Height Gauge

Morning All.

After much research I have decided to be sensible and build a 5" Sweet Pea as my first project, making the frames myself and avoiding laser cut parts. I am working on the theory that the experience will be good for me.

In an ideal world I seem to need a height gauge to mark out the frames. My question is - do I really need one and if so what height should I get for marking out frames that are about 39" long.

Any advice would be appreciated. Regards. Nick

A surface gauge is cheaper, and you can set it against a rule.

Neil

I've never done this kind of work myself (marking out frames) but would you really use a height gauge or surface gauge? That seems to imply you'd mount the sheet / plate material in the vertical plane. Am I missing something? As I say - zero experience myself, just imagined you'd do this horizontally.

Murray

Use a 3 foot long rule, a trammel and a square. A 3 foot high height gauge would cost a fortune and would be a pain.

I tend to do a lot of my hole layout with the DRO these days and drill on the mill.

I do have an 8" vernier and 6" digital height gauge and use the 8" one quite a lot for layout, just more accurate and easier than using a rule, square and scriber. Before that I used a surface gauge but have seem my accuracy improve since I got the height gauge.

Once you have the frames to length you could work from either end, then when you run out of height clamp a bit of bar across the frames to rest on the surface plate with the rest hanging over the edge. So an 8" one which is actually about 12" tall would probably do as any larger get a bit unweildy.

Rather nice micrometer one on homeworkshop for less than a far eastern vernier one here

J

I would suggest start with a decent square,a foot rule and a 3ft rule ,a new sharp scriber,some layout fluid, thats all you need to mark out a set of frames and hundreds of locos have been made with these simple tools, you then also need to be able to file true to a line,and file an edge straight.Its no good having loads of expensive kit and cannot file,of course you may have a milling machine which does make things easier though you do need the ability to use hand tools. A surface gauge or a height gauge can be useful to measure and mark distances from the bottom of the frames up,but of little use along the length of the frame,with these tools an angle plate and a flat surface are required.On a loco frame the most important thing to achieve is that the axles are square to the frame and are parallel to each other,to ensure the wheels are free running. do remember a locomotive is probably the only open crankshaft engine where the crankshaft is sprung and the wheels and crankshaft follow the track,so parallism reduces friction but precision fits will cause to much friction or bind the engine solid.

Thank you everyone for the helpful information. Regards. Nick