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Foreman
1st Class Member
USA
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 Posted - 08 Nov 2005 : 19:24:18
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Being a late-comer to the steam class project, I have plenty of good examples on which to go-to-school, thanks to all who participated ahead of me. And besides, I’m new to this type of modeling (bashing), so I need all the shortcuts & help I can get. Thanks in advance, I really appreciate it.
So, here’s where I am in the process:
I’ve decided to follow Vance Bass’ lead and convert my Ruby kit (I received mine in Oct.) to the plantation engine “Kahuku”, the 1890 Baldwin 0-4-2T.
The latest incarnation of this engine resides in operating condition as #3 at the Roaring Camp and Big Trees Narrow Gauge Railroad in Felton, CA. See thread on Trainorders.com http://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?10,983838
Since Vance no longer produces his Forney laser-cut cab kit,
I can’t use that as a starting point for the cab as he did, but I will be recreating Kahuku cab drawings from the samples graciously provided by Vance. Even though I can’t use his cab drawings directly, I am using them to convert takeoff dimensions to scale dimensions as described in Chapter 2 of Tom Farin’s “Introduction to the Modeling Process” article http://www.mylargescale.com/articles/articles/modeling/ch2_1.asp
Between using Vance’s cab drawings and the plans by Al Armitage in the Nov/Dec 1985 Narrow Gauge and Short Line Gazette as my prototype drawings, I should be in good shape to get started.
I’m considering a list of mechanical changes that I’ve been reading about here on MLS.
Air damper & sleeve to cover 3 rear burner slots (the jury is not in on this one yet?)
9/16” bore cylinders (ordered)
Inside Admission (will do this one as I assemble the Ruby)
Goodall Valve (got one inhand)
Steam Gauge & an adjustable Safety valve (got this also)
Insulated boiler (wrapper designed & insulation back-ordered)
Radio Control (ordering in process)
Tuned smokestack, resonator pipe (materials ordered)
Weighted Saddle Tank (26oz. of lead to be shaped for optional insertion into saddle tank)
I started to use TurboCAD some years ago and haven’t used it for 10 years, but I remember it to be way too complex to relearn for this task. I found free, rudimentary and easy to use CAD software at http://www.emachineshop.com eMachineShop.com; an internet machine shop where you can design, price, and order your custom parts online. Even though I’m not going to order any parts from them now, I’m using their free software.
The first thing I tried with the new software was to make a scaled template for cutting the metal to make Dwight Ennis’ Servo Bracket. I used his dimensioned drawing found here. http://www.mylargescale.com/articles/articles/ruby/ruby01.asp
Before cutting any metal for the servo bracket, I’ll have to find the Cirrus CS-26BB sub-micro servos to fit the drawing, otherwise I’ll have to redo the bracket drawing.
I’ve decided on getting a Futaba Attack SR Radio & receiver so I can use Sulphur Springs’ joy stick ratchet modification.
I’ll probably use 1/8” or 3/32” aluminum to make the servo bracket.
Luckily, I already have a brake to do the 90 degree bending (notation points to the bend lines).
In regards to the insulated boiler modification….I’m really after duplicating the bolt and rivet pattern shown on the prototype’s smokebox. To do this, I’m assuming a .010 thick brass boiler wrapper could be extended to cover the smokebox. Thus allowing a bolt & rivet pattern to be punched/embossed. And while I’m at it, insulate the boiler with an appropriate material. With some advice from Vance, I forged on to design a full wrapper encompassing both the boiler and smokebox assuming the use of 1/16” thick X ¼” wide brass spacer rings. I’m in the process of doing the fit check for the wrapper design below:
http://pic5.picturetrail.com/VOL92/797386/7800844/118140381.jpg
Image exceeds 640 max pixel width, changed to link. Tim Knies, moderator.
Now I’ve got an excuse to buy a nibbler. I don’t want to pay the price for an electric motor driven nibbler, but the air driven one looks reasonable (I have compressed air available). Or is a manual one all that’s needed? Any recommendations?
Here’s the floor boards that extend & attach to the Ruby’s deck plate and a bunker structure drawing. The drilled hole pattern yet to be added.
And the Cab side layers (ala the Vance Bass approach). This is going to be cut from 1/16” thick Aircraft grade Birch plywood and glued together to make a 1/8’ thick cab wall.
The end cab walls are yet to be drawn.
