanding. Then I will line off the gunports and start the second planking upwards. 

My kit room has been tidied and prepared for the new build. It won't look as neat as this for another three years. Let's go!!! 
 

 
The room has been re-arranged with the power tool bench behind me, and the main modelling table in front of me. All I need to do is turn around to have access to power tools. The desk by the window is where I will do all the Dremelling. Not pictured is my new shelving unit where all my tools, paints, and glues are neatly stowed away. Also not pictured is the clipboard where the plans will be displayed. 
 

 
The main modelling table with the modelling lamp. You can also see my handheld vacuum which is vital for keeping the peace in the household. 
 

 
The tool bench, from (L-R): Sherline 4410 Lathe, Byrnes Disc Sander, Proxxon MF70 mill. 
 

Thanks Denis, but I already have the disc sander. The thickness sander is in the mail. About the only Byrnes piece I do not have is the rope walk. 

Hi Greg, I do have some fancy toothpicks which I picked up from a thrift store. It did not occur to me to stiffen them with 50/50 PVA prior to turning - thanks for that idea. My efforts at turning toothpicks thus far have been extremely disappointing. The wood does not hold a sharp edge, has too many fuzzies, and splinters too easily. I think I must have turned 10 of them before I got on which was remotely acceptable. Given that I will need about a hundred of these, I do not fancy trying to turn 1000 toothpicks to get what I need. I'll see if your idea works, otherwise i'll go with my beads. 
 
Since you asked for an update, here it is. But first, let me show off a little addition to the household: 
 

 
I love it when the postman brings me something other than bills! Particularly exciting when it is big, heavy, and comes from the USA! What's inside? 
 

 
Why, it's a BYRNES TABLE SAW!!! So shiny, i'm in love! 
 
The purchasing process went by without a hitch, except for the website going down when I tried to place the order. I rang them the next day and spoke to Donna. She was really apologetic. Order placed, money sent, saw is mine! 
 

 
The second layer planking has almost reached the keel. Why so slow? 
 

 
This is because I have cheaped out and i'm using the kit supplied second planking material for all planking below the waterline, which will be painted white. This meant splicing the kit strips with the pear strips I bought from Hobbymill. I should be able to reach the keel sometime this week. After that, lots and lots of sanding. Then I will line off the gunports and start the second planking upwards.