Main Cylinders

	First		Previous		Back to Index		Next		Last
236 records found. Page 22 of 24 displayed.

For most of the photos on this page, you can click the image for a larger picture.

	September 2025 Tony has now completed the main patterns for the valve and motion cylinders. The photo shows the last "quarter" of the motion cylinder being fitted into place
	The valve and motion cylinder patterns installed on their trolleys. More work will be needed later to add the various bosses which allow connections, e.g. lubrication and drain pipes. Tony and Ruth are now turning heir attention to the transfer ports which connect the valve cylinder to the motion cylinder.
	Tony and Ruth's attention is now turning to the steam transfer ports. These are passages at the ends of the cylinder which allow live steam to pass from the steam chest in the valve cylinder to the motion cylinder. The ports allow the exhaust steam to pass back into the outer ends of the valve cylinder where it will then be exhausted to the blast pipe and the chimney. Tony has order more Canadian Yellow Pine for this job. Tony says "We’re putting together the four sections which make up the steam transfer ports. Two of these sections will be ‘loose pieces’ as they go against the ‘draw’." "Timber comes in ‘off saw’ and at varying thickness and this is normal. The timber may also be slightly warped across the grain. We milled the timber to have flat, parallel sides for gluing up. 2 of the pieces have been glued together as in the photo. Ruth will glue and cramp the remaining six pieces when the glue sets and cramps become available."
	The valve cylinder/steam chest has now received a coat of red pattern makers paint. The ends of the pattern will be painted black as these are the "prints" which will form a recess in the moulding sand to support the ends of the valve cylinder core.
	Ruth is working on the transfer ports templates by cutting and sticking parts of Keith’s drawing on white hardboard which will be cut out to form templates to draw up sections of the ports, some of which will be loose pieces, to enable withdrawal from the moulding sand. This is the complex part of the pattern and this is where Ruth’s, years of complex pattern making will come to the fore.
	Tony has started finishing work on the valve cylinder/steam chest core box. Tony is making one semi circular core box that will make the top and bottom of the core. Remember that the core box will make a moulding sand shape that will create the void in the cylinder. The top section differs from the bottom in the way in the way the exhaust ports join the exhaust spider. Therefore, Tony has to make specific top and bottom sections in this area as loose pieces which can be slotted in to make the required core. This is one of the loose pieces.
	December 2025 Todays job is to prepare the additional pattern parts that will form the steam transfer ports between the main and valve cylinders. One port is provided at each end of the cylinder. As there is a moulding box split across the transfer port, the loos pieces will need to be in 2 sections. First Ruth pins the templates to the yellow pine.
	Next the sections are cut roughly to shape with the band saw. If you look carefully at the end grain you’ll see the two boards have been laminated with opposing grains.
	The sander is used to form the correct outside curved shape
	As an aside, this method of cutting the drawings and sticking them on white hardboard is significantly better than drawing them out. A bit sore on the drawings but saves a stack of time. Thank you Keith.

	First		Previous		Back to Index		Next		Last
236 records found. Page 22 of 24 displayed.