Member postings for Simon Collier

I think Martin said above that he was using the correct side.
I sometimes use steel hex bar to cut big threads with a die so it can’t spin in the chuck and also it seems to be free cutting. Screw cutting in the lathe can be very satisfying if you have a gearbox with the desired pitch. Setting up change wheels is a pain.
I agree with Hopper: turn the bar down to 9.8 mm or less. Commercial threads are usually well under nominal size over the crests.

The AMBSC code does not permit TIG welded copper joints except by suitably certified welders.
A beginner should do quite a few practice joints when beginning to silver solder. This is especially so for bronze brazing where you risk overheating the copper. You really need oxy-propane/acetylene for bronze brazing, although propane will do the job for an isolated assembly such as foundation ring section to inner firebox wrapper as a first operation. I would always prefer high temperature silver solder if I had it in stock.

The AMBSC code allows the use of Tobin bronze brazing in boilers. You may use an unflagged joint between the throatplate and barrel, so long as the throatplate is set inside the barrel opening, not butting onto its outside. The reason is obvious. This saves a double flanged throatplate and is what I always do. Bronze brazing isn’t much fun as the copper must be glowing orange before the rod will flow and I find it hard to see what’s going on. The Code states that only those experienced in bronze brazing should use it, but how do you get experienced?
I have wondered about dezincification. Presumably that 1% tin makes all the difference.

I dispute the notion that building boilers is particularly difficult. Expensive, yes, but so is buying a lathe and a mill and tooling to build the rest of the engine. How difficult is a triple expansion engine, or piston valve cylinders? A number of members at my club have built quite complicated boilers first up such as tapered barrels with combustion chambers and Galloway tubes, etc.. experienced club members are always there to advise and help.

What I do find sacrilegious is so called pseudo steam, steam outline locos that have electric motors and batteries.

It’s vitally important that the Teflon rings be made according to the tried and true procedure. A friend who thought he knew better, had two failures before he followed the correct procedure the third time and, surprise surprise, he had success. The method is given here:

https://modeleng.proboards.com/thread/13000/piston-valves-rings

Another friend made them too big cold, and they seized on first steaming.

It’s a frustrating problem. I don’t understand why Phoenix can’t/won’t ship paint, seemingly, beyond the mainland UK.

No response yet. I emailed 24 hours ago.

Jason I have done nothing different. Yes, Pocketmags and the ME app on iPad. I tried “restore purchases” but this issue still does not have the Download button, just the price to buy. I am about 9 months into my first digital subscription so I don’t know whether that is the new viewer.

My digital issue has appeared but the usual Download button is missing. Instead, it is available to buy, and yes, my subscription is still current.

We can run at our club any time we like. The only rule is, there have to be two people in case of an accident of some kind. I like public running days as it is the only way to give the engine useful work. Puttering around light engine get boring very quickly unless you are testing some modification or repair.

The job is done. The 5C collets got a rare outing. I turned the shafts to 15.005 mm. Bearing I.d. were 14.99 mm. Yes I checked with 5-25 internal micrometer. This gave a very satisfying feel with the arbor press, needing a firm but easily accomplished lean on the handle.
Thanks to all contributors.

Sounds like a high stress operation Martin. Reminds me of heat shrinking a driving wheel on and having it grab too quick before it located. I had to drill and bore the 4140 axle away and start again. Easier than grinding though.
Thanks ChrisLH, a simple number is what I wanted. And I happen to have some bearing seal but it wasn’t bought for bearings and is quite old.

It is even more technical than I appreciated. Thanks for the education. Bearing heaters! As it is just a basic riding truck, I might turn the shaft down to an interference of 0.015-0.02 which should push in easily. By the way, the bearings have only numbers, no name.

It is only for a 4 wheel driving truck so not a demanding application. The bearing pockets in the axle boxes are blind, so there could be no pressing anything off again with any ease. I had a tentative feel of the fit with my 3 ton arbor press (mostly used for macadamia nuts) and I think I would have to swing on it to get very far. I have not heard of heating bearings.
Are the press fits designed to also expand the outer race to lock in the housing?

I have a set of commercial, CNC machined wheels, axles and axle boxes with ball bearings. The bearing OD is 35 mm, ID 15 mm, 10 mm thick. These are a close sliding fit in the axle boxes. I measure the ID at 14.99 mm with internal mic. The axles are 15.03 mm. This seems excessive for a press fit. I have minimal experience with press fits, but I’m sure plenty of members here can advise.

It is winter here in Sydney and my workshop is about 11 degrees. We are having an extremely wet winter. I’ve recorded 337 mm so far for July. Leather shoes, bags and belts have grown mould. That last happened in 87/88. We are on track for the wettest year on record. Climate change, we are told. We had terrible bushfires in 2019, probably the worst ever, due to climate change. The UKs record heat is climate change in action. I thought climate change was going to make it hotter and drier, but now it seems that it results in extremes of weather: heat, drought, floods, storms, cyclones etc..

Sabine Hoffenfelder has a good YouTube video on the difference between weather and climate predictions. In another video she concludes from the literature that the best thing one can do to minimise impact on the climate is not have children. The next best thing is to not have a car, but that is vastly less effective than the former. So far, I have not heard the activists clamouring for people to stop breeding. No complaints either about our huge levels of immigration, even though most migrants will have a bigger, probably much bigger, carbon foot print here than in their home countries of China, India, Pacific Islands, and the Middle East and Africa.

I am not familiar with Boxhill but I attached the firedoor of my B1 Springbok to the backhead cladding which is 0:8 mm brass.

Luker, is there anything that you are really bad at? I ask just so those of us without boundless skill, ingenuity and enthusiasm don’t feel so mediocre.

Reading Pat’s excellent posts, it doesn’t sound like a particularly cheap hobby. It may not be feasible on a tight budget.

No it was Luke, in 2020.