Iconic Aircraft Aviation Forum

Evening readers,

I managed yesterday to go to Ed’s to do the next bit of the Buffer Beam Gussets.







These will now just need a 1.5mm rad adding to the edge we have just produced, I can do that at work with a form cutter so hopefully i’ll get that done before Christmas.

Thanks for looking.

I have always admired people with the skills to make scale models of anything from scratch and enjoy seeing this project as it progresses, it makes my plastic modelling look like cheating somehow.

Old Rigger wrote:I have always admired people with the skills to make scale models of anything from scratch and enjoy seeing this project as it progresses, it makes my plastic modelling look like cheating somehow.

I find this a lot easier than Airfix or even OO gauge modeling. There's some people out there that can work magic with plastic kits and I expect you are one of them. I did loads of Airfix as a teenager and was never happy with any of them.....

Thanks for responding, during my apprenticeship in the dim and distant past I was taught and was not to bad at lathe and machining in various metals for aircraft work, but one highlight was producing a screwdriver with a knurled handle, don't think these days I could get close to what you do, so keep posting your updates it is good to see.

As for plastic modelling, I am not any where near as good as those who have their models in magazines and modelling sites, but I aspire to produce something decent each time before I get dis-illusioned with it, like I did with the Chinook in 18 Sqd anniversary colour scheme and I know the bits I have not done .

Old Rigger wrote:I have always admired people with the skills to make scale models of anything from scratch and enjoy seeing this project as it progresses, it makes my plastic modelling look like cheating somehow.

Not at all - scratch kits are just an extension of a plastic kit IMHO

I have made balsa and ply scratch built scale models (see my Avatar - 1/10th scale Spit) but I have never been able to add stunning lifelike paint finishes to plastic kits - I don't understand paint weathering techniques - shading etc. I did like making things look 'right' ... I used to heat up the bottoms of main wheel tyres and then let the weight of the model bulge the bottoms of the tyres and leave a 'flat' bottom - then I used to heat a bit of sprue and extrude it to spider web thin to make aerial wires and the like ... love that kind of thing

I have never been able to actually design a scratch built model - but I have been lucky enough to have a lifelong mate who can ... he draws scale pieces in Corel Draw - emails them to me and I print them - stick them to wood (could be metal) - then cut around the shape and then I have a kit of parts not unlike a plastic kit which I then assemble

What you don't see is all the things that go wrong - my Dad makes grandfather clocks and he says for every clock ticking in its case there are 2 more in the scrap box under the bench
With that Spitfire it took absolutely ages because I spent more time repairing things and altering the design after disasters than actually building - for example ... one day a gust of wind slammed the workshop door - that shook my set squares on their bracket in the ceiling above me - the largest one fell off and went straight through the recently finished Spitfire wing - at speed - leaving a gaping hole .... back to the drawing board ...
AND - when I finished the motor mount I couldn't resist having a trial run of the motor ... I opened the throttle too wide and the motor pulled its mount apart and destroyed the nose and then flew all the way across the workshop on its own, thoughtfully unplugging the battery cables as it went That entailed a complete redesign and rebuild of the entire nose

My mate and I have always joked all our modelling lives that - invariably - a 1/72nd Airfix plastic kit's first instruction was ... Cement Pilot (1) to seat (2)
So in scratch building all you have to do is make the pilot and the seat first

The hard part of this railway engine build - as I see it - is the precision required - and understanding what bit is what ...and fits where

Its all very absorbing though

Thank you for your latest Update VB. Also, thank you Spitfire for the story about your problems with your model aircraft.

PW

Just a quick update for tonight to show the Buffer Beam Gussets finish machined. At some point i'll need to make a small angular bracket for these at some point, the bracket goes over the 2 holes (the bracket will have clearance holes in) and provides the 3rd mounting hole for the front steps.




That's probably the final update on the little 9F this year. I'm hoping to get the pro set up next week for doing the inner gussets after Christmas, we will see however, we are currently very busy at work and things are always changing so I'll have to see what happens.

I also found this on YouTube, its footage of 92220 Evening Star nearly 30 years ago on the Settle and Carlisle with 12 coaches on the back, would of been lovely to of witnessed the noise first hand.



Hope a few enjoy that.

And I hope you all have a good Christmas.

Thanks for the update, VB. Those gussets are really looking good.

Thanks VB. Look forward to seeing your continuing Updates in 2017.

Terrific YouTube clip.

PW

There's nothing like a GOOD gusset at Christmas

MC & HNY

Evening Readers,

Turns out that this will be the last update on the little 9F before Christmas. As I mentioned in the previous update, I was hoping to get onto the Pro this week to make a start on the Inner Gussets that go with the Outer Gussets. These are pretty much the same but a little bit smaller. Because the Pro is available ive gone about them in a slightly different way. It makes producing the cut out between the bolt flanges a little easier, at the cost of how much time it takes to machine.

