The Home Machinist!

OMG...this is so cool......

I am so going to be taking the train from now on if possiblr...the hell with planes.


and I so needed this kind of relaxation.


Giddy,

Pamela

Pam your so right

I just came back from a trip to North Carolina on Amtrak.I had a Great trip. It takes about one hour longer by train then with the car but it cost far less. The round trip from Trenton NJ to Durham NC was $141.50. They have food on the train and beer and wine. I meet some intresting people just a great trip.

I'll take the train any day over a car.

_________________
ALLWAYS OPERATING MY TRAIN IN A SAFE MANNER USING AUTOMATIC AIR BRAKES

Pam

Paul will meet you at the train station in the morning...I am going to run the rig up to TM early to get it in

see ya in a few hours

Mike and Paul

Pam:

I don't know about the "Limiteds" in California but Amtrack from Washington to Providence is so much better than air travel, if you have the time. Walk around to the dining car, stand up like a human being, see the country side........

Rick

Morning toonsters,

yes morning...seeing I am so typicl of posting at OMG hours.

Train mountain was wonderful...and I so needed to get away from everything.

BUT.....

time to dig in and finish an over due project.

the first cylinder will be completed soon after I return home from breakfast....four steam passages need to be drilled and it's all done....the remaining five will go quickly now that I have the process down. going to shoot for having the first two cvompleted by months end. I have procured use of a boiler for testing...and alreaady have the testing fixture to check pressure. looking forn 250-300 psi.


breakfast is here....


later toonsters,


Pamela

evening toonstes,


the fist cylinder is finally done...and mounted up the matching body to finish up some detail work and clean up the casting a bit.

been dealing with a tempermental gas dryer.

narrowed it down to one of the thermostats or the gas valve itself...to which I call it quits...i don't mess with gas control mechanisms.


pamela

Pamela

Reminds me of the time I tried to fix my electric dryer. Got tired of the $100.00 service calls.
Went to local service appliance parts store and asked for repair advice. Guy said to "short" out thermostat with screwdriver and if element comes on ---replace thermostat. If the element doesn't come on I need a new element. Sounded logical. Got a nice long screwdriver with nonconductive handle and started to poke. KABOOM. Sparkles, flames, lint on fire and screwdriver firmly welded to inside of dryer and I had levitated several feet. My particular dryer used all 220 for internal stuff not 120 like advice given. The service call turned out to be $125.00...lol

Best
Bob

We are getting a little off topic here.
The technician proabably meant to short across the thermostat, not short it to ground.
In any event the short circuit voltage was 120 volts to ground. Voltage between the two
main wires is 240 volts, but only 120 volts to ground
Electric dryers have another control switch. On the motor there are two centrifugal switches.
One, to help start the motor
Two, a interlock switch to energize the heater element only when the motor is running.
This protects the heater from burning out.
Modern dryers may do this differently.

Whatever stupid thing I did was definitely poking around 220 where I shouldn't have been. A single 120 leg wouldn't have created such a show. I still laugh thinking about screwdriver welded to opening.

evening toonsters,


the first pump body has all the silly detail machine work done....just need to blend a few casting marks out with a disk sander. then just the valve pockets.

spent a good part of the day finally organizing my lil shop..the 8 foot shelves are now up and all the crap is finally off the floor. now that its cooler out there am ggoing back oiut and setting up the next cylinder to do. with luck and no interuptions. the remaining cylinders go quickly.

have not even unpacked my camera from TM need to do that soon.


Pamela

evening toonsters,


all 5 remaining cylinders have the steamchest mount surfaced...and ons has the body mount stud holes done.

finally got these huge shelving units mounted up on the wall...and cleared my shop floor of crap. started going thru a dozen or so lil boxes of tooling that had accumulated from moving and what not...amazing what one finds. trying to balance everything and keep things moving. staying as motivated as i have been this weekend and all five cuylinders will be done by weeks end.... then the steam chests......trim up the bodies and set up for the valve pocket process........i see the end...its coming.

i have arranged to borrow jack Bs staionary test boiler and just need to go pick it up from Jim K.

Pamela

evening all,

the body mount stud holes are done as is the far end steam passage.

on to the head end....


Pamela