3/4" Scale J1e

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

Moderator: Harold_V

User avatar
JBodenmann
Posts: 3855
Joined: Sun Oct 26, 2003 1:37 pm
Location: Tehachapi, California

Re: 3/4" Scale J1e

Post by JBodenmann »

Now here is what it's for. This is for a lever that will be part of the right hand door pivot. The door pivots on the large boss on the right. A link from the left hand door pushes down on the small boss here on the left and opens the door. Tomorrow I will make the left hand door pivot which has two levers. One links to the cylinder crosshead, and the other links to the right hand door. A very interesting little puzzle. Too much fun!
Jack
Attachments
Door30.jpeg
Door31.jpeg
Last edited by JBodenmann on Tue Jun 01, 2021 10:01 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Berkman
Posts: 679
Joined: Wed Aug 16, 2017 7:55 pm

Re: 3/4" Scale J1e

Post by Berkman »

Curious if you keep track of the number of hours something like this fire door takes?

Amazing work!
User avatar
rmac
Posts: 786
Joined: Tue Jun 26, 2012 12:48 am
Location: Phoenix, Arizona

Re: 3/4" Scale J1e

Post by rmac »

Jack, you get more entertainment per cubic yard of material than anyone I have ever seen.

-- Russell Mac
User avatar
NP317
Posts: 4557
Joined: Tue Jun 24, 2014 2:57 pm
Location: Northern Oregon, USA

Re: 3/4" Scale J1e

Post by NP317 »

The entertainment. That's my measure of success building our creations!
RussN
Steam Engine Dan
Posts: 659
Joined: Thu Nov 18, 2010 5:08 pm

Re: 3/4" Scale J1e

Post by Steam Engine Dan »

JBodenmann wrote: Tue Jun 01, 2021 9:38 pm Now here is what it's for. This is for a lever that will be part of the right hand door pivot. The door pivots on the large boss on the right. A link from the left hand door pushes down on the small boss here on the left and opens the door. Tomorrow I will make the left hand door pivot which has two levers. One links to the cylinder crosshead, and the other links to the right hand door. A very interesting little puzzle. Too much fun!
Jack
woah you are gonna make the true standard firedoors like in the photo jack, that is awesome!! I can't wait to see them!
User avatar
JBodenmann
Posts: 3855
Joined: Sun Oct 26, 2003 1:37 pm
Location: Tehachapi, California

Re: 3/4" Scale J1e

Post by JBodenmann »

Hello My Friends
Thank you very much for your encouragement, Russ Mac, Russ N. and Steam engine Dan. I really do enjoy making little baloney like this. Making a cool little widget like this fire door is about as good as it gets. I seldom trouble myself by trying to make an exact scale model. The major challenge is to capture the feel of and character of the prototype, what ever it is we are trying to model. The only ridgid aspect of this fire door representation was the size of the fire door opening in the boiler back head. It had to fit that. I had to fudge the size of the mounting plate, making it much smaller. I basically just stuck my thumb out, that looks good. I never made any real drawings, just some scribbles for reference. That being said, the darn thing had better work. And it has to work smoothly, not opening or closing too fast. But closing completely.
Berkman asked about the amount of time on something like this. I keep a log of any extended project. So far I have a total of 750 hours in on this engine. I started with a running chassis and a boiler that had never been mounted to the engine. At first I wasn't going to keep track of the hours as it's my engine. But my friend Andy suggested that I did and I'm happy that I took his advice. Here are a few hour breakdowns.
The running board, air reservoir, piping brackets were a bit of a challenge. They also have positions for the Westinhouse distributing valve and the Franklin power reverse. Making the masters for these little rascals took 61.5 hours.
The power reverse masters required 23.5 hours.
Making the molds for the above required 27.5 hours.
Building a nice model locomotive takes a lot of time. And I do mean a lot! If your not a single minded lunatic like me you will probably never finish one. Notice I said "model". I'm not talking about a small locomotive of which there are many very nicely done ones. Neat workmanship, shiny paint, a very nice engine, but not a model. I have a friend that is also an excellent builder. In some ways he's fussier that me. I like to kid him that what we have is a blessing and a curse...we are blessed because we can, we are cursed because we have to...
See you in the funny pages...
Jack
User avatar
NP317
Posts: 4557
Joined: Tue Jun 24, 2014 2:57 pm
Location: Northern Oregon, USA

Re: 3/4" Scale J1e

Post by NP317 »

Jack:
Thank you for sharing your insights into building your wonderful creations. It is always nice to learn of fellow Craftspeoples'' motivations, and to understand that the hours spent creating items is similar to my own time. 'Makes me feel almost sane...
Yep, the enjoyment is our measure of success.
RussN
User avatar
JBodenmann
Posts: 3855
Joined: Sun Oct 26, 2003 1:37 pm
Location: Tehachapi, California

