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This page describes various stages in the building on my loco
 Mainframes |
The first and most important job is to get the drawing's sorted out, for without good drawings you will not make much progress. What I have done recently is to redraw all the drawing's in the set using a cad program and this enables me to print off small working drawings while enabling me to preserve the originals, which I have had a number of years now and have seen better days. Some of the drawings I created in 3D so as to be able to see the finished product, its not really necessary but its fun. |
 Frames Marked out |
Having got the drawings in order I then was able to mark out the mainframes, these consist of two pieces of mild steel,6"x48"x1/4" black hot drawn sheet is best but I used some bright mild steel which true to form was slightly bent, you don't often get this with black steel. Marking out it is vital that you double check or triple check because steel in these sizes is not cheap so you don't want to make any mistakes when cutting out, you can get laser cut frames which are the best alternative and do not need much cleaning up,wheras doing them the way I have always done evolves much cutting and milling. The reason I don't use lazer cut is because I get immense satisfaction knowing that I have done all the work from the ground up, buying pre-cut does save a lot of time though and if you have limited machining facilities this is the best way to go. Marking the frames I use a blue marking out fluid which can be obtained from engineering supplies, copper sulphate solution can also be used but if the steel is greasy it is difficult to use. Large marking out feltip pens can be used also the ones with large flat tip's.
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 Frames in the Bandsaw,horn horn opening's being cut |
To cut out the section's marked out such as the horn openings I first chain drill the horizontal line of the top of the horn opening, and then it can be sawn down or as I prefere to use the bandsaw and saw down each section. After which it is very easy to just lever and break off the peice, it then leaves the openings ready for milling or filling to size, although filling can be done it would be hard work. |
 all frame opening's cut out
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This picture shows all the main sections cut out, the next stage is to clean all the rough openings in the milling machine or if you do not posses one use the file and plenty of elbow grease, you could also set the frames up in the lathe an mill the opening's there. With the frames being fairly long and wide they are quite heavy and supporting them on the milling machine table can be difficult, so secure clamping down is essential. [TIP] When I trued up the ends of the frames in the miller I used a car jack to support the considerable overhang, this takes a lot of the strain on the machine table. |
 Bufferbeam angles ready for riveting |
Bufferbeam prior to riveting. The angle is first machined and then bolted to the beam for trial frame erection. |
 Frames built up |
Frames temporally built up to make sure everything is ok and lined up |
 Rear Buffer beam |
Buffer beam angles riveted on and attached to main frames |
 Frames Erected |
Mainframes erected, showing the framestays,axle and axleboxes. . |
 Cylinder block prior to machining valve ports |
Cylinder block for Romulus prior to machining the valve ports, with the port face marked out, care is needed here as it would be very difficult to rectify a machining mistake, cylinder block castings are very expensive to replace. Although I use my own patterns and can get castings quite easily I still would not like to start all over again as these cylinders are quite hefty lump's. |
 Milling out the ports |
Picture shows milling setup for machining the port bars on the face using a vertical milling machine. |
 Port bars |
Here we see the finished machined port's,ready for the steamways to be drilled through. |
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