Author Topic: Pennsylvania A3 Switcher (Kozo)  (Read 327411 times)

Offline Larry

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Re: Pennsylvania A3 Switcher (Kozo)
« Reply #330 on: June 02, 2019, 04:21:28 AM »
Every slitting saw I use goes Thunk, Thunk, Thunk. I tend to think it is the mandrel but maybe a combination of the two. I have about 3 mandrels and they all do the same. Wish I could find a heavy duty accurate one.

You have taken on quite a project. Your posts are great.

Offline Kim

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Re: Pennsylvania A3 Switcher (Kozo)
« Reply #331 on: June 02, 2019, 05:40:55 AM »
Thanks Larry!
Nice to know I'm not the only one who has lopsided slitting saws!  The 1/16" one I used recently was very nice - almost seemed to cut on multiple teeth, so I don't think it's the mandrel (though I guess it still could be).

Most of my slitting blades have some eccentricity, but this 3/32" one is the most dramatic.  It could be because i purchase cheap ones - they're all <$10 a piece, so I'm sure they're all imports, and it's pot luck on how concentric it is.  Some are better, some are worse.  And some are truly exceptionally awful! :)

Thanks for following along Larry!
Kim

Offline b.lindsey

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Re: Pennsylvania A3 Switcher (Kozo)
« Reply #332 on: June 02, 2019, 01:21:12 PM »
More nice fabrication work Kim. I would think something is amiss if my slitting saws didn't go thunk, thunk, thunk too  ;)

Bill

Offline Kim

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Re: Pennsylvania A3 Switcher (Kozo)
« Reply #333 on: June 02, 2019, 05:55:37 PM »
Thanks Bill!
Kim

Offline Kim

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Re: Pennsylvania A3 Switcher (Kozo)
« Reply #334 on: June 09, 2019, 05:38:54 PM »
Well, I said next shop time I’d silver solder the coupler pocket. But I forgot that I need to do a little more work to get ready for that!  I still need to drill & tap some holes for 0-80 screws to hold the pieces together during the soldering operation.

So, I drill some holes:


And tap some holes:


Then drill a few more holes – clearance holes this time.  I’ll be screwing the other pieces to this backing plate.


And finally, Kozo shows to take a little off the holding flanges here.  I think this is so that the outside edge doesn’t get soldered to the base – it will make clean-up easier later.


And here it is will all the pieces screwed together.  Front:


And back:

Now, the astute among you might notice that the solder holding screws for the back flange are poking all the way through.  I accidentally drilled too deep and broke through the other side of that flange. So I just used longer 0-80 screws to fill the hole.  The part will be painted, so nobody should be the wiser :)


NOW, we’re ready for soldering!
Kim

P.S. I did this last weekend and didn’t get around to posting the progress till now.

Offline Kim

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Re: Pennsylvania A3 Switcher (Kozo)
« Reply #335 on: June 09, 2019, 05:47:38 PM »
This week’s shop time is silver soldering for sure!

Here’s the pocket assembled, fluxed and with bits of silver solder by each joint, just waiting for heat to be applied. This will solder the upright pieces to the base.


After a pickle and cleanup, I set up to solder the edges of the box together. 


And finally, I soldered the back flange onto the unit.  This is AFTER soldering this time.  Turned out pretty well.


Another pickle and clean up, and we’re ready to take the coupler pocket down to size. I have to mill off the excess pieces that were there just to hold things together during soldering. I started by evening off the bottom. It’s just flat, so quite straight forward.


Next, I did the sides.  Here I had to be a little more careful because the back needs to remain wider than the pocket.  But I  milled off the parts that were just there to hold the pocket sides in place.  (And the head of the screw).


After completing both sides, I did the top.  Then I put the part in at an angle (adjusted by eye) and took off the corners at an angle.  The rest will be cleaned up with files.


After filing everything flush, I needed to round off the front of the pocket.  The drawing showed a 3/4" radius.  However, the center of the arc was about 3/16” out in mid-air.  Rather than free-handing the arc, I double-sticky-taped a little piece of wood to the rear flange and use that to support the dividers while I drew the arc.


Then I filed the arc following the line.


Next, I drilled four mounting holes; two in the backplate (as shown below) and two in the back flange (not shown).


And finally, I drilled and reamed a 1/8” hole for the coupler pin.  I drilled this from the bottom since I could get a better hold on the part that way.  I would have been good to do this step BEFORE I rounded the front of the pocket, but I didn’t think about it.  I almost forgot the coupler pin hole completely!

You may also note the two little dimples in my vice jaws in the above picture :(.  I had a piece of packing in place when I drilled the mounting holes, but apparently, it wasn’t enough – or I was too exuberant in drilling my holes because I clearly drilled into my vice jaws on both sides.  How sad is that? :(  Ah well, it's bound to happen sooner or later.  And my vice is now 1.5 years old. Guess its time for some battle scars.

And here’s the completed coupler pocket!


The only thing remaining is to mount it to the frame.

Back when I was doing the rear end sill, I marked these holes, but I did not drill them.  I wanted to wait to make the holes till I had the part in hand so I could make sure they matched up.  Turns out, they matched up perfectly!


So, I drilled and tapped the holes (3-48).