The pilot prototype picture & drawing are shown below (another Vance Bass picture, thank you very much!). The structure will be 1/8“ Birch plywood and the spokes will be 1/8” x 1/4” basswood. An Ozark Miniatures’ Link/Pin Coupler will be mounted. The spokes will be glued & pinned to the base plate & vertical structure. The vertical structure will be bolted to the Ruby’s front end beam.
http://pic5.picturetrail.com/VOL92/797386/7800844/117037388.jpg
Oversize image also changed to link. TK
I’ve started gathering the raw materials…wood, brass, many detailed parts and some tools.
Still haven’t cut part one or assembled any of the Ruby kit……but that’s coming up shortly.
Your comments will be appreciated!!!
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Edited by - on 08 Nov 2005 22:42:45
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Engineer
1st Class Member
USA
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Posted - 08 Nov 2005 : 20:22:18
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| I'm not at all an expert on the topic--they'll be along shortly--but it looks like you have things pretty well planned out. |
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Engineer
1st Class Member
USA
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Posted - 09 Nov 2005 : 01:46:38
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Howard,
I look forward to seeing your progress. Where did you order the 9/16" cylinders from? I didn't know anyone had them for sale, I thought you just had to know the right people!
Steve |
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Foreman
1st Class Member
USA
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Posted - 09 Nov 2005 : 09:13:05
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| Steve....I found them in a message thread titled "!/2 inch Ruby Cylinders" right here in the Live Steam forum. Go to the end of the thread to see where John Page is discussing the machining of the 9/16" bore cylinders and taking orders. |
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Engineer
1st Class Member
USA
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Posted - 09 Nov 2005 : 13:45:46
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Lots of folks on that there list I think? YIKES!
Chas |
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Engineer
1st Class Member
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Posted - 09 Nov 2005 : 16:20:54
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| Hey, it's coming along well. I look forward to watching your progress. Thanks for sharing it with us. |
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Foreman
1st Class Member
USA
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Posted - 11 Nov 2005 : 10:28:13
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I was able to locate and buy the brass tubing needed to construct the smokestack today and I’m using Trackside Detail’s Stack base, part# TD-168.
This link shows the drawing on how I plan to make the smokestack assy.
The 17/32” dia. smokestack tube will pass through the Stack Base and extend to the bottom of the smokebox but will have a slightly larger tube surrounding it inside the smokebox. This larger tube (19/32”) will be shaped to the curve of the smokebox top and snugged up against the inside top of the smokebox, then secured by set screws clamping the outer tube to the inside smokestack tube. The outside tube will have a thicker bar soldered to it to give the tapped threads some heft. The larger diameter tube will have some 1/16” half-round brass beading soldered in the shape matching the top of the tube. The same 1/16” half-round brass beading will be also soldered to the smokestack’s top to give it a finished look, like the prototype.
Any critique before I cut metal will be appreciated. Thanks in advance.
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Engineer
1st Class Member
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Posted - 11 Nov 2005 : 11:14:11
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The bar soldered to the inside tube is a good idea. My stack has started wobbling, which I attribute to the set screw not really grabbing the tubes and holding them tight enough. I may try your approach -- it looks like a simple and effective solution.
I didn't use anything to stabilize it from the inside, so your half-round inside the smokebox may be another solution to that issue. |
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Foreman
1st Class Member
USA
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Posted - 11 Nov 2005 : 14:13:03
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By-the-way Vance, did you ever steam-up Machita to see how the smokestack resonates? Any noticable difference?
Also, I read somewhere that you had crimped the exhaust pipe and then filed openings on the sides of the pipe to cut down on the water sputter out the stack. How has that worked? It seems to me it might cut down the speed of the exhaust out the stack and consequently reduce the draw of air into the burner. |
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Engineer
1st Class Member
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Posted - 11 Nov 2005 : 15:08:33
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The stack talk is good, though not spectacular. I tried Dave Hottman's method on this one: top of the threaded exhaust tube is open and I cut a slot at the base of it with a Dremel cut-off wheel.
By contrast, the chuff on my Accucraft Mogul is just awesome. The smokebox arrangement on that one is odd, though. My particular loco was poorly assembled, it seems, because the exhaust nozzle is so far off center that you can't even screw the threaded tube into it (forget about lining it up with the center of stack!). This was clearly a problem, not only for the lack of chuff, because the condensate during startup splashed against the underside of the smokebox roof, flashed to steam and put out the fire.
So, I found a piece of 3/32" (I think) brass tubing and jammed it down around the exhaust nozzle. It stayed in place because of the angle it was at, binding on the front of the stack base and the back of the stack body. And it sounds fabulous. It is the best-sounding gauge 1 steamer I have ever heard. If I pull the tube out, it goes silent, so the great sound is clearly and solely due to this piece of tubing and its resonance with the exhaust nozzle.
