The Home Machinist!

I think sealed is a bad idea. To me its easier to put in low point drains in the conduit and adding some vents to allow the enclosure to breath rather than trying to hermetically seal things

Thanks Tristan, I'm not sure what a scarf joint is but it looks like I'll have to do the same. LOL A scarf joint is just cutting the ends of the mating boards at a shallow enough angle to give the glue good surface contact. On mine. The scarf is centered over a screw hole so the mounted board also ...

Very nice. Thank you! One more question, Where did you purchase your wood for the running boards? I cant find any sources that will offer 6+ feet for the fireman's side. Thanks, B You’re welcome Brian! The wood is reused red oak floorboards. My fireman’s side boards aren’t one continuous piece eith...

Looking good! how did you do the curve sections? just bent it around a piece of pipe? Yep! I clamped the sheet between a piece of angle iron and a pipe a little smaller than the desired diameter, and then I used a crescent wrench to roll the pipe and sheet against the bench till its roughly the ben...

So its been a while since Ive posted anything here... I've been busily working away on the water tank for the shay. I settled on using 18ga galvanized steel for the tank and then sealing it with plumbers solder. This seemed the most cost effective route with a proven service life from other locomoti...

G&W and the state of Georgia have invested a lot in the C&C track. Track speeds are back up to where they were years back and rising. But for the trains we run mostly, 630 more than enough, but we have the 4501 running so it goes there, much better on those trips than the local, plus the stoker is ...

I cant imagine them trying to take 576 down to Summerville.... That track was pretty rough last time I rode that trip and Im not sure the bridges could stand the extra weight. For just the locomotive sans tender, 576 outweighs 4501 by around 130,000lbs

Wow! Your mounts are fancier than mine. I just dressed up some angle iron

Looking good Brian! Interesting to see the different interpretations everyone is building off of Johns drawings and castings

5gal is how youre going to find any other steam oil though. Mobil Super 600 and Chevron Cylinder W both come in 5gal as the smallest size. Ive drifted away from Green Velvet myself because of availability issues and ease of replacing with other products. I do wish their soda grease was still availab...

Theres no real tallow in it anymore, its all synthetic fats now.

Mobil Super 600 is a good cylinder oil. I use Chevron Cylinder W 460 because my neighbor is a chevron dealer and it’s comparable to Mobil 600