Hi Guys,
Been a while since I posted on this.
With a few issues about copper grades resolved and copper bought I have started building the boiler.
When I bought this part built loco it came with a piece of tube partly cut to form the boiler and all the plate cut, formed and marked for the holes and bushes. The tube was too short and had also been badly cut so it has been put to one side for a future project. I bought a new length of 4 3/4" 3mm thick copper. I cut it and fitted the front plate assuming it was correct.
Next job I checked the front firebox tube plate and found it wrongly sized. Checking the rear plate this was also wrong. I decided to cut some former plates from some 12mm steel I had acquired and reform the existing plates. I soldered the tubes into the front plate surprisingly easily and was well pleased with the job.
Next job was to form the wrapper for the firebox. This is when I realised the the plates were still the wrong size. I had made them better but had not corrected the size. I removed all the tubes from the plate and made new plates.
Once the tubes were soldered into the new plate I formed the wrapper. I made a rough wooden former for this.
This wrapper has been soldered to the firebox rear plate. It will be cleaned in the pickle later.
I now need to solder the front plate into the wrapper but not done yet.
In a sudden fit of common sense I decided to try the main tube and firebox in the frames and it does not fit!! The front plate I have fitted is about 4mm too big and has made it too wide to fit the frames.
Looking back I should have checked the existing plates better and done what I have now done....make my own.
This afternoon I made a new former for the front plate and backhead and made new plates. I then spent a very hot and sweaty hour or so removing the faulty plate.
All is in the pickle now for a new attack on it later this week.
Julian.