Wild Rose ~ Quarry Hunslet

[dewintondave]

Very nice. I'm surprised by how slowly you can run it. I've always assumed that oscillating cylinders are the 'poor relation' in the steam engine hierarchy ( maybe because I associate them with lower priced models). I've therefore always assumed they would be the least controllable. You've certainly disabused me of that view. Is there any physics to explain why, mechanically, they might be more controllable - eg less friction? Or is it down to careful design and manufacture?

Rik

Hi Rik, the secret is having the big cylinders, these take longer to fill, and these larger scale locos have more momentum/mass. After the success of the large De Winton (in my thumbnail image, it just walks along), I wanted to do a more conventional loco. Today I saw a lovely model 16mm K1 Garrett being test run on blocks, it was either thrashing away or stationary, at one point he revved it up to about 1000 RPM

[ge_rik]

I've owned both an IP Jane and a Mamod I made new cylinders for. Both had double acting cylinders and would run very slowly and smoothly.

So, did your cylinders havd finer tolerances than the originals?

Rik

[Busted Bricks]

So, did your cylinders havd finer tolerances than the originals?

Rik

They must have had that - the originals were so worn out steam was leaking past the pistons! I think I did the trick was a homemade 3-wicks meths burner - just the right amount of heat to keep it in steam but not blow off all the time which inevitably means dousing the fire on a Mamod.

[dewintondave]

Been making lots of slow progress. There's so much umm-ing and aargh-ing when dreaming up a loco on the fly. I eventually committed to producing a one piece foot plate. It's all hacksawing and filing. With pieces so long I have to measure using a steel rule.

I've got a lifetime's supply of 1.6mm steel. This is a 300 x 600mm piece


One evenings cut...


Finally cut out ready for filing to size


Nearly finished with cut-outs for smokebox and firebox coming along nicely

[tom_tom_go]

Nicely done Dave, looks like it has been CNC'd as well.

[dewintondave]

Nicely done Dave, looks like it has been CNC'd as well.

Thanks Tom. Power to my elbow

Dear LBSC would have had it done in 30 mins, all the high tech guys these days would be struggling on their .dxf files and sending them to the laser cutters etc. lol

[LNR]

One evenings cut...

Iv'e sure been there many times Dave, as I'm sure you have as well. One thing to have the material, but when you have to cut seriously into the middle of it, the old hacksaw needs a bit of thought. And as often happens you remove most of the centre and look at what's left. Still worth it in the end. Brings to mind dreams of ones own laser cutter or something similar!
Grant.

[dewintondave]

Iv'e sure been there many times Dave, as I'm sure you have as well. One thing to have the material, but when you have to cut seriously into the middle of it, the old hacksaw needs a bit of thought. And as often happens you remove most of the centre and look at what's left. Still worth it in the end. Brings to mind dreams of ones own laser cutter or something similar!
Grant.

It's character building stuff Grant.
The hacksaw can't cut nearly that deep, so after a while it's transfer to the padsaw using a section of hacksaw blade, cutting on the pull stroke so not to buckle the blade.

[LNR]

It's character building stuff Grant.

Maybe Dave, though I think I've called it a few other things too.
I bought a hand nibbler for getting into brass and steel on the likes of loco cab work, and apart from hurting like hell after a few centimetres, the cut is 4.5mm wide. Still it does get into some awkward places.
As Tom said, your finished one piece footplate looks good and that's what counts in the end.
Grant.

[GTB]

The hacksaw can't cut nearly that deep, so after a while it's transfer to the padsaw using a section of hacksaw blade, cutting on the pull stroke so not to buckle the blade.

An Eclipse No. 55 sheet metal saw uses a hacksaw blade and can cut any length of straight cut, but they are now out of production and there are no chinese or indian copies. Used ones turn up on Ebay etc. from time to time.

I can't remember when I last used a hacksaw, as the third machine tool I bought was a metal cutting bandsaw. Originally it was for cutting wheel blanks, but I've also found it useful for roughing out frames. Takes about half an hour to knock out all the frame and headstock blanks for a 1:20 scale loco and the cut is straighter than I can manage with a hacksaw.

For lighter bodywork parts and the openings in frames, especially bar frames, I prefer to use a deep frame piercing saw with a range of blades. Mine has a cut depth of 200mm, but they are available up to 300mm.

I've looked at laser cutting, but with minimum order costs, computer and travel time, it's quicker and much cheaper to cut parts myself. Once you get into the sawing rhythm, the stress levels are lower as well.........

Regards,
Graeme

[ge_rik]

......... cutting on the pull stroke so not to buckle the blade.

Now that's useful. Do you put the blade in 'backwards' then?

Rik

[Big Jim]

I found an air powered nibbler very handy for roughing out steel sheet. Versions that fit into a battery drill are also available, although I have never used one.

[dewintondave]

An Eclipse No. 55 sheet metal saw uses a hacksaw blade and can cut any length of straight cut, but they are now out of production and there are no chinese or indian copies. Used ones turn up on Ebay etc. from time to time.

I can't remember when I last used a hacksaw, as the third machine tool I bought was a metal cutting bandsaw. Originally it was for cutting wheel blanks, but I've also found it useful for roughing out frames. Takes about half an hour to knock out all the frame and headstock blanks for a 1:20 scale loco and the cut is straighter than I can manage with a hacksaw.

For lighter bodywork parts and the openings in frames, especially bar frames, I prefer to use a deep frame piercing saw with a range of blades. Mine has a cut depth of 200mm, but they are available up to 300mm.

I've looked at laser cutting, but with minimum order costs, computer and travel time, it's quicker and much cheaper to cut parts myself. Once you get into the sawing rhythm, the stress levels are lower as well.........

Regards,
Graeme

Thanks Graeme. I have resisted buying any new machinery. I have a full set of piercing blades, and a couple of saws.

[dewintondave]

Now that's useful. Do you put the blade in 'backwards' then?

Rik

That's right Rik. I've got a Stanley handle that only takes hacksaw blades.

[dewintondave]

I found an air powered nibbler very handy for roughing out steel sheet. Versions that fit into a battery drill are also available, although I have never used one.

I've used a metal cutting blade in my jigsaw

[LNR]

An Eclipse No. 55 sheet metal saw in case anyone is interested.

Eclipse No. 55 Saw.jpg (28.47 KiB) Viewed 7517 times

I think you could make one fairly easily.
Grant.
PS hijacked the thread, sorry.

[dewintondave]

An Eclipse No. 55 sheet metal saw in case anyone is interested.

I think you could make one fairly easily.
Grant.

I saw the very same image on that UK site! It took me right back to my childhood, when my mates Dad had one in his workshop.

It would only be good for cutting the exterior of the foot plate. The long faces of the internal cut-out was done with my adjustable hacksaw set over 90 deg. But before that five adjoining 3mm holes were drilled for each of the four internal cuts, and then needle-filed out enough to pass the saw blade through. A labour of love, which gives the engine inbuilt good karma

[dewintondave]

A bit of fitting and hey presto!



I'm going to hinge the firebox door from the footplate, it's easiest.

With such a lovely clean smokebox interior I'm thinking of alternative firing methods, like on prestige models

[tom_tom_go]

Love it Dave.

[dewintondave]

Thank you Graeme, I snapped up a fine example of an Eclipse 55 locally. It fits in nicely on the workshop wall



Onwards and upwards!