Member postings for Durhambuilder

M machine list it.

And definitely an example of how not to do it

https://youtu.be/dHpCJKXB0YI

Jacob, I have absolutely no connection with the seller but if I were you I’d have a good look at the Boxford currently on the Home Workshop site for £750.

The dulux paint colour match swatch under the left foot would ring some alarm bells ! Has it been hastily repainted?

I did my 35m2 garage floor on my own over about 5 morning sessions using a normal mixer. I used kform profiles set to level and concreted in bays between them. Highly recommended, I found they made the whole job very manageable.

www.kform.co.uk/product-k135.php.

Could you mount the hoist motor vertically on the support pole and run the cable out over a pulley block or similar? Would save excess weight on the end of the arm.

Boiler bits all ready to solder up, just need to bite the bullet and buy 1/2 kg of CUP alloys finest!

The wheels are simple discs 4” dia, castings work out at £30 ea whereas slices of 110mm bar in either cast iron or steel are £9.00 each. Should I go for cast iron or steel?

cheers guys, some useful information. I must admit I had not seen the DY Hunslette before but I think it’s a little too small for me. I’ll be doing my own boiler, Reeves have a set of flanging plates for Lilla amongst their few remaining formers being sold off which would help. Looking at Station Road Steam the Lilla they sold looks less toy like than the Conways, possibly just down to the individual builder but nevertheless I think Lilla may be the one.

For my next build I’m erring towards a 3.5” Hunslet style loco. There appear to be two choices, the Martin Evans Conway or the Ross Harrison Lilla. I can find lots of examples of Conway but few of Lilla, similarly there are a fair few published errors in the Conway design but few for Lilla. Fortunately I have magazine build series for both, heart says Lilla, brain says Conway. Help, which one should I go for?

Given that the largest dia you can pass through the headstock will be less than an inch you could just drill a hole in the workshop wall to line up with the headstock and stick a cork in it when not in use!

I have both a Tom Senior and a Dore Westbury. I didn't build the DW but it is a beautiful bit of kit. Of the two it is my go to mill, i much prefer the quill feed over the vertical table movement of the Tom Senior. Of course for removing lots of metal quickly the Tom Senior is better.

I love my chipmaster, cut both 19tpi (1/4 bsp) and 13 tpi (1/2 unf) straight off the gearbox. Mine replaced a Boxford AUD and I’ve never looked back.

all of the main castings, headstock, bed, saddle and tailstock will have the serial number on a small brass disc set into the casting. Make sure these all match, if not it's been built up from different parts.

Phil, I’ve sent you a private message.

Don't be too hasty cutting it up, I have a 3MT Tom senior arbor which doesn't fit my machine, I need somebody to swap it for a 30 INT! I'll try and get a photo tomorrow.

A few years ago now I bought an old horizontal mill from a blind model engineer near Taunton. On answering the door he hot footed off to his very crowded workshop with me following. After banging my knees on several things I had to sheepishly ask if he could turn the lights on so I could see where I was going.

Edited By Durhambuilder on 03/06/2017 21:27:04

The rather splendid old industrial museum near the SS Great Britain has unfortunately been replaced by a modern trendy museum called the M Shed, fortunately most of the old industrial stuff is still on site albeit in storage and you can still see it. Google M Shed Bristol and follow the links to treasures in store.

I built one as a first loco, absolutely fantastic on the track with six up, everybody in the club comments on how well it goes. Boiler is more than capable of supplying the 1 5/8 cylinders, a lot of the time I have to run with the fire door open, perhaps I need to look at the blast pipe to reduce the draught a little. The only change I made was to the boiler, this was made with a single flat sheet of copper for the boiler barrel and wrapper, the barrel being joined by a cover strap on the outside underneath.. A few photos of the soldering are in my album. With hindsight I would't bother with the aluminium smokebox casting, try and fabricate one out of steel or brass. Paint won't stick to the aluminium and it appears to seep oil almost as if it were very slightly porous.

There is a good build diary on youtube of a Briggs Stratton Engine with a glass cylinder head. Final instalment (of 17) here:

https://youtu.be/-XkL9JjHY8Q

Insulation is definitely key to successful boiler making. I did a 5" loco boiler with a single 25mm dia sievert torch and an insulating chimney liner, see my album for photos.