Eternal truths I learned from Model Engineer

Did you know…………….

• The Caledonian Railway painted all their dock shunters in lined out passenger livery.
• Boiler fittings must (by law) be painted signal red.
• Tufnol is the only known thermosetting thermoplastic, which is why it can be shaped in boiling water to make spring leaves.
• All coupling rods are fluted at the back.
• All traction engines have brass hub caps on all four wheels and a copper or brass capped chimney.
• An exhibition judge instinctively knows more about the prototype of your model than you have found out in years of research.
• Cast iron swarf is so abrasive it will wear out lathe beds in a matter of days. Steel swarf has no such characteristic. Emery cloth abrasive similarly loses it’s properties on contact with a lathe bed.
• Grinding dust of micron size can be kept away from lathe beds by randomly scattered sheets of paper (never rag!).
• The utility of a Tool & Cutter grinder can be determined by the formula:

Utility = Number of Ball Handles x Number of felt lined mahogany accessory chests

• Tool and cutter grinders must include a 1” pitch screw. No other pitch will do.
• All internal combustion engines start for their designers after just a few pulls on the flywheel or propellor.
• All new locomotives designs have enough steam to remove the electric sucker after 30 seconds, full steam pressure after 5 minutes and will then do 10 laps of the track pulling 8 adults without any problems on their very first outing.
• Scrap boxes (except mine) always contain exactly the right item to build any given project.
• A Number 70 drill can be poked through a bit of 3/8” brass rod to make an injector cone on any old lathe.
• The amount of coal remaining in a firebox after a half hour run can be estimated to 4 decimal places of accuracy.

Don’t take it all too seriously………..

Happy Christmas.

Bother, or words to that effect.

I only finished making a second set of traction engine hub caps in cast iron the other week, after I was told, on another forum, that gunmetal wasn't prototypical. Now I wonder who it was that pointed it out to me?

Andrew

Well it would not be me, but then again I know nothing of Burrells. You could always save the GM ones just in case you ever fancy doing a showman's conversion

I fell for 1 and 2, googled number 3 and then the light finally dawned...

I assume you mean Rob Roy.

I still believe number 2 must be true

Neil

Hubcaps on Fowell traction engines were iron.

Brian

As all ship modellers know, belaying pins were made of brass for durability

I was told 40 years ago if I wanted to keep all fingers, never put your finger anywhere you wouldn't put your todger!

The chances of a fundamental cock up being discovered is inversely proportional to how close to finishing the item you are.

made me laugh.

I could have added a few, but will keep that for another day

Jim

"I only finished making a second set of traction engine hub caps in cast iron the other week, after I was told, on another forum, that gunmetal wasn't prototypical. Now I wonder who it was that pointed it out to me?"

Who that man could be I just don't know! Hope you haven't really made a second set.

Glad some of my "eternal truths" have raised a laugh.

Best wishes to all for the New Year - when heads will be out of the drawings and brains and eyes will be engaged.

Martin

Martin

Scrap box? No, lucky box as you will be very lucky if you ..........................

Jim

Now he tells me!

Andrew

Andrew, as the CI hub caps are painted could you not just have painted the GM ones? We would not have told anyone or would you have had difficulty sleeping knowing what was under the paint

I'd sleep alright, but would have nightmares of a rivet counter, or exhibition judge, with a magnet. Non-prototypical material, gasp, and out comes the blue pencil.

Andrew