Garden Railway Forum

An Eclipse No. 55 sheet metal saw in case anyone is interested. I think you could make one fairly easily.
Grant.
PS hijacked the thread, sorry.

LNR wrote: ↑Tue Feb 06, 2018 1:56 am 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

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

Love it Dave.

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!

I'm fixing the footplate to the frames with eight pieces of angle. 8BA screws all the way! I cut the angles on the lathes vertical slide using a slitting saw. This got them nice and square, and all the same length. I drilled them on the vertical slide too, getting the holes in all the same places. I was then able to drill the buffer beams at the same setting as the lower jaw of the vice was the datum. The best workshop tip I have ever read was "Don't break down a set-up (until you have to)"

1/4" Brass angle


The buffer beam pieces are all secured, ready for drilling through the footplate


The drill was just long enough!


I can mount the remaining four pieces above the axleboxes, these could then used as attachments for fake suspension leaf springs...

I've got the week off work, and the weather is terrible, so... More footplate frolics

I had to make a great big hole for the lubricator cap in the right place, holesaw and then lots of filing to a scribed line, and then fitting...


Lining up the centre of the axlebox slots in the vertical slide to drill for the footplate angle pieces



All eight angle pieces finally fitted, lots of 8BA screws

That is so impressive Dave, looks like another master of engineering on the forum.

I used to set and operate a CNC punch press and boy was it loud....

I'm following your build thread with great interest. Very nice work Dave!
How do you manage those nice straight straight cuts in thick sheet metal?

FWLR wrote: ↑Thu Mar 01, 2018 7:55 am That is so impressive Dave, looks like another master of engineering on the forum.

I used to set and operate a CNC punch press and boy was it loud....

Thank you Rod!

I love machinery

KNO3 wrote: ↑Wed Mar 07, 2018 10:43 pm I'm following your build thread with great interest. Very nice work Dave!
How do you manage those nice straight straight cuts in thick sheet metal?

Thank you!

I mark out the edges with a permanent marker pen and hacksaw/padsaw close to the line. Then reapply more marker pen ink, and more often than not "scribe" a line
<purists look away now>
using the tips of the jaws of my electronic calipers, and file to the line

I try to use an existing straight edge on the blank sheet as a reference, or else I have to create one with the 12" rule and a scribed line.

dewintondave wrote: ↑Thu Mar 08, 2018 7:52 am using the tips of the jaws of my electronic calipers,

Don't worry mate, an engineering friend once told me he reckoned vernier calipers made good sliding clamps for fine work
Grant.

Drain cocks and cylinder covers.

Setting the cylinder up for drilling for the drains


Both cylinders drilled and tapped


Steel cylinder cover in place. Stainless steel drain cocks in position. By rotating the brass rod drilled holes align with those in the cocks, a lever will be placed in the hole in the middle of the rod. The rod is retained by E-clips


Baking the black spray painted cylinder covers at 120 degC. I bought the oven especially for paint baking https://youtu.be/WZ7mhZKYUBo It's a little ripper


Assembled for effect, I think it will look like a milking cow in operation. Now I've got to do the other cylinder...

Be interested to see your lever method for the draincocks, as it would appear that the mid position will be going backwards and forwards with the cylinders oscillating. Beautiful work as always.
Grant.

Hi Grant, the lever is just a short rod passed through the cross drilled brass rod to turn it through 90degs to open or close both cocks at the same time. I will be turning each lever by hand on each side

Ah, thanks for the explanation. That makes sense, levers back to the cab could have proved interesting.
Grant.

Very nice work Dave, it’s coming along nicely, be running it soon will you.

Impressive work. I do like to see a master engineer at work and am deeply envious of your skills - and your perseverence. I imagine with this type of hands-on project it's likely to be 50% inspiration and 50% perspiraton rather than Einstein's - 10% : 90% mix.

Rik

FWLR wrote: ↑Sun Mar 18, 2018 10:05 am Very nice work Dave, it’s coming along nicely, be running it soon will you.

Thank you Rod. At the rate I'm going it'll still be ages away.

You have done a tremendous amount of work on it so far Dave. Good engineers will take his or her time and not bodge it, and you are a great engineer Dave, wish you lived closer, then I could see a master at work.