Author Topic: CONWAY 0-4-0 3 1/2" GAUGE LOCO  (Read 174598 times)

Offline DTR

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Re: CONWAY 0-4-0 3 1/2" GAUGE LOCO
« Reply #225 on: September 30, 2017, 06:42:54 PM »
Impressive bit of soldering there!
Dave

Offline scc

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Re: CONWAY 0-4-0 3 1/2" GAUGE LOCO
« Reply #226 on: September 30, 2017, 07:04:59 PM »
Excellent soldering indeed. :ThumbsUp:             Terry

Offline crueby

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Re: CONWAY 0-4-0 3 1/2" GAUGE LOCO
« Reply #227 on: September 30, 2017, 08:31:48 PM »
Very well done! I like the trick of filing in the nicks, have not seen that before.

 :popcorn:

Offline Firebird

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Re: CONWAY 0-4-0 3 1/2" GAUGE LOCO
« Reply #228 on: October 01, 2017, 08:51:44 AM »
Hi

Thanks Dave, Terry and Crueby

I must admit it was a scary time. This is the first time I have had a go at a loco boiler. The nicks were filed in as per advice in the magazine article. Also I followed the advice of cleanliness first and last. A good few hours in the pickle followed by a scrub in hot water then plenty of flux. Wear rubber gloves and try not to touch the metal where the joint is, even  a finger print can ruin the soldering. The main problem is getting enough heat into it. Unfortunately there are no photos during the soldering process. To do the tubes I had my main blow lamp, propane fed off a bottle aimed underneath on the inside and a hand held propane turbo torch on the outside moving it around and through the tubes. Even this took close to ten minutes before the solder flashed.

Julian had a similar setup to do his Simplex boiler.

We have decided that it might be a better idea to join forces when silver soldering the larger pieces, 4 hands being better than 2.

Cheers

Rich

Offline Roger B

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Re: CONWAY 0-4-0 3 1/2" GAUGE LOCO
« Reply #229 on: October 01, 2017, 09:40:28 AM »
Excellent progress  :ThumbsUp:  :ThumbsUp:  :wine1:
Best regards

Roger

Offline Firebird

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Re: CONWAY 0-4-0 3 1/2" GAUGE LOCO
« Reply #230 on: October 01, 2017, 10:47:08 AM »
Hi

Thanks Roger

Here's a bit of video of turning the inner dome. it shows the power feed being used.




Cheers

Rich

Offline 90LX_Notch

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Re: CONWAY 0-4-0 3 1/2" GAUGE LOCO
« Reply #231 on: October 01, 2017, 02:01:59 PM »
Still following along Rich.  Very nice work. 

-Bob
Proud Member of MEM

My Engine Videos on YouTube-
http://www.youtube.com/user/Notch90usa/videos

Offline steamboatmodel

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Re: CONWAY 0-4-0 3 1/2" GAUGE LOCO
« Reply #232 on: October 01, 2017, 03:10:27 PM »
Wow Rich that is some job of soldering. I have found that keeping everything clean and oil free does make it easier with the soldering too. I have never done a locomotive boiler with all those tubes to get soldered right just makes me shake my head, you seen to have got it done well done.
Regards,
Gerald.
Be wary of strong drink. It can make you shoot at tax collectors--and miss. Lazarus Long

Offline NickG

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Re: CONWAY 0-4-0 3 1/2" GAUGE LOCO
« Reply #233 on: October 01, 2017, 08:36:51 PM »
Making this boiler look easy Rich and they are anything but! Looks excellent.


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Offline b.lindsey

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Re: CONWAY 0-4-0 3 1/2" GAUGE LOCO
« Reply #234 on: October 01, 2017, 11:16:12 PM »
Impressive soldering indeed!!! And a very nice looking boiler  :ThumbsUp: :ThumbsUp:

Bill

Online Kim

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Re: CONWAY 0-4-0 3 1/2" GAUGE LOCO
« Reply #235 on: October 02, 2017, 05:52:09 AM »
Wow! I'll say!  That solder job looks great.  I've got a boiler coming up on my steam tractor project and am getting a lot out of watching you and others go through this process.  Mine won't be anywhere near as big, but its amazing to watch you do all of this. Well done!
Kim

Offline Firebird

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Re: CONWAY 0-4-0 3 1/2" GAUGE LOCO
« Reply #236 on: October 05, 2017, 12:37:03 PM »
Hi

Thanks for the kind words of support Bob, Gerald, Nick, Bill and Kim  :ThumbsUp: its very much appreciated  :cheers:

I hope to get some more done over this weekend

Cheers

Rich

Offline Firebird

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Re: CONWAY 0-4-0 3 1/2" GAUGE LOCO
« Reply #237 on: October 05, 2017, 08:17:50 PM »
Hi

The ends of the tubes have to be annealed. When they are fitted into the smoke box tube plate in the boiler barrel they have to be expanded using a tapered drift.



The outer wrapper being fitted to the throat plate, held in place with a few 1/16" copper rivets



Make up 2 phospher bronze bushes and drill holes in the outer wrapper. These are for the 2 blow down drain valves.



After silver soldering the outer wrapper to the throat plate



Its in the pickle again now

Cheers

Rich

Offline Firebird

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Re: CONWAY 0-4-0 3 1/2" GAUGE LOCO
« Reply #238 on: October 05, 2017, 09:16:40 PM »
Hi

A question  :thinking:

Here's a clip from the article about the stays.



Firstly it says gunmetal screws are commercially available. Well I have looked  :atcomputer: and I can't find anybody who sells them  :shrug:

I have phospher bronze rod with which I could make the stays, about 40 in all

Secondly it says threaded through both plates  :headscratch: Doe's this mean that the inner and outer wrapper are drilled then a tap run through both plates. The stay being threaded all its length and then screwed through both plates and fitted with a brass nut on the inside.

Any help appreciated

Cheers

Rich

Offline Jasonb

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Re: CONWAY 0-4-0 3 1/2" GAUGE LOCO
« Reply #239 on: October 06, 2017, 07:59:30 AM »
Screwed stays are not used so often now, most people pop a copper rivit through the two drilled holes, give it a slight bend so it does not fall out and then solder them in then cut off the excess length. Check with your inspector if using 1/8" rivits will be Ok.

If you do go the threaded route then yes drill through both plates and tap right through, you may need a tap with long flutes.

Rather than waste a lot of bronze hex, thread rod to make a length of studding and use a tap wrench to screw it in then just saw off leaving enough to take the nut then move onto the next one, etc

 

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