michael mott

Progress on the springs which need to be in place before the axles and therefore the eccentrics. New spring hanger screws were fabricated and the holes in the hornblocks drilled for the spring rod and the keeper plate on the bottom. the top portion of the springs was more difficult to make than I had originally considered. I tried bending the loops at the ends first and this was not going to work, so the only other ways are to machine from a solid piece or assemble three parts. I chose to assemble the three parts. first part is the plate with the angles at each end for the machined tubes with the correct hole size and outside diameter. the plates were cut to length and the .055" hole drilled Next a jig was developed that could be used to ensure that both ends were the same length from the hole and that the bevel angle could be machined. Next using my accurate adjustable third hand which allows me to set up parts for gluing or soldering very precisely was used to set the tube guides to the correct distances to ensure that all the parts would fit as planned. Then using a second small toolmakers clamp I silver soldered one end using the medium paste silver solder that comes in a syringe. Once all 4 had the tube set on the one end I set up the tube pins to the exact dimension that they needed to be apart 1.2" which equals 12 inches at 1/10 scale. because the pin diameters are .075" the extra distance was added .0375" to each pin so the vernier needed to read 1.275" Using the small toolmakers clamp as a counterweight which caused the end that next needed to be soldered to contact the other tube accurately it was fluxed with the paste silver solder and soldered. Next I added the slots and spring hangers. These were set up in the mill and a 1/16th end mill was used to make the sluts at each end. Next the hangers were cut from some .075" brass sheet after the holes were drilled and the individual hangers were cut out they were assembled in pairs to shape. A couple of filing buttons were fabricated with the 2 different diameters on set .150" and one set .125" the filing buttons were made from drill rod or silver steel as it is sometimes called. The next step was to turn up a couple of .075" pins to connect the hangers to the springs. Now that the sequence is sorted there are only 3 more sets of hangers to file. after that I will be making the rest of the spring leaves which are .025' thick thinner than the top one which is .031 They will of course need to be slightly curved as will the top one. Because I am not going to actually make these springs fully functional I will be adding a tiny micro compression spring which will not be seen to give the axles a small bit of spring suspension. Michael

Now that I understand a little better, I agree with Steve, as an alternative to shellac you could use a tiny drop of ochre coloured humbrol or equivalent paint. a dab of lacquer thinner would dissolve the bond. Michael

Hi Peter, yes it is me I have this dual personality that flips from boat to narrow gauge railways, which narrow gauge forums are you familiar with? Nice that your grandson is keen to do serious "toy" work. Michael

Over the years I have found this method to be the most reliable but it is most important to have the piece being drilled securely held so that it does not move. Michael

Do you have any pin vices that will hold the 2mm rod? the pin vice can be held in a larger vice that needs to be clamped to the drill press table so that the vice is secure and wont move. also in your large drill press it would be useful to have a smaller pin chuck to hold the small drill bit, unless of course it is one of those bits with a larger shank either 1/8th or 3/32. Whatever method you choose you will need to spend a bit of time setting up and testing your set up. Michael

Lovely that you are able to work on a joint project with your grandson Peter, The look of concentration on Brandon brought a smile to my face. Michael

Keith I regularly use the jewelers saw to cut small stuff off on the lathe nice solution for the tiny parts, what if any lubrication did you use? Michael

Congratulations on another wonderful model Javier. Michael

Thanks for your answer Danny. Michael

Vaddoc if you silver soldered the shackles you could fill the holes with soft solder then re-drill the holes which would also ensure that they are in line. Michael

Probably a dumb question Danny but what glue are you using to put this material together, are you using different glues for different parts of the build? Michael

A great looking kit and a complex loco for sure. I remember as a kid putting together some of the airfix OO gauge plastic locos. I even motorized the Beyer Garratt for use on my little 6 foot long diorama type layout. Michael

Lovely work on the oars. Michael

I have been working on the D valves and the small keeper that fits into the cross slot so that the valve gets pulled and pushed back and forth in the valve steam chamber. First the keeper had to be drilled and reamed for a taper pin these pins are used in clockwork and are really handy. This box of pins I must have been using for the last 30 years, I don't use a lot but they work really well in some applications. There is a set of taper pin reamers that are specially made for these pins and The reamers are also good for opening up holes a little when needed. The next picture shows the keeper glued to the valve shaft with some loctite then clamped for drilling the hole for the pin. The next shot shows the taper pin reamer being worked through the assembly. After the pin is seated with a light tap of the clock-makers hammer Then the long ends are snipped off leaving enough proud so that the pin can be remove if needed for repairs down the road. The valve shaft and the D valve are now ready to be set into the steam chamber. The first valve fitted The next picture shows both valves set into the chamber,before closing it up. and finally the slide bars are now cut to length and width ready for the cross slide. The space between the frames feels small enough the I am guessing that I will need to make some special tools for getting to some of the parts. Sort of like the articulated right angled whatsit wrenches that the auto supply folk charge an arm and a leg for in order to change a spark plug that is buried next to the firewall. Michael

More fine metalwork to feat the eyes on. Michael