CONWAY 0-4-0 3 1/2" GAUGE LOCO

[Steamer5]

Hi Rich,
 Well you made that fix look easy! Well Done!
The disc & bolt look great too!

Cheers Kerrin

[Firebird]

Hi

Thanks Kerrin

After silver soldering it went back in the pickle

All looks good 

Cheers

Rich

[Firebird]

Hi

Some more work on the regulator

Using a T slot cutter to machine the body

The regulator is held into the boiler by 2 screws through the top of the boiler barrel. Which means the tapped holes have to be cut on the same radius as the boiler. It took a bit of working out

A long series drill just gets the job done

Followed by a tap

The bottom of the body where the 2  3/16 holes were drilled has to be blanked off. Drill and tap a couple of 3mm holes

Make a brass cover

Drill and tap 5/16 x 40 tpi for the steam pipe

The links that attach to the pivot must be free to rotate so I am trying stainless steel bushes on 3mm stainless steel cap heads

The pivot needs a 1/8" square hole in its centre. A piece of silver steel in the rotary table has a 1/8" square machined on the end

Heat treat to harden just the end. Then in the press the square cutter is pushed through a previously drilled 1/8" hole

It worked well

Cut off and fettle a bit

Getting there
 

Cheers

Rich

[Firebird]

Hi

I machined a bit of scrap steel to give the right offset for the 2 operating links and bent them together in the press. Then fixed them at one end and drilled and reamed the other end to the correct length

Cheers

Rich

[Firebird]

Hi

A problem 

I have made the regulator exactly as per the plans and double checked I have made no mistakes but the regulator won't work. 

In the fully closed position the 2 operating rods are touching the upper and lower pivots but the regulator is still slightly open. If I fit the spring to the upper pivot, the movement is restricted even further holding the regulator open even further.

Sorry no photos at the moment. I'll upload some shortly to show the problem. I have a couple of ideas to solve the problem but need to think about it aliitle more

Cheers

Rich

[Jasonb]

From the previous post it looks like you have put the pivot holes at 90deg to the openings but the drawing looks to have them at a different angle 60/120

[Firebird]

Hi

You are quite right Jason 

I drew the detail out and then I could see my error

I just have to make another disc

Cheers

Rich

[Firebird]

Hi

If you drill the holes in the right place it will work

Cheers

Rich

[Firebird]

Hi

 Silver soldered the regulator bush into the boiler

Cheers

Rich

[Firebird]

Hi

A bit of boiler work today.

Preparing to silver solder 3 bushes into the smokebox tube plate

Drilling holes for bushes and using the boring head to machine the fire hole

3 more bushes made from phosphor bronze

Drill 10 holes for stays in the throat plate

Cheers

Rich

[Jim Nic]

Hi Rich
I'm not saying much but I'm following along with interest.  Keep up the good work 
Jim

[Firebird]

Hi

Thanks Jim 

I have a turntable in my hearth. Its a disc of thick steel sitting on a clutch release bearing.

The boiler barrel and throat plate fluxed and set up. there are 2 pieces of 6mm ally bar inside the throat plate which keeps the barrel at the correct position

After silver soldering turn over for inspection, looks ok

Its in the pickle now

Cheers

Rich

[Firebird]

Hi

After a few hours in the pickle

Cheers

Rich

[Firebird]

Hi

Some more boiler work,drilling and boring

A question

A solid 1/4" stay must be fitted which go's from the back head all the way through to the smoke box tube plate. The back head and the smoke box tube plate have bushes silver soldered in which are tapped 3/8" x 40 tpi. There is just a brief mention of it but nowhere on the plans doe's it show the nipples or how it fits???

Can anyone enlighten me

Cheers

Rich
 

[Roger B]

Looking good    Unfortunately I can't help regarding the stay.