Chris's Marion 91 Steam Shovel

[Kim]

You're a machining animal, Chris! 

This is just astounding the number of operations you're putting into each of those little puppies!

I'm loving this build.  Hope you are enjoying it as much as we are, Chris!
Kim

[crueby]

And here are the blanks for all the bottom-half track segments, all 14 pounds of them - will be interesting to see what it weighs once all the excess swarf has been removed...

Might be interesting to see how much you weigh after all that work...and cookies. 

Swarf is easier to get rid of than cookie residue...   

[crueby]

You're a machining animal, Chris! 

This is just astounding the number of operations you're putting into each of those little puppies!

I'm loving this build.  Hope you are enjoying it as much as we are, Chris!
Kim

Absolutely! I am having a great time on this build, may be taking the Marion and Lombard up to the Maine logging museum in October for their fall run, if I can figure out how to get them in the car.

[Craig DeShong]

Incredible Chris 
 

[Steamer5]

Hi Chris,
 JUST WOW !!!!

So cool to see the tracks coming together. As a thought to hold the 2 bits together.....a couple of rivets maybe??

Question Time....

 Given you are machining stainless & its 303 & you are using small cutters, what speeds are you running & approx. depth of cuts? Cause you are getting pretty good finishes & Zee & I are nosey, & who knows we may all learn something

Cheers Kerrin

[crueby]

Hi Chris,
 JUST WOW !!!!

So cool to see the tracks coming together. As a thought to hold the 2 bits together.....a couple of rivets maybe??

Question Time....

 Given you are machining stainless & its 303 & you are using small cutters, what speeds are you running & approx. depth of cuts? Cause you are getting pretty good finishes & Zee & I are nosey, & who knows we may all learn something

Cheers Kerrin

Hi Kerrin!


I am thinking that one screw or rivet could do it, the hinge fingers keep it centered in the quarter round grooves in the top.


Dont know speeds, there is no scale on the speed knob, but as with drilling it varies with cutter diameter, too fast and it rubs and heats, too slow and it can chatter and grab. I go by sound and feel. On the mill, making the return pass without changing depth of cut takes off a elf hair more, and gives a smooth finish. On shallow, from end that is, it will do wide cuts, on deep from end, like to take nibbles from the side. For the hinge fingers I went full height, just fed slow.

[crueby]

Today I have started prepping the blocks for the bottom halves of the track segments. Got the first side, of the sawn sides, milled off square on all 82, first dozen have the second side squared and to width. Going very quick, about a minute each including putting the parts in and out.


One thing I added is a high volume aquarium air pump with a hose taped to the jig, saves having to stop and clear chips out of the jig after every couple of parts. This one is rated at 300 liters per minute, not sure if I believe that but its doing the job nicely.

[steam guy willy]

Hi Chris ,  wow that is a lot of work ....I admire your tenacity and hard work....lesser mortals would have made the first one to use as a pattern and then spent a fortune getting them cast....
Willy

[crueby]

Hi Chris ,  wow that is a lot of work ....I admire your tenacity and hard work....lesser mortals would have made the first one to use as a pattern and then spent a fortune getting them cast....
Willy

I haven't figured out how to get paid that fortune for not having them cast....   

[Baner]

Great work Chris!

Bit late to the party with this link, but for future reference, or for anyone else who lacks your skill and patience (like me!) this place does 3d Wax printing and subsequent castings from CAD models:

http://www.stanier-engineering.com/page/3d-wax-printing/

I've not used the service, but apparently it's good value. He supplies this other place here, which gives an rough idea of quality and pricing:

http://www.crofittings.co.uk/
http://modeleng.proboards.com/thread/10339/scale-fittings-locos

Dave.

[crueby]

Great work Chris!

Bit late to the party with this link, but for future reference, or for anyone else who lacks your skill and patience (like me!) this place does 3d Wax printing and subsequent castings from CAD models:

http://www.stanier-engineering.com/page/3d-wax-printing/

I've not used the service, but apparently it's good value. He supplies this other place here, which gives an rough idea of quality and pricing:

http://www.crofittings.co.uk/
http://modeleng.proboards.com/thread/10339/scale-fittings-locos

Dave.

Thanks Dave!
 

[Steamer5]

Hi Chris,
 Thanks for the info....

Great to see someone else runs a...”suck it & see” machine shop! 

Worth checking out the CRO link, Adam is doing some amazing work! Of course getting the parts cast down under helps......

Cheers Kerrin

[crueby]

Thought I'd share this one - a pic from our RC submarine run yesterday, one of the others got this shot of my Green Sea Turtle sub breaking the surface for a breath of air - the little on on his back is too small to swim on his own, still needs the scuba tanks!   

[Ye-Ole Steam Dude]

Is that a SCUBA tank on the little ones back?

Thomas

[crueby]

Is that a SCUBA tank on the little ones back?

Thomas

Yup!  The big one likes to stay under a ling time, the little one cant hold his breath that long...   


The small one is the plastic figurine I found at the zoo shop, scalwd it up to make the patterns to carve the molds the big one was cast in. It just seemed right to have the little guy take a ride, it is on a loose tether so it swims an inch above the big one.