Member postings for Raymond Griffin

Hi Brian, I was worried about flux residues causing corrosion when making wheels for my Minnie. I decided to use JB Weld resin. The long setting time allowed me to ensure that everything was correctly placed. It worked well, and I can see no advantage in using solder. I add a photo of my rear wheels during construction. The wheel is mounted on a flat, circular plate that could be rotated around a central spigot.

Have you managed to set the valve sequences on your Minnie? I am finding it very difficult and tiresome as the eccentrics are not easy to manipulate.

Cheers Ray

Hi, I have the one of these lathes. It sounds as though somebody has been very heavy handed on the lever: to bend the pins. I also have a copy of the instructions and a screw cutting chart and can send them on to an e-mail address. Ray

Hi Rob,

I attach a copy of the lubrication advice for the Quick Step Mill. I only use mine in the horizontal mode, so cannot comment on vertical use. My motor does become a little warm with extended use. The gearbox runs cool, but I only run mine at slower speeds for milling/drilling work held in the chuck of the lathe. Could be worth ringing Kirk at Hemmingway. I believe that he has used a QSM extensively.

I find the QSM an invaluable addition to my lathe. I purchased my unit new but found that I needed to top up the oil.

Kind regards Ray Griffin

I live in Lorgues, a village in the Var, about 50 minutes North of St Tropez. When we first moved here some years ago, I could see little evidence of model making. Then I noticed an advertisement for a salon de modélisme in a local village. I went along, introduced myself and was invited to exhibit steam engines. The President and members of the club could not have been more welcoming. I joined the club and though still their only steam enthusiast have participated in numerous exhibitions in the area ‘www.les-tetes-en-lair.org/. ; some small and some in large centres such as Cannes and Toulon. There are no local, dedicated model engineering clubs, but there are some superb exponents of model engineering. I exhibited my model steam workshop and some Stirling engines at a small local exhibition at Regusse in September2018. At the show there were steam driven model boats and a delightful radio-controlled model steam car built from scratch. I am a member of the local steam enthusiasts’ group “Amicale Vaporiste Alpes Provence”. A small exhibition of models is planned for 23-26 May in my village and there will be another exhibition at Regusse in September. A well-known British artist specialising in railway scenes has a built a fabulous gauge 1 railway in his garden at Toulon and holds an open weekend each year at the end of May. Certainly, lots to do if you look for it. My advice is to join a model club and participate with what you do. Others will take interest and your circle can widen. French club members that I have met are incredibly hospitable, and the apero’s and meals guarantee a friendly atmosphere. Each year I go to the shows at Alexandra Palace and the Midlands, where I buy all the materials and bits that I need. I attach some photos from local exhibitions.

Ray

Hi Brian,

I attach a couple of photos to show how I did mine recently. The diameter of the cut was established using the method shown. The support was bent around a metal bar. You will need to turn your computer screen around to get the photos upright. Sorry, but no matter how I upload my photos to this site they come out, the wrong way up. Pleased to hear that you have completed the motion work. I am struggling with mine.

Ray

Edited By Neil Wyatt on 02/04/2019 17:14:13

Edited By Neil Wyatt on 02/04/2019 17:15:55

Edited By Neil Wyatt on 02/04/2019 17:16:36

Hello Mike, I made one of these some time ago; I could never get it to run. I would be grateful for any thoughts that you have on timing and your alteration to the valve; might encourage me to have another go at it. I have uploaded a photo but whatever I do the pictures come out sideways on this site. Ray

Edited By JasonB on 16/12/2018 17:22:11

Should read “I do not know how long the posts are kept.”

This topic was discussed 17 May 2012. I do know how long the posts are kept. If it is useful I can copy my parts of the conversations and re-post them. My posts from that era are retained.

Hello Sam,

I replaced the roller bearings on my FB2 with a bush made from bronze. It was moderately easy to do but needs to be a very good fit. Did mine about ten years ago and it remains free running without play. In the first place, I replaced the bearings with a new set, but wear on the shaft still left me with play. Hence the home-made bush.

Ray G

I recently purchased a length of cable for my I” Minnie from Blackgates Engineering. It is 1.5mm in diameter, very supple and will do nicely. I can’t remember the cost, but certainly not worth haggling about.

