JeffP Posted December 22, 2015 Share Posted December 22, 2015 Those castings look very good to me. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
dkallan Posted December 22, 2015 Share Posted December 22, 2015 Also excellent etch primers from Clostermann at clostermann.co.uk Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deano747 Posted December 22, 2015 Share Posted December 22, 2015 Also excellent etch primers from Clostermann at clostermann.co.uk Grey and black. Quick service too!! (Not sure about over Xmas though?) Regards, Deano Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Horsetan Posted December 23, 2015 Share Posted December 23, 2015 The valve gear is surely the best bit....? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
david.hill64 Posted December 23, 2015 Author Share Posted December 23, 2015 Those castings look very good to me. They are. Little flash and lots of nice details. The whitemetal small castings are also as good as any you will see. The valve gear is surely the best bit....? It's certainly fun, but overall it is a nice kit. The backhead is a masterpiece too. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
david.hill64 Posted December 23, 2015 Author Share Posted December 23, 2015 (edited) To say that I am surprised to be writing this rather understates matters. I am supposed to be on a plane home but my visa renewal was delayed and I missed the flight, so it is standby tomorrow and hope somebody doesn't show. The only positive side is that I had an afternoon of unexpected modelling pleasure. Especially for Jeff here are the valve gear castings that have had more cleaning. I particularly like the return crank fixing. The bearing cap has a stem with a cast 10BA thread (cleaned up in a die) and the return crank is tapped 10BA to suit. The protruding thread will be cut back after soldering. The valve guides are nice white metal, here seen with the valve rods and slides and drilled out ready for the oil pipes. The crosshead and slidebars have been polished until they are a nice fit. Here seen on a dummy run to get things together. It is particularly important that the piston rod gland is aligned properly (it needs drilling out) so a stuck a piece of brass in the lathe a drill and turned a point on it. I will use that to mark the centre of the gland prior to drilling. You have to produce slots in the cylinder castings to take the slide bar top piece. I drilled out and finished with a file. The bars are long enough to go all the way through to the front, so both front and back were slotted. The front wil be filled in with low melt and filed smooth later. I sincerely hope I cannot make any more progress for a week! Merry Christmas everybody! Edited December 24, 2015 by david.hill64 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
N15class Posted December 24, 2015 Share Posted December 24, 2015 Looks good, some of the best I have seen. Hope you get to the UK ok for the festivities, Merry Christmas. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
JeffP Posted December 24, 2015 Share Posted December 24, 2015 Aye, best of luck. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
dkallan Posted December 24, 2015 Share Posted December 24, 2015 Hope that you got a seat on a plane, David! You need a Vias?!?! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
david.hill64 Posted December 24, 2015 Author Share Posted December 24, 2015 Hope that you got a seat on a plane, David! You need a Vias?!?! Only for Scotland............ No for Thailand so I can get back in after Christmas! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
david.hill64 Posted December 25, 2015 Author Share Posted December 25, 2015 Cylinder assembly this morning: one side done. I had already spent a lot of time checking that the crosshead was a good fit in the slidebars so now it was time to countersink the back of the crosshead and check the fit of the con rod. As expected the small end needed a bit of trimming. The piston rod is steel. The piston rod was a nice interference fit in the crosshead so I used loctite to hold it in place. Using the centre given by my modified brass rod, I progressively drilled out the gland and finally finished it using a broach so the rod was a nice sliding fit. The gland has to be positioned on the rod before offering to the cylinders. Happy with that I soldered the upper and lower halves of the slidebars together. Then added the gland and after checking the fit and free movement of the crosshead, soldered both in the cylinder. I tacked the slidebars in place first then ensuring that the rod was still a nice sliding fit soldered the gland and completed the soldering of the bars. Then I made good the cylinder front where the slot had been made to receive the bars. Then added more detail. And selected the correct backing plate (they are handed) and fitted that. Then the drain cocks (pipes yet to add) and tested that on the frames. Now it's rinse and repeat! 5 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Mike Bellamy Posted December 25, 2015 RMweb Premium Share Posted December 25, 2015 Sorry to see that you are still stuck in Thailand - although you have your modelling to keep you occupied, it's not exactly what you planned for Christmas. Hope it all works out OK and you manage to get back to UK before it's time to turn around and go back again ! . Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
david.hill64 Posted December 25, 2015 Author Share Posted December 25, 2015 Sorry to see that you are still stuck in Thailand - although you have your modelling to keep you occupied, it's not exactly what you planned for Christmas. Hope it all works out OK and you manage to get back to UK before it's time to turn around and go back again ! . Thanks. Certainly not what I planned. I am just pleased I paid for a flexible ticket. This morning's modelling was a bonus but I am now on the prosecco so no more today. 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
dkallan Posted December 25, 2015 Share Posted December 25, 2015 Lovely job, David! Sorry that you didn't make it out of Bangkok but Happy Christmas anyway. Are you still planning to go home over the hols or are you resigned to stopping there? 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
N15class Posted December 25, 2015 Share Posted December 25, 2015 Sorry to hear that thinks went wrong, I know the feeling although we did not need to travel, Illness changed ours. We hope your Chrismas in Bankok was enjoyable. One would that it is not celebrated there by many. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
david.hill64 Posted December 26, 2015 Author Share Posted December 26, 2015 Still trying to decide whether to come back for a couple of days or write it off and use the ticket in February. I will be working part time here for 3 more months and travelling a lot. The January ticket is already booked from Delhi as I have to go there on business. The only positive to this debacle is that I can get on with this build. I am enjoying it a lot. 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
