Member postings for Alan Redgrave

Hello everyone,

Just a quick word to say "Thank-you" to all the contributors on this thread-------- I know it's a wee bit late ( 4 years and 1 month ) but I have just had exactly the same problem as ICEpeter and can now use this info to re-wire my Boxford........Just for interest sake but the Tech. guy at Brook Crompton was baffled...More power to the Forum !!

Thanks again

Alan R

Hello MARTIN,

Yes,that was just what I needed-----it's downloaded ok and makes fascinating and useful reading..

Many thanks indeed

Alan R

Hello everyone !!

Well, that was good bit of sleuth work by all concerned and thank you one and all for your input.......I also have just spent some time in the workshop and looked at things from a new perspective .......Initially I mistook Howards entry of }-- 30, 32 / 40 as meaning a choice of ONE of those numbers.......That's how lathes in the past have been for me ----- and with ALL gear wheels being of the same DP ( old habits die hard !!)......

To-day I have found that we actually have 2 compound set-ups ie}--- the short keyed shaft under the tumblers which I now have 2 wheels on ( I course and 1 fine toothed 40T --- just bear with me !! )...The coarse is driven by the mainshaft and tumblers and keyed to the fine which in turn now meshes with the 127 only and then the 40T on the Norton box.......

So we got there in the end ---- and Howard's latest entry cross-checks this as well ----Hoo-ray !!

HOWARD, I only have the Spare Parts manual--- is there another one then ?? I'll PM you on Sunday...

GRAY--- Haven't forgotten you---thanks for the link, I'll give it a go later on....

MARTIN, thanks for that info--- most useful..

PS}--- A bit of background to this }---- I bought the lathe approx 10 years ago--it was delivered in a crate to my front door---Pre-Divorce activities --- Divorce-----Move house twice----Child Access problems----heavy maintenance payments = no hobby time---crate still not opened---3 years ago lathe set up for basic turning only ( Part of self-employed ) -- last month decided to use auto feed ---- and here we are to-day.....( and I found a Chinese dog-end in the crate !!)....So it's virtually brand new----I had the apron gearbox apart for major cleaning ( gears heavilly rusted etc ) end of last year...I'm making a 5c collet drawbar and holder for it.....

Edited By Alan Redgrave on 02/02/2019 16:49:57

Many thanks indeed Howard for that informative reply..........I have since taken all the gear wheels concerned off the lathe--- wash & "Blow-dried" and checked each one carefully..........Here are the findings}-----

1) The Headstock mainshaft gear profile matches and engages that of the tumble arrangement and they engage with the one below the tumble.....

2) The compound wheel gears profile matches and engages with the Norton Gearbox drive input gear wheel and the idler.....

BUT--------

1) and 2) will not engage to one another as they have a different profile.....That difference is quite noticeable when offered to one another.

How do I post a photo on here ??

I'll give Chester a call on Monday to see what they have to say.......In the meantime I've sourced a few local Companies that will make new gears to pattern......just in case !!

Many thanks indeed

Alan R

Hi------I have a Chester Craftsman Lathe which I have only recently ( past few years ) been able to fully commission due to Divorce, house moving, retirement etc.........so it's well out of any guarantee etc......Up to now I've only ever used it for plain turning by hand for small jobs, so the tumbler gear has always been in neutral and the auto feed never engaged.....

To-day I tried to get the fine feed to work but I found that the combined 125 / 127 gear wheel and the matching tumbler feed gear wheels wont engage !!

After washing all the pres. grease off and air - blast dried I saw that the two sets of teeth were different !!..........not by much but definitely different so naturally wont engage..

Any one else had this at all ??---- I've posted this on a Friday for a chance to maybe get some help.......I'll phone Chester on Monday for their take on this..

Thanks in advance

Alan nR

My apologies if this is in the wrong thread-------------Has anyone the valve setting instructions for the 5" gauge Modelworks 14xx 0-4-2T...??

I'm trying to help my good friend whose eccentrics are loose.........He wants to set the valves by setting the eccentrics in their "Correct" position on the axle whereas I would prefer to set the lead position of the valve and rotate the eccentrics up to meet the strap............It's extremely cramped at the front end and I was wondering just how Modelworks would have done it in the first place ???

Any practical help much appreciated ------- Please help 2 old codgers from finally losing their marbles !!!

