Author Topic: Chris's Mann Wagon Build  (Read 130104 times)

Offline kvom

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Re: Chris's Mann Wagon Build
« Reply #270 on: July 10, 2020, 02:25:56 PM »
I made leaf springs for Kozo engine from spring steel strips.  A friend of mine had a punch that did the center hole, and a shear for cutting to length.  I suspect a chisel and hammer would suffice for this followed by grinding the ends.

Offline crueby

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Re: Chris's Mann Wagon Build
« Reply #271 on: July 10, 2020, 03:58:36 PM »
I made leaf springs for Kozo engine from spring steel strips.  A friend of mine had a punch that did the center hole, and a shear for cutting to length.  I suspect a chisel and hammer would suffice for this followed by grinding the ends.
Got some spring steel on order, two different thicknesses to experiment and see what works for the weight of this model, and may be different between front/rear axles.

Thanks for the advice guys!!   :cheers:

Offline crueby

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Re: Chris's Mann Wagon Build
« Reply #272 on: July 10, 2020, 04:09:32 PM »
Yesterday and this morning got started on the forward cab frame, starting with the section that supports the coal bunkers out at the front end. These sections bolt to bushings on the boiler, and will tie in to the frame below the rear of the cab and the main frame as well.  Since these frames start below the centerline of the boiler, the rail that bolts to the boiler is not vertical. I started with a paper template cut to fit over the boiler shell, and marked the positions and angles of screws run into the bushings. Used that template to find the actual angles, just in case they were different than the ones on the plans - better to go from actual parts sometimes. Then, made a gauge block for that angle, to mill/drill the bars from:

Knowing how some of you live in fear of 'the brown stuff', this block was cut from a scrap of fake wood, some vinyl house trim stock!   :Lol:
Using the block as a guide, the crossbar pieces were clamped into the mill vise to cut the angles on the ends:

The ends were milled in, leaving a step to hang over the edge of the rail:

Then they were drilled/tapped for some 2-56 screws to hold things for silver soldering:

First parts assembled, three crossbars per side:

The screw heads keep the rail from seating all the way down to the boiler, but they will be ground off after soldering. There will also be a rail at the outer ends, and a curved one that goes under the boiler to stiffen up the assembly.
As you can see in the last photo, Elfric the shop elf was so surprised I got this part right that he was knocked off his feet...

Offline cnr6400

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Re: Chris's Mann Wagon Build
« Reply #273 on: July 10, 2020, 05:16:26 PM »
 :ThumbsUp: :ThumbsUp: :ThumbsUp: :popcorn: :popcorn: :popcorn:

Are you sure Elfric didn't have one too many Elfensteiner stubbies on his lunch break?    :Lol:
"I've cut that stock three times, and it's still too short!"

Offline crueby

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Re: Chris's Mann Wagon Build
« Reply #274 on: July 10, 2020, 05:27:21 PM »
:ThumbsUp: :ThumbsUp: :ThumbsUp: :popcorn: :popcorn: :popcorn:

Are you sure Elfric didn't have one too many Elfensteiner stubbies on his lunch break?    :Lol:
That was Elfred - not in the picture since he fell off the workbench!   :Lol:

Offline crueby

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Re: Chris's Mann Wagon Build
« Reply #275 on: July 10, 2020, 09:36:19 PM »
Started laying out the pieces for the lower cab frame, which will hold the floor that the operators feet are on:



Some more trimming to do, then will set up a way to hold them for silver soldering. Should be able to clamp them to other bars between the joints to leave the joints out in mid-air. The curved piece on the right will connect the left and right coal bunker bottom frames, which are the ones either side of the boiler in the previous set of pictures, to give them more support. Lots of pieces to these frames! The upper/lower frames will be connected to each other and to the main frame with vertical and angled pieces. The rectangular area in the center of this frame is where the firebox goes through.

Offline Johnmcc69

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Re: Chris's Mann Wagon Build
« Reply #276 on: July 10, 2020, 10:27:51 PM »
 :ThumbsUp:
 Looks good!

 How did you get such a clean, smooth bend in the curved piece?

 John

Offline crueby

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Re: Chris's Mann Wagon Build
« Reply #277 on: July 10, 2020, 10:50:03 PM »
:ThumbsUp:
 Looks good!

 How did you get such a clean, smooth bend in the curved piece?

 John
I used the ring roller that I got a couple weeks ago, the bar just fit in the rollers. Then cut off the ends at an angle. The bend was just a little too much, flattened the ends back a bit in the vise.

Offline crueby

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Re: Chris's Mann Wagon Build
« Reply #278 on: July 11, 2020, 10:07:12 PM »
Not much shop time today, did get in for a little bit to start noodling out how to silver solder up the lower cab frame parts without a lot of drilling/tapping. Found this bit of plate offcut, works out to clamp the stringers down a few at a time for soldering the joints hanging off the edges.

Will take a few sessions to do the whole thing, but should work out easy.

Offline crueby

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Re: Chris's Mann Wagon Build
« Reply #279 on: July 12, 2020, 10:01:15 PM »
Got a good start on making up the cab frames today. Started with the right hand side, clamped the rails to a sheet of steel left over from another build:

Silver soldered those joints, then clamped up the left hand side:

and finally the rail across the middle front edge:

Also soldered and ground off the screw heads on the coal bunker floor frames - will add the rails along the outside edges and include the risers that connect the floor frames to the coal bunker frames next.


Quite a webwork shaping up!

Offline samc88

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Re: Chris's Mann Wagon Build
« Reply #280 on: July 12, 2020, 10:28:56 PM »
Shaping up nicely!

Sent from my G3121 using Tapatalk


Offline crueby

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Re: Chris's Mann Wagon Build
« Reply #281 on: July 13, 2020, 01:31:31 AM »
Thanks Sam!

Got the arch bar under the coal bunker frames bolted on:

and this shows where its all going a little more - the cab floor frame is slipped on over the firebox, with the boiler sitting in front. The boiler will sit up and back over the firebox for a bit over an inch (remember the top/back of the boilers were angled), putting the two frame 1-1/2" apart vertically. Next will start making the connecting bars that go between the two frames.




Offline Brian Rupnow

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Re: Chris's Mann Wagon Build
« Reply #282 on: July 13, 2020, 02:25:25 AM »
Strange question Chris, but how tall are your elves? I want to get a model sized guy about 5 1/2 to 6" tall to drive my Stephenson's Rocket.---Brian

Offline crueby

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Re: Chris's Mann Wagon Build
« Reply #283 on: July 13, 2020, 02:38:21 AM »
They are 4-3/8" tall, so a little short. They are Bruder toy system. There are a lot of poseable figurines, can be tough to find ones in normal clothes, rather than superhero costumes.

Offline Brian Rupnow

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Re: Chris's Mann Wagon Build
« Reply #284 on: July 13, 2020, 01:28:05 PM »
My train may end up being driven by Batman!!!

 

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