david.hill64 Posted December 26, 2015 Author Share Posted December 26, 2015 Right hand cylinder built up using the same method as that for the left. So now the fun starts: the 'working' eccentrics. Here are the bits: But a small diversion first to check the fit of the motion bracket: looks fine. A trial run shows that the built up eccentric is wider than the gap in the motion bracket. I was expecting that. So out with the files and some time later the bits are ready to try again. I have drilled a hole in the boss to take the drive for the lubricators. It would have been better if I had drilled the correct side............ So tomorrow I will show the assembly of these. 7 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
david.hill64 Posted December 27, 2015 Author Share Posted December 27, 2015 Assembly of the eccentrics was easier than I remembered. I guess I knew what to look out for. I filed the insides of the motion brackets and the components of the eccentrics until the eccentric assembly would fit between the arms of the motion brackets. The radius rod also has to be filed so that it sits within the eccentric and can move up and down freely. With that done, a length of 1.6mm rod was soldered in place and smoothed so that the radius rod can move up and down but transmit for and aft motion. The two outer halves of the eccentric are then fitted into the motion bracket. The tricky bit is then to introduce the centre part between the halves and when aligned solder together. The radius rod can then slide up and down while getting for and aft movement from the eccentric rocking in the motion bracket. On the LHS I drilled out the predrilled 0.5mm hole to 0.7mm and soldered a length of nickel silver wire in place. Later this will be bent to drive the lubricators. The excess length of the eccentric pivots was then filed back. Then rinse and repeat! Happy that all was well, I fitted the frames to the body and aligned the motion brackets using a 2mm rod through the weigh shaft holes and the running plate, then tack soldering the brackets in place. Happy with the position I removed the frames from the body, turned the soldering iron up to warp factor 9 and soldered the motion brackets in place. Moving back to the front end I assembled the valve rod, combination lever and union link assembly. All parts were then placed in position and linked with temporary pins to check that all moves freely. There was a little to file of the bottom of the slide bars to stop the con rod touching. I then made permanent pins put of 1.0mm nickel silver wire and we have a complete cylinder assembly (less drain pipes). I will repeat on the other side and then check for free running with the motor gearbox in place. 6 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
dkallan Posted December 27, 2015 Share Posted December 27, 2015 Lovely work, David! I'd say that you are enjoying this...........! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
N15class Posted December 27, 2015 Share Posted December 27, 2015 Cracking on with this a treat. I am looking forward to getting back to work at the bench, But a wet wall in the kitchen has my attention at the minute. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
david.hill64 Posted December 28, 2015 Author Share Posted December 28, 2015 I had a good session at the workbench today. First job was to complete the RH cylinder assembly and then check free running with the motor gearbox. That completes the valve gear for the time being (still have lifting links to add but I will so that later). So I moved onto decorating the frames. I made up the brake cylinder, crank and bracket. Then soldered in place. The brake hanger brackets have to be filed back so they are 6.5mm from rear face to front of the dummy nut. I left the casting runner on to help judge how much had been filed off. The 6 were then soldered in place using 1mm wire as a locating pin, then removed. The rest of the brake gear will follow. I fitted the LH firebox side and blowdown valve. Followed by the RH side and drop grate lever. The drag beam casting was added. Then the cast frame stretcher. Mudguards and bogie rubbing plates. Running plate supports. The slide bar supports. These are not fixed to the slide bars so that the cylinders can come off. Buffer beam overlay, AWS shield plate and front steps. Rear steps, AWS battery box and support bracket. Pleased with this but it needs a good clean. No issues at all with the above: very straightforward. Now for a nice cold beer soda water. 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deano747 Posted December 28, 2015 Share Posted December 28, 2015 Some fantastic work going on, David. The detail parts are so better than the 'bits' on the DJH Fairburn 2-6-4t that I am currently building! I am fully aware of all the errors in my kit (as highlighted by Dikitriki) but as one of my first 7mm locos it's going together fairly well straight from the box. Keep up the good work and seasons greetings!! Regards, Deano Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grasshopper John Posted December 29, 2015 Share Posted December 29, 2015 Some fantastic work going on, David. The detail parts are so better than the 'bits' on the DJH Fairburn 2-6-4t that I am currently building! I am fully aware of all the errors in my kit (as highlighted by Dikitriki) but as one of my first 7mm locos it's going together fairly well straight from the box. Keep up the good work and seasons greetings!! Regards, Deano Deano, why haven't you started a build thread of the Fairburn Or have I missed it sorry for hijack Dave. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deano747 Posted December 29, 2015 Share Posted December 29, 2015 Deano, why haven't you started a build thread of the Fairburn Or have I missed it sorry for hijack Dave. Hi Grasshopper John, I will get round to starting a thread, so no you haven't missed it!! It's just taking so long with me being abroad so much with work and a training course that will go on for the next couple of months!! Seasons greetings! Also apologies David, for the digression. Regards, Deano Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
david.hill64 Posted December 29, 2015 Author Share Posted December 29, 2015 Just a short session today. Fitted the buffers and buffer beam supports at the front and the fall plate at the rear. Drilling out the buffers takes time. I also discovered that the thread form on the cheap 12BA die I bought isn't 12 BA - ho hum but not much of an issue. I was making the thread on the buffers. I cannot remember the gap in the centre of the buffer beam so must look at that. I found that fitting the rear steps required a little metal taking off the underside of the running plate. I remembered that from last time! 6 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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