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Question on bolts

Home › Forums › Locomotives › Question on bolts

Viewing 5 posts - 1 through 5 (of 5 total)
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  • 16 October 2009 at 10:27 #44244
    Tim Ostley
    Participant
      @timostley22330
      Hi,
       
      I am an experienced Model Engineer, now making a 31/2″ Gauge  steam loco. I am in the process of machining the cylinders and have got to the stage of drilling the covers.
       
      The cylinders are gunmetal castings and the question is what material bolts should be used to hold on the covers (and indeed the steam chests) – steel, brass or gunmetal?.
       
      I have looked at the ‘words and music’ for about 10 locos including Titch, Rob Roy, Speedy, Simplex and Rail Motor and the material is not specified in any of them. I am concerned about differential expansion and stripping of threads if using steel bolts in gunmetal cylinders but am I worrying unnecessarily? 
       
      Tim
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      16 October 2009 at 10:27 #906
      Tim Ostley
      Participant
        @timostley22330
        16 October 2009 at 12:33 #44250
        Circlip
        Participant
          @circlip
          Don’t forget there’s a gasket between the faces Tim. Stainless RESISTS rusting (Covering all bases) but if an LBSC design, the original would have been Steel, the stainless’s were in less supply to the “Toy” fraternity.
           
            Regards  Ian.
          16 October 2009 at 12:53 #44253
          Tim Ostley
          Participant
            @timostley22330
            Dear Ian,
             
            Thanks for the reply.
             
            I must admit I should have thought of adding stainless to the list of options but my main concern is not rusting or corrosion but differential expansion either straining the bolt / threads or loosening the attachment. In LBSC’s time it could have been brass or bronze (which is what I should have put in the previous post rather than gunmetal!) as well as steel.
             
            Regards
             
            Tim
            16 October 2009 at 16:53 #44264
            Circlip
            Participant
              @circlip
              D I wasn’t thought to be a problem then Tim, so why worry now?? Mainly a case of get what you can. If you have a look at some of the adverts in the ME at the time  the original articals were published, the suppliers don’t make a big thing about it.
               
                And don’t forget, Brown paper makes excellent gaskets and a darn site cheaper than PTFE foils.
               
                Regards  Ian
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