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Member postings for Chris

Here is a list of all the postings Chris has made in our forums. Click on a thread name to jump to the thread.

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Thread: Lilac Loco
14/09/2009 20:01:23
Something a little light hearted for the Northumbrian builders.
I am at the moment reading Hunter Davies biography of Geo Stephenson. Northumbrian was one of eight locos which performed for the grand opening of the Liverpool Manchester railway and was also presumably the best as Geo himself drove her and hauled among others the Duke of Wellington who was at the time a huge British hero.
As an aid to catching the right train tickets were issued to the gentry who attended this grand opening printed on various coloured card which matched the colour of the loco which would take them on the momentous journey.
The Northumbrian was LILAC. I mean for goodness sake LILAC.
How am I to explain with any conviction to club members or anyone else for that matter that I have not completed 'Noddy's little train' and that it is in fact a reasonable representation of a historic loco.
What were you thinking George???
Still I could have been building Arrow. It was Pink.
Chris.
Thread: Cauliflower.
09/09/2009 18:16:07
Many thanks for that John. Looks like a fine little engine, now all I need to know is wether there are drawings out there for her.
Chris
07/09/2009 20:19:27
I was brought up beside the CKP (Cockermouth,Keswick, Penrith) branch line in Cumbria which like many others was closed by Dr Death in the 60's. Although my main memory is of DMU's working the line the mainstay of the line used to be a loco known as the Cauliflower. The CKP company aparently never owned any engines and loaned the cauliflowers from LMS who owned the main line passing through Penrith.
Does anyone know what these engines were and if anyone has ever done drawings for a model? They were I believe an 060 which was hard working and reputed to haul far more than they were designed for on the CKP, particularly on Bank Holiday weekends when tourists decended in their hundreds on Penrith wanting transport to Keswick.
I'm sure Cauliflower is just a nick name so if someone knows the actual name of this loco I could google it for more information.
Thanks, Chris.
Thread: Lathe for Beginner
29/08/2009 20:35:27
Thanks Meyrick, glad to know someone else is using one. They have been on the market for a long time but never seem to get a mention in the magazines. I have had mine for about 15 years although it has had little use until I caught this dreadful disease called 'model engineering'. It's only failing is a lot of what I believe is called back lash on the cross slide. ie there is a lot of free movement between forward and backward movements on the feed thread. Is this curable or just something to be expected from a Chineese machine?
As to your comment about machines becoming more affordable. The Clarke lathe/mill is almost exactly the same price today as I paid for it 15 years ago. That has got to make it relatively cheap.
Chris.
28/08/2009 11:15:48
I am using the Clarke 500 lathe with mill head and find it to be a pretty good all-rounder. I know it's Chineese and probably not perfect but is well built and big enough to do anything I will ever be able to afford. Machine Mart sell them so you are quite likely to be within easy reach of one of their shops to actually see one. Chronos also have a page on their site with good photos etc. The add on bits are rather expensive but you don't have to buy Clarke add ons, I certainly don't.
I am just getting into using the mill head and finding it as good as the lathe.
When I set it up after moving house last year I checked it by stripping a 2 inch length of 3/4 rod down to 3/8 using only the markings on the cross slide feed and auto feed on the bed. On checking with a micrometer at the end of the exercise the rod was within 1.5 thou. I have no idea if this is good or bad but is good enough for me. Under normal circumstances I would have been checking the dia with a mic long before getting close to the final cut.
Chris.
Thread: Northumbrian Frames are wrong!
14/08/2009 09:23:36
Hi Peter,
I too have made the frames and asked a simailar question of Jason somewhere on the footplate thread. The answer I recieved was scarey to say the least and included shortening the boiler among many other things.
It's a pain but I started marking out a new set of frames last night. The originals are destined for the 'black museum'.
Regards, Chris.
11/08/2009 20:17:08
I have just discovered on a different section of this site that it has been confirmed that the drawings for the frames were indeed wrong and anyone who has made them to the existing drawings is faced with a fresh start.
My thanks in particular to JasonB who has helped so much in sorting out this problem No way could I have argued the case in the knowledgable way you did Jason.
I am adding this thread to inform others who perhaps like me have been making daily visits to this section hoping for a reply when the discussion has been raging on in the Model Engineer section.
Chris.
Thread: Northumbrian Frames are wrong!
11/08/2009 20:15:21
I have just discovered on a different section of this site that it has been confirmed that the drawings for the frames were indeed wrong and anyone who has made them to the existing drawings is faced with a fresh start.
My thanks in particular to JasonB who has helped so much in sorting out this problem No way could I have argued the case in the knowledgable way you did Jason.
I am adding this thread to inform others who perhaps like me have been making daily visits to this section hoping for a reply when the discussion has been raging on in the Model Engineer section.
Chris.
Thread: Northumbrian First Project
08/08/2009 10:24:00
Could someone explain to me in reasonably simple language why the cylinder position is so critical. I appreciate that the throw of the piston has to match that of the wheel crank etc but as the cylinder is external would the fact that it prodrudes in to the footplate area by 3/16 more be critical. The original LBSC drawings show the cylinder so far back that the top mounting hole is unused as it is above the frame.
Yes I am the guy who has been building as the articles appear and am not too happy about starting again. Equally unhappy that I have spent the last two days decorating the living room because 'her good self' convinced me that continuing in the workshop was futile. These are indeed bad times!!!!
Chris.
Thread: Hss or Carbide Tooling?
04/08/2009 23:46:52
Hi
I am using the glanze parting tool from Chronos and find is to be very good. I also us similar cutting tools and for general work find them unbeatable. Generally I find the indexable bits don't have a 'sharp corner' which is sometimes required.
A tool you can grind to shape for special aplications is always needed but for general use my money is with the replacable bits.
Hope that made some sense. I'm just a novice myself but took the advice of a miller and turner and have had no regrets.
Chris.
Thread: Northumbrian Footplate mounting.
04/08/2009 20:13:06
Hi David and Jason,
Thanks for your interest in this problem. If my observation has saved someone else a problem I am happy.
My comments about checking the drawings were in no way a slight on your checks as editor David. I wouldn't know where to start reading and checking someones drawings, a point made clear by my cutting metal before finding the small error.
Thanks,
Chris
04/08/2009 11:25:44
Hi fellow builders,
I have discovered what may be a mistake with the footplate drawings re the front mounting holes.
These holes are shown as being 21/8" from the back of the plate, if this is the case they miss the mounting rail which is centred at 2" from the back.
As you will doubtless have guessed I discovered this in metal not on paper!
Now do I make a new foot plate or fabricate a wider mounting rail?
Tony made considerable play in his first article about his mates in the 21/2 Association checking his drawings. Perhaps he should go back to them for a second reading.
Chris. 
Thread: pickling
26/07/2009 10:33:38
If you live in a rural area you may have noticed rectangular plastic buckets in fields. They are mineral suppliment blocks for livestock. Very strong plastic, snap on lid and being about 16 inches long by nine wide and nine deep are a good shape for our purpose. farmers usually have sheds ful of empty ones.
Chris.
Thread: Northumbrian First Project
19/07/2009 10:36:56
Thanks for that David. I can now drill with confidence.
 (Had to leave the Shand Mason on the shelf for a while. Gunter was running faster than my little grey cells could handle but I'll be back)
Chris.
Thread: Specific sub forums.
19/07/2009 10:19:09
No sooner said than done!
Many thanks to whoever was responsible for setting up the sub forums.
Chris.
Thread: Northumbrian First Project
19/07/2009 10:07:18
Hi,
Being as I may be partly responsible for this section on the site I guess I'd better introduce myself. Very much a begunner working on a limited budget. Hence I have made a start on the Northumbrian.
If anyone tries to tell me that buying laser cut frames is just a time saver and making them with hack saw and file is not real engineering I'll............... Well I'll have a reasonable discussion with them!
There is a  slight problem with the drawing. Hole 8 does not 'appear' to be in line with the centre of the axel however measurements and taking the edge of the horn plate as a datum line works for both the axel and hole 8. LBSC's original drawing showed a bottom measurement line giving axel centres from each end and between centres. Similar would have been useful.
Please keep those instructions as clear and simple as the first article Tony. It may be patronising to the more experienced but we beginners need it.
I would be pleased to hear from other builders.
Chris.
 
