3/4" Scale J1e

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JBodenmann
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Re: 3/4" Scale J1e

Post by JBodenmann »

Hello My Friends
Thank you JD. No progress on the Hudson for a while as I'll be working on finishing the railway. Things have dried out and weather is going to be nice for the next several weeks.
Jack
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JBodenmann
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Re: 3/4" Scale J1e

Post by JBodenmann »

Hello My friends
Well it's been a while since any progress was made on 5344. The current push will be the tender trucks, mainly the spring rigging. Here we have an axle box and half brass bearing. I like half brasses as they allow great flexibility. These brasses are cast bronze.
Truck1.jpeg
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Here is a look into the axle box showing the brass in place. These bearings are arranged like the old Nelson Gray one inch scale trucks. Once the axle is stuffed in, the bearings can not come out of place. There will be a small piece of felt under the axle to distribute the oil.
Truck2.jpeg
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Today the leaf springs will be started. They will have leaves of spring bronze and delrin. If all the leaves were bronze, the springs would be far too stiff. More to come...
Jack
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JBodenmann
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Re: 3/4" Scale J1e

Post by JBodenmann »

Hello My Friends
Some Commonwealth tender trucks used only coil springs, some used both coils and leaf springs. The trucks used here use both. The leaf springs shown here are .020" spring bronze. There will also be .020" Delrin leaves. Here we are using the kick shear to make leaves that are .245" wide. This is nice material to work with. It shears and drills easily, unlike spring steel. For light duty like this it will be just fine.
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After shearing to width, they were cut to length with tin snips. After all the springs are cut out they will be radiused with a form tool and the arbour press. The binders and shackles will be investment castings. One spring pack will be assembled to determine the length of the shackles. I want all the axle boxes and spring rigging to be very free moving and flexible. That really helps things stay on the track, which is important. Having fun here.
Jack
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Truck11.jpeg
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JBodenmann
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Re: 3/4" Scale J1e

Post by JBodenmann »

Hello My Friends
Here is some progress on the Commonwealth tender trucks. This is a fixture that was used to locate the leaves for drilling. Just a simple brass scrap with a slot milled to accept the leaf for drilling.
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And here it is in action. A short screw machine drill was used.
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Now we have an assembled spring assembly. The leaves will be radiused. I will initially over radius them. After the tender is assembled and filled with water and coal, the springs will be adjusted so the journal boxes are at the desired height in the pedestals. These springs, although made of bronze instead of steel will most likely be too stiff, and will act more as equalizers than springs. Some of the Delrin leaves may end up being shortened to soften them. This can't be done until the tender is mostly complete.
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Here is a look at one of the trucks. These are very nice castings.
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Masters and molds will be made for the shackles, binders, equalizers, and the shackle perches for the end of the springs. Castings for full clasp brake rigging will also be made. I already have shoe, and key castings, but a new brake head mold will need to be made, along with levers, links, and guides. Loads of fun little baloney.
While waiting for castings the one piece copper bottom will be made, and the tender sheet metal will be started. For me this is the really fun part. I just love the look of all that brass. Sometimes it seems a shame to paint it, but then real steam locomotives were usually black weren't they. And after all, this is a real locomotive isn't it, only tiny. Too Much Fun :D
Jack
765nkp
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Re: 3/4" Scale J1e

Post by 765nkp »

Thanks for all the pictures Jack. Great work!
I have a pair of 1.6" commonwealth trucks to build for a Mopac Mikado. I have no drawings so everything you're sharing is helpful!
Thanks Tim
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JBodenmann
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Re: 3/4" Scale J1e

Post by JBodenmann »

