Member postings for Speedy Builder5

The plans for the 5" SPEEDY show the liners, LBSC's book has the explanation of how to machine them. My SPEEDY was purchased as an "abandoned project" with cylinders machined from bronze castings. Feel free to message me for more info and also during your SPEEDY build.

Bob

Stuart, besides the basic equipment, you will need end mills, lathe tools, drills, taps, dies, gas torch for silver soldering, possibly needle files, nice sharp files for brass, possibly a gauge and pump for home water boiler hydraulic testing, stuff for painting etc etc, the list goes on. Add to that list, chunks of metal, tubes, fittings, nuts and bolts, rivets etc. Don't be surprised if that lot adds up to more than the price of a lathe or mill.

I have just about completed a SPEEDY 5" loco using a Boxford and Warco Major mill. I had to replace the milling vice with an ARC Euro one (I like it) and purchase a low cost rotary table. Although I am retired, its taken me about 10 years to complete - there always seems something else that takes priority !

Bob

Never done this, BUT, I have cleaned some filthy, baked on greasy domestic ovens. Get a large container - baby bath, plastic dustbin etc. Chuck a good cup full of washing powder into it followed by hand hot water. Put the cover into this mix, stir it about a bit and leave overnight. Next day, remove, rinse out and dry well. I wouldn't try a wash machine.

Bob

When I worked for the CEGB, we received a safety bulletin once a quarter. One issue showed a boiler under test where the complete 20foot diameter domed end of the boiler had detached itself under moderate hydraulic pressure. A 20 foot domed end probably weighed a ton or so. Failure was due to brittle weld fracture. Reason:- The boiler was being tested in winter and the water was very cold. It was later found out that the weld material had temperature limitations and was not suitable for use in low temperature environments. (Didn't the Americans have similar problems on welded WW2 ships ?)

They don't like smashed beer bottles down their hole, they just make another one (Hole not beer bottle).

If you don't like poison (I don't), there is a product called Rat Glue. Its a tray of glue which the rats find irresistible in which they get stuck into. You then have to decide what to do with the creature in the morning. If you leave them there too long, other rats often attack their hapless friend. Its a bit like the old fly papers !

We found the remains of Mr Rat in the house the other morning, Mr PUSS had dealt with him and only his heart was left on the carpet (Mr Puss doesn't like heart !).

Plus 1 for Seals Direct. Ring them up as they have some odd sections not listed. Used them on my Citroen 2CV windows.

Good tip, fit the seals on a warm day especially if you have tight radius on the corners.

for 20 euro, I am tempted to buy this set radius gauge , drill the rivet out, send John the 'leaf' he wants.

All those in favour, send me an un franked UK 1st class stamp.

Bob

The multi layer insulation is now not favoured by several of the roofers around here, with temperatures of 40+ deg C in summer and -18 C in winter its not quite the same as the UK. Also, looking on the Rockwool site, the paper backing IS the vapour barrier and should be installed facing the installer.

My original question was "the craft paper burns like a torch - how can that be classed as fire resistant ?" One of the intended uses of the product is for loft insulation where there would be no "Fire protection" from a 12mm plaster board lining. Just seems a little strange to me - perhaps like lining the outside of high rise buildings with certain products.

Bob

I can't find any answer to my query on the net. Thinking of installing rock wool insulation in the loft of our 150 year old converted barn.

There is an existing multi layer Al foil / expanded plastic roof lining which is meant to be equivalent to 240mm of glass fiber, but this is not adequate and in practice does not live up to its expectation.

I am proposing installing 100mm rock wool fibre backed with craft paper attached which acts as the vapour barrier between the roof rafters. Rockwool passes fire tests etc BUT the craft paper burns like a torch - how can that be classed as fire resistant ?

Bob

14mm Martyn? - Lord Austin would turn in his grave if he heard you saying that !

I think you will find that the spring eyes are not truly round and that you should ream the bushes after pressing into place.

Ps How did the radiator cap go ?

Bob

I went to take the Austin 7 out for a run the other day. It normally starts on the first press of the button, not this time. After the third press, I realised that I hadn't turned the fuel tap on - IDIOT !

I drove the 7km to the bakers, bought some bread and croissants, had a chat to a guy who was admiring the car, started and pulled away only for the engine to die in the middle of the high street! What now, the car has always been so reliable. Bonnet up to find the choke lever had gone over centre and was jammed on full choke - that was a simple 'fix'.

The joys of motoring where you can fix things yourself instead of floundering and calling out the garage services.

I went thro one the other month, 1 flash (France). I was travelling at an indicated 94 Kph in what I thought was a 90 limit - It turned out that there was a short section of 70Kph where I missed the signage. My Renault digital speedo reads 94 tor a GPS indicated 90Kph.

The fine arrived 3 weeks later. 70 Kph limit, 85 permissible max speed (which I didn't understand) Fine for 5kph over limit - 1 point and 46€ if paid promptly. French points system starts at 13 and works its way down. For minor offences, points are cleared after 24 months if you are a good boy.

It was a bit of a bugger as a week before the fine arrived, I received a letter saying that the last point (2 years ago) had been erased.

Nick C. Rev Lancaster of Kimbolton School Bedfordshire developed his own fireworks and became one of the countries leading firework designers.

Rev Lancaster

Screwcutting BA threads will be a headache (on most lathes, ML 7s included) but most people use taps and dies as they much easier to use than having compound gear setups to achieve near approximations to the BA thread pitches.

That's all OK until you dismantle the joint, whereupon unless careful measures are taken, the full tension of the joint may be taken on the half nut as the full nut is removed.

Bob

Thousands, possibly millions of rivets on aircraft are/were set with a round head on one side and just "upset" on the other side. Vast amounts of rivets have been saved by "gluing" panels together now.

Its fairly obvious that the set is not for you, there are other sets out there. Its a matter of looking around.

My 5" SPEEDY has a flared blast pipe silver soldered to the smokebox and a cast bronze chimney slipped over the blast pipe and riveted to the smokebox (stops onlookers pinching it !).