Author Topic: Stephenson's Rocket  (Read 28559 times)

Offline Brian Rupnow

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Re: Stephenson's Rocket
« Reply #315 on: August 05, 2020, 09:30:16 PM »
Ron--I'm just not that "crafty". I do quite well with machinery design and building, but when it comes to carving I'm not very good at it at all. I've got my operator. He used to be a wrestler, but he's being "born again" as a train operator. I've just done a search in Barrie for someone who will custom sew dolls clothing, but didn't find anybody. I'm fumbling my way thru this, and I'm relieved at not having to get up and start machining something every day.

Online crueby

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Re: Stephenson's Rocket
« Reply #316 on: August 05, 2020, 09:55:11 PM »
Love the hat - Shorty is probably rather cross with you for all the hole drilling and sanding though...   :Lol:

I have a Capt. Jack Sparrow figure in a RC rowboat, had to replace his arms with dowels and drill big holes in his body to lighten him up enough to keep the boat from capsizing, I think he had the same body as Shorty under the jacket. He was not amused. Though it was funny the one time at the reflecting pool in Carmel when his boat capsized, I blamed it on too much rum!  :DrinkPint:

Offline Brian Rupnow

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Re: Stephenson's Rocket
« Reply #317 on: August 05, 2020, 10:01:12 PM »
I've just posted an add in the Barrie "buy and sell" looking for a seamstress to sew doll clothing. I'm supposed to get paid for a small "patent drawing" tomorrow, and if that actually happens the train driver could end up being better dressed than me!!!

Offline Brian Rupnow

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Re: Stephenson's Rocket
« Reply #318 on: August 05, 2020, 10:12:54 PM »
Shorty got his legs back today. I drilled a 3/16" hole into his lower leg and his upper leg this morning, and used a 1" long metal dowel inserted into both sides with lots of 2 part epoxy. He is standing with a bit of a lean to one side right now, but I will fix that tomorrow with my belt sander. Shorty may get a "hot foot" out of the deal, but at least he will then be an "upright citizen"!!

Offline steamboatmodel

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Re: Stephenson's Rocket
« Reply #319 on: August 06, 2020, 01:50:04 AM »
Brian, if you do not want to paint the hat black, quite a few of them were dark brown.
Sorry I can't help with sewing clothes for your driver Shorty.
Gerald.
Be wary of strong drink. It can make you shoot at tax collectors--and miss. Lazarus Long

Offline Brian Rupnow

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Re: Stephenson's Rocket
« Reply #320 on: August 07, 2020, 09:41:36 PM »
One thing about my driver---He's "Devilishly handsome". I gave up on actual dolls clothing. Nobody in Barrie answered my add about sewing some clothes for him, so I decided to go with some Testers enamel which I bought at the hobby shop here in town. It looks like he will need a second coat to fully cover up his wrestlers trunks. I didn't want to go with black, because it simply doesn't show up on camera very well. I actually never thought of "devilish" until after I painted him. I bought a bit of black paint to redo his boots, and a bit of white paint to give him a white shirt. There is a fabric shop about 1/2 a mile from my place, and when I get all finished painting I'm going to buy a piece of matching red material and make him a cape.
« Last Edit: August 07, 2020, 11:13:15 PM by Brian Rupnow »

Online crueby

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Re: Stephenson's Rocket
« Reply #321 on: August 07, 2020, 11:06:40 PM »
You could always name him Flip (comic years ago Flip Wilson used the line 'The Devil made me do it' in a lot of his routines) .




Offline Brian Rupnow

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Re: Stephenson's Rocket
« Reply #322 on: August 10, 2020, 08:57:39 PM »
So--We're done like dinner. The Stephenson's Rocket is finished, and the driver (who used to be a wrestler) has a top hat and cape, and a devilishly good paint job. My good wife sewed the cape for me this morning. A "grab bar" has been added to the engine to give my driver a place to hang onto, and you can't see it, but the bottom of his legs are drilled and tapped for #5 socket head capscrews that come up thru the platform----He's not going to fall off. This model will get the "Place of Honour" on one of my shelves.
After I make this post I'm going to (hopefully) make a video of the Rocket driving across my floor, and then I'm outa here!!!




Offline Brian Rupnow

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Re: Stephenson's Rocket
« Reply #323 on: August 10, 2020, 09:21:43 PM »
Final Video of Stephenson's Rocket--Watch closely--It happens quickly!!!
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UfiepJnJSk0" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UfiepJnJSk0</a>

Online crueby

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Re: Stephenson's Rocket
« Reply #324 on: August 10, 2020, 11:33:58 PM »
Wonderful!   :cartwheel:

Offline Art K

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Re: Stephenson's Rocket
« Reply #325 on: August 10, 2020, 11:55:46 PM »
Brian,
Its time for the happy dance! :cartwheel:
Art
"The beautiful thing about learning is that no one can take it away from you" B.B. King

Offline Brian Rupnow

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Re: Stephenson's Rocket
« Reply #326 on: August 11, 2020, 01:13:13 AM »
Thanks Chris and art. I actually got to see something I hadn't experienced before with the Rocket. The crankshaft throws are 90 degrees apart. The engine will self start. The model is quite heavy. So---plug in the air, and start raising the pressure via the regulator until the engine starts. Then very rapidly turn the pressure back down. If you don't, the engine goes totally ape-$hit and starts spinning like crazy and slithering all over the floor. There is a huge difference between enough pressure to self start and the pressure for a rather leisurely speed as seen in the video.

Online crueby

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Re: Stephenson's Rocket
« Reply #327 on: August 11, 2020, 01:54:00 AM »
Something I have done on engines that behave that way is put a flow restrictor at the air hose connection. Simple way is to put a needle valve in, so it can be adjusted. Lets high pressure in for starting, but won't let enough volume through for high speed running. It got my beam engine so it will run very slow.

Offline Craig DeShong

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Re: Stephenson's Rocket
« Reply #328 on: August 11, 2020, 08:31:45 PM »
Nice Brian, though I blinked and missed it the on the first view  :lolb:

Maybe make a slow-mo video?

We’d love to see the drivers cape blowing in the slip stream!
Craig
The destination motivates us toward excellence, the journey entertains us, and along the way we meet so many interesting people.

Offline Jo

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Re: Stephenson's Rocket
« Reply #329 on: August 12, 2020, 05:14:20 AM »
 8)

Look like you need to make a rolling road display stand Brian ;)

Jo
Enjoyment is more important than achievement.

 

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