The Home Machinist!

He last posted on a FB group back in April asking the same questions hoping for better answers. Cars and dating are huge distractions for young people. I can remember (barely) having nothing else on my mind. Now all I think about is finding my 6" scale.
Denny

It's kinda interesting that the guy who started this thread is silent, or long gone. Despite dozens upon dozens of posts of help offered here he couldn't seem to handle machining mistakes on his Raritan.
Hopefully he'll bite the bullet and get back to it.
Denny

Final note on the grooves. I see it now, cutting the internal groove easily doubles the size of the port formed where two of the flat bottom holes intersect. Nuff said.
Denny

I'm waiting on a 10-40 tap for the packing nuts but I've found both the straight and angle valves kinda fun to machine. The internal groove has to be for increased steam passage area, it doesn't seem to relate to anything else. The grooves weren't hard to cut but did take a bit of focus, no daydream...

Resurrecting an old thread... Asking anyone who has built a kit: Awhile back I picked up a 1/4 inch globe valve kit from PM Research and dug it out the other day as a diversion. In both the straight and angle 1/4" valve bodies there is an internal groove .109 wide and .250 in diameter. If it we...

Thank you, that's very kind of you.
All the small parts end up getting cold "black oxide" finished and sealed. The oil cups on the rocker boxes were already done.

Denny

Thanks all for the advice and suggestions. I'm going hybrid, TIG the inner arms (my silver soldering is a little heavy handed) to their rocker shafts and taper pin the outer arms.
The simple balanced valve design looks like a fun future project to play with.
Denny 5

Don't know if you saw it but there's a good thread (no drawings) here on the forum called Displacement Lubricator Questions. It's well worth the read, lots of good info on horizontal lubricators- viewtopic.php?f=8&t=109489
Denny

Here's a potential source- https://www.trafficlights.com/recreational/
Also look on their "Controls" page for more flashers, they have one for RR crossing standard timing.
Denny

Geochurchi wrote: ↑Wed Oct 06, 2021 3:50 pm Hi, another question, what type of control do you use to flash the lights?
Geo

Geez Bill that's a beautiful engine. Denny all of which does not mean that a running loco cannot be built...just takes a bit longer. These photos from early 1980, so they are scans of slides: One thing: forget the rockers on the back of the trailing truck...all they do is fall out. I put rollers in ...

Nice work Martin!
Yup, I always appreciate when my wife goes and visits our daughter and her family for a day or two. All work on the house stops and my time is spent throwing chips out in the garage.
Denny

Going through the archives on Allen valve gear it's obvious roll pins are not the way to hold the rocker arms to the shaft. My options seem to be- Spiral pins which are substantially stronger than roll pins Taper pins Square ended shaft and matching holes with pins or clamping screws. Slit the arm h...