Thread: Specific sub forums.
17/07/2009 10:03:45
Might it be a good idea to set up sub forums for each project being covered by ME? ie forums for those building the Shand Mason, Q1, Northumbrian etc.
It would make for easy contact for those of us building a project and good reading to see how others are tackling problems.
This is a great site and a tremendous help to those of us who don't have easy access to a club.
 
Thread: Blued steel plate
10/07/2009 22:57:13
Dougie I have just bought some from M Metals in Darlington. They have a web site and were very helpful.
Your not messing with that Northumbrian beastie are you?
Thread: Marking out
10/07/2009 22:50:31
Just a beginner but if you spray sheet sheel with cheap primer, grey or better white it gives a great surface to draw on with a pencil. try an H2, very fine line and if you cock up you can rub it out. Bought my last tin of light grey from a pound shop for, guess what. Just a quick flash over with the spry can is enough.
Chuck it in some celulose thinners for five minutes and wipe it over with some fine wire wool and hey presto! You might not need to 'cause your going to paint it anyway.
Never tried it with brass but I'll get back to you when I have.
As a newby I just know someone is going to tell me this is a really bad thing to do.
Chris.
Thread: Milling on Myford
06/07/2009 21:53:39
Hi
Not a note of advice I'm afraid but one of encouragement.
When I started to find out about tooling up my Clark mill as attached to the lathe I couldn't even get my head around collets, clarkson threads, end mills, slots etc etc. The guys from Chronos at the Harrogate show were very helpful and got me tooled up and roling at a very good price. They have a question section on their website and I have used it several times with a rapid and useful reply within the hour.
Try,  chronos.ltd.uk. (Usual disclaimer, my only association with Chronos is their share in my plastic card!!)
As for speeds etc, I'm on trial and error as I don't know what speed my mill is running at. See my other contributions on this site. Am I the only owner of a clark 500?
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