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Member postings for mick H

Here is a list of all the postings mick H has made in our forums. Click on a thread name to jump to the thread.

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Thread: ME Forum
07/12/2011 14:50:38
Is anyone else experiencing problems accessing this site? I have a diabolically low broadband speed out in the stix ....1.77Mb/s and 0.3Mb/s upload. This is probably the cause but it would be nice to be sure before I attack BT.
Thread: case hardening mild steel
07/12/2011 14:44:25
Richard and Terry.......I wonder whether I am missing something fundamental...a while back there was a thread concerning condensation and subsequent rust etc forming on tools and machines and this despite treatments with various oils, waxes and assorted unguents. You have both mentioned the use of mild steel as suitable material for a steam cylinder and this seems to be contrary to what I and others have experienced when steel and water get it together.....oil or no oil.
 
I am about to embark on an outside cylinder loco shortly.......should I abandon thoughts of gunmetal castings for the cylinders and fabricate them out of mild steel? Definitely cheaper.
07/12/2011 09:07:14
Kristian....that is a massive cylinder block for a 12mm bore cylinder. What about heat loss as well?
 
Mick
Thread: Speedy axle boxes
07/12/2011 08:57:03
I am about to start a Martin Evans design Gresley V2 2-6-2 in Gauge 1 and I am also contemplating axlebox materials. The frames are 3/32 steel and the axleboxes slide directly into the frames ie no hornblocks. The design specifies gunmetal axleboxes but as I don't have any I have been wondering about hard brass with a gunmetal/bronze bearing press fitted as per mgj above. My Greenly books mention the use of hard brass in this gauge. I have also wondered about using mild steel axleboxes with a similar press fit bearing. This size of loco. is of course not a passenger puller. Any thoughts?
Thread: LBSC displacement lubricator
06/12/2011 15:48:14
Les ....the type of lubricator mounted on a side arm is known as a Roscoe dead leg lubricator.....named after James Roscoe who invented it in 1862. I must say that I have had more success with this type than the in-line arrangement which seems to gulp the oil down in minutes. In the Roscoe the steam/water mix can form a thick creamy emulsion which can last some time before being totally diluted and displaced by water. As the type of model using this type of lubrication is usually of the small low pressure type, the small amount of oil in the emulsion getting to the cylinder is enough. How the oily mix backtracks along the steam pipe into the valve chest is indeed a mystery and probably best explained by reference to Brian's wondrous dark arts.
 
As to keeping the lubricator warm....I have heard it argued that the hotter the oil gets the more freely it will flow as its viscosity decreases.....so best to keep it cool(?). Seems to me that it is always going to be pretty warm with steam going in and out.
 
I usually use 460 grade steam oil in my models which are up to 1 inch/ft scale but I think I shall buy some 1000 grade at the next show I attend and see how the thicker stuff performs.
Thread: case hardening mild steel
06/12/2011 09:33:00
Kristian...I have left you a PM re the book
Thread: LBSC displacement lubricator
06/12/2011 07:48:56
I am no expert on displacement lubricators other than as a sometimes dissatisfied user. In this I know I am not alone. They are successful if by success you mean getting oil to the cylinder. The "problem" with them is that they do tend to empty themselves of oil very quickly.... sometimes in a matter of minutes....it is not delicately metered out. There are a few things that you can do to mitigate this......make sure that the lubricator is in the "line" between regulator and cylinder...never before the regulator. Fit a needle valve to the lubricator to enable finer control or even to shut it off and open it at intervals. Use a good, thick, properly formulated "steam oil" ....never use motor oil.
Thread: case hardening mild steel
05/12/2011 20:02:08
Kristian......I have only just seen your last two posts.....we were obviously both submitting together but you got in first......yes gunmetal is quite expensive and if you can cut out the bit that you need from the bronze that will be ideal. I think that you will need something more effective as a lubricator than a simple hole in the cylinder. The books by Tubal Cain that Jeff mentioned are good.....I loaned mine to someone who didn't return it......I do however have another small book on building a simple stationary steam engine that you are welcome to if and when I can lay my hands on it. I think it must be in my shed but I am not going out there tonight!!! I will PM you when I find it.
05/12/2011 19:48:42
Kristian.....Jeff has given you something else to think about in his post, above. I think it is fair to say though, that whilst in theory properly lubricated steel and cast iron cylinders might not suffer from corrosion, correspondence in Model Engineer over the years tends to indicate that there are frequently inadequacies in that direction which can have catastrophic consequences especially if the engine is used infrequently and moisture is inevitably left in the cylinder.
 
