Member postings for Simon Collier

Bronze braze? Have someone TIG weld it? You might be able to bend a new one up from sheet. It depends how much more work you anticipate doing with the tool.

Make sure there is no slop in your cross slide and the gib is snug. Lock the saddle, then fine cuts with a sharp cutter. Vertical slides are not very rigid set ups.

That looks like the steel boiler code. There are also the copper code, the Duplex code and the sub-miniature boiler code. If anyone is interested in the history of the Australian code: http://www.aals.asn.au/AMBSC/AMBSC.htm

AMBSC code allows LG2 and that is what I and fellow club members use for boiler bushes. What is the supposed problem with it ?

Mine is small too, 1-7/8. I just measured it as I happen to have the belt cover off at the moment. With the oiler, it can't go any further over as it is already hard up against the belt cover, so they are probably all like this and I can forget my concern (??)

I found this thread very interesting as I own an ML7. On mine, if you take off the oilers from the tops of the bearing caps and look in, the oil hole in the bearing shell on the left hand side is not directly under the oiler position, but to the left of it. This can't be correct can it? Can AJC or anyone enlighten me on this?

Could anyone hazard a guess about what springs might be suitable for Martin Even's Springbok? He specifies 18g x 7/32 bore but gives no length. I intend to build extra weight in under the cab, and the frames are 4 mm not 1/8th, so it should be a bit heavier than typical. I must say I hate to see an engine waddling down the track on too soft springs. Buying something suitable would be ideal but I could have a go at winding piano wire if necessary.

James ran it again today but the axle pump caused trouble and he intends to make a new one. The pump stretcher, which is also the motion bracket, is too flimsy and need replacing with a thicker one. After yesterday's first run, he went home and worked on it for 5 hours straight, lifting the boiler and repairing leaking bunker tank, etc.. Amazing.

I took a couple of pictures on my phone but they were awful. I suggested he get the students to make bits but it didn't happen. Not an experienced machinist and he started on a C3, but was given Hercus Craftsman part way along and that really helped. It is our public running day today and I will try to get a decent picture. He has a pretty young wife, so who needs a social life?

Today I helped a young fellow, a school teacher teaching Industrial Arts, steam test his newly finished loco. It is a 5" gauge NSW 26 class. He built it in a little under nine months, which is utterly astonishing. It is his first loco. He built the boiler with assistance from someone with heating gear and experience. The loco was in steam most of the day, with the builder having to go home twice to re-make or modify parts. The saddle tank leaked, and there were a number of other problems that need sorting out, but it ran, and it steamed well, and did many laps of the track, with three drivers. He built several gauge 1 locos in the time too, plus a 5" 4 wheel S truck, and most of a water gin, a loco stand on wheels, a box for it, and various other things. This bloke is married and works full time, but has no children. He does have school holidays, and also has been able to do a little of the projects at work in the school workshop. He smashed our club record for a 5" loco of 11 months, and that was a NSW 30 class tank. I should add that this is to steaming, in the un-painted state.

It makes my excuses for my slow progress seem rather poor, and I am sure many others will feel the same.

It should be up to a small 5" loco but the lathe would want to be optimally set up. Have a look at this:

http://www.arceurotrade.co.uk/machineguides/C3-Mini-Lathe-Dismantling-and-Reassembly-Guide.pdf

Others who own a mini lathe will be along to advise before long.

I had an Easson two axis which came fitted to my lathe. It failed after about 7 years. Naturally, the board was no longer available. I eventually coughed up the money for a new one, about $A 600 I think, after fuming for a year or so first. The new one is an ugly grey colour instead of the nice black old one. It plugged straight into the scales though, thankfully.

I have some neat little threaded things that snap off when they are in the work too; they are called 8 BA taps.

The next one I make will have concentric o-rings either side of the port slot/holes. The one I had made, just faced, worked well for ages but then started to leak and got worse. Attempts to face or lap it failed and I scrapped it.

Edited By Simon Collier 1 on 06/07/2016 00:07:18

I think a good model engineer is one who sticks to the main project and makes regular progress, not one (like me) who get distracted by other projects, while the main thing languishes, and is in danger of becoming yet another unfinished loco.

I once got an order from England, delivered in four days, to Sydney. Can't remember from whom.

I read my July EIM today. There was a very interesting add about why model engineers should vote to leave. It concentrated on the EU rules for boilers and the switch to more expensive, poorer performing 55% silver solder. I was surprised and delighted to see it. I doubt Neil would have allowed it in MEW.

I can now see from my photo that that is a nut so, as advised, I won't be touching it. Anyway I anticipate no further trouble as I have applied copper-based anti seize to the nose threads. This stuff works wonders. Recently I made a steam brake valve for a loco, and on first use, after about 8 minutes, it seized solid. On getting home I had to use a staggering amount of force to drive the spindle (3/8" 316) from the bronze (LG2) body. I polished it up and re assembled. Next steam up, it happened again, exactly the same. Third time, I applied the anti seize, and it has worked smoothly and freely since.

I find Brian's post particularly interesting, as today, walking the dogs, I was thinking about just that: taking some sort of cast of the inside threads, but I didn't think of dentists' teeth impression goo. It will remain a thought experiment however, as I trust that the previous owner knew what he was doing with chuck selection. He was a skilled machinist and mechanic and was fastidious with his tools. I fitted three chucks and the driving plate to the lathe today, and all screwed on and off easily and with the same feel, and the driving plate at least is original equipment.

Thanks again everyone. Your responses to my problem show this forum at its best.

Yes Michael, and I later held a torch behind the two gauges and it was then obvious that the Whitworth gauge was not touching all along the flanks of the threads.

Paul, mine has one piece 4 speed v belt pulleys. One possible point to lock the spindle is what might be a tommy bar hole on the left end of the spindle.