Thanks Kim, Per and Rodger for the kind comments! Yes Per, it is indeed a lot of work, but I am enjoying it immensely. Each new component is a mini project in itself.
To keep Kozo's beautiful book nice and clean, I usually work off photocopies in the workshop. Recently I discovered a neat way of making photocopies, without having to put the book on top of the copier. The 'Notes' app on the iPhone allows one to 'scan' a document using the camera. It also provides filters to enhance the scanned image, which can then be printed out. Android phones most likely have similar functionality.
Next up was the relatively straightforward coal stopper.
To make the Tender manhole, I first formed the manhole tube. I could not find small copper rivets to tie everything together for silver soldering. Since the rivet heads are filed away after soldering, I decided to make my own rivets from one of the 1.8 mm diameter strands of copper wire used in heavy duty electrical cable. This worked really well, and I ended up with a nicely formed circular tube.
All the other brass sheet metal parts were 3D modelled in Fusion 360 and then cut out with the CNC router.
At this point I decided to deviate from the sequence in the book, and to locate and attach the manhole flange only after fitting the manhole cover and hinge. This way, it is much easier to clamp the manhole tube while working on the hinge. Fitting the flange after the hinge, also ensure that enough space for the hinge is left above the flange.
When making the hinge, I removed all the material before drilling the pin hole, to reduce the chance of the 2mm drill bit going skew.
Aligning and fitting the hinge and manhole cover to the tube:
And finally, manhole and headlight base fitted to the tank. The CNC'd manhole plate fits snugly into the hole in the top, which was also CNC'd a while ago.
Next up was the steps. As is customary, I first reviewed how Kim and Blondihacks did it. Blondihacks pointed out that the dimensions of Kozo's bending jig must be adapted to the width of the vice yaws being used, otherwise the yaws will interfere. This certainly spared me some heartache!
I used the sheet metal functionality of Fusion 360 to draw the steps and determine the exact location of each bend. Without a vernier calliper that is long enough to mark the locations of the bends on the strip of brass, I used the DRO on the milling machine instead.
This all worked out really well. The resulting bend radius matches the bend radius in Fusion 360 very closely.
And finally a shot of the manhole, headlight base and steps all mounted on the tank.
Paging through the book, I think I am done with sheet metal work for a while. Next challenge is to drill 1mm holes through 2.5mm stainless steel rods for the handrail. But first I am off to the UK to visit my first grandchild. And to buy some 303 stainless steel rods for the handholds, and small screws of all shapes and sizes, which is difficult to find locally...
