dipstick

i couldn't live without my myford super 7 lathe eith vertical slide, so i can do various milling operations with it.
but other wise i would have to agree with kevin a hacksaw and file will do.

kevingambrell

hello Chris your in west Sussex and you build traction engines! makes two of us, im in Crawley for my sins.
What are you building at the moment? im at the starts of a Fowler Superba in 2 inch.

Kevin

dipstick

crawley it not that far from worthing. i am building a 3" burrell single cylinder 6nhp traction engine, to the H.R plastows design. the front end is virtually complete just needs to be rivited and then painted. the boiler is ready to for some solder, the wheels were purchased for £25 and just need to be rivited up, and i was machining the liner for the cylinder yesterday, which is also nearly complete. and most of it is made at the college expence. and when it is finished it should look something likehttp://www.stationroadsteam.com/arch...ges/2292-a.htm

i also have a 3.5" guage ROB ROY which is nearing completion, and made be buying a part built 3.5" guage GWR tank engine.

the only problem i find now is that i wish i had gone for something a bit larger, as now i do alot with full size engines over at amberley museum. who have a great model weekend around september time.

chris

kevingambrell

I know that one, I keep thinking about a 6 inch to the foot, but the Superbas should keep me going for some time to come.
At the ME show last week i thought about the 4 inch burrel in kit form, but not sure about the idea of not making it myself but its a cracking engine all the same.

dipstick

i was having a look at the 6" burrell single cylinder from EKP supplies, i is about 96" long so it is a big engine. the other idea i am thinking about is the 6" tasker little giant from bailey steam as the engine that the measurement were taken from lives at amberley working museum, and the guy that re drew the drawing derek kiburn is helping me with various part and has informed me of some of the mistakes with the plastows drawings.

chris

kevingambrell

Drawings are a nightmare. I built a Minnie over the last few months in 1 inch and almost every part had a problem here or a problem there. I ended up drawing the bulk of the engine on solidworks before making the parts.

I have a friend that has four fowlers full size so its reasonably easy to go look at the engines to get an idea of whats what on them hence the Superbas as a build choice.

Im still 50/50 on the Burrel, the big stumbeling block is £13000 for a kit of parts I can machine for 3k. Even the boiler isnt that bad a job and to be honest welding a 4 inch is easier than a 3 inch.

dipstick

if you are interested in a 4" burrell then live steam models do one. but i have to admit modelworks are sorting themselves out and are now producing a number of good models and that is why they are bring the 4" burrell out again.

steel boilers do you weld them youself, or do you just tac weld it and then get a licenced/coded welder to finish it off. as i thought about making a steel boiler but then i was told that for the boiler to be pressure tested i would have to have the papers to say were i got the steel from, and i would have to get a licenced/coded welder to weld it together.

chris

kevingambrell

I am coded as a welder, but in truth no you dont have to have a coded welder do the work just as long as you are good at welding. If the boiler is for your own use it is Ok to just have it hydraulic tested and live with that. In practice I would always get a ticket for a boiler to be on the safe side.

I always pressure test three times at any pressure up to 400 psi in steel.

Steel boilers by thier nature are strong as long as the formula is followed to the letter. Stays are the weakest point and need to be done about spot on. I use a combination of MIG and stick on boilers. The flue tubes are rolled in above two inch to allow them to be replaced.

Copper boilers are on the other hand are hard work simply for the heat that has to go into them to ensure a good solder joint. Easy flow 2 is the best silver solder i know of for flowing well.

dipstick

i know what you mean by the tube and the stays are the first to go as i am helping re tube a aveling and barford roller, fine i admit the tubes are 15 years old but in places they have gone from 1/8" thick down to 1/32", and when we cut the tubes out with oxy acytalene we checked as may stay as we could and they are starting to corrode around the firebox rapper.

and thanks for the info about welding boilers, 6" is definatly the next project unless a full size comes along.

chris

kevingambrell

in passing ignore anything people tell you about pickling copper using anything but sulphuric. Copper has to be as clean as possible to get a decent joint. I use regent grade sulphuric diluted to 20%. What ever you do dont put a hot boiler in the pickle let it cool firts. the only thing is dont pickle the entire boiler. just around the joints you are about to make. It helps contain the silver solder as it wont flow on to dirty copper.
Emery cloth is a big no no for cleaning after pickling it has grease in it. I use 0000 wore wooll thats been washed in cellulose thinners.
As the noiler goes together keep fluxing as many joints as you think are going to get too hot just incase you get re melt.
Avoid rodding the solder in, rather cut short bits and place it around the joint your making.