Anyway, after op 1, they look like this





And yes, that was me that tried to plough through the vice jaw.....

I also took a bit of wobbly video on my phone of a couple of passes roughing these out, I did this for the benefit of the guys that read this on the Model Engineering forum but i've left you guys the link.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQfWQPJ ... e=youtu.be

And with that, Happy Christmas and a Merry new year.

Thanks for the Update VB and for all your Updates throughout 2016. Wishing you a Merry Christmas and a Happy (and productive) 2017.

PW

Evening readers.
First update of the year and i have not a lot to show you. Works been quite busy so i keep getting kicked off the machine i'm using how ever i have got the Inner Gussets I started just before Christmas almost complete.





these now require the same ball nose treatment the Outer Gussets got at Ed's house a while back. Because these are smaller they wont be able to go in the tip up V so i need to make a V at the correct angle to hold these for finishing off.

I have also started the U channels, again on the Pro but I think i'm getting kicked off it it monday morning.



One of the joys of the Pro is that all that material has been removed with me writing just 8 lines of program, the machines control wrote the rest for me......

Thank you VB. I never cease to be amazed at the wonders and capabilities of 'modern' technology. When I started work, we were still using 'Ready Reckoners' and 'Slide Rules' (Calculators had yet to be invented!).

PW

Concur, thanks for the update and do look forward to seeing it coming together and the completed item. As to slide rules, found mine in the attic a while back and had not a clue how to use it and yet it was second nature during my apprenticeship.

Thanks gents. The Pro is about 15 years old now so decidedly old compared to what else we have. It was built for doing bits like this however. It's a hybrid machine so you can use it as a fully manual machine or as a CNC but does lack certain features such as hole tapping, but like I have said in the past, its for making small batches with minimum Program and set up times.. What you see there with the U channrls has taken about half an hour of my time and it ran from lunch time into the afternoon.

Old Rigger wrote:Concur, thanks for the update and do look forward to seeing it coming together and the completed item. As to slide rules, found mine in the attic a while back and had not a clue how to use it and yet it was second nature during my apprenticeship.

I remember 'investing' in a 'top of the range', 'Hemmi' Slide Rule (it had a laminated bamboo core, so that it slid very smoothly- unlike the plastic ones). Cost me £5.00 (which was nearly 2 weeks wages, on my £3. 4 shillings (£3.20) a week, first year Apprentice wage! Still got it though.

PW

34053 wrote:I remember 'investing' in a 'top of the range', 'Hemmi' Slide Rule (it had a laminated bamboo core, so that it slid very smoothly- unlike the plastic ones). Cost me £5.00 (which was nearly 2 weeks wages, on my £3. 4 shillings (£3.20) a week, first year Apprentice wage! Still got it though. PW

Similar - back in '73 I was working as a Department Manager for British Home Stores and every Monday we had to work out what each till had taken the previous week (no central till points then - each counter had a till so 150 in total)
We had to present the manager with a sheet on which was ....what each till took that week - percentage againt the store total - matched percentage to last week - last month and same week last year ... all done on my plastic slide rule - and very good it was too ..
But I spent a weeks wages (£13) on one of those new fangled calculator things
Worth every penny - did the job in less than a third of the time
However we had to do 9 copies and there were no photocopiers - so it was carbon paper and press REALLY hard
Happy days

Evening readers, couple of things to show tonight, first of all the U channels are (apart from deburring) finished.



I havnt missed a hole in the top one, its the picture isnt very good.

I have also made a V to finish off the Inner Gussets I've been doing.



Usually, machining this sort of thing, you would expect to use a sine bar or similar to set the angle. I have done it slightly different, this is just as quick for a one off. Basic maths gives us the required dimensions. So does another handy feature on the pro, I input the 90MM and 6 DEGREES and the machine told me the rest.



we then throw the bit into the vice and using the X and Z axis, set the block at the required angle..



when the values are as required, we know we are at 6 degrees.




A quick way for a 1off.

More soon hopefully.

#whatdidtheydointheolddays

Many thanks,VB. Fascinating stuff.

PW

Evening all, its been a while!!

I have been rather busy at work so work on the 9F had all but stopped. However, I have got a few bits and bobs done, so in no paticular order ive drilled the replacement sade plates for the rear drag box



And finally finished some little gussets for the vertical stretchers I started many moons ago. Also included are a couple of images of the fixture I used.







And i've also made the 4 angles that go in the join between the front Buffer Beam and the Frame plates.


Further to this, Eds been Busy again, he has made the mounts for the Brake Cylinders and there fitted Bolts. And he has also milled out some new Rear brake shaft Carrier Brackets, I will get images of these in due coarse.

Thanks for looking in.

Thanks for the update, VB.

Good to see things are still progressing.

Thank you for the latest Update VB. Keep 'em coming.

PW

Nice update - even though still in Swahili

Those are real workers hands ... and love the parcel tape on the calculator