Ah--now then that comment about the eccentrics seems to hit a spot.....As I mentioned I've only just come onto the scene refarding my friends problems....By his own admission ( Sorry, that wasn't meant to be a valve joke !!). he's not at all experienced but he did mention something about the eccentrics OR he had done something to them, maybe ??........Yes, I'll have a look at the MECH thread and see what I can glean from that....Bye for now...

Hello Redsetter and thanks for the swift reply........

Yes, that's normally the right answer but we're now beyond that stage ---- in fact in the past he has had small plastic tubes attached to each drain cock and placed into bowls of water to increase the reading accuracy !!..( Similar to a "Swan Neck" for Diesel Injection Pump setting but back to front so to speak )........I'm beginning to suspect that the position of the ports or the valve cavity may be in question hence the need for the relevant drawings.......

My last valve setting of this nature was for LBSC's Pansy in which the slide valves are underslung and operated via a reversing pivot shaft = Most non-prototype but dead easy to set.....

In the meantime any Modelworks Drawings of the cylinders would be most welcome......even just a simple schematic sketch would do.....

Hello all,

HELP !!----I have been asked to help a friend re-set the valves on his 5" gauge Modelworks GWR 14xx 0-4-2T.........I've arrived on the scene rather late in this saga and may have to part dismantle just to see what has actually gone on before me......I've not had a chance for a full inspection but am I right in thinking that the two slide valve buckles are placed vertically and are in between the 2 flat cylinder port faces ??..........My initial idea is to drill and tap an access hole in the front end of both steam cavities such that I can insert a plunger rod and mark-of the relevant valve positions... BUT to do this I'll need all the relevant dimentions of the cavity wall thickness, the buckle thickness, ports sizes etc.................So to my question which is}----- Where can I get some drawings for this model that will give me the information that I need ??.........Some of you may remember me from the SVR many years ago when Ray Tranter used this method either on 3205 or the 57xx ( Can't remember which )... .....Thanks ps}--- Julian, can you get in touch please ??

Hi Ray,

Many thanks for that info,.............

Recently, I was looking at some Big Bertha drawings that a club member had produced via CAD etc and in particular the very narrow valve heads typical of the Midland Railway at that time.....He was concerned that with so small amount of "lap" he wouldn't get any expansive working and was considering re-designing the whole of that part of the cylinder / valve area......

I have an inkling that at some time in the past I've both read about the full-size one in our ME mag. and seen a 5" model in action but for the life of me I can't remember the details !! ...... My brain cavity also acts as a spare GWR 30" Vac. cylinder I think !!

It would certainly save my friend a lot of wasted research time if we could get some drawings for a known working engine and / or have access to that loco and its' current owner, if only for a chin-wag as to its' performance etc...

Any help from any source would be most welcome....

Best regards from}---

Alan R

Hi Luigi,

Thanks for the swift and useful reply---I'll certainly be following-up on that..........A fellow Kinver club member has told me that one has been seen at the Bromsgrove Club track on occasions ( Naturally )..........Anyone know what happened to that unique centre cylinder casting oncethe full-sized one had been cut-up ??

Alan R

Hi------- Does anyone know if a 5" gauge Midland Railway BIG BERTHA..0-10-0 has ever been built ??-------Are there any plans available ?? etc......Any help much appreciated..

Hello Chaps---------- yes, No2. has a JACKSHAFT drive.... Take a look at this }-------------- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jackshaft_(locomotive) ------------- No3. is the image that most would associate with the name Crampton I think ??

Hello RONALD--------- I believe that REEVES hire-out flanging blocks etc. BUT---- if it's for a one-off use then why not make a set from MDF ???

Andrew, never mind The Rubicon ( good name for a Pub, that ??)------------ this'll clean - up your threads }----- http://www.1001carpetcare.co.uk/ ----------

Thanks for that good info----easy when you know how !!--------- i'll give it a go at a later date---------Cheers !!

My apologies---I've actually started a new thread to cover this subect--------- LES JONES 1 can you reply in the new thread please ?? ------------- So what actually constitues a "Classic Bike" then (or car for that matter)---- Insurance Companies seem to have different ideas from the owners it ould seem ??

Hello "FIZZY"------------ I hear the Chinese are in the market for scrap copper ??

YES !!! ----that's the baby !!----------- how did you do that then ??------------I've used tinypics on other forums with no trouble..My browser may be the problem ??

Hello Chaps-------------- have just been trying to load an image onto here from my Computer Downloads using Tinypics as the host-----How's it done ??