Minimum equipment for TE build

[SillyOldDufferModerator @sillyoldduffer]

Posted by William Ayerst on 17/03/2021 20:04:42:

Just for the sake of argument how would I go about facing them? A superglue arbor or something?

That's my preferred method, though I haven't tried super-glue on anything really heavy. Should work – provided the parts are really clean, the main problem with super-glue is getting them apart afterwards!

Although all super-glues break when heated, the temperature needed seems to vary. Boiling in water isn't always enough, and I once had to give a Poundshop glued item a good blast with a blowlamp – hot enough for spit to boil off instantly.

In theory soaking in Acetone (nail varnish remover) will also break the bond, but I've not had much luck with it probably because the liquid can't penetrate. It's good for cleaning the residue though, provided the glue hasn't been severely overheated.

Dave

[William AyerstParticipant @williamayerst55662]

Thanks for the tip. I think based on the advice here, if I end up building the MB I'll buy in the gears and cut them in half myself, but for any other project I'd get the VDH.

Just to be clear though, the VDH and BS0 are essentially the same except the VDH is smaller, cheaper and a kit – and will fit on the ML7 as well as a mill, while the BS0 is mill-only.

For shaping connecting rod ends, rounding cylinder fabrications, etc. is the VDH or BS0 suitable, or is a dedicated rotary table really required?

[noel shelleyParticipant @noelshelley55608]

Many years ago ME carried a comment on gears and drew attention to Davall Stock Gears ! I got a copy of their catalogue. WHAT A MINE of USEFUL information. I have never used them and have no idea as to their prices. But for anything gears they look like a good start. Good Luck. Noel.

[Paul HorthParticipant @paulhorth66944]

I made my 2 inch scale Durham traction engine with just a Myford ML7, with vertical slide. I do not possess a mill or a dividing head. I have a cheap drill but it is not to be relied on to get holes square and accurate. I bought the main drive gears, but made the gears for steering and water pump drive. The rear wheels at 12 inch diameter were a struggle, I lashed up a wooden faceplate mounted on a pulley countershaft securd to the lathe bed, with the tool height also raised from the toolrest. Everything else came off the Myford. So it is possible.

Paul

[William AyerstParticipant @williamayerst55662]

Paul, that's very interesting – I think MyfordBoy shows a similar contraption in his ML10 demonstration video. I'm sure this is a solved problem – either that or some one always has a kindly M.E.S. colleague with a 3' swing lathe that can be borrowed!

The 2" definitely looks more substantial. If I can be totally honest I love the look of the Fowler Z7 ploughing engine but it seems if there is a continuum with the Mamod at one end, the Z7 is about as far away as you can get without it being a jet plane!

[Anonymous]

Remember that ploughing engines are large. So a 2" scale ploughing engine will probably require machines used for an average 3" scale engine. They also contain a lot of gears, including many bevel gears, which will be more difficult to get off the shelf.

Andrew

[William AyerstParticipant @williamayerst55662]

Good point Andrew – though I think if I was going to go far enough down that spectrum where a ploughing engine was possible then I'd have no issues in sorting my own gear-cutting arrangement. On that specific example Gear 'G' is noted as being £105 as a blank from Blackgates and seems a deal larger than the flywheel – so seems realistically well out of my maximums unless I also want another lathe to go with my mill and dividing head!

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

That "gear" is the top half of the winding drum so quite a bit of additional detail cast in and at 11.625" OD would want a reasonably sized lathe. Could get away with a 6.5" ctr ht or a 6" with gap bed. The 8DP gears also need something with a bit of grunt to drive the cutters.

It's the one in the middle of the picture with teh stiffening webs all around it

Edited By JasonB on 19/03/2021 13:35:51

[Dave HalfordParticipant @davehalford22513]

There was a day when Minnie gears were advertised on ebay for between £70 to £120

The old reeves used to sell a set for £35 40 years ago.

[William AyerstParticipant @williamayerst55662]

I think realistically I'm going to sort myself out a VDH and cut the gears. Give a man a fish vs teach a man to fish, etc. etc.

For TE choice, it looks like either something specifically small and simple i.e. the MB, or something as big as I can reasonably manage is the right choice – so a 2" and outshopping the very largest pieces to friends or associates.

[Paul HorthParticipant @paulhorth66944]

I'll just add that ploughing engines are indeed large, and therefore heavy, which could be a problem for a model.. The weight helped to anchor them. I have driven alongside a 2 inch ploughing engine and it dwarfed the Durham. They are also rather slow as models – , they were low geared because they were not intended to go anywhere quickly. I would like to see one use all its power to pull a model plough.

Good luck William,

Paul

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