Then, I mounted the coupler pocket.  Here it is, in its final resting place on the rear of the tender frame.


And another shot, just because it's fun.



Now, the Rear Coupler Pocket is officially complete.

Only a few more pieces of the frame (Footboard, and Coupler Pins) then we’ll be on to tank itself!

Thanks for looking in,
Kim

Offline Ye-Ole Steam Dude

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Re: Pennsylvania A3 Switcher (Kozo)
« Reply #336 on: June 09, 2019, 06:01:12 PM »
Hello Kim,

Love to see this detail work on these simple yet complex to build pieces.  :ThumbsUp:

Your project is coming along beautifully.

Have a great day,
Thomas
Thomas

Offline b.lindsey

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Re: Pennsylvania A3 Switcher (Kozo)
« Reply #337 on: June 09, 2019, 08:09:02 PM »
That is a lot of steps for that part but it sure turned out nice. Good stuff and great pictures Kim.

Bill

Offline Kim

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Re: Pennsylvania A3 Switcher (Kozo)
« Reply #338 on: June 09, 2019, 08:16:35 PM »
Thanks, Thomas and Bill!
Appreciate you both following along :)
Kim

Offline cnr6400

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Re: Pennsylvania A3 Switcher (Kozo)
« Reply #339 on: June 09, 2019, 11:52:00 PM »
Great work Kim!  :ThumbsUp: :ThumbsUp: :ThumbsUp: :popcorn: :popcorn: :popcorn:
"I've cut that stock three times, and it's still too short!"

Offline Dave Otto

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Re: Pennsylvania A3 Switcher (Kozo)
« Reply #340 on: June 10, 2019, 12:40:14 AM »
Nice fab and machine work Kim!

Dave

Offline Kim

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Re: Pennsylvania A3 Switcher (Kozo)
« Reply #341 on: June 16, 2019, 03:48:16 PM »
Thanks Cnr and Dave!
Sorry for the delayed reply.  Though I'd done this days ago. Guess I just thought about it and never quite did it!
I'm good at that :)
Kim

Offline Kim

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Re: Pennsylvania A3 Switcher (Kozo)
« Reply #342 on: June 16, 2019, 03:54:51 PM »
Chapter 4.8 – Foot Board

Today’s mini-project is the tender Foot Board. Not being well versed in train anatomy, I’d have called it the rear bumper for the tender :)  But I’m learning.  I never know if the names Kozo gives things are just what he calls it, what its called in Japan, or the standard US name for an item.  But I generally just go with it since I don’t know any better.  So, Foot Board it is!

I started by cutting material for the brackets.  These are 3/32” thick sheet (well, 0.090” thick sheet, which is pretty close).  Here I’m cutting a strip off the sheet stock (4130a) for this purpose.


I cut them to approximate length, then milled them to the appropriate width (9/32”).  No pictures of this fascinating operation, though I’m sure you can imagine it if you try.

With that complete, I made a 90o bend about 1/3 of the way down the part.  This leaves both ends long, but I decided its MUCH easier to clean up the ends after they are in place than to get a bend in exactly the right spot – especially on such thick material.


Next was to make the foot board itself.  This is a 3/8”x1/2” – 1/8” thick angle which I made from a length of 1018 steel.  This is a shot of me milling the angle to shape:


After shaping it, I flipped it over to drill and tap some 3-48 holes to help hold the brackets on while silver soldering.  The piece sitting behind it on the vise is the rear sill of the tender frame.  The double row of holes for along this is for the other end of the brackets.  So, the spacing of these holes should line up exactly with the ones I’m tapping in the foot board.


Then I drilled the through holes in the bracket.  These were all located from the 90o bend.


Finally, before attaching all the pieces together, I filed off the corners of the footboard as shown in the drawings.


And here’s the Foot Board family, posing for a beauty shot before jumping in the fire.


All fluxed up and ready to go!  Note I’m using the rear sill as part of the soldering jig here to help hold all the brackets in place.


And done.  One thing about silver soldering steel – it can take a LOT more heat than the brass before it starts to melt into a puddle of goo.  And with such big hunk of steel to heat up, I melted the heads of the brass holding screws on 3 out of 4 of the joints.  I need to be more careful with my heat here.  I think soldering steel is letting me get lazy with my heat application.


After a pickle bath, we’re back to the mill to shorten the ends of the brackets to the correct length.


A little filing work to finish the job, and take the heads off the brass screws (or what was left of them after my burnt offering to the silver solder gods).


And there we have the foot board assembly!


Finally, situated in place on the tender frame.


Well, that was a LONG shop session but I completed the foot board!
Thanks for stopping by and taking a look,
Kim
« Last Edit: June 16, 2019, 04:13:42 PM by Kim »

Offline b.lindsey

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Re: Pennsylvania A3 Switcher (Kozo)
« Reply #343 on: June 16, 2019, 08:20:37 PM »
More nice work Kim. Am enjoying the step by step build log a lot.

Bill

Offline Firebird

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Re: Pennsylvania A3 Switcher (Kozo)
« Reply #344 on: June 16, 2019, 08:32:29 PM »
Hi Kim

 :ThumbsUp: :popcorn:

Cheers

Rich

 

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