New Year.....New project

JBodenmann · Post by **JBodenmann** » Thu Jan 01, 2009 9:46 pm

Now even though I promised myself that I wasn't going to start any new projects, it seems that I just can't help myself. I have been threatening to build a 3/4" scale engine for some time. So January first seems like a good time to start. The other day a package came from my friend John at Friend's Models-Yankee Shops, and this was inside. Aren't they beautiful. This will be my personal project, just for fun.

JBodenmann · Post by **JBodenmann** » Thu Jan 01, 2009 9:50 pm

I had a nice little chunk of ductile iron laying on the shelf. This should make good axle boxes. So over to the band saw to slice of a long piece.

JBodenmann · Post by **JBodenmann** » Thu Jan 01, 2009 9:55 pm

Here is our long skinny piece of iron in the mill being faced with a carbide insert end mill. This works really good with iron. Instead of cutting up a bunch of little squares and trying to machine them individually we will do all the machining we can before we cut it into little bits. So we will make a nice long rectangular piece.

JBodenmann · Post by **JBodenmann** » Thu Jan 01, 2009 10:01 pm

Now we will machine the slot where the axle box will fit around the frame pedestal and slide up and down. Here we are using a 1/4" solid carbide cutter. It is important to tram your mill vise before doing this so the slot is parallel with the sides of the axle box. I made the slot .010" wider than the frame pedestal will be.

JBodenmann · Post by **JBodenmann** » Thu Jan 01, 2009 10:02 pm

Here is an end view of the "Strip O' Axle Boxes".

JBodenmann · Post by **JBodenmann** » Thu Jan 01, 2009 10:05 pm

The strip has finally been cut into little bits. Now they will go back into the mill vice and have the tops and bottoms faced off to size.

JBodenmann · Post by **JBodenmann** » Thu Jan 01, 2009 10:10 pm

Here the axle boxes have been faced off top and bottom. The axle box is upside down in the vise and is is being milled out for the cellar. I didn't have a carbide end mill big enough so I'm just using what I had. Get er' done.

JBodenmann · Post by **JBodenmann** » Thu Jan 01, 2009 10:11 pm

Milled out to size.

JBodenmann · Post by **JBodenmann** » Thu Jan 01, 2009 10:14 pm

Here is an axle box with it's cellar. The cellars must be a nice snug slide in fit. I had to massage a couple of them with some #400 wet or dry to get the fit where I was happy with it.

JBodenmann · Post by **JBodenmann** » Thu Jan 01, 2009 10:27 pm

And here is as far as I got today before I ran out of gas. Six cute little axle boxes and cellars ready for drilling and boring. I really enjoy building in this scale. Materials cost is nothing, compared to the amount of enjoyment. By now you are probably wondering, what the heck is he building? I think I am building an 0-6-0. Originally designed by Mr. HJ Coventry. His drawings are beautiful! But being as that I could never color between the lines I am making a couple changes. The main change is that will be building the engine as a saddle tanker. Sort of a poor man's B & A Tanker. No tender between me and the cab when running. At least that is the plan so far. I would like to hear from other 3/4" scale builders out there.
Happy Model Building
Jack

Harlock · Post by **Harlock** » Fri Jan 02, 2009 5:15 am

Jack,

I had almost thought of doing the Kozo A3 tender axle boxes that way, but I eventually decided to just follow the book as it was easier for me as a beginner. The thing with Kozo is, he often does things the long way, assuming very rudimentary tooling, but if you follow the book in absence of other information, you can't go wrong, according to several people who have completed the engine.

Attached is a PDF drawing set I did for the concept. Page 2 shows the bar. The premise was a slitting saw of a specific width to perform the separation, but I don't actually know if that works as a final machining operation, or if you'd want more meat on each piece and then face them down in an additional operation after you part them off the bar. I've yet to use a slitting saw in my mill. Would my planned method have worked?

I bought my A3 driver castings from John and they are much nicer than any other casting I have run across so far in this hobby.

I'm glad you're starting in on a small scales project after all that really big stuff. Don't know too many other people in Cali working on 3/4" scale...you, me, Pat Hutcheson...and is Andy Romer working on any new engines?

sncf141r · Post by **sncf141r** » Fri Jan 02, 2009 9:43 am

Yes!!! No apologies from me for being enthusiastic, but is nice to see an experienced builder working in the perfect scale.

JohnS.

JBodenmann wrote:Now even though I promised myself that I wasn't going to start any new projects, it seems that I just can't help myself. I have been threatening to build a 3/4" scale engine for some time. So January first seems like a good time to start. The other day a package came from my friend John at Friend's Models-Yankee Shops, and this was inside. Aren't they beautiful. This will be my personal project, just for fun.

The Home Machinist!

New Year.....New project

New Year.....New project

Re: New Year.....New project