The Home Machinist!

>"What is the unit of measure for preload? Is it a length, or a percentage of the length, equalling allowable stretch? How is proper preload measured after a fastener is tightened?"< The actual measure of preload requires some knowledge of the yield strength (YS) of the bolt. The basic ide...

Russ, The problem with relying on Loctite for rigid joints is that it can mask under-preloaded fasteners. Notice I didn't say undertorqued. Use of torque, unless many factors for the particular joint are known, can have huge errors in preloads. By far the most common cause of fatigue fractures in bo...

The use of Loctite can cause problems on rigid bolted assemblies. While it's great for soft gasketed joints, etc., if you rely on it for solid metal-to-metal connections your fastener preload needs to be increased. Things like conrod nuts aren't Loctited, and they almost always stay tight because of...

John, Some years ago I bought a 12" gage, 1/6 size Santa Fe Hudson engine and tender from a man in Monterey, CA. He had run it for years up near Hollister. I built an 800' railroad that ran all the way around my house here in Arizona. Great fun, but I sold it ~1995 to the Wabash Frisco & Pa...

John,
Do you have any info or photos of the 15" green Hudson?