GS-1, finishing up the hard way

GS14403 · Post by **GS14403** » Sat Mar 22, 2014 11:29 am

Working on unions for the valve chamber drain pipes to fit 3/16" tubing. Trying a different method of milling the octagon portion using a side cutting milling cutter. Seems to work OK. First coat of paint is now on the lead truck parts. A dark gray header type paint is now on hand for the smokebox. Once the smokebox is painted the decision on using a graphite overcoat will be made.

This is the paint I am using on the smokebox. It is darker than standard high temp grey sold in most hardware and automotive stores and the color chart in their flyer looks pretty close to what I am looking for. We'll see.
http://www.por15.com/FACTORY-MANIFOLD-GRAY_p_51.html

Most of the work on the lubricator bodies is finished. Slowly but surely making progress.

Since the photographs were taken a new holder was made for the side cutter with a thinner retainer. Pictures to follow in the next post. Stay tuned.

Donald

LSGOD · Post by **LSGOD** » Sat Mar 22, 2014 6:45 pm

I 'm so proud of my son. He is doing a fantastic job on his GS 1. I told him when he's finished Im bringing over my Cab Forward for him to super detail. Im going to make a lost wax mold for his SP style blow down cocks and anything else he needs for his engine. I dont know if he mentioned I made his tender trucks fully CNC ed out of aluminum with working swing bolsters. This engine belongs on the cover of Live Steam.

Ed

Kevin S · Post by **Kevin S** » Sat Mar 22, 2014 11:32 pm

Yes it does Ed, the engine is beautiful, sound great and is a great runner. Don you have done a fantastic job with it.
-Kevin S.

makinsmoke · Post by **makinsmoke** » Sun Mar 23, 2014 8:41 am

Don,
I may have misunderstood but I would not put graphite over paint.

Paint over paint should work as long as they are bonded well and can handle the heat.

Probably beating a dead horse but Harry Bean rubbed in a mixture of steam cylinder oil and graphite on his smokebox after it had been warmed up.

You can buff it some after it has cooled and set, and can always touch it up.

It looks pretty good.
Just my two cents.

Brian

GS14403 · Post by **GS14403** » Sun Mar 23, 2014 10:17 pm

Hi Brian,

I like the idea of graphite and oil but i do not think I will try it. there are too many parts on the smokebox that are not accessible with the engine assembled and, to be quite honest, my success with techniques like the one you described are mediocre to total failures. The original paint on the smokebox was a mixture of grey, black and aluminum high temp paint sprayed into a quart can until I felt the color was acceptable and then I sprayed that combination through a touch up gun. I always felt the color was too light. The paint that I purchased looks real close to what I want and by the end of the week I should be in a position to paint the smokebox and then we will see how it goes.

Made a fixture and drilled the valve chambers for the drain pipes.

Made a die and pressed a pair of covers for the cylinder jackets.

Attached a photo of the side cutter holder. The retainer is a close slip fit into the body and is what centers the cutter. A key could be installed but so far the cuts have been light duty and the cutter spinning in the holder has not been a problem.

Started cleaning up the cylinder block, a light hone of the cylinders and valve chambers and a bit of wire brushing to remove the old paint.

Donald

GS14403 · Post by **GS14403** » Sun Mar 30, 2014 6:30 pm

Piping, not a favorite subject. Seems like everything interferes with something else. Progress is being made though.

Made a new elbow, tee and retaining nut for the right side boiler check valve. The tee is so the hot water pump can use the same boiler check as the axle pump. Right now a union and short piece of pipe are in place where an inline check valve will go. This new check valve keeps the axle pump from pumping into the hot water pump. The existing check valves on the axle pump will similarly protect the axle pump. Originally a hex nut retained the line to the check valve. The new flange now has that job, threading onto the boiler check. Careful fitting will be required so the flange sits square to the boiler thus giving the illusion it is part of the check valve.

Re-piping continues under the cab as well for the brake valve and axle pump return line. The addition of the booster and booster piping made the old brake pipes unusable due to interference. Somewhere in this area an extra water feed pipe for the hot water pump needs to be fitted in.

Re-plumbed the cylinder drain cocks with brass pipe, replacing the copper tubing used originally. Re-routed this piping behind the cylinder block per the prototype. The brake cylinders still need connected and the hot water feed pipe runs through this area as well. The air line and signal lines to the pilot beam still need fitted in and the lubricator lines and lubricator still need designed. I am hoping to squeeze a lubricator against the frame in the area behind the cylinder block and behind the crosshead and extend upwards to about even with the center of the brake cylinders. We'll see.

Donald

GS14403 · Post by **GS14403** » Mon Mar 31, 2014 6:42 pm

Today the angle fitting that connects the cold water pump outlet into the smokebox was made.

Now for the fun part, clearing the vise or rotary table from the mill table, locating the holding fixtures used 25 some odd years ago, and mounting the smokebox to the mill so it can be drilled for this fitting.

Donald

NP5002 · Post by **NP5002** » Tue Apr 01, 2014 6:10 pm

What an excellent job you are doing on your engine. I always look forward to seeing what you"ll do next. Very nice work!

GS14403 · Post by **GS14403** » Tue Apr 01, 2014 6:13 pm

Made the rear smokebox supports today.

Drew the parts up using a drafting software called DraftSight, available from Dassault Systèmes, part of the SolidWorks company. Very similar to AutoCAD and it will import my older AutoCAD drawings. It will export to .pdf and one is attached to see how it looks.

Donald

GS14403 · Post by **GS14403** » Tue Apr 01, 2014 7:56 pm

NP5002 wrote:What an excellent job you are doing on your engine. I always look forward to seeing what you"ll do next. Very nice work!

Thanks for your words of encouragement.

Donald

GS14403 · Post by **GS14403** » Tue Apr 08, 2014 8:02 pm

Mounted and drilled the hole in the smokebox for the cold water pump outlet pipe. Kind of a Rube Goldberg set-up but it was sturdy and the actual drilling was anti-climatic compared to the set-up.

Started on the actual lubricator. Bent up 2ea. 4" by 4" be 6" .100 thick pickled and oiled into 2 angles and welded them together. While welding, something I have not done much in the last few years, I found I could not see through the glass in the welding helmet. It was just too durn dark. A trip to the local welding shop for replacement lighter shade glass found me buying an auto darkening helmet instead. Much better as i can now actually see what is happening. Now I should consider a steady rest for my welding hand and maybe the welds will start to look decent.

Plans in an older Model Engineer magazine for a lubricator are the basis for the mechanism. I am trying to make the piston chamber and piping one assembly and the actuator and pistons another that can be removed from the reservoir with minimal effort. The attached photographs show progress so far.

Donald

GS14403 · Post by **GS14403** » Thu Apr 10, 2014 7:14 pm

A few more parts appeared in the shop today for the lubricator. A crankcase, cover, oil filler and maybe a sight glass should finish up this part of the project. Getting close to starting the painting and assembly processes.

Also drilled 2 more holes in the smokebox, one is for a drain pipe that comes out the bottom of the smokebox just in front of the cylinder saddle and the other, also on the bottom, for the booster exhaust pipe which exhausts up the stack just to the rear of the exhaust nozzle. Another visit with the wire brush and Roll lock and the smokebox will be ready for paint.

Donald