Hello My Friends
Thanks Tim. Commonwealth trucks can be a handful to assemble. I have some nice castings but no model drawings. I have prototype drawings though, and they are all I need. I have also assembled several pairs of them in the past and that definitely helps. I was only in the shop briefly yesterday, but I managed to get one master made. This is the link perch for the ends of the leaf springs. I don't think that is the correct name for this little part but it will do for now. These will be soft soldered to the ends of the top leaves. I'm not completely happy with the shape and will probably remove a bit more material.
Truck70.jpeg
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Today I may make the equalizers. There are four per truck, so a master will be made and then molds and castings. All this little baloney will be cast in yellow brass. The spring rigging is simple compared to the brake rigging. Clasp brakes will be made and they have two brake shoes per wheel. A gaggle of links, levers, pins, and castellated nuts. Too much fun??
See You In The Funny pages...
Jack
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JBodenmann
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Re: 3/4" Scale J1e

Post by JBodenmann »

Hello My Friends
I had a good time in the shop today. I didn't break anything or hurt myself. The objective was spring rigging. The master for the equalizers was made. It's an odd shaped little fellow as you can see in this sketch. 3/8" x 1/2" brass was used.
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It was whittled away on as you can see here.
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And a bit more.
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Until we arrive here. It's not exactly like the sketch, but it may get some more attention tomorrow. The big slot is for the two pins that it will pivot on.
Truck74.jpeg
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Here is another scribble. This is a shackle. These will connect the perches on the ends off the leaf springs, to the ends of the equalizers. A simple little part, but a bit of a puzzle to make. Sometimes the simplest little part can be the most difficult. Once again a master will be made to pull a mold off of. There are sixteen of them for pair of trucks.
Truck75.jpeg
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That' all for now.
See Ya' Later Alligator.
Jack
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Greg_Lewis
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Re: 3/4" Scale J1e

Post by Greg_Lewis »

JBodenmann wrote: Thu Jun 08, 2023 8:57 pm
I didn't break anything or hurt myself.

To dream the impossible dream, to reach the unreachable star….
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.
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JBodenmann
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Re: 3/4" Scale J1e

Post by JBodenmann »

Hello My Friends
Thanks Greg. Here is a bit on making the shackle. This is a very simple part, but requires some planning to make. Here we have some 3/16" x 1/2" brass.
Truck76.jpeg
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Two 5/32" holes were drilled.
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Here we are cutting a 1/4" slot.
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These next two snappies show things starting to go together.
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This is my usual slice, dice, and silver solder method.
Truck80.jpeg
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JBodenmann
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Re: 3/4" Scale J1e

Post by JBodenmann »

Now it's time for some silver solder. Here everything has been cleaned and fluxed. Some tiny pieces of silver solder have been placed here and there.
Truck81.jpeg
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And here is the part after silver soldering. Now it will go for a swim in the acid pot.
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Now the excess material is being removed.
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The areas marked with with a Sharpie will be removed.
Truck84.jpeg
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Here the excess material is being milled off.
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Odyknuck
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Re: 3/4" Scale J1e

Post by Odyknuck »

Making such small parts from scratch is simply amazing IMHO!
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JBodenmann
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Re: 3/4" Scale J1e

Post by JBodenmann »

Here we have our finished part hanging from the equalizer.
Truck87.jpeg
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And here is a sort of mock up showing how the parts relate to each other. The leaf spring presses down on the axle box. The ends of the springs link with the shackle, which links to the equalizer. Actually a very elegant set up. It's all held together by the force of the springs. Still to be made is the master for the spring binders, which will hold all the spring leaves together. At the extreme ends of the trucks there will be a coil springs and an adjustor. Once the tender tank is made and filled with coal and water the springs will get some attention. With the final weight of the tender evident, the springs can be radiused and adjusted by shortening the Delrin leaves. The axle boxes should be about 3/32" up off the pedestal binders with full load of water and coal.
Truck88.jpeg
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The spring rigging should move very freely, allowing all the wheels to remain on the rails over uneven track. These trucks, although very nice castings, were originally set up with coils springs only. They probably would have worked OK but I want little 5344 here to be a very accurate model. And this will include details that you will have to look closely to see. The more you look the more you will see. Too much fun!
Jack
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