Building the 2.5" Scale Shay

Where users can chronicle their builds. Start one thread and continue to add on to it.

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Soot n' Cinders
Posts: 983
Joined: Wed Jun 27, 2012 5:24 pm
Location: Marietta, Georgia

Re: Building the 2.5" Scale Shay

Post by Soot n' Cinders »

Thanks peter! It's gonna be a beast, just the pipe for the barrel is probably 75 pounds.
I will be there all weekend and probably with what I have done on the boiler to show. So I will see you at the railroad!
-Tristan

Projects
-2.5" scale Class A 20 Ton Shay

Steam Siphon: https://www.shapeways.com/shops/leavitt ... tive-works
timekiller
Posts: 158
Joined: Sat Jan 04, 2003 12:33 pm
Location: Huntsville, AL U.S.A.

Re: Building the 2.5" Scale Shay

Post by timekiller »

What size pipe is the boiler constructed from?
Soot n' Cinders
Posts: 983
Joined: Wed Jun 27, 2012 5:24 pm
Location: Marietta, Georgia

Re: Building the 2.5" Scale Shay

Post by Soot n' Cinders »

8" sch 40 pipe
-Tristan

Projects
-2.5" scale Class A 20 Ton Shay

Steam Siphon: https://www.shapeways.com/shops/leavitt ... tive-works
timekiller
Posts: 158
Joined: Sat Jan 04, 2003 12:33 pm
Location: Huntsville, AL U.S.A.

Re: Building the 2.5" Scale Shay

Post by timekiller »

Thanks! Considering the Shay as a project, and have read the thread, with interest.
Soot n' Cinders
Posts: 983
Joined: Wed Jun 27, 2012 5:24 pm
Location: Marietta, Georgia

Re: Building the 2.5" Scale Shay

Post by Soot n' Cinders »

I recommend it! I've made a few mods to mine but the prints are very clear and a lot of it is just barstock
-Tristan

Projects
-2.5" scale Class A 20 Ton Shay

Steam Siphon: https://www.shapeways.com/shops/leavitt ... tive-works
jlakes85
Posts: 228
Joined: Thu Feb 23, 2012 6:07 am

Re: Building the 2.5" Scale Shay

Post by jlakes85 »

I've been building one of these as well over the past year. I'm trying to keep it to only building the loco 1.5 times instead of twice, but I still have a ways to go. After reading some of the comments on boiler construction, there were a few things in the back of my mind: I understand the convenience of having a 300+ amp unit, but most of the guys on YT demoing 6G joints are doing multiple passes per joint, usually starting at around 80-90 amps for the root pass on 6" sch 40, then bumping up to around 120 A for the hot pass and cap and fill, usually walking the cup if it's a TIG only process. I figured building a live steam boiler would at worst be 3G or 5G depending on the orientation of the barrel. Also, for a final sanity check after a success hydro test, what would an x-ray test typically run $ wise?
Soot n' Cinders
Posts: 983
Joined: Wed Jun 27, 2012 5:24 pm
Location: Marietta, Georgia

Re: Building the 2.5" Scale Shay

Post by Soot n' Cinders »

Ive been running 180 amps for everything so far and using 3/32" ER70S-6 filler which helps cool the puddle. And so far I've been able to position everything with magnetic welders squares to keep it in a 1F/G position with just a little 2F/G and 3F/G in places. It really isnt a hard process if you have a good idea of what youre doing and how you're going to do it. As for the cost of radiographic testing, I have no idea. I dont know anybody who does that kind of testing. Most just do a hydro, or a dye penetrant test at most. These things have such a high safety factor the only ones Ive seen have issues were either very very poorly welded or were run on water that was absolute garbage.
Would love to see how you're coming along on your shay! Theres several under construction that I know of and most will become operational in the next year or two.
-Tristan

Projects
-2.5" scale Class A 20 Ton Shay

Steam Siphon: https://www.shapeways.com/shops/leavitt ... tive-works
Soot n' Cinders
Posts: 983
Joined: Wed Jun 27, 2012 5:24 pm
Location: Marietta, Georgia

