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Duke Dismantling - starting to resolve build issues

GWMark

Entry posted by GWMark

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If you read my previous entry you will have seen that I managed to mess up somewhat when I did the assembly of the smokebox and boiler on my Duke. Both the boiler and smokebox had been assembled the wrong way around, this resulted in the chimney being too far forward and the dome being on the wrong ring on the boiler.

 

I had thought of two option, reverse both the boiler and the smokebox or reverse the smokebox wrapper and move the dome without removing the boiler. I have had to go for the second option as there is a cutout in the boiler bottom to allow the motor to slide in. If I reversed the boiler I would have this cutout behind the smokebox and it would be very visible.

 

In looking back at the instructions the smokebox is formed onto white metal formers, so I had tinned the wrapper and soldered it on with low melt solder. The edge of the wrapper, where it met the footplate was soldered with 145 solder. So tonight I unpicked along the footplate, bending the wrapper back slightly with a knife blade. The I filled the smokebox with boiling water and with a little bit or gentle persuasion removed the wrapper and the white metal smokebox front. Dipping part of the boiler in the boiling water I also managed to get the dome off without removing the springs - I really did not fancy having to redo those, they were hard enough the first time.

 

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The picture above shows what I am left with. I will need to clean off the solder that was used to attach the dome, fill the hole that the peg on the base of the dome went into and add the missing bit of boiler band. Then I should be able to remove some of the rear boiler band, drill a new hole and attach the dome in the new position.

 

As for the wrapper, it will need a little bit of work to remove some surface solder and to get it back into shape, but I hope I can resolver it the correct way around. Then refit the smokebox front and the two little fillets I removed from the front and hopefully I can start to move forward again. One thought had been to use the RSU as a way to reattach the former from the output, but I have never tried an RSU when it comes to attaching brass to white metal. Has anybody else tried this? Filing the I can just about get a soldering iron into the smokebox from below, at least I could do some from the inside.

 

I've yet to come up with a method to fill the hole, any suggestions are welcome. I did think of using a plug of white metal that I could solder in and then file to shape. Not sure how well that would work.

 

I have to admit I was sorely tempted to put this kit back in its box and move onto something else, but I decided that would be a bit defeatist and against my new policy of finishing this - but it was very tempting!

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Mike G

If you could manipulate some brass or NS strip into place and just hold it there while you plied the hole with solder untill it was filled - bit of one handed juggling required. Then file back to shape, but looking at that area, it's going to need a damn good clean before you can attempt anything like that.

 

Good on you for taking it on.

 

Mike

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GWMark

If you could manipulate some brass or NS strip into place and just hold it there while you plied the hole with solder untill it was filled - bit of one handed juggling required. Then file back to shape, but looking at that area, it's going to need a damn good clean before you can attempt anything like that.

 

Good on you for taking it on.

 

Mike

 

Thanks Mike. In thinking about it overnight I came up with a plan to do something very similar. My thought was to take  section of brass, curve it to the shape of the inside of the boiler. Then drill a small hole for a brass lace pin, pass the pin through that hole, put this complete piece inside the boiler and pss the pin through the hole. Then I can use the pin to pull the brass into place, solder it and cut the pin off. There will need to be plenty of cleanup both before and after, but I think I prefer that to using some kind of filler, I just get the feeling that will fail on me.

 

I am also wondering if it might be best to file off the existing boiler band bits either side of where the dome was and put a whole new band on rather than try to patch the missing section. Obviously I need to attach this without melting by solder filler, I might have to resort to soldering just the parts attach to the rest of the boiler and running a little superglue onto that section, or just have that small section sit in place held by gravity and the rest of the band. Still that is a long way off, first off is al the cleaning up.

 

Mark

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Mike G

Complete new boiler band? - definitely! Patchwork repairs look exactly like their name implies. I was thinking of going thru the hole in the smoke box with a cocktail stick, blutak to hold the shaped brass piece and flood the area with 243 degree solder, it won't be pretty, but after tidying up you'd be able to solder another boiler band on using low melt.

 

Good luck.

 

Mike

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