Even Chris from Clickspring needs a lathe, and he's even made his own files and drills
But without a mill you'll need to be good with a file
Hello, I am new here and am trying to build an Atlantic without a metal lathe.
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- Posts: 955
- Joined: Sun May 06, 2007 10:14 pm
- Location: St. Louis, MO
Re: Hello, I am new here and am trying to build an Atlantic without a metal lathe.
Seems sort of chancy to depend on second hand castings for a first time build. I would go with something more current. I suppose it is possible though.
David
David
Re: Hello, I am new here and am trying to build an Atlantic without a metal lathe.
Hi,
If you are serious about using a 3D printer as your only tool to build a steam locomotive, you are doomed to disappointment. Using such a printer would be appropriate for some of the appearance parts, but even there its use would be limited because most builders want things like headlights, pumps, etc. to actually work the way they do in full size. Over time, the people in the hobby have found that the materials and methods they use are necessary for success; things are done the way they are because that's what works.
For instance as a simple example, a single sheet of printer paper is about 2 1/2 thousandths of an inch thick. For a good slide fit, you are looking at about one and a half thousandths per inch of diameter clearance, less than the thickness of that piece of paper. Three thousandths clearance gives a fit that rattles. Coincidentally that same one and a half thousandth per inch of diameter dimension is right for an interference, or press fit. Plastics expand and contract too much to be useful as wheels, cylinders etc.; they aren't strong enough (except for a few of the engineering plastics) or heavy enough either.
Yes, you can build a toy locomotive from plastic that will work well under air pressure, but not at the temperatures and pressures that are used in the live steam world.
I have a 13" South Bend lathe, a Bridgeport vertical mill with a Sony 3 axis readout and a CNC mill that I built myself and with that equipment I can build almost anything I need, I just need lots of time to do it. Don't get discouraged and don't expect to get all that stuff right away. It took me 50 years to put it all together and I was lucky in acquiring the major machine tools at bargain prices. It can be an expensive hobby to get into, but its a relatively cheap one once you get your shop together.
I'm not sure if this helps, but I hope it gets you pointed in the right direction. It can be a very rewarding hobby. Best of luck.
Richard Trounce.
If you are serious about using a 3D printer as your only tool to build a steam locomotive, you are doomed to disappointment. Using such a printer would be appropriate for some of the appearance parts, but even there its use would be limited because most builders want things like headlights, pumps, etc. to actually work the way they do in full size. Over time, the people in the hobby have found that the materials and methods they use are necessary for success; things are done the way they are because that's what works.
For instance as a simple example, a single sheet of printer paper is about 2 1/2 thousandths of an inch thick. For a good slide fit, you are looking at about one and a half thousandths per inch of diameter clearance, less than the thickness of that piece of paper. Three thousandths clearance gives a fit that rattles. Coincidentally that same one and a half thousandth per inch of diameter dimension is right for an interference, or press fit. Plastics expand and contract too much to be useful as wheels, cylinders etc.; they aren't strong enough (except for a few of the engineering plastics) or heavy enough either.
Yes, you can build a toy locomotive from plastic that will work well under air pressure, but not at the temperatures and pressures that are used in the live steam world.
I have a 13" South Bend lathe, a Bridgeport vertical mill with a Sony 3 axis readout and a CNC mill that I built myself and with that equipment I can build almost anything I need, I just need lots of time to do it. Don't get discouraged and don't expect to get all that stuff right away. It took me 50 years to put it all together and I was lucky in acquiring the major machine tools at bargain prices. It can be an expensive hobby to get into, but its a relatively cheap one once you get your shop together.
I'm not sure if this helps, but I hope it gets you pointed in the right direction. It can be a very rewarding hobby. Best of luck.
Richard Trounce.