Re: Building the 2.5" Scale Shay

Post by Soot n' Cinders »

Also, since my last update, I took my welding sample box up to the railroad after hydroing it and the cutting it apart to do a macro etch on the welds and got an "Atta boy!" from both a friend who welded his own mikado boiler and a certified boiler inspector. So I carried on with the firebox. Now all 24 staybolts are welded to the inner sheets and all of the inner sheets and the crown sheet are root welded together. Next up is the filler and cap passes on the firebox followed by welding the girder stays to the crown sheet. I'll post some pictures tonight when I bring the firebox in off the welding table.
-Tristan

Projects
-2.5" scale Class A 20 Ton Shay

Steam Siphon: https://www.shapeways.com/shops/leavitt ... tive-works
Soot n' Cinders
Posts: 983
Joined: Wed Jun 27, 2012 5:24 pm
Location: Marietta, Georgia

Re: Building the 2.5" Scale Shay

Post by Soot n' Cinders »

IMG_0034.jpeg
IMG_0035.jpeg
IMG_0036.jpeg
-Tristan

Projects
-2.5" scale Class A 20 Ton Shay

Steam Siphon: https://www.shapeways.com/shops/leavitt ... tive-works
Glenn Brooks
Posts: 2930
Joined: Mon Nov 10, 2014 1:39 pm
Location: Woodinville, Washington

Re: Building the 2.5" Scale Shay

Post by Glenn Brooks »

Nice work, and very informative photos. Couple of questions: what does 1F/G, 2F/G, 3 F/G mean?

Also, how do you go about welding the inside of outer crown sheet pieces to the stay-bolts? I've always heard one needs to place weldments both inside and outside the shell. But can't see how,the staybolts would be accessible inside the shell.

Thanks
Glenn
Moderator - Grand Scale Forum

Motive power : 1902 A.S.Campbell 4-4-0 American - 12 5/8" gauge, 1955 Ottaway 4-4-0 American 12" gauge

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jlakes85
Posts: 228
Joined: Thu Feb 23, 2012 6:07 am

Re: Building the 2.5" Scale Shay

Post by jlakes85 »

Hi Tristan,

Looks great. When you got all of the sheets water jetted out, what allowances did you tell the jet place to cut to, or was it right to John's print?

Regards,

John
Soot n' Cinders
Posts: 983
Joined: Wed Jun 27, 2012 5:24 pm
Location: Marietta, Georgia

Re: Building the 2.5" Scale Shay

Post by Soot n' Cinders »

Glenn Brooks wrote:Nice work, and very informative photos. Couple of questions: what does 1F/G, 2F/G, 3 F/G mean?

Also, how do you go about welding the inside of outer crown sheet pieces to the stay-bolts? I've always heard one needs to place weldments both inside and outside the shell. But can't see how,the staybolts would be accessible inside the shell.

Thanks
Glenn
Glenn, 1, 2, and 3 F/G all refer to welding test positions. F is for fillet weld and G is for groove weld, with 1 being a flat position, 2 being a horizontal position, and 3 being a vertical position.
Also, there is no way to put a weld on the water leg side of the staybolts. Its just not possible to get down in there with any sort of welder and place a bead.

jlakes85 wrote:Hi Tristan,

Looks great. When you got all of the sheets water jetted out, what allowances did you tell the jet place to cut to, or was it right to John's print?

Regards,

John
John, I redesigned my boiler in CAD a little. I went for a 3 piece design for the crown and side sheets over John's one piece design and also went for 3/4 flues over John's 5/8 as I'll be burning solid fuel instead of oil. As for tolerances, all of the sheets were cut to dimension as the cutters tolerances were close enough for that. But all of the holes were cut 0.01" under size so they could be drilled out to size, and for the flue holes, reamed out.
-Tristan

Projects
-2.5" scale Class A 20 Ton Shay

Steam Siphon: https://www.shapeways.com/shops/leavitt ... tive-works
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