The Home Machinist!

Any suggestions on how to flare copper tubing on opposite ends to match a dimension? For instance, the Allen cylinder exhaust has copper tubing from the exhaust to flared fittings threaded into the cylinders. I'm sure there's a simple solution but it escapes me. Thanks, Brian Suggestions? YES...don...

4) if you're burning coal...see if you can make a removable crown sheet design. Removable crown sheet, or removable arch? You're right Dan...was thinking "arch", but accidentally wrote "crown sheet". However, if you think about it for a moment, a removable/replaceable crown sheet isn't such a bad i...

Chris...can only offer some comments and "general" rules of thumb. 1) arch sheet to extend nominally 2/3 to 3/4 way back into the firebox. 2) vertical opening from the arch to the crown sheet should be approx. 10% of the grate area. 3) leave some space behind the rear flue sheet to the arch so exhau...

Have to admit...there's be a few "mornings after" when I felt just like that. Good thing I don't do that kind of drinkin' anymore! That must be one of those "push me - pull yous" where the front is in the back and the back is in the front. Probably gave the engineer and fireman one helluva a headach...

If the bumps in the track were offset from each other, it would nicely portray the old bolted rail that got super lumpy. I have childhood memories of my mother backing her car back up from a RR crossing, because the 40' gondola's of coal heading the power plant on the 40' jointed rails were bucking...

Without sounding condescending, people have known me to say..."youth and innocence can not replace age and experience". Most anyone with basic skills and tools can fabricate parts. The knowledge and experience needed to design those parts, let alone design a locomotive or other engine, takes a magni...

Other Windows Figured I'd side track again (sorry) and to show some of the other window mold examples for the passenger car project. Didn't get a photo of all the molds, but think you'll get the idea. The shorty passenger car side windows were nominally 5.25" high x 3.625" wide. These were the larg...

Steamin...you're welcome! Nice to know the info is/will help someone in the future. The process isn't difficult. There's usually a bit of apprehension when you start something new. Once you've made your first complete casting...the process gets very repetitive. Anyway, been away from this thread for...

Well Greg, In actuality, there is a bit of truth to the cartoon. Trains rounding sharp curves or traveling downgrade are applying brakes. That force has a tendency to push the track in front of the train. Contrarily, trains accelerating or traveling upgrade have a tendency to push the track behind t...

BDD...will add...

The HMC-461-XXX plastic lenses ARE fresnal lenses. Using an arbor to fit the lens over snugly...can spin these on a lathe to cut the original lens threads away and use the remaining disk for new/replacement caboose marker or classification lamp lenses. Carl B.

Cast Off! With all of the silicone rubber material poured for the clerestory windows, was time to separate the (2) halves the mold. While mold separating spray was applied before the 2nd silicone pour, still had to work to get some air in between the two mold halves. Used my thumbs to work the rubb...

Not So Moldy Oldy With the pattern machined, took the aluminum window frame and sand blasted both sides to remove any tooling marks, round the edges sightly and prepare the window frame for silicone mold making. As part of the original supply purchase, we also got some Sculptex modeling clay. This ...