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Member postings for Kieran Sparks

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

Thread: What beginners model engine should I choose?
15/01/2011 07:52:56
Hello Andrew,
 
If you were inclined to build a steam engine similar to polly, i would suggest a Sweet Pea
Which is a Narrow gauge Bagnall style loco in 5" gauge. It has relatively few parts is easy to build and produces a fairly powerful engine which can do fair work.
 
Their is a build series book in paperback by Jack Buckler called "Build your own steam locomotives. It is upto date and the annotation and diagrams are easy to read, and the text is step by step. 
 
The main distributer is "Blackgates enginering" you can use them for as much or as little from full kit, to basic castings if you want to do it all your self.
 
There are many pictures on the net of these engines and nobody every speaks badly of them, they are proved and reliable engine. If you interested, always youtube "sweet pea rally" as there is one every year.
 
kind regards,
 
Kieran
 

 
 
 

 

Thread: Metric vs Imperial - Practical or Traditional?
17/08/2009 09:44:53
As Younger Model engineer at 23, sorry gentlemen........
 
I can see how Imperial would be a shock, as most school's teach metric now as a matter of course. Plus the wider world is using said materials and machines.
 
Althought here are a few points..........
 
Model engineer magazines before my time and with original LBSC's designs are all Imperial, going back well beyond 1930.
 
Unless you want to scratch build or chew parts out of solid for a Model, you will have to buy castings. Which will mostly be cast off original wooden patterns scaled to Imperial plans.
 
All the current designs for locomotives either 3 1/2 or 5 inch gauge run on imperial track gauge. It is unlikely that clubs are going to relay track or that plans for locomotives are going to be revised into Imperial, due to cost and manpower.
 
by any rate alot of Imperial plans have never been revised and still have errors on them. Popular designs as well, but this would mean owning up to errors and probably legal? The majority of people in clubs will know something about one or two designs. This is where it is invaualable to talk to somebody about the model you are planning.
 
How I get round Imperial
 
I work on a Imperial myford, and I am completly metric, so work with what you have.
I tried to make the transition easier by these few methods and it does not cost the earth.
If all else buy a Digital vernier caliper ( machine dro-co.uk) and a copy of Zeus tables.
I find that breaking Imperial down into a decimal much easier to understand than the fraction eg 1/2 = 0.500  or 1/8 = 0.125 althought the read out will give you a fourth digit after the point, i dont tend to work down to that tolerance. Some drawing you may find are written in Imperial decimal, so dont get caught out thinking it is metric. 1/8 can also be written in this case as .125  (point only in front ) Zeus will give you decimal breakdown of the sizes in a table, but for quick refernce if you use a caculater dived the top number of the fraction into the bottom. ie 3/16 would be 3 divided by 16= 0.1875  The talbes are extremely useful for reference including letter and number drills which are also gauged in standard metric sizes, good for working out to drill undersize for reaming Imperial.
 
( I have no machine fitted with Dro, and i still prefer to work with an eyeglass when marking out with a manaul read off vernier height gauge. Althought i did invest in a digital micrometer recently, but i find it is not as accurate as normal thimble type moore and wright types.) 
 
With my Zeus tables, I photocopied it and made it larger to A4 and have two polly pockets one for each page, so i can refer to it easily. I dont go anywhere in the garage without these. On the reverse of each page I also have a print out of information.  One consists of BA (British Association)sizes for tapping and threading and the other is for ME(Model engineer standard and special fine thread) sizes. This information is available in many places ie the back of the blackgates catalogue for free or on the net.
 
Apart from these pages i work on little else to complete my work. They are my bible, even with constant referal i still probably couldnt tell you all the decimal breakdowns off all the Imperial sizes, Its like a second langauge still. My maths is prity shocking so if i can work in Imperial, im of the opinion that with practice and a little patience it can be done.
 
 I hope my waffle is a little insightful to the complete begineer and i apolgise to the more learned than I. (ie teaching granny)
 

 

Edited By Kieran Sparks on 17/08/2009 09:46:38

Edited By Kieran Sparks on 17/08/2009 09:48:15

Edited By Kieran Sparks on 17/08/2009 09:49:19

Thread: Northumbrian First Project
19/07/2009 14:35:22
Hi there,
 
Like most people, at some point you run into problems......The other weekend i thought i would draw out the frame diagram from the magazine just to check that it worked and to get an idea of overall size. Suprised that it could fit on a single sheet of A4 paper, it is a very compact loco! but was disheartend when i had worked around most of the drawing and then could not place the rear horn........due to a lack of dimesions from either end.......
 
To this end i went down my local club and pulled the ME volume with the original LBSC model, to make comparisons ( Vol 84, 1941 Issues 2082-2089 "Rainhill" )
 
Indeed the plans of LBSC, have measurments at both ends for horns! So i am very glad that Dave has made some corrections......althought bear in mind that not everbody has internet access, and will not know about these?
 
 "There a few omissions" comes as rather a big shock!  not wanting to sound like a broken record David but are the plans proof read? This problem stems back to the days of old when there was "c**k up corner" which you had to hunt for in a small box about three issues ahead of the section in earlier ME's. Why should these problems  still keep happening.
 
On a more cheerful note, as i am a fairly newish model engineer  at 24. I have taken alot of interest in the new projects of ME and found them to be very well geared towards the beginner. Charlie and northumbrian are great and the magazine generally seems to have turned around for the better recently. The shand mason and trams cars sections have also been enlightening even if i am more heavily interested in locomotives, modeling of this high nature is a joy to see photographed and is encouraging that the subject is not limited. Please may it continue
 
Kieran
 
 

Edited By Kieran Sparks on 19/07/2009 14:38:11

Thread: brazing/siversoldering
07/06/2009 17:01:38
Exellent information which is free, about topic.........
 
www.pollymodelengineering.co.uk 
Go on the Technical notes.....Basic silver soldering.
 
which covers......
joint design
flux choice
hearths and heating
pickling
temprature chart which implies job type and flux.
 
Or visit a very helpful chap which is specific in the field. and will help you ever step of the way. Everything you ever needed to know is on this site.....
www.cupalloys.co.uk
 
You can also purchase everything you will need from here.....
including starter packs, torches, fluxes, solder sticks of all types non toxic cleaning salts, refractories.
My favorite, Kaolin Wool (insulation blankets) exellent for lagging boilers and forming quick hearth setups instead of heat sink bricks.
 
Hope this helps everybody
 
 
 
Thread: Converting solid Phos. Bronze axle blocks into split bearings
07/06/2009 16:11:55
These Photo's of split boxes may be of use to you. 
Follow these instructions......
 
1 Go To.....www.stationroadsteam.com
2 Click on his "links" page
3 Click on "An engine from castings" photo doc by a Very talented Japanese gentleman.
4 Scroll a little down the page and find Driving wheel assembly 1 from 20 july 2008
5 click on assembly 1 photos and scroll down to the axlebox photos.
 
Once you have seen these photos, you will have a good understanding of how to mount, slit saw and produce keeps. They say a picture reads a thousand words.
For a beginner like me you often wish there was more such photos to hand like this.
Check out the whole build this gentleman has done, you will truly be stunned. everything is from scratch......!!!!! great photos
 
including
spring manufacture, grippers and pads, special tooling
wheel turning and quartering jig
casting and pattern and much more
 
Hope this helps 

Edited By Kieran Sparks on 07/06/2009 16:13:09

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