Member postings for Malcolm Harvey

Thanks for posting this question and the replies. I am also building a 3½" gauge Lion and I have decided to use the same method of construction for the crankaxle. The puzzle was how to keep Loctite out of the eccentrics and stop collars. Now I have the answer . I have now had 3 attempts at building the crankaxle by LBSC's method and every one has ended up bent!

Thanks for the input. Learnt a bit! Never heard of putting chalk on a file to stop it clogging, Never have thought of using a Dremel and I hadn't heard of diamond needle files. I have just looked in Boyes and they have pack of 5 for £4 or thereabouts.

Malcolm

I am not particularly a beginner but I thought I would ask this question here as it is likely something that every beginner should know.

I have turned a set of wheels for my 3½G Titfield Thunderbolt but I have casting flash between the spokes (of course). I have tried filing this out with swiss files but they clog almost immediately. Does anyone have any suggestion as to what would be the best tool to use for this job?

TIA

Malcolm

Not a very good photo I am afraid and it is not necessarily intended to be a picture of the bike, but here is a pic taken in 1956 (1 month before I was born) of my Mother and her sister (my mother farthest from camera) on my Dads Panther reg. DUT 68. I don't know what model it was. The registration suggest 1937. It certainly has girder forks. A month after the photo was taken it collected me from Nottingham City Hospital as a newly born!

Edited By Malcolm Harvey on 04/01/2016 13:44:06

I think O V S Bullieid himself was a bit eccentric!!

Just had another look at them. They are actually turned from a piece of bar. I have two pieces about 5" diameter.

Is there any reason why I shouldn't make eccentric straps out of bronze plate instead of gunmetal castings? I have a decent sized piece of bronze plate of appropriate thickness that will unlikely ever be used for anything else. Unfortunately I cannot be more specific as to what type of bronze it is other than to state the obvious that it is less copper coloured than gunmetal but more copper coloured than brass! Loco is Titfield Thunderbolt in 3.5" gauge.

I own a 1962 Rover 100. I have made new studs for a lot of engine components (thermostat housing etc) using 1/4", 5/16" and 3/8", 303 stainless rod. I gripped the rod in the 3 jaw in the lathe (ML7) and used the tailstock dieholder to get a start, down to the thickness of the die to make sure I had got it running down the rod square. I then took it out of the lathe a did it conventionally in the vice using a diestock and tapping grease. I have fibregrip jaws in my vice. I had no slippage or marking of the rod on either device. I was of course using HSS dies.

Edited By Malcolm Harvey on 16/08/2015 13:29:42

No mill (yet) unfortunately. I am centre punching with a punch that has a long narrow point. I have already found that with a 'normal' punch I can't see where the actual point is on the metal. I didn't know about optical punches - read about them and I want one!

I was wondering if anyone here has any advice on how to create a row of holes in a nice straight line for riveting. I have no problems with the actual act of riveting but getting a row of holes in a straight line is a different matter. I am using 1/16" snap head brass rivets. I have had much better results with larger rivets so I guess it is also a problem with the smaller size. I am doing Titfield Thunderbolt tender sides and back.

TIA

Hello

I am a Piano Tuner and Restorer. The key is just a tag. The design on it does precisely nothing. It will be either a piece of rod with a flat piece of metal fixed to the side. I bit of tube with a flat piece of metal fixed to the side, or it will be a triangular key. Just look through the escutcheon to see which. To find out how wide the tag/piece needs to be just take the lock out of the piano (2 screws) and measure the distance between the two plates of the lock. Alternatively you could ring up your local piano tuner and he may well be able to sell you a new key for a few pence! I only have a triangular one at the moment.

Thanks. It will probably do for me to learn about how to silver solder if nothing else!

I was just wondering if Silverflo 55 flux has a shelf life. I have a plastic tub of the stuff still in powder form. It is at least 20 years old. Sorry if I have given it an incorrect title but that is what is written on the tub with a felt tip pen!

Yes I intend coming too, most likely Saturday. Never been before.

Thanks. Sometime during the next few months I believe I need to be learning about issues with boiler. Something about the throatplate?? I have never made a boiler before but in any event this one will not be a first attempt.

Malcolm

Thanks for explaining that. Its simple enough even for me

I don't have the luxury of rotary tables or CNC. What are filing buttons? Is LBSC's method safe?

Wonder if anyone would be good enough to tell me how they get the ends of their coupling rods circular at the ends? I see LBSC method of putting a pin in the vertical slide or whatever and hand holding them with your hands against the side cutters on a slot drill but this seems a bit hairy fairy scary broken wrist to me. There must be a better method.

Dave Greenham has given you the best idea. I work with wood for a living and it comes to me much quicker than metal working. It is standard practice if you have a pedestal or bench drill but do not wish to buy a mortice machine to use the conversion kit that he mentions. This will then take the correct type of hollow square mortice chisel bits that are used in mortice machines and you will get square ended mortices properly cut.

My spell checker is also American and I will spell it MORTICE !

Well I have only just noticed this section so I thought I had better say hello! I am currently doing a Titfield Thunderbolt in 3.5" gauge mainly as a not too costly way of getting the experience of doing things. Also I have seen the full size Lion in steam many years ago which does add an interest in it. I also have a Britannia in 3.5" gauge which my Father started building many years ago - well errr - 1951 actually. I have now decided to take this on and get it finished. I also have an almost completed Tich in 3.5" gauge which to be perfectly honest has very little interest for me. Both myself and my Father had reached a full stop in setting up the valve gear (Walschaerts). It doesn't inspire me. If I have a go at something else it will almost certainly be 3.5" gauge. The reasons are really down to cost of castings and copper for boilers, size of the finished loco, in as much as I need somewhere to put it when its completed. And finally I am not getting any younger and I really do not wish to be hugging 5" gauge Atlantics and Pacifics around.

Thanks for starting this section, I will now keep my eye on it!

Malcolm