Downsizing in Metalwork

[Cub Cadet 613]

Awesome work!  

[Anglo Traction 1,016]

Been a while since I worked on this. Weather extremes have delayed setting up for paint preparation etc.

Managed to finish the 4 tiny 1/4" square lidded Oil Boxes which was a 'Jewellers Job' Silver Soldering the tiny hinge tubes in place. The hinge pins are 0.5mm hard wire.

The one in the picture is of the R/H 3rd Shaft, where I had to work around the standard bearing design and the additional steam valve I made and fitted there.

The Oil Box is linked to the bearing by a short 1/16" dia copper tube. proper hex head bolts will be used in final assembly 

All the other Oil boxes not shown fit directly into their respective bearings-

  

 

Changed the upper Steering Shaft bearing design with a more correct style version out of Gunmetal.

Also fabricated and added the Tool tray on inside of the Hornplate to hide the dowel end of the steering shaft bearing. Steering shaft is 5/32" dia (nearly 4mm) -

 

So till plodding on with this when opportunity arises.

 

 

[Anglo Traction 1,016]

Just to bump this topic to say that this engine has been dismantled for more jobs to be finished prior to painting and running.

I have also decided to make something to accompany it in 1 inch scale.

Over the last 3 months, I've been researching Water Carts as well  as referring to my old Model Engineer magazines from 1980's.

So I've got enough info and images to reproduce an example of a Wallis and Steevens Ltd of Basingstoke Cart of the late 1890s.

Wary of copyright issues, so here is a link to google search results. The black and white image is mainly what I'm working to-

Wallis & Steevens Water Bowser

Want to get these two models done so I can set up for painting at the same time and am making good progress. A few pics of what I've done so far-

Machining the 'T' section wheel rims fron thick walled steel tube 4 1/2" dia x 1/4" thick (114mm x 6.3mm)-

 

Finished 'T' rings with the hubs-

 

 

 

............and the wheel building jig  with the finished axle/hubs  -

 

Side plates with associated parts ready for silver soldering-

 

The side plates silver soldered up and trial fitted along with the lifting pump-

 

 

 

Happy with the progress.

Regards

  

[Anglo Traction 1,016]

Wheels are taking shape. Lot of monotonous work machining 20 spokes 1/8" (3.175mm) wide from 1.2mm sheet, then bending to two different shapes to fit-

  

 

Spokes are fixed to hubs with 10BA c/sunk screws. Still lots of work before these are riveted to the rims and finished-

 

[Alan 1,273]

Looking good as always Richard. 

[Anglo Traction 1,016]

Forgot how so very complicated it is to build wheels in this manner. Last lot were 35 years ago!. Happy with progress though.

With the spokes secured in the hubs in the right places, the covers were soldered in place first, then I began meticulously setting each brass letter in place around the Hubs

to replicate the 'Cast In' lettering. I had planned it out way back when I first made the hub parts-

 

I used a dirty steel washer to hold the letters in place and bolting it all up to keep the hub parts lined up while I 'cooked' it to sweat the letters into a thin bed of solder.

After removing the retaining bolt/washer-

   

 

After an initial clean up and bonding check-

 

 

Still more machining to do before finally riveting them up 

 

 

 

[expeatfarmer 591]

Outstanding detail a pleasure to see.

[Anglo Traction 1,016]

Thanks Expeatfarmer (and Alan). Glad to say the Wheels are finished  . Lots of time spent shaping the Hubs to represent castings like the originals.

Glad I made a few riveting tools many years ago. Shown here is one I made especially to suit the Traction Engine Wheels with tight spaces to get into.

Worked a treat on 1/16" dia copper rivets-

 

Even more detail with the Oiler Tubes with screw on caps-

 

Barely a perceptible wobble in these, but will ream the bores again to run perfectly true.

Back to working on the Tank and fittings. An example of pics I use as reference (courtesy of a T/engine Forum user)-

 

Helps me with scale and detail. I'm making the outlet valve and lever exactly the same as an original, so hope works ok.

 

 

[Cub Cadet 613]

Outstanding work as ever!

[Anglo Traction 1,016]

On 11/5/2019 at 6:30 PM, Cub Cadet said:

Outstanding work as ever!

Thanks Ewan.

                       I fancied a change last few weeks, as it has been a bit cold.

So I turned my hand to learning to steam bend and shape some hardwood for the shafts, even though I'm making a steel framed drawbar to connect to the T/Engine.

The shafts came out well as a matched pair and have nearly finished all the 'Ironwork' fittings which were a bit fiddlely to shape in a small size-

 

 

I'm a bit slow on the tank work, as I need to plan the stages before I begin to rivet/solder up the sections......then there is Xmas!.

[Stormin 4,458]

Beautiful work, Richard.

