The Home Machinist!

As I am expanding my shop and becoming interested in a foundry and all that is involved in casting small parts I have stumbled on a book called the " The Artful Bodger's Waste Oil Furnace. I have also found a copy of the US Navy Casting Manual.

Has anyone had any experience with this furnace and burner?

_________________
Charlie Pipes
USMC Retired

Project:

2.5 Baldwin 2-4-4 Conversion
1.6 Southern Railway PS-4

i have seen a few versions built and they seem to run well and as all oil burners seem to create lots of heat

well worth the cost for the information, if you need build it instruction.

Ok its official.

All the people I work with think I am a little off for building my own locomotive. So I am diving in deeper. Needing castings that are no longer available has driven me to look into a foundry and the subject of patterns and molding

I managed to find a copy of the Artful Bodgers Book on building a foundry to run off waste oil and having had the chance to look into the availability of fuel and materials I have decided to dive in.

It can be purchased on line at the Bodgers Website

http://www.artfulbodgermetalcasting.com/

This book has lead me to believe I can procuce the foundry and lead me to look for further info on pattern making and the art of casting.



My second resource book is the Navy Foundry Manual from 1947. It is more substancial on the subject of casting but still lacks a lot on Pattern Making.



I have also since ordered a volume on the art of pattern making from 1923. It has not come in yet.

_________________
Charlie Pipes
USMC Retired

Project:

2.5 Baldwin 2-4-4 Conversion
1.6 Southern Railway PS-4

I have started chasing down the material to build with and have found most of it available near by. The refractory will be the only thing I may have to mail order if I cannot find it in Nashville or Birmingham.

If you do not drink, the keg can be hard to locate. I was in luck to find a local shop that would sell me a empty keg for the cost of the deposit. It was nice to find if I had to buy a full one that I had friends willing to empty it for no charge.



Friday I was able to pick up the angle iron for the frame and located a cloths drier for a blower assembly.

_________________
Charlie Pipes
USMC Retired

Project:

2.5 Baldwin 2-4-4 Conversion
1.6 Southern Railway PS-4

have you tried these people in Columbia for refractory:

http://www.fssperry.com/

If they don't sell retail, they may be able to suggest someone who can.

_________________
Dan Watson
Building IC mikado in 1.5" scale

Post a lot of pics as I am interested in making an oil burner also.

Tom C.

_________________
tom_at_srclry_com
Lost somewhere in Michigan!

No problem with the photos.

Today after work I stopped in at the local country Garage to find a large junk pile of old parts. Owner said not a problem digging out what I needed. As I was short on time I grabbed a GM exaust manifold and brought it home to break up. It went to pieces fairly quickly. I have now located two sources of fuel and two for Aluminum and Cast Iron scrap for free.



As I have decided to follow Colins design, today I used a four inch angle grinder to remove the upper ring and top of the Keg. Used three cut off disk and it took about an hour as he said. I then carried it out to the shed where I have an old AC stick welder. I set it on high amps and used four 7018 rods to burn out the bottom (Leaving the bottom ring to get the height). This took less than thirty minutes.





I now have 50.00 in the keg and 12.00 in Angle Iron. I am trying to find more used equipment where I can. I just cut up an old non working cloths dryer this weekend for my blower assembly

_________________
Charlie Pipes
USMC Retired

Project:

2.5 Baldwin 2-4-4 Conversion
1.6 Southern Railway PS-4

Tomc

Have you looked at the Bodgers website?

http://www.artfulbodgermetalcasting.com/

_________________
Charlie Pipes
USMC Retired

Project:

2.5 Baldwin 2-4-4 Conversion
1.6 Southern Railway PS-4

Found these guys on line.

Has anyone delt with them out there? Is there a less expensive place to go to?

http://www.budgetcastingsupply.com/

_________________
Charlie Pipes
USMC Retired

Project:

2.5 Baldwin 2-4-4 Conversion
1.6 Southern Railway PS-4

I have used them for some stuff. Prices very for different things between vendors. I believe their crucible prices are best.. I can email you my favorite links for suppliers if you want. Our Mel checks Ebay and finds some deals there. Try google for supplier links and go from there.
Tom C.

_________________
tom_at_srclry_com
Lost somewhere in Michigan!

Try your local boiler repair shops, they should know of anyone in the area selling refractory material, or they might sell it to you.

_________________
E. Bartlett HTC(SW) USN Ret.
Member Firearms Engravers Guild of America (FEGA)
Nevada Southern Railway (Nevada State Railroad Museum)
HF #981 Mill
11" South Bend/10" Champion Blower & Forge Lathe (Franken Lathe)
12" Sebastian Lathe
everett.bartlett@yahoo.com

No Photos tonight as all I did was take a grinder to the cuts I made to clean them up. I measured the Keg height and came out with 19 and 3/8 for a height to build the inner formers to.

This makes the inner former: 19 3/8" X 32 1/2"

The Middle Former: 19 3/8" X 40 1/2"

In swapping mails with Colin today he has recommended 18 gauge for the middle former and somewhat lighter for the inner one.

Started shopping for refractory. So far it will be the most costly thing I buy, but I have decided to go for a linner of a commercial product that can go to 3000 degrees as I am sure at some point I am going to want to try to cast something from Cast Iron.

QUESTION: HAS ANYONE TRIED TO USE BRAKE DRUMS OR DISK FOR CASTING? NOT SURE IF THEY ARE IRON OR STEEL.

_________________
Charlie Pipes
USMC Retired

Project:

2.5 Baldwin 2-4-4 Conversion
1.6 Southern Railway PS-4