Triple Orphans

[Jasonb]

Every little bit is one step closer

Looks like when you redrill that hole it should fall more central to the casting.

Isn't it about time he let you have another casting set now that the Chuk is running

[Jo]

Isn't it about time he let you have another casting set now that the Chuk is running

We are still waiting 

My normal supplier promised that he was going to sort out his casting collection and provide me with a list of the ones he is unlikely to do but nothing has arrived 

We recently lost another casting collector (i.e. they buy castings but do not convert them into engines  ) and Surus is waiting for the list of casting sets that are to become available 

Jo

[Jo]

  What I thought was an offset was actually a lower cylinder cover not being fully true to the cylinder bottom. One more slide bar mounting screw needed its mounting thread moving to get everything moving smoothly. All three engines are now going up and down and round and round, so the crossheads are all aligned 

I am not sure about the threads in the two pump arms. I can get one in place but it is causing a bit of drag on the crosshead. I wonder if it really should have nuts top and bottom and a clear hole through the arm 

Jo

P.S. Latest on the castings: The first supplier has decided to only let go his Locomotive castings 

[Jasonb]

Clearance hole would give a bit more wiggle room, just have to make sure the faces the nuts bear on are at right angles to the rod so there is no twist when tightened. Even then if it were a bit off a quick lick with a file will be easy to do.

I'll pass on the loco castings

[Roger B]

Still following these builds  Do you have a big enough air compressor (or boiler) to run all three together  A tripple tripple would be something to see     

[doubletop]

Jo

I'm still following along. I'll expect an update at the AGM on the 17th, that is if it is on this year and you aren't out in the car park adding to Surus's collection?

Pete

[Jasonb]

I think we may get first chance at the castings Pete as there may be a no show

[Jo]

I'll expect an update at the AGM on the 17th, that is if it is on this year and you aren't out in the car park adding to Surus's collection?

Sorry Pete, Its looking unlikely I will be able to make it as I injured myself earlier in the year and driving antagonises the problem  There are also no casting collections planned so I am currently tending towards following the consultants advice of trying to avoid making it worse.

Jo

[doubletop]

Sorry Pete, Its looking unlikely I will be able to make it as I injured myself earlier in the year and driving antagonises the problem  There are also no casting collections planned so I am currently tending towards following the consultants advice of trying to avoid making it worse.

Jo

Jo - Sorry to hear you have injured yourself hopefully not as a result of adding to your growing collection of castings. I guess you won't be sending Surus as a proxy so who is going to chair the AGM?

Jason - I'll leave any opportunity for castings with you. Excess bagage is more expensive than shipping these days. Hopefully I'll see you there?

Pete

[Jo]

There is lots to do on the cylinder sets One of the things that need to be done is to clad the outside. A review of the come in handy pile found a number of bits of Aluminium of various thicknesses: I chose a bit of 0.8mm thick.

The height of the cladding is easy enough to measure on the cylinder but the length needs to be found along a wavy surface. To measure this I chose to stick on a piece of tape. on the first side this was 163mm long. It was interesting when the same piece of tape was checked on the other side as it proved to be short: this is caused by the curves on one side of the cylinder being different than the other. There is not a lot that can be done about this but at least I know about it and can cut the cladding to suit 

The great thing about thin Ali is that it can just about be cut using a knife blade to score the surface and then broken through stress bending, proving a nice straight edge, which can be cleaned up on wet and dry  I have cut the 6 pieces ready for the cladding but next I will need to reduce the cylinder casting width by 0.8mm on either side so that the cladding ends level with the steam chest.

While I am machining the cylinder again it is probably a good time to look at drilling and tapping for the other holes that are needed on the sides of the cylinder. The trickiest of these will be for the steam pipes and I will need to make the pipes before I drill and tap for them. It is yet another part of these engines where you have to make another part before you can finish the bit you first started on 

Jo

[Jasonb]

Will you be fitting any form of lagging into the recesses before the cladding just in case the engines should ever get used with steam?

I tend to leave the sheet a little oversize and start fitting from the middle then once it is all screwed down the aluminium is easy to file off flush with the ends. Satin black spray paint gives the look of blued steel if you are not going with the main engine colour as I know you like that duck egg blue

[Jo]

I normally fit something behind the cladding, if nothing else to support the cladding.

The sheets have been left 2mm over length for trimming after fitting. They will be fitted around the LP cylinder first, I am considering anodising ... but we are getting a little ahead of ourselves I wouldn't want to spoil the story build thread by telling you what comes next 

As a woman I reserve my right to change my mind 

Jo

[Jasonb]

May be easier to just let the moths out and get the anodised stuff from Stuarts

[Jo]

Their postage is rather high 

Jo

P.S. so is the piece of Ali for the cladding and I need three of them 

[Chipswitheverything]

Pleased to see the various recent pictures of the impressive triples, the cladding will really bring them on visually.   But I'm mildly disappointed that you have not dug out from behind a bench a treasured piece of pre Revolutionary  "Russian Iron"  to slice up for the cleading …      Dave