[nigel 1,877]

Truly amazing craftsmanship

[Anglo Traction 1,016]

Thanks Norm, Nigel. 

Soldered the 2 halves of the tank together, but left the end plates for now, as need access. Much of the work over the last 6 weeks has been doing fiddly parts.

Because this project is all 'Scratch Built'', I want to keep the parts as scale size to the original.

The water outlet/valve is an example and is a simple 'Bottle' style valve running in guides. The joint faces are metal to metal (no seals)-

 

     

 

The faces that contact the inside/outside of the tank are contoured to a close fit.

The weighted lever sits 'over centre' when closed,  which applies pressure on the Spring Stainless rod and so on the valve face/seat to improve the water tight seal.

Another view to show the valve/seat and the fabricated outlet with correctly bolted (12BA) flange. This will lead to a Sprinkler Bar as per original-

 

Hardwood support legs finished to size. A range of steel coach bolts with square/hex nuts, and an alternative flanged outlet elbow for supply to the Traction Engine tank.

The ball on the end of the pump handle is 1/16"  (1.6mm) diameter- 

 

 

Hose hooks are 0.010" (.25mm) shim steel annealed for drilling and bending, then re hardened and tempered to spring grade. Screws are 14BA-

 

 

Finally got the wheels done last night and are retained by blind 'Top Hat' caps with a cross pin, as per the full size. Pins are 3/64" (1.25mm) -

 

  

 

Going to be a shame to cover this in paint 

 

 

 

 

[Stormin 4,458]

   Great work, Richard. I can understand why my mother said, she hardly saw my father when he was building his. Home from work, had his dinner, then disappeared into his shed. Supposedly over an 18 month period.

  

[Alan 1,273]

Brilliant work as usual Richard.   

[the showman 4,074]

Amazing work Richard and. Lovely to  see. 

[Anglo Traction 1,016]

Hi all, thanks for the positive responses. Certainly a different way of working when producing scale models without plans or castings etc. Everything takes longer and a lot of thinking.

Managed to reach a point of trial fitting the spray bar parts today  which I've been working on for a while-

 

I stripped the chrome off of a 60s car aerial section which was the right size in hard straight brass (5/32" or <4mm). 

I failed with reproducing the flanged connecting pipe, as it should be straight and I had to 'dog leg' it to line up.

Probably as a result from having to work from a basic drawing for sizes of a similar make of cart. Still, it's a reasonable representation until I can get to M.E.R.L to inspect the company's  original drawings.

The retaining brackets were an excercise in miniature milling and retained with 12ba coach bolts/nuts-

  

 

Time to start drilling loads of tiny holes............I may be some time !.

Regards  

 

[Stormin 4,458]

 I wish I had your patience, Richard. Superb work!

[Alan 1,273]

25 minutes ago, Stormin said:

 I wish I had your patience, Richard. Superb work!

And ditto from me.  

[the showman 4,074]

12 hours ago, Alan said:

And ditto from me.  

And the same from me,  

[Anglo Traction 1,016]

Hello again all,

                          Long time, no post !. I've been busy during this absence, honest !. Lots of preparation for painting the T Engine, only managed to get to the etch primed stage on most parts.

Temp, weather and humidity has halted progress.

I have been working on the Water Cart for some time. Glad to have finished the 130 holes for the 1/32" (0.80mm) rivets.

Broke 2 drill bits and had to get the pieces out by dissolving them over a few weeks.

Have reproduced the raised 'cast in' lettering on each of the tank ends by individually soldering them in place after fitting and sealing the tank end plates in position.

The letters are 3mm and 2mm in height and had to make the Ampersand out of bits-

 

 

Just finished making and trial fitting the wooden board work, tank lid and have revised the pump outlet nozzle .

The latch bolts are under way, with just the handle to make before fitting.

So just waiting for a 'weather window' to get the 2 part etch primer on-

 

   

 

Regards

 

 

 

[meadowfield 1,900]

wow - that is amazing work Richard!

[Alan 1,273]

Brilliant as usual Richard.    Worth waiting for.

[Stormin 4,458]

  Very nice work, Richard. 

[Anglo Traction 1,016]

Hello all, and thanks for the positive comments. Finally got to a point where I could get the tank primed during a dry and low humidity weather window.

Had been busy making the (tiny) tank lid furniture out of mainly Nickel Silver.

The latch bolts are 3/64" (1.2mm) dia silver steel with 1/16" (1.56mm) stainless balls brazed on and fixed with 1/32"(0.8mm)rivets-

 

  

 

Next job is permanently fix the woodwork to the tank and finish ready for paint

Not completely successful with the soldered lettering, as a couple had moved slightly in the process...never mind!, just glad to get past this stage-

 

 

I really need good, dry painting weather now, as I have to paint and assemble this and the T/Engine to fix the dimensions for the towing bar frame for the Water Cart.

 

Regards.