Pennsylvania A3 Switcher (Kozo)

[Kim]

Thanks Repkid! 

And thanks for the pointer on AliExpress.  I probably should have looked there.  But since I have the wire (the EXPENSIVE wire) already, I probably won't bother this time around.

Thank you!
Kim

[Roger B]

Nice save on the valves     

You are now on the last 20% which also takes 80% of the time 

[Kim]

Thanks Roger! 
Yeah, not only am I at the last 20% that takes 80% of the time, it's moving into the summer when the family has a lot going on, keeping me out of the shop.  Not a chore, mind you, it's wonderful!  But I do make slower progress, regardless.

Thanks,
Kim

[Pogo_proptie]

question for you kim

http://www.modelenginemaker.com/index.php/topic,8552.msg211772.html#msg211772

on this part, the fixturing of the tender top plate. what was your method to drill the angled holes.. did you plunge straigth or perpendicular to the surface. if so.. what kind of setup did you use. neither you or quinn showed the money shot on that part. i'm looking for wisdom as it is quite a lot of work and quite stressfull with all the trouble getting to that point.

Thanks

Pogo

[Kim]

question for you kim

http://www.modelenginemaker.com/index.php/topic,8552.msg211772.html#msg211772

on this part, the fixturing of the tender top plate. what was your method to drill the angled holes.. did you plunge straigth or perpendicular to the surface. if so.. what kind of setup did you use. neither you or quinn showed the money shot on that part. i'm looking for wisdom as it is quite a lot of work and quite stressfull with all the trouble getting to that point.

Thanks

Pogo

Hey Pogo,
Sorry for the slow response.  I've been out of town for the week and just got back.

Well, you're right. I don't show any shots of me drilling the holes for fastening the top plate.  I do, however, show how I did it for the front plate in this post, pictures 3 and following.  And I used basically the same process for the top plate.  I drilled the holes in the top plate where I wanted them to be (I put them right on top of where one of the rivets was - drilling out a rivet to be replaced by a screw).  Then, with everything assembled on the tank base plate, I would make a center mark where a screw went in the side, take the side off and drill it at that marked spot, similar to this:


I supported the copper side on a piece of scrap wood so the spot I wanted to drill was perpendicular to the drill bit, then drill the tap-size hole, and tap it.  Then I'd screw it all back together and drill the next one.  Actually, once I had a couple of holes on each end, I did multiple holes in one iteration. But it still took a while.

Does that make sense?
Kim

[Pogo_proptie]

Thanks. Good to see your technique. I tough i would need to c clamp the hole thing and go all in with a massive piece in my tyni machines. So basically you punch the 1st layer and then transfer drill the next layer using the first piece as a guide.. should be much easier.

I was thinking  going from the center toward the ends to prevent some wavyness. Is that a good plan?

[Kim]

I was thinking  going from the center toward the ends to prevent some wavyness. Is that a good plan?

I started at the front end because I wanted to make sure the end matched up with the pieces in front.  But I'm not sure if that is the best way or not.  It's just what I did.   The way you describe could be good too.

I did have a wave or two in the top, though I think it was caused by the rivet punching process, not by the fastening process.  I used a block of wood on top of the little bump and rapped it with a hammer to work out the unwanted wave/bump. That seemed to work and didn't damage the rivet marks that were so painstakingly added!

Kim

[Kim]

Chapter 33.2 – Bypass Valve

I’ve been out for a bit.  Spent a fun week with my extended family over in central Oregon.  Not much shop time there, but a lot of fun, nevertheless!

I’ve started work on the Bypass Valve.  The bypass valve is used in a loop with the axel water pump.  When you want more water to go into the boiler, close this valve, and the water from the pump is forced to push into the boiler, past the check valve.  But when you open the valve, the path of least resistance for the water is to circulate back to the input side of the pump.  It’s harder to fight the boiler pressure than to push the water back toward the tender!  Very clever (though I’m sure not original with Kozo).

The bypass valve consists of two parts; the valve stem and the valve body.  I made the valve stem last week before I left.  I took no pictures because it’s exactly the same as the valve handle & stem that I made for the blower valve.  You can look at post #3864 if want a reminder on how I did that.

Today I made the valve body. Since this is different from the valve body for the blower, I did take a few pics here.  First, I made the side water connection for the valve.  This was made from 1/4" brass rod.  I drilled it through and cut 1/4"-32 threads for the water connection, then parted it off the parent stock.


The main part of the body was made from 5/16” hex brass.  I started with the Valve Stem end.  I drilled it for 5-40 threads, then drilled the rest of the way through #56.  Then tapped the 5-40 for the valve stem.


After parting it off, I flipped it around in a 1/4" collet and threaded the other end 1/4”-32.  This is for the other water connection.


Then I moved to the mill where I drilled a 3/16” hole, 1/16” deep with an end mill, for mounting the first water connection (also drilled through #56.)


Finally, I silver soldered the two parts together.


With a little clean-up, here’s the completed bypass valve. 


Next, I’ll be making some T-joints.  I’ve got a bunch more little plumbing parts to make before I get to actually running the water tubing. But I’ll get there eventually!

Kim

[cnr6400]

  That valve looks great Kim!

[crueby]

Hope you are making enough extras to open your own plumbing shop!  Excellent parts!

[Kim]

Thanks Jeff and Chris! 

Kim

[Kim]

Chapter 33.3 – T-Joints

Today is T-Joint day.

There are two T-Joints required, one for 5/32” tubing and the other for 3/16” tubing.  The former was made from 1/4" brass hex and the latter from 5/16” brass hex.  Other than the size, the operations were the same.  I turned a short length to 1/4", drilled the hole for the top of the T, threaded it 1/4"-32, then cut it off (chamfering as I go, to separate me from the animals ).


Then off to the mill where I used an appropriately sized center cutting end mill to make the through hole for the T.


Here are the two T-Joints.  When I get to that stage, I’ll slide the tubing through the hole and silver solder it in place, then redrill the top hole to complete the T-Joint.  The part on the far right is my practice part.  First time around I drilled the top hole for the T all the way through, which is not correct.  It’s supposed to stop at the larger through hole.  Otherwise, it’s an X, not a T, right?


I still have a bunch of coupling joints, union nuts, brackets, etc. to make, but it was already too hot in the shop. Someone sent their heat wave up to the Northwest!  It’s already 90F and it’s barely noon!  Way too hot for me.

Thanks for checking in,
Kim

[cnr6400]

  It's an X if you work (or worked) at Xerox or that tweeting company.  Local to me it would be called a cross or a 4 way cross. Stay cool in the heat wave Kim.

[Kim]

It's an X if you work (or worked) at Xerox or that tweeting company.  Local to me it would be called a cross or a 4 way cross. Stay cool in the heat wave Kim.

Good to learn the correct nomenclature.  X-joint made sense to me since it is a letter descriptive of the shape, just like a T-joint.  But now I know it's a 4 way cross joint 

I learn something new on this site every day! 

Thanks Jeff!
Kim

[cnr6400]

Very welcome Kim.