Member postings for John Billard 1

Reading SME (UK) has suspended all club house activities and track running including birthday parties and public running. Club running is also off for now.

The site is being looked after by a group of (younger) volunteers.

However our monthly journal PROSPECTUS continues as a vital way of keeping members connected.

Here's to happier times ahead (.... and a blank diary is great for workshop time... thank goodness we have good interests to keep us going. With no football and no pubs many will have unfilled gaps in their lives).

Wishing everyone the best of health.

John B

Edited By John Billard 1 on 20/03/2020 22:13:41

Is it appropriate to use leaded gunmetal for boiler bushes? Some suppliers appear only to stock this. Should I be concerned that the lead might boil out during silver soldering? (A regulator bush in question material 1.25 inches in diameter)

Thanks in advance for advice.

John B

Just further to my posts on 5" gauge boiler making I have further questions:

I am happy to follow the treatise by Alec Farmer in his book "Model Locomotive Boilermaking". However noting that this was published over 50 years ago are there any changes or advances in techniques that would be worth considering?

Secondly the book on p 19 refers to oxy acetylene nozzles ranging in sizes between 11 and 18 - is there a modern equivalant to these sizes or are they still the available?

Does anyone have any recommendations about the use of a suitable hearth for this job:?

Thank you in advance for any responses.

Wishing all contributors a Happy New Year and thank you for all the information and amusement over the past year!

John B

Perhaps the ME editorial team could respond?

Kind regards to all.

John B

Thanks Jason; I think I had got that far..... does anyone know when they'll be back? Must be others asking at this time of year.

Kind regards

John B

Are Model Engineer binders available? They do not appear to be accessible via the binders link on this site.

Kind regards

John B

....and I understand that "Cortina" is dustbin in Italian and RR abandoned the name "Silver Mist" as mist can be a word for dung in Germany. It became the Silver Shadow.

John B

I have put DRO on the Z axis of my Dore Westbury mill if this is of any interest.

John B

Just to add - I am seeking that Australian Code book - can it be obtained easily?

Thank you

John B

Thanks Jason - that was quick!

John B

Can someone point me to a 5" gauge copper round top boiler design with rod stays over the firebox?

Thanks

John B

Coggy, this is what happens when you seek advice from a forum!

As a Myford user for over 40 years if you have made up your mind to have a Myford then go for it and don't take too much notice of the negative comments so far.

I replaced my old Super 7 a couple of years ago with a refurbished model from "new" Myford in Halifax. I am delighted with it and the quality, which the new owners have strived for, is equal to the past. There are some limitations in terms of mandrel bore with my machine but that depends on what you wish to do with it. As far as I know new accessories are UK made and nothing comes from China.

I would strongly recommend a gear box (that is a ML7B or Super 7B). It is not just a question of thread cutting but importantly also being able to quickly adjust the cutting feed rate which I do all the time.

Myford accessories are freely available. If it is a question of cost I believe that most remains available for an overhaul.

Buy the best you can afford and you won't be disappointed.

Kind regards

John B

Tippex works for soft solder.

John B

...and it can still be bought. Even smells the same. Much better than the plastic stuff particularly when the glue goes off.

John B

That's very helpful, John.

Many thanks

John

The Tender is an extra 3 st 3 lbs, Phil.

Thank you Duncan. That is very kind of you. I have that in my archive - just couldn't remember where. I must look at the internet index more closely.

While I am on, I believe that I sorted out the valve gear calculation for the Claud, the subject of earlier discussion, but I will put that on another thread.

With kind regards

John B

A good friend has put his Maid of Kent on the bathroom scales for me.

It weighs 8 stone 9 lbs.

Best wishes

John B

Thank you Duncan. The link shows the publication unavailable though I am sure it will be sold elsewhere e.g. TEE Publishing. I think too that was serialised in MODEL ENGINEER a while ago.

Kind regards

John B

I put 3 axis DRO on my Dore Westbury mill, from ems-i. Not a cheap job I agree but it has transformed the operation of the machine. The extra expense was well worth every penny and I have a good industrial standard set up that I know I can rely on.

Kind regards

John B

My 5" Super Claud build continues with the tender complete and the current work includes the driving wheel springs. I propose to use the approach favoured by Doug Hewson using spring steel suitably tempered.

Reference to the works drawings refers to 14 plates that scale to just over 3.6 inches across the hanger brackets. The question is how to arrive at the suitable deflection. I am a long way from weighing the engine!

It would be useful to know the anticipated axle weight of such an engine. The Martin Evans Claud is very much based on a Maid of Kent though I am following the original more closely with scale driving wheels and valves under the cylinders - a GER speciality. So my engine might be slightly heavier.

I used this approach for the tender but found that it was necessary to slot the spring plates to achieve the correct loaded deflection.

Kind regards

John B