Here is the third attempt at the boiler. I am much happier with this version. The proportions are better and the backhead fits nicely:
Dave
I'm just a dude with a bad back having a lot of fun with model trains, and finally building a layout!
I got the two parts of the stationary blades glued together:
They fit together almost perfectly. I had to make an extremely small adjustment to get the vertical blade perpendicular to the bottom blade. The middle picture shows the vertical blade before the adjustment. Now to figure out how to mount them.
hon30critter I just ordered two new soldering irons to replace the Weller one that I let the smoke out of last night. One is the Weller D650PK 200/300w gun and the other is Weller's SP80NUS heavy duty iron. Now, finally, I have a proper range of soldering tools. I already had a XYTronic soldering station, so the addition of the two new tools will allow me to be able to do anything from fine electronics to relatively heavy duty brass work. I also ordered a decent pair of small wire cutters. My old hobby sized ones were shot long ago. Dave
I just ordered two new soldering irons to replace the Weller one that I let the smoke out of last night. One is the Weller D650PK 200/300w gun and the other is Weller's SP80NUS heavy duty iron. Now, finally, I have a proper range of soldering tools. I already had a XYTronic soldering station, so the addition of the two new tools will allow me to be able to do anything from fine electronics to relatively heavy duty brass work.
I also ordered a decent pair of small wire cutters. My old hobby sized ones were shot long ago.
Dave) Dontcha just love how one model can cause a modest upgrade of the workshop before any work can begin?
Lookin good so far!
-Douglas
Excellent progress, Dave.
I have visions of when it is finished that you lay track in the driveway to clear away the 1-1 snow.
David
To the world you are someone. To someone you are the world
I cannot afford the luxury of a negative thought
PM RailfanDontcha just love how one model can cause a modest upgrade of the workshop before any work can begin?
Hi Douglas,
I have to say that I really do love upgrading my tool collection, and the nice thing about it is that I can actually afford to do so when I want to. For a long, long time that wasn't the case. I made do with less than ideal tools because I couldn't afford anything better. Now I regularly find myself asking "why am I still using this piece of crap?".
Granted, the need to replace my soldering gun wasn't because it was of poor quality. It was because I abused it. My bad! I'm still happy to have to replace it because the new one is much more powerful. I figured that while I was at it I may as well complete the soldering equipment assortment by buying a heavy duty iron too. Now the only piece of soldering equipment that is still on the list is a resistance soldering station. I looked at them but I couldn't justify the price. Maybe if I win the lottery!
Cheers!!
Since I can't work on the blades until I get my new soldering equipment, I decided to do some work on the body.
I came across one rather limited view of the inside of a steam powered rotary plough, and one thing that stood out was that the structure was heavily reinforced. Makes sense. Here is my version of what I think the plough interior might have looked like:
The front of the roof looks rather crude because I had to extend it, but the mess will be hidden when the plough is assembled.
NorthBritI have visions of when it is finished that you lay track in the driveway to clear away the 1-1 snow.
Hi David,
Somehow I think that the laws of physics would make that a very frustrating experience.
Here is the first mating of the frame to the body. The stationary blades are just sitting on the desk. They are not mounted:
Amazingly, despite my crude modelling, the body fits quite nicely!
By the way, if you are wondering why the body has to be so tall, I believe it is to accommodate the height of the rotary blades. Since the blades can't throw snow 'up' but only to the sides, I'm guessing that the rotary blades had to be that high in order to be able to throw the snow over the snow banks beside the tracks.
Looking good, Dave. I hope it is not too tall to go through tunnels or under bridges.
Excellent progress and superb modeling, Dave!
Thank you for taking the time to share your project with the rest of us. Quite an inspiration
Regards, Ed
NorthBritI hope it is not too tall to go through tunnels or under bridges
It will probably be too tall to go through tunnels or under bridges, but that isn't a problem since I won't have either situation to deal with on my layout. I don't believe that the prototype would have encountered too many problems in that regard because where the plough was intended to be used in southern Ontario where there weren't any tunnels or over/under track situations that I know of, not that I am an expert on such. The only complication might have been truss bridges, but again, we are talking about the year 1900 so I doubt that they were very common.
gmpullmanExcellent progress and superb modeling, Dave! Thank you for taking the time to share your project with the rest of us. Quite an inspiration
Thanks Ed!
