Mich-Cal 1.5 Shay.

This forum is dedicated to the Live Steam Hobbyist Community.

Moderators: cbrew, Harold_V

User avatar
oscar g
Posts: 16
Joined: Sat Dec 17, 2016 3:48 pm
Location: Prescott ,AZ.
Contact:

Mich-Cal 1.5 Shay.

Post by oscar g »

Been "lurking" sites for shays, I started building Bill Harris Mich-Cal #2 some time ago. The members of this site appear to have more interest in shays
than some of the others I've been on. Well here goes, this is where I'm at.
Attachments
DSCN0607.JPG
DSCN0610.JPG
DSCN0611.JPG
DSCN0612.JPG
DSCN0613.JPG
DSCN0614.JPG
User avatar
Steamer Al
Posts: 109
Joined: Tue May 26, 2020 3:17 am
Location: Comox, BC

Re: Mich-Cal 1.5 Shay.

Post by Steamer Al »

Sweet! Looks great. I've got the Live Steam build series from the 1980's and always thought it would be a fun first locomotive for me to build. How are you finding the build difficulty up to now?
User avatar
Dick_Morris
Posts: 2841
Joined: Sat Jan 04, 2003 2:09 pm
Location: Anchorage, AK

Re: Mich-Cal 1.5 Shay.

Post by Dick_Morris »

Nice work! How could one not love a baby Shay?
Last edited by Dick_Morris on Mon Sep 13, 2021 1:02 am, edited 1 time in total.
765nkp
Posts: 776
Joined: Sun May 06, 2007 9:24 pm
Location: st louis, mo

Re: Mich-Cal 1.5 Shay.

Post by 765nkp »

A friend of mine has one of these for sale that isn't finished, it does have a boiler and runs on air if anyone is interested? Send me a PM, and I can get you his contact information.
Nice looking engine by the way!
User avatar
oscar g
Posts: 16
Joined: Sat Dec 17, 2016 3:48 pm
Location: Prescott ,AZ.
Contact:

Re: Mich-Cal 1.5 Shay.

Post by oscar g »

Steamer Al wrote: Sun Sep 12, 2021 6:06 pm Sweet! Looks great. I've got the Live Steam build series from the 1980's and always thought it would be a fun first locomotive for me to build. How are you finding the build difficulty up to now?
The part that gave me the (how do I secure ?) this boiler tube in the lathe chuck, without it creeping out. The steady rest that came with my 12"x24" Grizzly does'nt have the capacityto hold a 4.5" diameter tube (something to consider) just another tool to make. Jammed a block of wood inside the tube, hand cranked the tube to center it in the new steady rest and used an intake valve locked in a drill chuck fastened in the tailstock, (there was enough pressure to keep tube from creeping out of the chuck when powered up.
Attachments
DSCN0655.JPG
DSCN0656.JPG
DSCN0657.JPG
DSCN0658.JPG
DSCN0660.JPG
User avatar
Harold_V
Posts: 20231
Joined: Fri Dec 20, 2002 11:02 pm
Location: Onalaska, WA USA

Re: Mich-Cal 1.5 Shay.

Post by Harold_V »

Something to ponder.

Material generally creeps from the chuck when using a steady because it (the steady) isn't properly centered.
Once material is secured in a chuck, if you install your steady in the position you hope to use, and leave the top open, or all of the jaws retracted so the piece can rotate without touching, begin your steady adjustment that way. The piece should be well centered in the chuck, but the jaws left loose enough for the part to walk as the (steady) jaws are adjusted. Begin by tightening the lower two jaws, bringing them in with the piece rotating at a slow speed. Listen to the contact, which starts out intermittent. When one jaw is making a constant sound, adjust the second so it, too, sounds uniform. Close the steady and bring in the third jaw, following the same procedure. When all three are in contact, back each one off slightly, and repeat the operation. One does this to ensure that no single jaw is over tightened, causing the part to run off-center. That is the very thing that causes the part to walk out of the chuck.

When you have the steady properly adjusted, the chuck should then be fully tightened, taking care to not lose center.

So long as the piece you intend to turn isn't too heavy to overcome the chuck's ability to run it without sagging, this method is the most precise approach to setting a steady. Setting it near the chuck then relocating has its issues. I do not recommend that procedure.

HY
Wise people talk because they have something to say. Fools talk because they have to say something.
User avatar
Dick_Morris
Posts: 2841
Joined: Sat Jan 04, 2003 2:09 pm
Location: Anchorage, AK

Re: Mich-Cal 1.5 Shay.

Post by Dick_Morris »

I didn't have a steady rest for the 12" Atlas lathe I used to square off the ends of my 8" diameter boiler shell and surface of the pipe isn't very smooth to use the bearing for the steady rest. I supported one end with the outside of the chuck jaws and the other with a spider supported by a center at the tailstock end that was just smaller than the I.D. of the shell. The spider was a piece of 3/8" plate with eight set screws around the periphery. There was a small slot for each set screw to access its head so it could be adjusted with an Allen wrench.
User avatar
NP317
Posts: 4557
Joined: Tue Jun 24, 2014 2:57 pm
Location: Northern Oregon, USA

Re: Mich-Cal 1.5 Shay.

Post by NP317 »

I used a similar setup to turn the smokebox ends on my Atlas 12" lathe.
A slow and successful operation.
RussN
Smokebox1.jpg
Smokebox3-small.jpg
User avatar
oscar g
Posts: 16
Joined: Sat Dec 17, 2016 3:48 pm
Location: Prescott ,AZ.
Contact:

Re: Mich-Cal 1.5 Shay.

Post by oscar g »

A few more boiler parts. The copper tube lengths aren't sized yet. Have to make a tool to flare the ends when the boiler tubes have been welded. The copper tubes did not fit in the 5/8"holes, seems they were over-size by a couple of thousandths (metric sizing)? brought to a sliding fit by using an adjustable reamer. Next, working on the boiler support flanges.
Attachments
DSCN0148.JPG
DSCN0149.JPG
DSCN0150.JPG
DSCN0151.JPG
User avatar
oscar g
Posts: 16
Joined: Sat Dec 17, 2016 3:48 pm
Location: Prescott ,AZ.
Contact:

Re: Mich-Cal 1.5 Shay.

Post by oscar g »

These angles will support the boiler, by the support rods, (after they are welded) . Copper rivets are not set.
Attachments
DSCN0160.JPG
DSCN0169.JPG
DSCN0170.JPG
DSCN0171.JPG
DSCN0172.JPG
DSCN0173.JPG
User avatar
Lovesthedrive
Posts: 263
Joined: Sun Dec 18, 2011 10:52 pm
Location: Downeast Maine

Re: Mich-Cal 1.5 Shay.

Post by Lovesthedrive »

Very nice work, looking forward to your updates.
Did you bother to consider making a seperate set of trucks so you can operate on both 7.5 and 7.25?
1969 MF 40 Industrial
rrnut-2
Posts: 691
Joined: Mon Jul 18, 2011 7:40 pm
Location: Bennington, NH

Re: Mich-Cal 1.5 Shay.

Post by rrnut-2 »

You don't need separate trucks. On my wife's 1.5sc Shay, I keyed the axles for the wheels, set screws in the wheels and only move the none geared side the 1/4" to run on either 7.25" or 7.5". This has worked great for Adirondack Live Steamers 7.25" track and Train Mountain. We have never had a problem.

Jim B
Post Reply