Re: 3/4" Scale J1e

Post by JBodenmann »

Help My Friends
Once again thank you Russ N. People who haven't tried to build a locomotive have no idea what a huge amount of dedication and patience, (in my case stubbornness) it takes to finish one. How many people have we seen on this site over the years that show up with plans to build an engine. They often start out like gangbusters with great enthusiasm, but after a while reality rears its ugly head, they start to realize that they have a hard row to hoe, their enthusiasm wanes, and they disappear. But every now and then someone will stick their head up and surprise us. They actually have the grit and determination to finish one. My hat's off to them.
Here is a bit of progress. Yesterday was one of them days when all the planets lined up. Everything went smoothly and progress was good. Even still, I had to re make a couple little pieces. One of the drawbacks of just making it up as I go along, and figuring it out as I go. The doors were fitted up to the pivots and levers using silver solder, and then soft solder, and lastly super glue. Remember now these are just masters to pull a mold off of. In the top photo the pivot is being soft soldered to the door. This is being done fitted to the frame so everything lines up. Notice there is a piece of file folder under the door. This is to prevent it from becoming soldered to the frame. That would make it hard to open :lol: The next snappy is of the pivot and one of the levers for the left hand door. These were silver soldered together. The third photo is of the top lever for the left hand door. This will link the door to the operating cylinder and crosshead which I will be playing around with today. The bottom photo here shows the whole mess put together with the door partly open. There are a lot of links and levers shoveled into a small area. The lever sticking up from the left hand door links to the crosshead and for now is just stuck on with crazy glue. This is so it can be easily removed and re positioned if I find it necessary when the cylinder and crosshead are made. All the holes for the pivots and links are undersize and will be drilled out and reamed to size when I have the castings.
Attachments
Door32.jpeg
Door33.jpeg
Door34.jpeg
Door35.jpeg
Door39.jpeg
Last edited by JBodenmann on Thu Jun 03, 2021 10:38 am, edited 5 times in total.
User avatar
JBodenmann
Posts: 3855
Joined: Sun Oct 26, 2003 1:37 pm
Location: Tehachapi, California

Re: 3/4" Scale J1e

Post by JBodenmann »

Now here is our little fire door in action. I was very pleased with how well it works. It opens up with a light press of the finger and slams shut with a clink. Today I will start the operating cylinder. I think I will make the piston 5/16" in diameter. The operating valve will be operated by a lever sticking up through the left rear corner of the cab roof, right next to the whistle lever. There will then be a tiny 3/32" valve right above the fire door to control how fast the door opens. I don't want he door to slam open as eventually it may damage the delicate little links and levers. These 1/8" and 3/32" valves are something I plan on making. The bottom photo shows some lettering just set in place for a look. There will be an oval around the lettering made from some small half round. There will also be some additional smaller lettering here and there. Too much fun!
Jack
Attachments
Door35.jpeg
Door36.jpeg
Door37.jpeg
Door40.jpeg
Last edited by JBodenmann on Tue Aug 31, 2021 11:54 pm, edited 3 times in total.
Steam Engine Dan
Posts: 659
Joined: Thu Nov 18, 2010 5:08 pm

Re: 3/4" Scale J1e

Post by Steam Engine Dan »

jack, just for sharing. here is what ours look like on our 5344. pretty neat for what they are. the doors used to be manually operated but the gears inside wore out due to lack of lubrication which we never knew until too late after 20 years. now it's just a simple flip down and flip up door. we can get the grates in and out much easier than in the past. and it still looks the part, and whats cool is watching the flames dance thru the draft holes when firing up on the steaming bay.
Attachments
123444967_10157686508733317_3775486533658370050_n.jpg
Steam Engine Dan
Posts: 659
Joined: Thu Nov 18, 2010 5:08 pm

Re: 3/4" Scale J1e

Post by Steam Engine Dan »

and here she is after a fresh cleaning and dad freshened up the white walls and running boards. she is all ready for this weekend. for every one day of operation equals three days of cleaning. one day is punching the flues and vacuuming the smokebox and the 2nd day is degreasing the running gear and shining up the whole engine and tender. the third day is cleaning each wheel on the engine and tender with degreaser and a clean rag by hand
Attachments
IMG_0531.jpg
IMG_0532.jpg
User avatar
Bill Shields
Posts: 10459
Joined: Fri Dec 21, 2007 4:57 am
Location: 39.367, -75.765
Contact:

Re: 3/4" Scale J1e

Post by Bill Shields »

giggle...i did mine with gears 40 years ago..and they are still working..

however...on a propane burner the need to open the doors more than 3-4 times a day is a moot point...

As always Jack...a sight to behold (even with old tired eyes!)
Too many things going on to bother listing them.
Post Reply