There are two aspects of modelling that I enjoy the most. One is scratchbuilding and the other is sharing what I am doing. As far as the scratchbuilding goes, I hope that I can inspire others to give it a try because it is so much fun and so rewarding. I try not to create unreasonable expectations by showing my failures as well as my successes. I don't mind admitting that sometimes I take two or three steps back for every step forward.
Thanks Ed and everyone for following my thread.
hon30critter Hi David, It will probably be too tall to go through tunnels or under bridges, but that isn't a problem ------------- Dave
It will probably be too tall to go through tunnels or under bridges, but that isn't a problem -------------
I didn't think it would. Just a little joke. I hope you were not offended.
NorthBritI didn't think it would. Just a little joke. I hope you were not offended.
Sorry, I thought you were asking a serious question. I should have recognized that you were joking because the thing is obviously too tall to go through or under any normal clearance situations. I was absolutely not offended!
Speaking of being offended, one of the things that I cherish about the forums is that most members go out of their way to make sure that they haven't offended anyone. That quality seems to becoming less common in our society but it is still prevalent here, and our hosts have recently clearly demonstrated that that is the way they expect us to behave. That is a good thing!
Thanks to Steven Otte and Kalmbach for offering us this opportunity to share our interests. I hope the Forums will not be shut down. I will be very disappointed if that were to happen. One thing I might suggest that will help the forums a lot would be for the 'lurkers' to start posting their thoughts. This thread has had more than 7000 views but the number of individuals who have posted is very limited. If you enjoy reading the forums then please get off your butts and contribute!
hon30critter This thread has had more than 7000 views but the number of individuals who have posted is very limited. If you enjoy reading the forums then please get off your butts and contribute! Cheers!! Dave
This thread has had more than 7000 views but the number of individuals who have posted is very limited. If you enjoy reading the forums then please get off your butts and contribute!
hon30critter One thing I might suggest that will help the forums a lot would be for the 'lurkers' to start posting their thoughts. This thread has had more than 7000 views but the number of individuals who have posted is very limited. If you enjoy reading the forums then please get off your butts and contribute!
One thing I might suggest that will help the forums a lot would be for the 'lurkers' to start posting their thoughts. This thread has had more than 7000 views but the number of individuals who have posted is very limited. If you enjoy reading the forums then please get off your butts and contribute!
I lurk and post almost never because I don't have anything to contribute to the threads here. "Nice job" posts in threads reminds me of bad Reply All behavior.
Maybe if more of the threads in this forum were actually about model railroading, and not the worst of Facebook/Instragram "here's what I had for breakfast and here's a list of my current medical issues" variety, more people would participate.
Look at other forums. Off topic nonsense just doesn't happen.
AEP528 I lurk and post almost never because I don't have anything to contribute to the threads here. "Nice job" posts in threads reminds me of bad Reply All behavior. Maybe if more of the threads in this forum were actually about model railroading, and not the worst of Facebook/Instragram "here's what I had for breakfast and here's a list of my current medical issues" variety, more people would participate. Look at other forums. Off topic nonsense just doesn't happen.
But don't expect either on this forum any time soon. This forum is very socially oriented, for better or worse. One of the published Forum Policies is to "Stay on Topic", but that policy is rarely enforced. The only truly forbidden conduct is trolling, name calling, and discussions of topics like religion and politics.
Now that you have been a lurker for 14 years, it is time that you join in the fun. As they say, if you can't beat 'em, join 'em.
Rich
Alton Junction
AEP528Maybe if more of the threads in this forum were actually about model railroading, and not the worst of Facebook/Instragram "here's what I had for breakfast and here's a list of my current medical issues" variety, more people would participate.
That's what the Trackside Diner thread is all about.
Some threads do get out of hand, such as brands of track and turnouts, radius topics, Ebay, and track cleaning, just to name a few.
I follow along on Dave's builds, and when I feel I can contribute some, I speak up.
