cactustrain Posted December 19, 2009 Share Posted December 19, 2009 I need to make some new rods up for my Hunslet 50550. I have obtained some lovely 4mm wide Nickel Silver from Eileen's Emporium so am ready to begin. How practical is it to mark out and drill the holes with equipment at home? (no pillar drill, just a pin vice and a woodworking vice) Do the holes have to be super accurate? What is the best way to go about doing it? What is the best method of removing material to narrow the rods between the holes? I am making the holes smaller that those in the Hornby originals as I have rewheeled using Gibsons lovely J94 drivers. (slightly large I think for the 50550, but near enough!) Any help and advice would be gratefully received and I thank any respondents in advance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bertiedog Posted December 19, 2009 Share Posted December 19, 2009 The basics:...... You need as a minimum, a drill, electric or hand, the drill bits to the right sizes and a set of needle files. Now in practical terms, a ruler or callipers for checking dimensions and comparisons, a 1/8 dia nail filed to a fine point for a punch to mark the centres, some soft solder to assemble two rods back to back to drill as a pair. Assuming a minimum of a hand archimedian drill, use care to drill at the required centre marks, placed carefully to match the frames, many methods can be used to achieve accuracy here, but care and inspection will be needed. The small electric screwdrivers with a proper chuck fitted are very good for such drilling or an electric drill etc. Do not try to rush the drilling, go slow with care so that slips and problems can be cured as you go along Hold the drill up right and drill as close to vertical as possible, and undersized as well, opening up with the final size, after a further check that you are still at right angles. Unsolder the pair of rods and now file to profile shape overall, and then sand with emery paper of about 100 grit and then finish with a fine emery of about 400 grit +, working all in line to minimise and line up the metal sheen finish. De-burr all the hole edges with a larger drill. Now a bit more, use the the chassis as the gauge to fit the rods to, pick a punch size that will fit through the frames and use the frame as the jig to mark the drill spots. The punch can have an accurate tip file by eye, or use an electric drill to act as a simple lathe and gently file the point whilst it is rotating, surprisingly accurate!! The right angle holes should be accurate for the drilling, but as long as you are careful it will work without a drill press, just look carefully at what you are doing as the drilling proceeds. As the first drill is undersized there is a chance to correct with the final sized one. It just needs a bit of Home Mechanic knowledge and nonse, you might need to try once and re-do if if fails, but I think most people with reasonable care will end up with a set of perfect rods without tears. The point to remember is they must match the chassis to perfection, but this is actually very easy if the chassis is used as the jig. There are commercial frame aids made to fit frames and jig the rods, these can be bought or made, but with care you can achieve just as good without. Any further queries just ask, it really is very easy, an apprentice piece! Stephen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cactustrain Posted December 19, 2009 Author Share Posted December 19, 2009 Thanks, Stephen. As usual a comprehensive and informative answer. It makes a lot of sense and I must admit I never thought of using the chassis - I was going to use the old rods as a template. Also, soldering the rods together and making both at the same time. I only have electrical solder with a resin core - I wonder if that will do the job? I have a spare J94 that I haven't started detailing yet, so I think I'll strip that down so that I have a chassis to work with. How do I line up the rods with the axle holes before I use the nail as a centre punch? Could I just cellotape them on and then turn the chassis over? I presume that if the nail is a close fit in the axle holes that I will get an accurate mark to drill from. Once again, thanks for your help. If this layout ever makes it to a magazine, you'll be getting a mention! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bertiedog Posted December 19, 2009 Share Posted December 19, 2009 The electrical solder will do fine on Nickel Silver, quite easy to get off later as well. On the chassis as a jig , Yes, bind on with tape will do quite well, or a clamp of some kind could be used. As you have the original rods they may be used as the jig just as well as the chassis, clamp to the new rods, or even solder one to the new pair to act as guide. To take apart use a gas flame, cooker or blow lamp to heat till they slip apart. If the old rods are chrome plated they may not like solder, but you could super glue the original to the new pair to use as a guide. (Super glue breaks up in boiling water to part them). Excess solder can be "wiped" away from each piece by re-heating till the solder is hot, and then wiping with a dampened tissue or cloth, which will pull off the solder, leaving only a tinned surface, which can be scrapped and filed, then sanded, to totally remove any traces of solder. If the holes in the original are bigger than needed for the Gibson crankpins, then start the hole with a drill that fits the old rod to centre mark the new ones and just start the drilling, but stop before it goes to far in and then re-start with a pilot drill under the final size and then up to the final size. The reason this works is the centre mark from the first bigger drill will act as a guide to the other drills. Stephen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Il Grifone Posted December 20, 2009 Share Posted December 20, 2009 Can't add any more to the advice already given beyond advising the purchase of a pillar drill. They can be obtained quite reasonably and can be charged to the household account;) Besides accurate drilling, it can be used to press on wheels etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bertiedog Posted December 20, 2009 Share Posted December 20, 2009 Can't add any more to the advice already given beyond advising the purchase of a pillar drill. They can be obtained quite reasonably and can be charged to the household account;) Besides accurate drilling, it can be used to press on wheels etc. I did try to keep it simple!. I do admit to using milling machines, pillar drills, toolroom lathes, and 13 inch swing lathes at home, but was really pointing out you can do it with only a few basic tools just as well. The etched kits are good as well, especially for fluted rods, and Gibsons work fine, but the Poster had the materials to hand already...... Stephen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Il Grifone Posted December 20, 2009 Share Posted December 20, 2009 I wasn't arguing with your excellent advice, merely suggesting that a pillar drill would make a worthwhile addition to the workshop. I couldn't manage without mine - my attempts to drill perpendicular holes usually end in failure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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