Author Topic: CONWAY 0-4-0 3 1/2" GAUGE LOCO  (Read 174228 times)

Offline Firebird

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Re: CONWAY 0-4-0 3 1/2" GAUGE LOCO
« Reply #285 on: November 19, 2017, 01:38:32 PM »
Hi

Back to the axle pump.

The flange is a thick brass washer



Standing in a bit of scrap tube 3/4" long and silver soldered in place



Make the nut from some hex brass





Starting to look like a pump



Cheers

Rich

Offline Firebird

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Re: CONWAY 0-4-0 3 1/2" GAUGE LOCO
« Reply #286 on: November 23, 2017, 08:18:05 PM »
Hi

The 17 stays in the back head have silver soldered in along with the 3 lower bushes. Next job was to prepare the remaining bits that need to be silver soldered.

These comprise of the solid stay that runs the length of the boiler, 2 solid stays at the top which go through to the throat plate. 2 bushes for the water gauge held in place by the jig, the regulator bush and the bush for the blower tube.



After silver soldering



turn it over and silver solder the front end of the stays



Back in the pickle again

Meanwhile the pump body has a screw fitted to limit the lift of the ball



The piston has been turned and here is having the hole drilled and reamed



Followed by machining of the slot








Cheers

Rich

Offline b.lindsey

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Re: CONWAY 0-4-0 3 1/2" GAUGE LOCO
« Reply #287 on: November 23, 2017, 08:35:58 PM »
I must have missed a post or two Rich. You have made a lot of progress and very enjoyable to watch it coming along.

Bill

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Re: CONWAY 0-4-0 3 1/2" GAUGE LOCO
« Reply #288 on: November 23, 2017, 10:04:02 PM »
You are making great progress. I put some cladding on my 3 1/2" Brit back head: it hides a multitude of sins! :popcorn:
John
DSCF0015 by inkaboat, on Flickr

Offline Firebird

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Re: CONWAY 0-4-0 3 1/2" GAUGE LOCO
« Reply #289 on: November 24, 2017, 06:10:15 PM »
Hi

Thanks Bill  :ThumbsUp:

Thats a clever way to tidy up the beackhead John  :ThumbsUp:

Cheers

Rich

Offline Firebird

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Re: CONWAY 0-4-0 3 1/2" GAUGE LOCO
« Reply #290 on: November 25, 2017, 04:35:03 PM »
Hi

Some more boiler work. The solid stay that goes from the back head all the way through to the smoke box tube plate needs to be silver soldered in.

Heres a rare action shot. The area is being pre heated with a turbo torch before I light the oxy/propane torch



After silver soldering



One of the bushes on the back head didn't look like it was soldered well enough so I have done it again



The foundation ring next. One piece has already been silver soldered in. The next piece is made up and carefully filed until a good fit is achieved. Hold it in place with a couple of 3/32" copper rivets.

But then disaster struck, the $^*+"# drill snapped off.  :help: >:( :( :rant: :facepalm2:




Calm down Richard these things are sent to try us, drink some strong coffee and think about it  :headscratch: :thinking:

I could feel on the inside a dimple where the drill was about to come through. Not enough room to get a drill inside but I managed to get in with a centre punch and knock a hole inside. Get a bit of scrap ally and drill a 3/2" hole. Cut off the shank of the broken drill and insert into the hole.



Clamp the guide and punch to the firebox




Sorry folks I have to go I'll continue later

Cheers

Rich


Offline Kim

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Re: CONWAY 0-4-0 3 1/2" GAUGE LOCO
« Reply #291 on: November 25, 2017, 04:41:14 PM »
Wow!  I feel for you there Rich!  Sorry about that drill bit  :'(

Looks like you've got it figured out though.  Best of luck to you on it.  That is a lot of work you have in that boiler!

Kim

Offline Firebird

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Re: CONWAY 0-4-0 3 1/2" GAUGE LOCO
« Reply #292 on: November 25, 2017, 07:51:38 PM »
Hi

Sorry about the delay

Another piece of scrap ally with a hole in it on the outside



I used a G clamp (sorry no photo) to press the broken drill out





Drill and fit the copper rivets




Cheers

Rich

Offline crueby

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Re: CONWAY 0-4-0 3 1/2" GAUGE LOCO
« Reply #293 on: November 25, 2017, 07:53:15 PM »
Nice save! Clever way to do it.

Offline Kim

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Re: CONWAY 0-4-0 3 1/2" GAUGE LOCO
« Reply #294 on: November 25, 2017, 08:21:23 PM »
Well done for sure Rich!  Excellent recovery!
Kim

Offline Firebird

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Re: CONWAY 0-4-0 3 1/2" GAUGE LOCO
« Reply #295 on: December 03, 2017, 07:57:36 PM »
Hi

Thanks Crueby and Kim  :ThumbsUp:

The pump works  :whoohoo:



Cheers

Rich

Offline Firebird

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Re: CONWAY 0-4-0 3 1/2" GAUGE LOCO
« Reply #296 on: December 09, 2017, 01:14:56 PM »
Hi

I have been busy this last week so lets bring things upto date.

Last Sunday Julian and I were supposed to be taking our boilers to the club for the Hydraulic tests but things didn't go quite to plan. Our initial tests at home found a few leaks  :( Then my oxygen bottle ran out  :cussing: then we simply ran out of time :facepalm:

Firstly a couple of tooling jobs.

A stand and clamp to hold one of my gas torches







Next a cutter to clean up the faces of some bushes.

A piece of 1/2" silver steel drilled and reamed 1/4" and machined exactly half way




Harden just the end



A piece of 1/4" silver steel screw cut 1/4" x 32 and screwed into the bush



The cutter has a relief ground on

The cutter in action





At last I think I have it. The boiler in a tub of water and connected to the air line. Don't worry I am fully aware of the danger of compressed air in a boiler. The air line has a regulator on it, I use this to run my engines on air, so there is only about 15 psi in it



No bubbles so the next job is to set up for another hydraulic test

Cheers

Rich

« Last Edit: December 09, 2017, 06:00:13 PM by Firebird »

Offline Firebird

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Re: CONWAY 0-4-0 3 1/2" GAUGE LOCO
« Reply #297 on: December 09, 2017, 06:07:25 PM »
Hi

Hmmmmmm still not quite there. I filled the boiler with water, It holds about 2.3 litres, and connected the pump and pumped it up to 40 psi. So far so good. The pressure was increased to 80 psi (its working pressure) when I noticed a weep from around the firehole. Its back in the pickle again and give up for today  :disappointed:


Cheers

Rich

Offline b.lindsey

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Re: CONWAY 0-4-0 3 1/2" GAUGE LOCO
« Reply #298 on: December 09, 2017, 09:27:30 PM »
That still sounds good Rich...just one small place should be fixable I hope without too much trouble.

Bill

Offline Firebird

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Re: CONWAY 0-4-0 3 1/2" GAUGE LOCO
« Reply #299 on: December 10, 2017, 09:58:19 AM »
I Hope so Bill.

I have noticed that the silver soldered joints seem to need more heat to re-melt than at first. So I have to take great care not to melt the adjacent joint/bush/stay

Cheers

Rich

 

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