Northern 4-8-4 Build 3/4”

Where users can chronicle their builds. Start one thread and continue to add on to it.

Moderator: Harold_V

User avatar
bushav
Posts: 167
Joined: Wed Aug 24, 2022 2:23 pm
Location: Bainbridge GA

Re: Northern 4-8-4 Build 3/4”

Post by bushav »

steamingdon wrote: Sun Mar 05, 2023 11:07 am That BIG nut is going to fit in cylinder without striking the head cover?

The head cover is bored as Bill said. Works great. I’m such a newbie that following the 1949 plans is all I know to do. I figure if deviation is required I’ll prove it and then compensate. In this case it worked as drawn.
New to live steam
Building 3/4” 4-8-4 Northern &
1” 4-6-2 Pacific
djjh87
Posts: 405
Joined: Tue Apr 29, 2008 5:32 pm
Location: florida

Re: Northern 4-8-4 Build 3/4”

Post by djjh87 »

Good job on your build. I just notice that our locations we are only about 100 miles apart. Jim
No problems just solutions.
User avatar
bushav
Posts: 167
Joined: Wed Aug 24, 2022 2:23 pm
Location: Bainbridge GA

Re: Northern 4-8-4 Build 3/4”

Post by bushav »

Reverse Arms
Reverse Arms
Reverse Arms.jpg (21.36 KiB) Viewed 1973 times
I'm still on it! Work has been crazy busy but I found time this week to make some progress. These reversing arms turned out nice in my opinion. I just have to decide if I am going to silver solder them or braze them like the plans depict. I haven't brazed anything before. I wish I had a jewelers torch and supplies since the joint to be soldered is so small. O well, I'll figure it out.
New to live steam
Building 3/4” 4-8-4 Northern &
1” 4-6-2 Pacific
User avatar
Harold_V
Posts: 20231
Joined: Fri Dec 20, 2002 11:02 pm
Location: Onalaska, WA USA

Re: Northern 4-8-4 Build 3/4”

Post by Harold_V »

If you happen to have a small heat treat oven, you might consider silver soldering that way. Apply the required flux, then add solder to the joints. Place them in the oven and heat until the solder has flowed. The uniform heating yields excellent uniform solder joints without overheating the solder.

The solder must be fashioned so it can't move away from the desired joint while being heated.

H
Wise people talk because they have something to say. Fools talk because they have to say something.
User avatar
Greg_Lewis
Posts: 3014
Joined: Wed Jan 15, 2003 2:44 pm
Location: Fresno, CA

Re: Northern 4-8-4 Build 3/4”

Post by Greg_Lewis »

I silver solder small stuff by placing it atop a piece of 1-inch angle iron in the bench vise. Then I heat from below, through the angle iron, with my o/a torch set with a long feather on the flame. The heat soaks through the metal and the solder melts into the joints. Use the black flux.
Greg Lewis, Prop.
Eyeball Engineering — Home of the dull toolbit.
Our motto: "That looks about right."
Celebrating 35 years of turning perfectly good metal into bits of useless scrap.
User avatar
bushav
Posts: 167
Joined: Wed Aug 24, 2022 2:23 pm
Location: Bainbridge GA

Re: Northern 4-8-4 Build 3/4”

Post by bushav »

Reverse lever
Reverse lever
IMG_5178.jpeg (128.19 KiB) Viewed 1737 times
More progress! Silver soldering turned out nice. I bead blasted levers and then polished on brass wheel. Does tumbling work for polishing up in the nooks and crannies?

Lane
New to live steam
Building 3/4” 4-8-4 Northern &
1” 4-6-2 Pacific
User avatar
Bill Shields
Posts: 10460
Joined: Fri Dec 21, 2007 4:57 am
Location: 39.367, -75.765
Contact:

Re: Northern 4-8-4 Build 3/4”

Post by Bill Shields »

If blasting does not clean up nooks and crannies, tumbling will do nothing more
Too many things going on to bother listing them.
User avatar
Harold_V
Posts: 20231
Joined: Fri Dec 20, 2002 11:02 pm
Location: Onalaska, WA USA

Re: Northern 4-8-4 Build 3/4”

Post by Harold_V »

One thing that can help by tumbling is the use of stainless as a media. It's made quite small in diameter and with sharp edges that can reach in pockets. It is commonly used for burnishing.

H
Wise people talk because they have something to say. Fools talk because they have to say something.
User avatar
bushav
Posts: 167
Joined: Wed Aug 24, 2022 2:23 pm
Location: Bainbridge GA

Re: Northern 4-8-4 Build 3/4”

Post by bushav »

Rotary Table.jpg
Rotary Table.jpg (61.75 KiB) Viewed 1484 times
I had the opportunity to put my recently purchased and rebuilt rotary table to good use. These eccentric rods had been challenging my brain over the last few months. I have never machined anything so complex. I had never used the rotary table to its full potential and I had never used a slitting saw. Needless to say I learned a lot! It took twenty hours spread over four days to produce these two rods. The first attempt got scrapped due to drilling the wrong size holes! The second attempt went much better and I used some good planning to conserve tool swap outs.
Eccentric Rods.jpg
Eccentric Rods.jpg (81.29 KiB) Viewed 1484 times
The finished product turned out great and fits!
New to live steam
Building 3/4” 4-8-4 Northern &
1” 4-6-2 Pacific
Odyknuck
Posts: 813
Joined: Mon Aug 08, 2022 4:21 pm
Location: Chardon, Ohio

Re: Northern 4-8-4 Build 3/4”

Post by Odyknuck »

Nice work.
User avatar
bushav
Posts: 167
Joined: Wed Aug 24, 2022 2:23 pm
Location: Bainbridge GA

Re: Northern 4-8-4 Build 3/4”

Post by bushav »

Odyknuck wrote: Thu Aug 03, 2023 12:47 pmNice work.

Thanks! I’m trying hard to master this art.
New to live steam
Building 3/4” 4-8-4 Northern &
1” 4-6-2 Pacific
User avatar
NP317
Posts: 4557
Joined: Tue Jun 24, 2014 2:57 pm
Location: Northern Oregon, USA

Re: Northern 4-8-4 Build 3/4”

Post by NP317 »

"...art.' Well said.
When people ask me what I do in retirement, I say I fabricate kinetic sculptures.
And then show them pics of my 2 steam locomotives.
RussN
Post Reply