I have no connection whatsoever with the company but if you click on "suppliers" at the top of this page, Macc Models is listed and they stock gunmetal.
05/12/2011 18:47:27
Kristian.....mild steel does not sound like a very good idea to me. (Corrosion) Cast iron is often specified for loco. cylinders but can be problematic. For small steam engines, gunmetal is usually the preferred option for the cylinder with either a phosphor bronze or brass piston. If you intend to fit the piston with 'O' rings then the cylinder and piston can be made of brass...... this is the cheapest way to do it. Obviously I do not know what sort of steam engine you have in mind, but I have seen plans for simple models where thick walled brass tubing is used for the cylinder with 'O' ring fitted pistons. There are a good few sites on the net which have plans for steam engines.

Edited By mick H on 05/12/2011 18:48:11

Thread: Phozi Bronze or Gun metal?
05/12/2011 08:09:42
From what I can glean from my references, I don't think that in the absence of any unusual circumstance that one is better than the other for what you want. Both materials in their many and varied forms are recommended for steam fittings. The actual composition of both alloys varies considerably and both can contain lead in various proportions depending on the grade.
Thread: LBSC Locomotive designs
28/11/2011 07:48:18
The steam fire engine plans were published in ME on 9th December 1954. The outline is probably based on the old Dennis-Merryweather or Shand Mason type machine. If it was intended that it should be made as a Christmas present the maker would have had to have pulled all the stops out as I have been making this model for a few months now, albeit with significant alteration eg gas firing and more detailed outline.
Thread: Motor Switches
25/11/2011 07:59:42
I have got a bandsaw and a pillar drill which were made with straightforward on off switches. If your saw is only for your own use, just fit a simple double pole on/off.
Thread: Insulation board
20/11/2011 19:45:15
Can anyone please assist me with what I can use as a substitute for 1/16"
asbestos insulation specified as a firebox liner in an old LBSC design of dry firebox. I have ceramic fibre insulation but I really need something that will hold its shape and can be fixed by drilling/screwing or rivetting. Googling brings up 3mm underfloor insulation but I have no clue as to whethet this will be suitable.
All suggestions will be gratefully received.
Thread: Overseas distribution
26/10/2011 09:41:14
Thanks Graeme, I will pass the message on.
 
Mick
26/10/2011 08:46:57
Graeme...this is totally off topic but you may be able to help.....where can my grandson buy steam oil in Perth ?
 
Mick
Thread: Bore and stroke ratio in steam engine.
22/10/2011 16:10:58



Edited By mick H on 22/10/2011 16:18:33

22/10/2011 16:04:39
Jens,
 
This is a superb question that I have been trying to find a simple answer to for some time now, without success. From what I have discovered I believe David to be quite correct in his analysis, but especially where he says it is an oversimplification.
 
 
Earlier this year I bought a book called Steam Locomotive Design: Data & Formulae by Phillipson, 1936, from Camden Miniature Steam (www.camdenmin.co.uk) for the princely sum of £12.95. It is quite a technical book and it may not contain all the questions that you want answered but it did answer some of mine.
 
If you message me with your e mail address I could send you a "sample" of what the book contains.
Thread: pitt bull carriers,
20/10/2011 09:01:05
The last time I ordered a weighty bit of machinery to be delivered by carrier, I was sent an invoice beforehand stating that no claim for damage would be entertained unless recorded on the carrier's ticket. I queried this on the basis that it was just not possible to assemble the machine and do a check at the time of delivery. I was told that the carrier had 45 minutes built into his time allowance to enable the checks to be made. Still not enough time really....... and the carrier was not too pleased on being asked to wait.
Thread: How much ???
19/10/2011 20:28:52
The UK Postage and Packing industry is one of my hobbyhorses. As my daughter lives in Australia, the benchmark I use is the Post Office parcel rate to Oz which currently stands at around £6 per 500gm and usually delivered within 7 days. I don't like paying that rate but it is a bargain when compared with some UK suppliers who quite shamefacedly will charge a similar amount for a small itemdelivered in a jiffy bag and a 90p stamp. As far as possible I prefer to deal with those suppliers whose catalogue price includes p&p.
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