Ray

Many thanks to Billy for opening a slot to show models from PMR. As noted in the previous PMR thread I include my mill , grinder and press. The legs on the grinder and press are cast in aluminium and care is required to avoid bending when worked on.

RayAs noted before, uploading to this site is rotating some of my photos. The press and grinder are upright in my album. Though it is possible to save them to your computer and rotate later.

Edited By JasonB on 25/02/2018 13:30:44

I have now right clicked on the photo/ save as/ put in my photos file and rotated from there. Not completely satisfactory but works.

Ray

I agree that these are nice kits. I buy mine from Forrest Classics, and the prices are agreeable. I made the milling machine and grinder to fit in my model workshop. They are slightly smaller scale than the range from Stuart Models, but don’t look out of place together. PM Research in USA are good to deal with. I asked them the colour or the machine, and they sent me a photo of the original machine in a museum. Great service. I show two photos, one of the milling machine, and one of my model workshop at our club exhibition last year.

Very sorry, but the model workshop is upside down. I have rotated and uploaded my original image three times now, but it always loads to this site in this way. Any thoughts?

Ray G

Edited By Neil Wyatt on 24/02/2018 11:56:16

These microscopes were popular in the past with some Cytology Laboratories, screening cervical smears for cancer. They were equipped with a compact quartz iodine (QI) lamp; useful for the technique of blue light fluorescence. In this technique FITC (fluorescence isothiocyanate) used as the fluorescent stain, fluoresced with the wavelengths generated by the QI lamps. It was claimed that Blue light fluorescence gave higher detection rates of malignancy than the traditional Papanicolaou (PAP) stain. It was an elegant idea that did not become established.

Expensive and potentially explosive mercury vapour lamps and strong filters normally required for Ultra Violet light fluorescence were not needed.

I retain a G&S for use, though have replaced the objectives with Leitz products; to my mind superior.

Happy microscopy.

Ray G

I have a series of articles which describe the construction of this model, currently being published in Model Engineer. The series started in No. 4571, 13-26 0ctober 2017. It is an interesting project, and the finished model is a worthwhile addition to a collection of models. Copies of plans should be available from Stuart Models.

The camera obscura in the Clifton Observatory is worth a visit. One of the few, if not the only, public camera obscura’s in England. Gives a fabulous birds eye view of the suspension bridge, best on sunny days. Easy short walk from the entry to the bridge, on the city side.

My article “Boring castings”, published in Model Engineer Vol 217, No. 4538, 8-21 July 2016 could be helpful. I can send a copy by e-mail if required. Your setup looks flimsy for the task. Think about buying a Keats angle plate; they are cheap and effective. Mine came from Kirjeng. If angle plate not on, beef up your retaining bar strap, preferably for one with a V shape. The bar through the hole in the casting will not work as cast holes are rough and rarely central. The photo here shows a Stuart steam hammer casting; similar to the Victoria I have made the double Victoria, so understand the problem.

Take a look at the Blackgates catalogue; they list them as machined parts at a very reasonable price.

I am at the stage with my 1” Minnie, where I need to start thinking about construction of the wheels. I recollect that this was discussed in the past on this forum. There was reference to a rivet setting tool: a good aid to riveting and perhaps superior to the traditional bashing with a hammer and set. To save me trawling through the archives, please can anyone provide a reference to this tool?

Many thanks in advance

Ray Griffin

Hello pgk pgk,

Agh the trials and tribulations of silver soldering; especially on a small complex boiler such as the 1” Minnie. I soldered the pads in place before moving on. The pads were held in position with copper rivets. It is easy to remove the protruding piece with a file when the job is cold; the head can be left inside. The advice from Julian about stopping the boiler acting as a chimney is very sound; as are the other first class suggestions from him and the others on this thread. I wish that I had read all of these suggestions before I stared on my Minnie boiler. I plugged holes with an insulation blanket from CuP alloys; torn into pieces and stuffed into large orifices to prevent the circulation of cooling air through the boiler. With regard to the boiler stays between firebox and outer wrapper, I followed the method in the book. It worked for me, though I am sure that JasonB offers a more modern approach. Take note of my comment earlier, about pressure testing the boiler (as advised by Mr Mason) before these stays are in place. As you say, the melting point of silver solder is considerably higher once it has been used. I know this to my own chagrin from the times that I have tried, unsuccessfully, to re-melt a silver soldered joint that has gone wrong.

Good luck

Ray