I have no problem with "Nice job!" reply, and I do it often.
Mike.
My You Tube
mbinsewi AEP528 Maybe if more of the threads in this forum were actually about model railroading, and not the worst of Facebook/Instragram "here's what I had for breakfast and here's a list of my current medical issues" variety, more people would participate. That's what the Trackside Diner thread is all about. Some threads do get out of hand, such as brands of track and turnouts, radius topics, Ebay, and track cleaning, just to name a few. I follow along on Dave's builds, and when I feel I can contribute some, I speak up. I have no problem with "Nice job!" reply, and I do it often. Mike.
AEP528 Maybe if more of the threads in this forum were actually about model railroading, and not the worst of Facebook/Instragram "here's what I had for breakfast and here's a list of my current medical issues" variety, more people would participate.
AEP528 "Nice job" posts in threads reminds me of bad Reply All behavior.
AEP528Look at other forums. Off topic nonsense just doesn't happen.
Dave, sorry, not intending to hijack your thread.
Mike
It's always nice to see when the hours and hours of one's efforts on a modeling passion start coming together. Your plough model taking shape is looking rather impressive Dave
I had a funny thought as I was thinking back into yesteryear this morning. As heavy snowfall in Minnesota is common, I bought a bigger self-propelled snowblower when I lived in Prior Lake.
I got tired of when the plow truck came by and it took too long to get rid of that big hump with the smaller one. After that upgrade I would finish the driveway in record time while the neighbors were still working on theirs with the big hump still there.
I don't recall ever thinking the new snow blower was too big or powerful walking back into the house to find something better to do.
https://youtu.be/0V9YZ7C88iU
TF
hon30critter NorthBrit I didn't think it would. Just a little joke. I hope you were not offended. Hi David, Sorry, I thought you were asking a serious question. I should have recognized that you were joking because the thing is obviously too tall to go through or under any normal clearance situations. I was absolutely not offended! Speaking of being offended, one of the things that I cherish about the forums is that most members go out of their way to make sure that they haven't offended anyone. That quality seems to becoming less common in our society but it is still prevalent here, and our hosts have recently clearly demonstrated that that is the way they expect us to behave. That is a good thing! Thanks to Steven Otte and Kalmbach for offering us this opportunity to share our interests. I hope the Forums will not be shut down. I will be very disappointed if that were to happen. One thing I might suggest that will help the forums a lot would be for the 'lurkers' to start posting their thoughts. This thread has had more than 7000 views but the number of individuals who have posted is very limited. If you enjoy reading the forums then please get off your butts and contribute! Cheers!! Dave
NorthBrit I didn't think it would. Just a little joke. I hope you were not offended.
Water Level RouteDave, sorry, not intending to hijack your thread.
Hi Mike,
Actually, I'm the one who should be blamed for hijacking my own thread. I was the one who raised the subject of lurkers.
In any case, regarding the building of the plough, thanks for all the positive comments. I seem to have been able to make most of my recent steps in the right direction, and without falling on my face!
I got the new soldering irons today. The new gun is twice the size of the old one. It truly looks like an industrial tool. The heavy duty iron is impressive too. I will try them out later tonight:
Just for comparison purposes, here is a standard Weller soldering gun tip beside the industrial gun:
Okay, I tried out the new soldering irons and they are fantastic!!! When my old Weller gun quit I was 3/4rs of the way through soldering the rotary blades to one of the hubs. Tonight I put that hub back in the vise and finished the job.
I tried the 200/300 watt gun first and it managed to heat the hub enough to melt the solder that had been left cold by the old gun's failure. That was okay, but the gun was clearly challenged. After 20 seconds or so, it shut down for about three seconds. I think that's a good thing because it will prevent the iron from being cooked which is what I did to the old one. To be clear, I was asking more of the gun than normal, and the mass of the rotary blade was far greater than any wiring connection would be.
Then I tried the 80 watt iron with the big tip. Once it was heated up, it did the job very quickly. In fact, it provided enough heat in just a few seconds to melt most of the solder on the blades! I was really glad that I had pinned the blades to the hubs because, if I hadn't done that, the whole assembly would have fallen to pieces.
