The Home Machinist!

you're making good progress Jeffery. i'm ready to start painting mine and should be ready to fire it up in 2 weeks.

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Fred V
Pensacola, Fl.
home track:
http://www.waleswest.com

I will be following this thread closely as a Sweet William is one of the engines I am most interested in.

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"One cannot learn to swim without getting his feet wet." - Benjamin Maggi
- Building: 7.25" gauge "Sweet Pea" named "Catherine"

in case you didn't know the engine in this thread is a Sweet William.
viewtopic.php?f=8&t=92638

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Fred V
Pensacola, Fl.
home track:
http://www.waleswest.com

Thanks for the interest, I'm making progress most weeks but it's still going to take me a long time to get finished. Should have a new update after easter.

Jeffrey

Thanks Fred. Yup, I knew your engine was a SW.

Question: what type of steel is recommended for this style of locomotive frame? Online I see alloy steel, tool steel, carbon steel, etc. and my head spins!

Thanks.

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"One cannot learn to swim without getting his feet wet." - Benjamin Maggi
- Building: 7.25" gauge "Sweet Pea" named "Catherine"

I don't know what is recommended but I've used 150x6mm cold rolled black mild steel. Two resons for this, easy to work/repair and it was the only thing I could get in the small town I live in.

i would use hot rolled mild steel. cold rolled will tend to warp when it's cut as it releases stresses built into the metal from the cold rolling process.

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Fred V
Pensacola, Fl.
home track:
http://www.waleswest.com

Yesterday I meant to say "hot rolled" I have no idea how I came to say 'cold rolled" must have been thinking about our first cold morning of the year! Hopefully this weekend I'll have the smokebox saddle will underway, I have got hold of a bit of 8" ID steel tube for the smokebox, the wall size is double what the drawing say but I'm going to live with it like that.

Jeffrey

What are you doing for the wheels? I see that there is the gentleman who sell the laser-cut parts has them but wondered if there were other options.
http://modelsteamrailways.webs.com/apps ... ow/2104759

_________________
"One cannot learn to swim without getting his feet wet." - Benjamin Maggi
- Building: 7.25" gauge "Sweet Pea" named "Catherine"

The name I'm calling my engine is "International" the reason is the wheels and cylinders are being done for me by a good friend in Manila (Philippines) and then are getting shiped to me here in New Zealand.

The wheels are spoked and based on a Baldwin wheel off a narrow gauge loco built by Baldwin for a sugar mill in Austraila.

It should look something like this:


Jeffrey

Hi All,

Been working on the smokebox saddle and the smokebox the last couple of weeks. Found some 8" id pipe for the smokebox, wall thickness is 1/4" which is double what the drawing says but I can live with that. The saddle has been driving me nuts but I think I now have everything lined up & square, just need a long ( and better) straight edge to double check.

Cutting out the parts for the saddle the hard way

Hi All,

Haven't made much head way on my Sweet William due to trying to get the house ready for the arrival of our first child in a couple of months time but have now finished the smokebox saddle. I have fitted it to the chassis and also have made and fitted the front running broad. one thing I have been doing is taking out and cutting to length a lot of the bolts (about 150), that will teach me for being in a rush and not taking time to do it right the first time!

Jeffrey

Smokebox saddle


Over view of the build so far