Air Locomotive

[michael mott]

Marc thanks for the feedback, I guess it is time for a little experiment to see just what does in fact happen, I will try some different ways of dealing both with these materials and with a variety of glues on some scraps and report back in a day or so.

Regards Michael

[michael mott]

Well the first test was withthe Oatey glue for transition between ABS and PVC I used a toothpick to plasce a spot of glue on the PVC pipe placed the acrylic rivet after 24 hours solid as a rock



So I think i will go ahead with this method.

regards Michael

[michael mott]

I spent the last couple of evenings setting up and turning all the rivets needed for the two ends. Next I drew a rectangle the exact length of the tank diameter, printed and cut itout then wrapped it around the tank about 5/16 inch from the end



a shot of the turned rivets.



A shot swoing the glue blob aplied with a long toothpick, The rivet needed to be placed very quickly befor the glue skinned over, which it did suprisingly fast.



The first row completed, now it was time to move the paper back a little and rotate it so that the lines were midway between the rivets of the first row.



and finally the first end is completed I am quite pleased with the results.



I will tackle the other end tomorrow. Then back to the lathe to turn the rest of the rivets for the long rows on the seam plate and the rows on the front end of the tank.

regards Michael

[finescalerr]

Individually turned rivets! You are NUTS! (But they look wonderful.) -- Russ

[John McGuyer]

The finish on your rivet heads is excellent. I am curious about one thing; why you didn't run your cut off tool in to a set dimension, then step it over and cut the rivet off. That would give you a small shank on the back. The shank would accomplish two things, you could drill holes to help locate the the rivets, plus it would give you a mechanical connection as well as an adhesive one.

John

[michael mott]

why you didn't run your cut off tool in to a set dimension, then step it over and cut the rivet off

A nice idea John, As it is I found it tedious enough simply forming the head with one toolbit set parallel to the plex in the chuck. then parting off with the parting tool.

I was unable to make a new tool(my grinder is still in storage)so I had to set this up with tools already ground. My lathe is a manual one a Myford ML7 and because I do not have a capstan turret and making hundreds of rivets manually is daunting enough as it is.

I set up a backstop with the tailstock so that I could ensure that each rivet was the same length.

the following pictures show the step by step to make one rivet.



the first pic is the start of the sequence and the form tool is also positioned to act at the length stop.



The acrylic rod is indexed forward using a pair of tweezers, it was a bit tight to get my fingers in there.



The form tool is moved forward toward the chuck to put the slight curved taper on the rivet.



The form tool retracted and the parting tool moved into the work, as the form tool moved toward the back it also skimmed the top face of the rivet.



The rivet finally parts off and falls to the bed. The form tool is then brought back in line with the end of the acrylic and the whole process started over.

The last shot shows the overall set up.



But then perhaps it was just laziness. I also think that setting up to drill all the holes might have been even more daunting. Of course if I were to make this out of copper and was going to use real air then the rivets would need to be real and I would have to do the drilling. Fortunately on my other loco project that will only have to happen in a few places.

here is a couple of pics of the other loco, the first by itself and the second with an Ho Bachmann Percy modification to a Horwich loco, sitting on the cylinder.





Regards Michael

[finescalerr]

Gorgeous! -- Russ

[marc_reusser]

Wow!   Beautiful work.

Watching what you skilled machinist guys do here, makes me feel like a complete amateur!

Marc

[michael mott]

Russ and Marc thanks for the compliments, Marc I certainly would not consider your work anything less skilled than any I seen on this or other sites. I think that the word "Amateur" gets a bit of a bad rap. I have seen such a lot of outstanding work done by "amateurs" and some pretty shoddy work done by "professionals" The difference being the former do it for the love of doing it, and the latter often get paid. I am constantly inspired by the wonderful work that I see other doing here and on some of the other sites, which in turn leads me to strive to improve and to try new ways of doing things.

regards Michael

[jacq01]

    Michael,
    wonderful.
    You are right,  the purpose defines the solution.

    Jacq

[lab-dad]

Just wanted to add my Thanks for all the images and info.
I would love to be a fly on the wall watching the air powered loco being built!
-Marty

[michael mott]

The problem with being a fly on the wall Marty would be the long time lags in between the work sessions but thanks for the thought.

The large copper loco is a freelance one based on the Loiusa Hunslet loco from the Welsh Collieries and will be coal fired Steam.
regards Michael

[RoughboyModelworks]

Beautiful machining work on the Hunslet Michael. A Myford eh... I'm jealous 

Paul

[michael mott]

Hi Paul you would be even more jelous if you know what I paid for it..... $451 brand new.... 37 years ago I have no idea what they cost these days. I must admit it was a great investment, and has done a lot of work over the years.

regards Michael

[RoughboyModelworks]

Oh man... now I am pissed. Reminds me of those guys who find a complete panhead in some old farmer's barn and he sells it to them for $500.00... grrrr 

That's a hell of a deal and an obvious testament to the quality of the machine. My dream lathe is a Cowells - maybe one of these days though I'm not likely to find one in a barn anywhere   

Paul