Merryweather Fire King

I came across this article in a 1908 model engineering magazine: **LINK**

My ambition always exceeds my ability so I thought I would share my progress and hopefully get some helpful advice from the experts here. My first problem was the fact that the drawings only contained a minimum of dimensions; not the sort of detail you would expect from today’s drawings. Fortunately I came across some detailed drawings from Julius de Vaal, so that was a relief, see below:

First the chassis. Not a problem so far, except the design called for channel section. I could only find some box section so I had to remove one side.

Next up the front and rear suspensions, more to follow

Bob

This guy has made an excellent one (not sure of relative models etc) and posts progress on this forum, it may be worth you contacting him by PM.

I am putting a link here to his forum posts:-

Werner

Edited By V8Eng on 26/06/2020 00:05:30

Hello Bob,

in 2014 i start to build my Fire King. My only possibility was to search in the Internet after pictures of the Fire King.

I found the same plans as you and after i compare them to the pictures i thought they made their own compromises to build working models. So i decided to make my own way . And it was clear from the beginning it is a working model it should looks similar to the original, but from two meter of distances . That was my compromise. I made only an overwiew drawing and drawings for the wheels. The rest you can see in my documentation in the videos .

After finishing i found an interesting book written by Ron Henderson " British Fire Engines" there are nice pictures and descriptions. And it was good to read with my limited English.

By chance i had contact with him and he had a Fire KIng in display quality and his reply was it was good to build a working model. I think both is good , but i want fun by a real working model.

Shortly before I am ready i had contact to the company Merrywheather and they send me some asked information about the front seat box. It contains hoses and fireman tools.

I had several moments where i have to learn and shift my abilities to a new level.

I wish you can do the same.

Werner

Ps. If you can access the issue 3334 from Modelengineer there is a discription of Cherry Hind´s Fire King

many useful information i had after the completion of the build. Thanks to Vic

Edited By Werner Schleidt on 26/06/2020 15:42:53 cause of typos

Edited By Werner Schleidt on 26/06/2020 15:46:00

Hello Bob,

take a look to this link there are a few good old pictures that was one source for me.

**LINK**

Werner

Thanks V8Eng. I’ve had a look at Werner’s posts - very interesting and helpful

Thanks Werner. You’ve certainly built a great model and posted some great videos. I don’t think mine will be capable of riding on, but I would like it to be a working model. The boiler fills me with dread since there is so much silver soldering to do. But that is some time in the future. I am prepared to make a few compromises, for example since I have no castings the pumps will be prefabricated. Also not to happy about making the crankshaft with the valve eccentrics in the proper position. So I am going to use two Stuart 10V cylinders mounted back to back. By doing this I can fit the eccentrics from either end. Also I can’t imagine making the wheels in wood at my scale, so I will prefabricate them in steel.
I have seen a beautiful model at the Beamish Industrial Museum and that had fire engine red wheels. So if I go down that route it doesn’t matter what the material is. I’ve seen another photo at a stately house called Wentworth House, this is quite near to where I live, so as soon as this blooming lockdown is over I’ll try to find it. Anyway, that book sounds interesting, so I’ll try to get a copy.
Bob

My efforts at hardening and tempering spring steel were a disaster so I gave in and decided to make the leaf springs out of ms. This is my homemade bender which worked well

I made a fixture to form the eyes

And this is the result

Finally I assembled both the front and rear suspensions and painted them.

the rear was a bit of a pig. I managed to snap my bender trying to form such a thick section, so in the end I resorted to brute force to wrap the curve round a former.

Steering components

Front assembly

Thought I’d better paint the model so far. To stop it rusting and get a bit of Fire Engine Red !!!

Next up the water pumps, a lot of machining here

The most interesting part of the water pump is the air cylinder. The original design was a bit boring so I decided to use the design of Tubal Cain which he used for his Lady Stephanie bean engine. This had a fluted cylinder and a relief valve.

Machining the flutes

Turning the end with my homemade ball turning attachment

The final assembly

Thanks Werner. I will be happy if my machine is half as good as yours. I’ve got a copy of the Henderson book, and it does contain lots of interesting info. I’m going to try etching the nameplate as you have done, but I think that will be some time in the future. At the moment I’ve nearly finished the pumps and the cylinders. But I’m so worried about how to line everything thing up. I was thinking I might use some dummy pistons connected with a rod so I can bolt them all together. Then I can also clamp the pumps to the water cylinder.

Bob

Hello Bob,

your parts are looking good. One hint if you want to etch rhe nameplates there is a free software "inkscape" . With this software i was able to overlay photos of plates and make the vector graphics of the plate.

Then you can delete the photo layer and the vector graphic you can scale as you want. Then you have to make a mirrored print out at nomal paper with a laser printer at high resolution. The next step is spray non coloured piant from the side where no toner is. This give you a cheap template.

Etching last an hour for 0.1 mm deepness. Unfortunatly my inscape data is lost by a drive crash.

Werner

Thanks Werner, I'll bear that in mind.

Bob

Here's the ball turning photo that I have been having such problems with:

I'm actually quite proud of the attachment as it does just what I wanted.

Bob

THe only problem I have now is that 'Er Indoors wants to spend more time outdoors with the easing of the lockdown restrictions. So I'm taking her to the Yorkshire Dales in our caravan. Model Engineering on hold for a while

Do you think she would notice?

Brilliant, I want one

Disaster! Just finished the cylinder bottom cover. Discovered to my horror that one of the studs in each cylinder will pass straight through the inlet steam passage. I suppose that's what you get when you try to change someone else's design on the fly and don't think far enough ahead.

So I have a few choices:

1. Throw it away and start again.
2. Abandon all hope of ever making a working model.
3. Plug the holes and re-drill them turned through 180 deg.
4. Ignore that position and only use four instead of five studs.

Not sure the best course of action. Any advice would be most appreciated.

Edited By Bob Wild on 06/08/2020 00:11:00

Hi Bob,

Don't give uo Bob, we all have done something similar. And one of the reasons that I modelling everything in 3D CAD, allowing me to check the compatability with mating parts.

It looks like there is still more work to do before it is finished so I would start again. Making a second set is often quicker than the first and you will feel better when the model is complete.

Look on the bright side. You get to enjoy more of your hobby.

Paul

Hi Bob,

make ten studs and one blind stud in the cover with a dummy nut. That will be easy to make.

Sometimes shit happens and a good modelengineer make the best of it.

Werner