Rolling a boiler..

[Katier]

Hi All,

 

A couple of the kits I've bought, unknown to me, came with flat boilers which obviously need rolling. Hadn't budgeted for this and really would like to roll them without resorting to the cost of a set of rollers as budget is getting right and can't really justify it for the occasional use it would get.

 

So the question is, I'm sure it's possible to successfully roll boilers without the triple roller tool you can use, but how?

 

Thanks

 

Kat

 

 

[Horsetan]

Use a wooden dowel or existing tube of about half-an-inch in diameter. You can roll it and the sheet metal on your thigh, or on the carpet.

[craigwelsh]

I used a foam mouse mat for my 28xx rather than the thigh, with the table underneath you have more control over rolling direction.

 

Anneal the brass first with a blow torch/gas ring to make it easier. Ozzo has something about this in his 44xx thread. I didn't with mine and it was a lot harder.

[45609]

Anneal the brass first with a blow torch/gas ring to make it easier. Ozzo has something about this in his 44xx thread. I didn't with mine and it was a lot harder.

 

Agreed that it is harder to roll a boiler without annealing the metal but beware. Annealing can make the brass very soft and susceptible to damage. On one loco I built a few years ago the boiler was annealed and rolled. Only when someone dropped it onto it's side, during an exhibition, from a height of about 6 inches did I find out how big the dent can be in annealed metal. After the shock, tears and recriminations had been dealt with I managed to repair the loco by filling the dent with cellulose stopping putty. Since that I decided to never anneal unless I really have to. I purchased some GW models rollers as well.

 

Morgan

[3 link]

Hi Kat,

 

If your anywhere near West Sussex you are welcome to use my rollers.

 

Martyn.

[Katier]

Thanks Martyn, unfortunately Wolverhampton is a bit far .

[ozzyo]

I used a foam mouse mat for my 28xx rather than the thigh, with the table underneath you have more control over rolling direction.

 

Anneal the brass first with a blow torch/gas ring to make it easier. Ozzo has something about this in his 44xx thread. I didn't with mine and it was a lot harder.

 

 

Hello Kat,

 

I didn't anneal the boiler in my 44xx thread, it was the bunker back. To roll a boiler I use a set of rollers, just because I have them. If you don't have any rollers use one or two of the cheap mouse mats (the ones with the hard glossy top face). You will find that you need to use quit a lot of downward force to get it to form to shape, dont expect it to form to shape in one go. If it's a parallel boiler keep the pressure even it both ends of the rolling rod (about 3/8 -1/2" dia. I use steel or brass), if it is a tapered boiler more pressure at the small end than at the large end.

The other thing to watch out for on tapered boilers is that most of them are not true cones. That is the top of the boiler will taper up to the firebox and the bottom will still be parallel to the footplate.

I'll be putting some photos on my 44xx build on the boiler later to night or in the morning showing this.

 

HTH

 

OzzyO.

[Portchullin Tatty]

I have to say I struggled rolling boilers until I bought a GW Models set of rollers - suddenly, things like this are a doddle.

 

Borrow or buy some would be my advice.

[Katier]

Thanks for the advice everyone. Did my first bit of bending brass today, for the back of the bunker. Not god a big enough piece of rod/dowel yet to try the boiler although will need to take the plunge soon :-D. Minor hold up though as I've mislaid my lead strip and want to put some in the water tanks before sealing them up.