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tractor scratchbuild challenge - the Flour City

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Discussion starter · #21 ·
decided not to motorize it, maybe the next one....

I built up the oil pan/engine base together out of 1/8x3/8 balsa and coffee stirrers. Rather than go through all the trouble of cutting reliefs in all the cross members I fudged things (see pix)... After some glazing putty and paint it will be hard to tell that the pan isn't one piece. Elapsed time for this step?? 20 minutes... The engine base is 1" wide x 2-1/2" long
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For those wanting something even SIMPLER... here's a pic of an earlier version tank cooled and without fenders.
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Discussion starter · #22 ·
Short day today, spent more time planning (3 hours) than building (30 minutes)

The '*****' block-- a 1-1/2" wood disk flywheel. 2 'crates' from that tree of Lionel castings spliced together -- they're so tapered they weren't good for much else! (block length is 2-1/2"), and 2 Scripto butane lighters (final size, 1-1/4" tall)....
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A little silver paint and it's starting to look like something, I think...
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Tomorrow, primary drive box and clutches, camshaft and maybe axles...
 
#24 ·
Posted By Mik on 05/08/2009 1:58 PM
Posted By DKRickman on 05/08/2009 11:25 AM
A skilled mechanic can assemble or disassemble almost anything, given the proper tools.


/// Ahem. A skilled mechanic can assemble/disassemble almost anything--whether he has the proper tools or not. When he doesn't have same, he modifies or makes 'em, as required.


My grandfather and father were both pretty much self taught. A short list of the stuff that they cobbled together include several 1/3 scale hay presses, 5 model stationary steam engines (I have 2 of them), a 5/8 scale traction engine, a complete 15" gauge railroad, including the train, a sorghum press/harvester, two Baker fans, plus restoration of about 30 pieces of antique machinery, usually starting with a couple palettes of rusty parts.

/// Them's my kinda folks.

The ONLY time I ever saw them use plans/drawings of ANY sort was the turnout frog and wing rails on the railroad... those were rough sketched in soapstone on the garage floor, everything else was in their heads.

Poor me, I grew up thinking that this kind of ability was "normal" (I can 'sorta' do it, but as a watchmaker, I'm a pretty fair blacksmith on a lot of things).... Then when I started selling model engineering stuff, I quickly found out that many people STILL have trouble figuring out what something is supposed to look like or go together, even with complete full sized prints and assembly drawings right in front of them! If America has lost her 'competitive edge', dya think this lack just MIGHT have something to do with it?

/// No, what causes the present level of stupidy to be sustainable, when not held up as a virtue, is the lack of penalty for failure. Can't/won't do a job right? A few nights sleeping in a cozy dumpster can give one incentive to pay more attention on the next one. I think 'trade schools' for 14 yr-olds who won't behave in class or have a bad attitude, can work wonders: first they get a paycheck every Friday and learn working helps in life, plus some self-respect. Second, about the third time they lay some lip off the foreman, and he walks them around back and comes back alone, teaches respect, and if not respect, caution.

/// I saw your comments on sales staffs a few posts up. Now you know the largest reason the biggest part of the money I spend is in 2nd-hand joints of one form or another. THe old notion of 'I'll take my business elsewhere' is non-operative. Just look at the car companies. You can succeed in saving money, let alone wear on your nerves, by operating in the 'secondary market' as much as possible.


Les
 
Discussion starter · #25 ·
Front axle, a couple wood wheel pegs, a piece of square plastic tube (3-7/8" long), a few bits of channel, and a washer.
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Rear axle and differential.... (cut to fit, allow about 1/2" between frame sills and inside edge of bull gear - I also added brass tube inside the rear axle for stiffness)
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Edit: How many caught the mistake in the above pic?-- Some collig edjikatud idyut installed the differential on the WRONG side.... a 10 second fix, just flip the shaft end for end and reglue, but boy do I feel dumb! I'll leave the evidence because it might save somebody else a headache -- Remember: when you flip something upsidedown left and right sides are reversed
 
#26 ·
Looks great Mik! I went to the hobby shop today and bought some of the supplies to start building one. I am looking forward to seeing the rest of your progress.

Aaron
Loyet Logging company
 
Discussion starter · #27 ·
front view showing primary drive and clutches. The gearbox is two (7/8") wood button plugs glued together (The engine extension is a 1/2" spool). The clutch drums wood wheels (1" x 1/4" )
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left side view showing the gear train... The differential gear is the wrong pitch, but since it's a static model, I don't care. Besides, the fender and shield will hide most of it.... And yes, the first pinion IS out of line-- that's how it should be set for belt work.
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right side view showing belt pulley. This is a casting from Kester's Old-Time Collectables (see http://kestersoldtimecollectables.com George is a good guy, please consider supporting him!), the same as he uses on all his traction engines. I had it, so I used it (but anything from 1-1/2" to about 1-3/4" would work).
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Yes, I AM procrastinating on making the valve train..... I know HOW I'm going to do it. I'm just putting it off until I decide whether to shorten the cylinders by 1/8" or so.....(Note: I did see previous engine post for measurement)
 
Discussion starter · #28 ·
More things that LOOK complicated, but really aren't........

