Member postings for Paul Lousick

There are lots of steel boilers with copper tubes, even in full size locos. My engine has a 10" dia steel shell and 1" dia copper tubes which have been expanded with a tube roller and I have not had any problem with leaking.

It has been stored, both dry and wet with a fully filled boiler.

even full size locos.

John P.

Where did you get castings and drawings for the steam pump behind the engine in your photo ?

Paul

Energy Polariser

Ford and General Motors Holden were the main manufacturers of a locally designed cars in Australia. Both made cars with a 5 litre engine which were modified and used for racing.

In 1980 Peter Brock took over a company called the Holden Dealer Team (HDT), which started as Holden’s semi-official racing team, and was turned into a genuine Holden dealer-supported after he took over.

Peter was a race winner, then in his early 40s, lived like you’d expect with lots of booze and cigarettes and his health wasn’t great, so his girlfriend sent him to a doctor she knew and who taught her about the “New Age belief system with crystals and energy”. The doctor got him to eat healthier, quit smoking and drinking which he believed was because of the crystals and energy. Brock felt better and became a convert to the doctor’s philosophies.

Peter Brock was a truly gifted touring car driver and one of our best ever drivers but his downfall is truly fascinating, and involves a box of crystals and epoxy that tap into mythical orgone energy and align the molecules of whatever it’s attached to and called it an Energy Polarizer which sold for AU$890.

First unveiled in 1986 and then fitted as standard to every performance car sold by the HDT. The Energy Polarizer was, physically a plastic box filled with a pair of magnets separated by some crystals embedded in epoxy resin. It was held to the body of HDT cars with a single, self-tapping screw. At the time there was some kind of legal agreement that the Energy Polarizer could not be taken apart to see inside, in case the secret was used by their competitors.

Holden later officially ended all relationships with HDT and Brock.

Stay with it Pete.

Learning 3D modelling is similar to leaning another language. (how long would it take to be proficient with learning a new language ?)

I have spent most of my working life as a draftsman. First on a board then 2D Autocad, ProEngineer and Solidworks. With Solidworks, I was sent on a training course for a full week to learn the basics, then after a month or 2 of practicing what I had learnt, another week for more advanced training. And I am still learning.

Paul

Well done Chris.

For a few ideas for projects have a look on Harold Halls website: **LINK** . He used to sell books for learning to make your own shop tools but has now made them free.

Paul

That's how I drill on a lathe. Centre drill first, then use smaller drills first for big holes. But it takes a lot of force to push the drill, especially if not sharp, more force than is needed when turning between centres.

The tailstock on my lathe also slips back sometimes and has to be tightly locked down. Slippery lathe ways do not help but have to be oiled to prevent rust and wear.

Bernard. The first line of the post states " My Emco Compact 8 lathe is equipped with a ER25 collet chuck"

Edited By Paul Lousick on 14/07/2022 11:21:27

The collet chuck will allow you to pass long pieces thru the spindle bore. A 3MT-ER32 will hold larger diameters but not pass anything thru the bore. Both have their advantages. An ER32 collet chuck is a better option

Edited By Paul Lousick on 14/07/2022 09:21:48

Reinforce the switch with fibreglass tape and a coat of resin. Its lightweight, strong, will stick to the switch and does not conduct electricity. Available from some hardware stores.

Or a simple solution. Bind the switch with string or wire and coat with epoxy glue (Araldite, etc)

Edited By Paul Lousick on 10/07/2022 13:05:20

There are no legal requirements for operating model boilers in Australia that have a volume of less than 50 litres and a max. working pressure of 100psi. Many model clubs have their own certification requirements and the boiler has to have a current test certificate. Insurance is included with your club membership. Difficult to get registration to run on a public road except on special street parades when there is no car traffic.

A high risk Class BS National Licence is required to operate bigger boilers and traction engines with a piston diameter of less than 10 inches, like a 10 ton 4NHP Fowler. I also drive a 7NHP Fowler and had to get a Class ES ticket, allowing me to drive bigger reciprocating engines.

Ideally, the bottom nut of the water glass should be above the crown but it is acceptable if a permanent shroud is used to show the lowest water level.

The UK Boiler Test Code 2018 - Volume 1 – Boilers 3 bar litres to 1100 bar litres states:

6.7 Water level gauges shall be so constructed, mounted, or adapted such that the lowest water level visible in the gauge glass indicates that the level of water is above the firebox crown sheet.

The Australian AMBSC Code Part 2 for steel boilers states:

5.4.1 The bottom (visible) end of the glass shall be above the crown by not less than 10% of the distance from the crown to the outer wrapper

Injectors are excellent when they work But are trouble when they don't.

The boiler on my Ruston Proctor traction engine is slightly smaller than yours and holds about 45 litres. A good, free flow of water is important and lots of sharp bends should be avoided, especially from the tank to the injector.

I use No 6 horizontal injectors, rated at 4 pints/minute which are a good size for my engine. Filling the boiler with too big a volume of cold water can cause thermal shock or a quick drop in pressure.

I originally ordered 2 injectors from the company that supplied the castings but had problems with them. Replaced them with another brand and have had no problems.

The water supply to the injector and the outlet to the clack valve uses 5/16" OD tube (not pipe that is sized by its nominal bore). Check that the injector connections are correct as I had to exchange those that I had ordered because the supplier did not know the different standard between pipes and tubes.

The hose to my spray gun is about 20 metres and no problem.

I would use gal steel or copper tube if buried underground. Condensation is an advantage as long as there is a fall to a water trap and you would be getting drier air at the end. (moisture in the air is a problem when spray painting)

I don't cut gears but a quick search found cutters on a number of sites,Like this one.

**LINK**

Thanks Jason,

If I did build one, the boiler would probably, have to be modified to comply with our code in Australia. And like many drawings for model engines, should be checked for mistakes. Most contain errors.

Edited By Paul Lousick on 04/07/2022 10:31:00

You just need a licenced copy of Windows 7 that is not used on another machine. Licence can be transferred to another computer but not legally used on both.

For anyone interested in building a Clayton Undertype Steam Wagon, detail drawings in PDF format and Solidworks are free to download on the GrabCad website.

**LINK**

I have used grinding stones and rotary burrs in a router to remove metal which did an excellent job UNTIL the bearings gave out. (warning: wear safety gear, routers spin at 20,000 + rpm and stones can shatter)

So I would recommend that you do as advised and use a file, emery paper and elbow grease. Removing 0.2mm from either the channel or pipe should not be too hard.

Edited By Paul Lousick on 24/06/2022 22:58:53

A quick search shows them for sale on Amazon and also on the Campingaz website. But I doubt that you will find a better torch that uses your old gas canisters.

Edited By Paul Lousick on 24/06/2022 10:28:58