So, my recommendation would be to unscrew the wimpy little copper tube and throw it in your toolbox. Then, find a piece of brass that will fit closely around the nozzle, cut it to length (mine comes about half-way up the stack, around 4 inches long) and find some convenient way to crimp or pin it to the nozzle. I must remember to do this to Machita when I solder that set screw pad on the stack.
You're right about the reduced draft with a crimped exhaust tube top, but this doesn't make a difference on a gas-fired boiler, since the pressure from the gas keeps the flow going down the flue and out the stack. It would kill an alcohol- or coal-fired boiler's performance, however. |
Edited by - on 11 Nov 2005 15:15:08 |
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Foreman
1st Class Member
USA
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Posted - 13 Nov 2005 : 00:02:00
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Vance, thanks for the info and the suggestion for that wimpy little copper exhaust tube. I like the idea of improving the exhaust sound.
I've updated my smokestack drawing to show what you've recommended. Is this what you had in mind?
I think I can split the bottom of the exhaust pipe and crimp it slightly to make it secure.
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Engineer
1st Class Member
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Posted - 13 Nov 2005 : 01:08:47
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| Yes, that's just the ticket. A split end forced down over the nozzle should be perfect. Let us know how it works for you. |
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Foreman
1st Class Member
USA
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Posted - 13 Nov 2005 : 20:17:42
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Made some progress this weekend by getting my saddle tank drawing, updated 11/19/05 finished. Going to a local Graingers for brass sheet on Monday.
The circumference of this tank is a little larger than the version Vance built, since my boiler and smokebox will have 1/16" spacers/insulation covered by a brass wrapper. |
Edited by - on 19 Nov 2005 17:57:30 |
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Foreman
1st Class Member
USA
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Posted - 16 Nov 2005 : 22:28:54
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Vance....
quote:
Originally posted by FH&PB
Yes, that's just the ticket. A split end forced down over the nozzle should be perfect. Let us know how it works for you.
I picked up a piece of 7/32" brass tubing to fit over the steam exhuast port. The tubing's inside diameter was smaller the the outside diameter of the port. So I used a slightly tapered punch to flair the tubing slightly. I happened to have a Phillips driver bit that's shank was exactly the diameter of the steam exhaust port. So with some heat and some firm twisting pressure, the tube was enlarged just enough to firmly slip over the port. At this point I don't think I'll need any additonal clamping for it to stay in place...we'll see!! |
Edited by - on 17 Nov 2005 00:28:08 |
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Engineer
1st Class Member
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Posted - 17 Nov 2005 : 10:12:34
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| Excellent. I am eager to learn how it sounds, too! |
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Foreman
1st Class Member
USA
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Posted - 19 Nov 2005 : 17:54:24
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Hi all; well I started cutting stuff today...a milestone I’d say
This week I’ve been refurbishing/cleaning up 4 of my woodworking shop tools to make the saddle tank structure. So I was able to fire up my drill press, band saw, jig saw and belt sander/8 inch disk sander combo.
I started with three pieces of ¼” aircraft grade Birch plywood appropriately-sized to fit the arch structure and also 2 like pieces of 3/16 inch scrap plywood. I stacked the ¼” plywood pieces and sandwiched them between the two scrap pieces.
I cut out the full-sized paper pattern of the arch structure. I sprayed the top scrap piece with 3M’s Spray Mount adhesive and let dry, onto which I placed the pattern and clamped the whole affair together.
I then drilled the 2 - ¼” holes per the pattern with the drill press. On the bottom piece of scrap plywood I countersunk the hole to receive a ¼” flathead bolt. I ended up with a sandwiched stack of plywood all bolted together that I cut and sanded per the pattern insuring identical pieces.
I then cut the ¼” dowels and ¼’ square basswood stringers (a little long)in order to do a fit check on the assembled structure.
The cutting/sanding jig is shown in the upper right-hand corner.
The last step was to validate the sizing of the brass wrapper. After cutting out the full-sized paper pattern and placing it on the assembled tank structure, I found I made a mathematical error in calculating the circumference. So I corrected the drawing and tried again.
Update Saddle Tank Drawing.
Next for the saddle tank assembly, I will be making the tooling (punch & die) to emboss the rivet heads into the brass wrapper and figuring out how to attach the brass wrapper to the wood structure. Input on this would be helpful, thanks!!
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