The camshaft is 4 small wood spools, a gear from Ozark, and Plastuct tubing. I violated my own rule of working from the center outward by not building the governor first, but that sub-assembly rates a multi pic post of it's own.-- Notice I decided not only to shorten the cylinders by 1/8", but to plate the flat sides with .030 styrene to 'fatten' them up a bit
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The manifold... various sizes of tubing, a wooden axle cap, and a plastic pearl, that's it! I'll add the vertical exhaust AFTER I finish the other stuff on the heads. It would just be in the way now.
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Discussion starter · #29 ·
The governor:
I used a bit of a broken c-16 rod for the base. Remember, the thing doesn't hafta work, just look sorta close.
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3 plastic seed pearls, wire, and a couple #3 snaps, plus an Ozark cart wheel and a picture nail
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Discussion starter · #30 ·
Coming together..... I finally figured out how to do the fancy radiator base. I cut some plexi (1-3/4 x 1-3/4"), then glued 1/4 x 1/4 (5/16 tall) pine on each corner with some overhang, and filled in between with the same stuff I made the spokes from. After the glue dried I 'milled' the corners with a Dremel sanding drum. Yes, that's a Bachmann Big Hauler flat... Yes, it's HUGE, lol.
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I made a Dixie mag out of the rounded ends of coffee stirrers and some tiny Ozark gears. (it's about 3/8" tall) and yes,the gap is supposed to be there, early Dixies had two magnets.

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I need to scrounge a larger steering wheel.
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I'm having Stan Cedarleaf do the decals. I also ordered two extra sets... Let me know if you want some. I'm also going to go back through some previous posts and edit to add dimensions for those not so good at fudging things. I'll put them in ( ) so you guys can find them

I have to do family stuff this weekend, so the next update probably won't be until Monday.
 
Discussion starter · #33 ·
busy, busy, busy.....

Fenders, full sized-
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Fenders, itty bitty- Plexiglas and a section of the same 4" pvc I used for the rims warmed and recurved...
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I lowered the camshaft 1/8" and moved the mag inboard, to clear the steering shaft... just too many things trying to occupy the same space!
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My 'almost correct' fan drive and distillate tank (the gasoline tank was added after the pic was taken). I should have routed the lower belt through the base, but I'd had enough of plexi crumbs everyplace for a bit. I might re-route it later, I might not. Note the high tech painted paper belting! The fan itself is 1/4" x .060 brass bent to shape. .030 would have been better, but I was out. The distillate tank is one of those plastic centers from the receipt printer at work.
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How the factory did the valves and rocker arms. Note the rocker arms are double tapered like old steam beam engine walking beams, and the valves have a second guide above the springs.
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I made the valve 'spings' out of 2-56 nylon screws, I thought about O-scale Kaydee knuckle springs but decided they were too expensive. The upper valve guide bar is .020 styrene strip. and I made the rocker arms by hand carving more of the basswood spoke material. I may file a bit more taper after the glue dries, but IMO they look pretty cool already.
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Discussion starter · #35 ·
Finally got time to work on this thing again a bit tonight.....

The drive pinion got it's hardware, the chain steering got installed
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Finished the rocker arms and built the canopy supports
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Rear view showing all the good stuff - operator's platform, 1-1/2" wood disc for the flywheel (should be covered, but I'm not), 3/4" brake wheel steering wheel, modified Ozark backhead throttle turned reverser, rear canopy supports, etc.
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#39 ·
Mik,

I've been following this build, silently for a change. Nice work, guy. But I weep. And gnash my teeth. At all the beautiful photos of Infernal Combustion iron. And of course your series of how-tos. I used to be in Old Iron. Had a hot tube. Keep up the good work. And thanks for posting the pixes!
 
Discussion starter · #40 ·
Les, I had a 20HP Bessemer once -- for about 10 days. It was complete, 'field fresh' and was supposed to have had the cylinder filled with oil at shut down. It was... with CRUDE (yecch! it needed rebored -- after the remains of the piston was pressed out, more work than I had resources to do).

The current stable of rusty junque: Most bought back before I ended up on disability, except Kim's H which we paid $250 for. BTW The Allis is for sale so I can repay a business creditor or two.... Anyway, if you're out Western PA way the first weekend in August (actually July 30, 31, August 1,2 this year) stop by and help play!

1917 25HP 20th Century traction engine
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1937 Allis Chalmers WC
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'Annabelle' 1945 war production Farmall H under restification
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Modified Wilesco traction engine
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My grandpap's homebuilt 5/8 scale traction engine.
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