Both irons provide a lot of heat, probably more than what typical hobby projects require. However, I'm glad that I have made the investment because now there won't be much that my soldering equipment can't handle. If I find that my XYtronic soldering station is challenged on a particular project and the big Weller gun is too aggressive to do the job, then I will invest in a standard sized Weller gun.
I don't know anything about welding as I ask this question, but would welding make more sense than soldering in an instance like this?
richhotrainI don't know anything about welding as I ask this question, but would welding make more sense than soldering in an instance like this?
Hi Rich,
I don't know much about welding either, but what I do know is that welding involves using much higher amounts of heat than soldering does. Welding is a process where two pieces of metal are joined to create one piece by melting the adjoining surfaces and then filling the gap with a similar metal. That means that the objects themselves must be melted along the joint in order for the bond to be created.
Soldering involves bonding two pieces of metal together by using a suitable metal as a 'glue' if you will. That's what the lead solder does. Soldering does not melt the surfaces of the objects that are being joined. It only heats them to the point where the joining compound, i.e. lead solder, can bond to their surfaces.
Given the size of the components that I am working with, I think that if I were to try welding them together, I would end up with a puddle of copper and brass and not much else.
Again, I am not an expert on welding, and I'm sure that there are probably methods for welding thin brass sheets to copper pipes, but I strongly doubt that those methods are readily available to the average hobbiest.
I got this in the mail today. It was made by Mantua. It should suit the plough nicely. Unfortunately I only got the body. There was no frame with it. I'll have to search HO Seeker to see if I can find a similar model so I can scratchbuild a frame for it.
If anyone has any pictures of a complete tender of this particular type, I wonder if you might be so kind as to share them with me. Otherwise I'll just create something generic.
Thanks,
I made some minor progress tonight. I removed all of the excess solder and the tabs and pins on the rotary blades so they are beginning to look respectable. I have to get a wire brush for my Dremel so I can polish them up a bit. The blades are not positioned as well as they could be on the hubs but I'm not going to fiddle with them now that the tabs and pins have been removed. That would be a recipe for disaster!
I was also able to get the panels that surround the blades cut more accurately. I had been attempting to draw them freehand which of course failed miserably. However, I found a circular diamond grit blade in my toolbox that just happened to be almost exactly the same diameter as the rotary blades, so I used that as a template to trim the panels.
I got the putty sanded down on the steam engine, and I test fit the backhead and the smokebox front. Amazingly, they both fit perfectly! That was partially due to good luck with a little bit of planning thrown in!
I also spent some time contemplating whether I want to use a scratchbuilt gearbox with the motor inside the steam engine or the mini motor/gearbox printer drive that Ed recommended. The printer drive would fit nicely out of sight in the front of the plough but I would have to give up bragging rights for my own drive system! If I build my system, there will be a visible drive shaft with U joints poking out of the front of the steam engine. That's not ideal, but I'm still leaning towards building my own drive. However, that is on hold because the second NWSL order hasn't arrived yet.
Please feel free to comment or make suggestions!
This morning I discovered how bad my memory is! I was starting to build the gearbox for my rotary plough, and I needed to drill a bunch of tiny holes through some 0.032" brass sheet. I have a nifty cordless electric mini drill which works quite well, except today it would barely scratch the surface. I laboured through most of the holes, but when I got to the last one I remembered a lesson from my grade 10 machine shop class. You have to lubricate your drill bit!!! So, I applied a very small drop of 85 weight Nano oil to the hole, and voila!! The drill went through the brass 10 times faster than any of the previous dry holes.
I'm hoping to have a few more rememberances like that while I work on the plough. Wish me luck!
hon30critter This morning I discovered how bad my memory is! Dave
This morning I discovered how bad my memory is!
Err! Now what was I going to reply to that?
hon30critter I remembered a lesson from my grade 10 machine shop class. You have to lubricate your drill bit!!! So, I applied a very small drop of 85 weight Nano oil to the hole, and voila!!
I remembered a lesson from my grade 10 machine shop class. You have to lubricate your drill bit!!! So, I applied a very small drop of 85 weight Nano oil to the hole, and voila!!