The Home Machinist!

Dick, I suppose an English wheel would be a good way to do it, but I understand it takes a good bit of practice to use one successfully, my shop is about full, and I don't know anyone that has one. I was tossing around the idea of turning some rolls on the lathe and making a sort of ring roller on s...

Rudd - I agree that the hatched sections on the drawing look to be cast, with the unhatched sheet metal. This one is 56" diameter or 11.2" at 1/5 scale? Comparing it to the track gauge, the Argent 3 looks to be closer to be around 40 inches? Not sure on diameter. Luckily my office has been doing a ...

I didn't have that particular photo, so thanks. I have lots of photos off the web, and many I took down in "Way-across" Georgia. Note the line around the center portion in the photo, which I have seen noted as a "weld" on drawings in the Ferrell book. The line is very apparent in many of the photos ...

Wow, thanks Steve. Had no idea he made something like that till you mentioned it.

Friend who worked at Georgetown Loop stated "Sheep Sh**" was the magic elixer. Might not scale too well.

Seems to me you could make a "half form" for the "onion" and make two halves, then solder them together. The drawings in MH Ferrel's book note a "weld" around the circumference, which could be a parting line I suppose. This line is visible in the photo at the top of the thread. I find it a little ha...

I'm living by the old adage of "how do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time." Honestly, I haven't given it much thought, but the idea of turning a wood mandrel and forming copper over it has crossed my mind. Metal spinning would be another way, but I don't think my lathe is up to that. It's a lon...

Here's the other photo showing the porting. DSC03450.JPG As mentioned, I completed the pilot truck. It is not a Bissel truck, I copied it from Argent 7, another H K Porter that happens to be much closer to me than the 3. I may live to regret not doing the Bissel. The pilot will be equalized with the...

First, I'd like to say thanks for the long discussions that have gotten me to this point. Sideframes are done, drivers and pilot truck are done. These cylinders were a major thinking exercise, but I am now spitting distance from completion of that major hurdle. I'm a single dad with a 40+ hour job, ...

I found this info on the IBLS website:
LocoParts
128 Country Meadows Dr.
South Mills, NC 27976
(252)943-1346
locoparts@embarqmail.com
www.locoparts.biz

Thanks. Getting back to what Fender was saying about the tube length calculation, I went to the GGLS website and found Winton Brown's engineering data. It looks like the same info in the RR Supply book, right down to the typeface. https://www.goldengatels.org/library/Tech%20articles/Winton%20Browns%...

Laff! Russ, thanks for that. Yup, I have fired oil on 12" to the foot scale as well, luckily we had some young pups to clean flues. Had one young man learning to fire that didn't *quite* have the "cut down the oil when you cut down the steam" idea down, now a big charred spot on the turntable deckin...