Railroad Warehouse 2.8.2 Mikado Logger Build

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

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Odyknuck
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Re: Railroad Warehouse 2.8.2 Mikado Logger Build

Post by Odyknuck »

After seeing how nice the cylinders and saddle looked against the Pilot beam and Pivot plate, I had to paint them too! I used high temp paint on the parts and baked them in the oven to cure. Before I painted the Beam I drilled and tapped it with 1/4 - 20 for mounting the coupler pocket. Of course, assembly was not without issues. As it turns out the PO broke a drill or tap in one of the Pivot plate mounting holes. I did not catch it and broke a bolt in the shallow hole. So out comes the drill and easy out. The broken bolt came out fairly easy.
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PilotBeamFramePainted.jpg
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PilotBeamand PivotPaintedAndMounted.jpg
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PilotBeamMounted.jpg
PilotBeamMounted.jpg (340.48 KiB) Viewed 521 times
Odyknuck
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Joined: Mon Aug 08, 2022 4:21 pm
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Re: Railroad Warehouse 2.8.2 Mikado Logger Build

Post by Odyknuck »

i have been pondering the mounting of the smokebox to the boiler and decided on 4 weld on mounts to boiler and smoke box I.D. So, I made these up using an old Allen wrench. Drilled and tapped the parts going in the Boiler with 1/4 - 20 and straight drill in the parts in the smokebox. The nuts will be used as spacers during the smokebox welding, then removed.
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Odyknuck
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Re: Railroad Warehouse 2.8.2 Mikado Logger Build

Post by Odyknuck »

I was concerned about what material the reverse links were made of. We did a Brinell test on them and the value is 155. Essentially 1018 Mild steel.
So, I decided to case hardened them with my Oxy/Acetylene torch. I heated them until they were turning orange and tested with a magnet, then quenched them in motor oil. They blackened up however not uniformly, so I glass beaded it off. Tomorrow we will retest the Brinell. Then I will Blue them up to protect from rusting. We will also be making the crossheads tomorrow out of Bronze 954, yea!
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ReversLiknksHeatTreat.jpg
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ReverseLinksAfterHeatTreat.jpg
ReverseLinksAfterHeatTreat.jpg (204.81 KiB) Viewed 517 times
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Harold_V
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Re: Railroad Warehouse 2.8.2 Mikado Logger Build

Post by Harold_V »

Odyknuck wrote: Fri Mar 10, 2023 3:32 pm So, I decided to case hardened them with my Oxy/Acetylene torch. I heated them until they were turning orange and tested with a magnet, then quenched them in motor oil.
Hmmm. What else did you do? That, alone, won't harden mild steel. Carbon must be introduced.
They blackened up however not uniformly, so I glass beaded it off.
That's about all I'd have expected.

Are you familiar with pack hardening? Requires a furnace and takes a little time.

H
Wise people talk because they have something to say. Fools talk because they have to say something.
Odyknuck
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Re: Railroad Warehouse 2.8.2 Mikado Logger Build

Post by Odyknuck »

Not familiar with Pack hardening and do not have an oven for high temperatures. Based on some research a lot of people were doing it with only a torch, so I followed suit.
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Bill Shields
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Re: Railroad Warehouse 2.8.2 Mikado Logger Build

Post by Bill Shields »

Not with 1018 you won't. Listen to Harold.

Look up case hardening.

I have used Casenit (Kasenit?) for years to accomplish what you are attempting.

There are many similar products that do the same.
Too many things going on to bother listing them.
Odyknuck
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Re: Railroad Warehouse 2.8.2 Mikado Logger Build

Post by Odyknuck »

II google the Kasenit and now understand what Harld is talking about. There are a several guys on Youtube using it with a torch and not an oven, is that an acceptable method? It looks like it can be bought thru Ebay from across the pond. McMaster also offers a hardening compound however does not elaborate on what it actually is.
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Bill Shields
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Re: Railroad Warehouse 2.8.2 Mikado Logger Build

Post by Bill Shields »

I have always used a torch, but that is me . Generally not a direct flame

Smaller parts I have done on a piece of scrap sheet steel on the kitchen gas stove using one of these heat sensing widgets,

Even heat distribution is the key.

Follow the instructions on the can
Too many things going on to bother listing them.
Odyknuck
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Re: Railroad Warehouse 2.8.2 Mikado Logger Build

Post by Odyknuck »

So, we retested the reverse links and they are now 30 Rockwell.
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Bill Shields
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Re: Railroad Warehouse 2.8.2 Mikado Logger Build

Post by Bill Shields »

If all you did was torch them, then they were not 1018.

Does the die block still slide through the arc?
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Harold_V
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Re: Railroad Warehouse 2.8.2 Mikado Logger Build

Post by Harold_V »

Bill Shields wrote: Sat Mar 11, 2023 4:48 pm If all you did was torch them, then they were not 1018.
Yep! I agree fully.

It is NOT unusual to encounter medium carbon steel, which readily heat treats. The 30 R (I am assuming that represents the c scale) that is reported would be reasonable to expect. If the material was high carbon steel,one could have expected over 60Rc. Mild steel simply does NOT have enough carbon to achieve either of those levels of hardness.

The only problem I can see with any of the materials used for superficial hardening when done by a torch is the limited depth of hardness that can be achieved. If wear is an issue, it may not be deep enough to prolong the useful life of the item. Pack hardening or oven hardening offers the ability to increase that depth. It is reputed to add about ten thou per hour of soak time.

H
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Dick_Morris
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Re: Railroad Warehouse 2.8.2 Mikado Logger Build

Post by Dick_Morris »

For what it's worth, the prints for the full sized Alaska Railroad 557 call for case hardened steel on both the link and link block. After 250,000 miles the original link block was worn and we replaced it with one from a hardenable steel alloy. The link had little to no wear.
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