Llewellyn Loco Works #1

[bambuko]

Where did you find M3 heim/ball joint
or are you making it yourself as well
when I tried to source some, the smallest I could find in steel was M5 or M6
anything smaller was either plastic or aluminium...

[Hydrostatic Dazza]

Where did you find M3 heim/ball joint
or are you making it yourself as well
when I tried to source some, the smallest I could find in steel was M5 or M6
anything smaller was either plastic or aluminium...

To be honest I cannot remember now.



They have an aluminum body with bronze and stainless steel joint, M3 thread and 3mm diameter pin hole.
I thought I got them from https://knupfer.info/shop/
but I just had a quick look and could not find them.They might be there. (I use http://itools.com/tool/google-translate ... translator)
They are for radio control cars and planes etc.

[SKGLB]

The ball joints are still available from Knupfer, from 2 - 4 mm.

https://knupfer.info/shop/index.php/deu ... kopfe.html

Greetings from Austria
Gerald

[bambuko]

thank you guys,
so it is aluminium body ...
I was aware about aluminium and plastic ones, but was hoping to find steel body ones.
It will be interesting to see how will aluminium perform long term in this particular application.

[Hydrostatic Dazza]

thank you guys,
so it is aluminium body ...
I was aware about aluminium and plastic ones, but was hoping to find steel body ones.
It will be interesting to see how will aluminium perform long term in this particular application.

It should not be a problem, unless one thinks corrosion might be a problem , the aluminum encapsulates the bronze / brass bearing, the centre bearing is steel, could be even stainless ? I am sure it will be certainly strong enough.

[Hydrostatic Dazza]

The ball joints are still available from Knupfer, from 2 - 4 mm.

https://knupfer.info/shop/index.php/deu ... kopfe.html

Greetings from Austria
Gerald

[Hydrostatic Dazza]

"Ask the lads to bring out the brass plate, Gromit"

[Garethh]

Hi Darrell, I’m new to the forum but having dabbled in bicycle frame building myself I have come across your work before, I must say the railway side of things is equally impressive!

[Hydrostatic Dazza]

Hi Darrell, I’m new to the forum but having dabbled in bicycle frame building myself I have come across your work before, I must say the railway side of things is equally impressive!

Thanks Garethh, of course you use Llewellyn lugs and castings for your frame making

[Garethh]

I don’t do much in the way of lug work but pretty sure I’ve used some of your dropouts and bits and pieces!

[Hydrostatic Dazza]

"Preston, this sole plate is ready, get Trousers to bring the tender chassis over."

[tom_tom_go]

How are you going to go about fitting the Slomo into the tender?

[Hydrostatic Dazza]

How are you going to go about fitting the Slomo into the tender?

The slots in the tender are for the Slomo chain.
Stay tuned.

[Hydrostatic Dazza]

The workshop mob are about to enter the world of soft soldering structures for the first time.
Lots of working out to be done. The Tender profile is being inspired by the Burma Railways # 9 loco.

[Keith S]

I don't know if you're already planning to do this, but the heavier you make that vehicle, the better it will work. I have two steel plates inside my "flywheel" van, about 3/4" thick and approximately 8"x3". I tried to weigh it for you, but it maxes out my kitchen scale and doesn't register on the bathroom scale. I thought about weighing myself with and without it, and subtracting the difference, but I am pretty dedicated to not knowing how much I weigh.

I'd guess it's about the same weight as a large tin of beans, or a pork loin roast. Maybe 1.5kg. This isn't a scientific measurement, I just went to the freezer and held the van in one hand and the pork loin roast in the other. Sorry.

I notice you've hung the slomo from rubber dampers between itself and the tender frame. Good idea! It should be nice and quiet.

Anyway other than that, I like the nice clean platework so far. I am really looking forward to seeing this loco finished. Hopefully you don't mind posting some video!

