boiler cleading

Having finished all the interesting work on my Highlander loco, I now have the matter of boiler cleading to attend to. Can anyone advise on producing tapered cylinders please I have access to a set of "simple" rolls. Tom.

Thomas

When I made my tapered boiler I made a jig with two discs of the correct diameter at either end. They where then connected by a piece of wood to set them at the correct distance apart.

The wrapper was cut over length and rolled into a cylinder and then placed over the jig and pulled into a cone. You then have to remove material in a triangular shape to be able to bring the edges up nicely together. When you pull this into a section of a cone the ends go out of square and it is then a simple matter of marking around the ends using a height gauge. This little jig will create the underside of your cleading level and put all the taper on the top which is what you are after. It's quite difficult to explain but I hope the pictures will do it for you. I would practice with a piece of cardboard first as the material must be longer than you need before you start rolling. It's actually not that difficult when I did it for a Black 5 boiler which I think is the same shape as a Highlander.

I hope this is of some help.

Here you can see the former with the correct sized discs and spaced the correct distance apart.  You can also see the material cut from the cylinder to bring it into a cone and the way the ends go out of square.  Make absolutely sure your material is over length or you will have to start again.  Use card to make sure before you cut any brass!

The bottom edge of your cleading should be set parallel to the square by packing up your clyinder.  Then by drawing around the ends with a height gauge all the taper magically ends up on the opposite side.

Having cut the smokebox end I now have the cone flat on the surface plate and with the base still parallel to the square the fire box end is marked and cut.

Edited By Buffer on 27/07/2023 21:28:05

Edited By Buffer on 27/07/2023 21:33:08