Boiler to Smoke box alignment

[johnpenn74]

Fellow Live Steamers,
I am doing some work on my smoke box to boiler connection and am concerned about getting the smoke box aligned rotationally with the rest of the engine. Not being one to eyeball it, can anyone recommend any ways to get alignment BEFORE I start drilling holes that mount the two up?

JP

[Builder01]

If the smoke box is already drilled for the smoke stack and the blast tube, these should be exactly on opposite sides of the smoke box. If they are not drilled, they should be done at this time. The center lines for the blast tube and smoke stack can be extended to one end on the smoke box. These center lines can also be extended to the very front edge of the smoke box. The smoke box can be placed in the saddle and rotated until the two extended lines on the front edge can be lined up using a square on the locomotive frame. No need to eyeball anything.

David

[Bill Shields]

I set it all up on the milling table.

Granted, this is a 48" limit (for me), but it works.

For larger locos, you can always set everything up on the frame or make a simple fixture on the floor to be used to spot holes.

Ever see how the did it on full size locos at Baldwin?

[Fender]

Which holes, if any, have already been drilled?

[10 Wheeler Rob]

I leveled up the loco frame with machinist level. Set the smoke box on the saddle with was drilled. Leveled the smoke stack. Gave it a good eyeballing and transfered the saddle hole pattern to the smoke box.

Rob

[NP317]

[snip]

Ever see how they did it on full size locos at Baldwin?

They riveted on a new course for the smokebox.
Or used an extended forward boiler course that was the smokebox. (Climax and Heisler did this.)
I had the joy of replacing a rotted Climax smokebox, in 1982. We welded the new rolled section onto the front course of the boiler, without disturbing the original rivets.

Our models are SO much easier...
~RN