[Hydrostatic Dazza]

I don't know if you're already planning to do this, but the heavier you make that vehicle, the better it will work. I have two steel plates inside my "flywheel" van, about 3/4" thick and approximately 8"x3". I tried to weigh it for you, but it maxes out my kitchen scale and doesn't register on the bathroom scale. I thought about weighing myself with and without it, and subtracting the difference, but I am pretty dedicated to not knowing how much I weigh.

I'd guess it's about the same weight as a large tin of beans, or a pork loin roast. Maybe 1.5kg. This isn't a scientific measurement, I just went to the freezer and held the van in one hand and the pork loin roast in the other. Sorry.

I notice you've hung the slomo from rubber dampers between itself and the tender frame. Good idea! It should be nice and quiet.

Anyway other than that, I like the nice clean platework so far. I am really looking forward to seeing this loco finished. Hopefully you don't mind posting some video!

Keith, yes I gather I will be giving this tender some extra weight in the spare pockets of space and checking the axle load is even. The Slomo is at this time resting on 3mm brass plate which is bolted to the tender sole plate, I intended to use some Bicycle inner tube between the Slomo mech frame and the tender mounting plates. Also some nylon washers under the M3 mounting screws for what that may help ? I am completely winging this build, I have never done this before, I am just reading and watching and trying to absorb as much as I can for this build. For example after reading an article in SMT mag I recently decided I am going to hook a servo to the blower, so when the loco is stopped one can keep the fire going. Crikey, I am yet to get my head around RC stuff. I am not a fan of electronics but I will endure for this project. This build is a tool and skill and knowledge acquisition process for the the next big project, the 5 " QR C17 #253 as delivered in 1921. Videos will be done, I reckon some time late next year I will be steam testing, all depends on the Rattler and how often I am in Gympie crewing the 12"to the foot locos. I am very much enjoying this project. I have a 5" 1/2 built loco but I have no interest in it at all. This is more fun. I am happy to hear it is all of interest to others.

[bambuko]

Best way to add weight is to use tungsten
It is approximately 1.75 denser than lead.
It is expensive, but if space is limited...
You can get it on Bay

[Keith S]

I thought the black rings around those bolts on the Slomo were rubber dampers of some sort. I think it's a good idea like you say to put a rubber pad under the machine where it sits on the tender frame. I was reading Chris Bird's article on the Slomo he mounted in a tender- he said it worked well but because the machine was inside a metal box basically, it could make a bit more noise than it would under a loco.

I know what you mean about electronics, when I built my loco I firmly believed plastic bits and batteries had no place on a steam locomotive, so it's manual control. But then I visited a friend's garden railway in the U.K. and was able to drive his radio-equipped W&L Countess locomotive and it was great-very enjoyable, it really felt like "driving" as he had some grades on his railway. He also had a van with a flywheel in it, I thought it was great fun. I don't have a railway yet myself, so there's no point in modifying my engine, but I now see that radio control makes things more fun. Especially if you can control blower and cylinder-cocks.

I don't know if you've seen this but here is a link to Chris Bird's experience with installing an early pre-production Slomo in a locomotive tender, and some videos. You can see he also put some bits of foam inside the tender body to dampen the metal shell and reduce sound transmission.

http://www.summerlands-chuffer.co.uk/ss ... 4585878798

[Hydrostatic Dazza]

Snipped for clarity

I thought the black rings around those bolts on the Slomo were rubber dampers of some sort. I think it's a good idea like you say to put a rubber pad under the machine where it sits on the tender frame. I

Yes, the innards of the Slomo mech are indeed isolated with rubber rings inside the outside Slomo frame. That was how it came. I misunderstood and thought you were referring to the plates between the Tender sole plate and the Slomo mech.

[Hydrostatic Dazza]

Slow progress, mainly because I am a slow worker on the tools. Queensland Railway style coal boards just for kicks and giggles.
A lot of thinking went into the lift out tender top function and hence design and the mob now make a start on the many parts to be fitted to the tender top plate etc.