Some new firedoors were made from stainless and the levers were cleaned up. Also the door tracks were straightened and filed out to remove tight spots. Works very smoothly now.
The tea can tray above the door has been started also.
Hoping you have a merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! Catch you in the early new year!
Happy steaming!
Nigel
The door dart was modified to suit the new door. The square and thread needed to be continued down so it would clamp up the door. A simple collet was made to be able to hold it in the lathe and rotary table chuck to do the milling.
To set the square up in the rotary table I firstly aligned the dart with the flats on the hex and installed it in the chuck. Then a steel rule was put across the chuck jaws and leveled up off the mill table. Because the graduations on the table didn't line up with 0, I set up a magnetic base and home-made indicator to work off.
The backing plate behind the firedoor needed to be replaced as the construction was rough, and I could incorporate a bracket to mount the tea can tray above the door.
Doors jam in the tracks and need to be replaced. Next job!
Happy steaming!
Nigel
Smokebox door crossbar was sorted out today. The brackets were holding it above centre so the crossbar was modified to lower it to correct position.
As it was found the ends were bent inwards to lower it but wasn't low enough. So it was sorted out to be a proper job.
Happy steaming!
Nigel
The whistle steam supply cover plate (is that even a thing??) was finished today. I began it last week but was sick for a couple of days. Made from some brass bits and silver soldered. I found those cheapo clamps are a good way to hold things while being soldered. Doesn't matter if they get wrecked. The gland has a couple of dummy 10ba studs.
The smokebox was drilled and milled to fit using a wooden base I made for holding a boiler. Tie downs are a good way to anchor jobs in the mill without damaging them.
The plumbing will go through that gland and have a fitting on the inside. The plan is to silver solder it to the pipe so it all becomes solid and will screw to the smokebox at the same time the whistle valve does.
Happy steaming!
Nigel
The lost wax fittings for the Britannia came today from crofittings.co.uk. Adam Cro does an excellent job of these fittings, beautiful detail!
The parts purchased were injector steam valves, steam turret, and clack valves which came as finished items.
Happy steaming!
Nigel
Smokebox door cleaned up and fettled. Fits nicely on the loco.
You can compare the photo of the previous door with the new one.
Happy steaming!
Nigel
Today some smokebox door hinge straps were made for the door. They were made from some conveniently sized (and tough) 3/16" keysteel.
Firstly they were cut to length, drilled, and rounded on the end as per Friday's update.
Then superglued together as a pair and set up in the mill to profile the tapers. After that they were separated and twisted and filed to shape to suit the door.
Four 1/16" holes were drilled in the door and straps and riveted with steel wire. The straps were silver soldered to the door for extra security. I have seen previous locos with loosening and easily bent straps. I tend to think keysteel is a good choice owing to its toughness.
Tomorrow the door will get a clean up in the acid.
Happy steaming!
Nigel
Some smokebox door hinge blocks were made to replace the originals that were not right as you see in the pic.
Beginning with a short brass hex bar so as to fit in my rotary table chuck the 5BA thread was cut first on the ends of the bar. Then the square was milled to 3/16" across the flats on both ends of the bar in the rotary table chuck.
Then the hinge blocks were parted off in the lathe. A 5BA hole was tapped in one end of the hex bar and used to hold the hinge blocks by their threads and face off the ends to length.
The hinge blocks were set up in the mill to find and drill the correct position for the 3/32" hole.
Finally some rollers were made from 3/16" brass and using the door pin it made a good guide to file the small radius to shape.
Happy steaming!
Nigel
Amongst other things today the superheater elements had some blanking plugs made and the elements were hydro tested to 200psi. No problems.
Happy steaming!
Nigel
Today the smokebox door was made. The blank was oxy cut from flat bar with my circle cutting attachment for the oxy. Then the blank set up in the lathe using a dead centre and dial indicator to set up the blank.
A radius bar was made from some rod, thanks to a simple technique by John Lyons in the West Ryde club newsletter. The door is bored at the back to be able to grip from the inside and the outer diameter has a locating spigot to center the door on the smoke box.
To form the radius a couple of heavy centre pops were made on the lathe headstock and cross slide and a radius bar made to correct length. Power feed the cross slide into the work and the carriage will move backwards and form the radius at the same time. A clever trick and works a treat!
Happy steaming!
Nigel
Today the superheater plumbing was finished off, and the union nut made. Various bits of copper tube was cut and machined to the exact length. The tee piece was silver soldered first, then cleaned up to ensure the nut still turns on the tail, and the remaining superheater joints were silver soldered vertically in the vice as an assembly.
While things were in the acid, a snifting valve was made to suit a 5/32" stainless ball, and a bulkhead style connection through the front of the smokebox floor. As you can see there's not much clearance for the snifter but just enough! All the tubes are unobstructed with the plumbing which facilitates an easy clean with the tube brush.
An assembly check was done to prove the dart on the smokebox door and crossbar don't foul the new bits, which has enough room to get at things, turn a spanner, and get the crossbar in and out.
Happy steaming!
Nigel
The superheaters were soldered up onto the header and still need more plumbing and a union to join up to the cylinders but it's underway. A 3/4" hex nut was milled out of some bar.
Oddly the design drawings didn't call for a snifter valve, and it's never had one. I'd thought it would be easy to fit it to the steam chest cover but a downside would be it doesn't draw oil from the lubricator unless its upstream. So a 5/32" pipe is silver soldered to the header for the snifter line. I think I may be able to fit a snifter through the smokebox floor at the front. Not much room when it's on top of the cylinder block.
The chimney dings and dents were machined out of the body and top lip, and the saddle was profiled to make a better shape. I thought I would have to braze up the front and rear radii as the original job hardly left any thickness at the rim. However some careful work has managed to salvage it and blend it in.
Happy steaming!
Nigel
Today's work was to play around with the superheater plumbing. Going well. Still to do the hot header or a ring feed to the cylinders. Quite cramped for room near the petticoat and blast pipe.
Happy steaming!
Nigel
Today some hollow bar was collected for the boiler extension, and it was machined to size.
Also on the way I collected a 1/4" ball valve for the regulator. The ID through the ball is 7.5mm which is the same as the 3/8" version, the larger valve simply has bigger threads! This one will have some cranks and levers to drive the valve as there's more height to fit the whole assembly in the dome. The regulator rod will fit into a socket on the back of the elbow...similar to fullsize practise.
Happy steaming!
Nigel
