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[benjaml1]

Have you got any detail of how you constructed the gear box case please


Peter

I just fabricated brass around a HPI Racing "Savage" reverse module number 87032 that I bought on e-bay. I'm afraid I draw on metal not paper as the design was in my head...   Third channel allows me to select forward neutral & reverse, the reverse seems to be be a reduced ratio...

I had to cut the extended shaft off & manufacture a coupling to accept the drive & that was about it...

[HS93 (RIP)]

OK I did not think you milled it out of the solid but could see no Join lines, I have used one before and am about to again and your casing looks much  better than the black plastic, I am thinking of a way to use the Gizmo's that comes with it to give me forward reverse in another boat the same a the old Cheddar unit did with two channels and a Gemini

[benjaml1]

Silver solder & then profile with a belt sander & that leaves no lines, just like wood..... Join, plane & sand..... I think you can use 2 channels with a mixer but that is beyond my expertise I'm afraid...

[benjaml1]

Changed a few things as it looked too "woody".....Few more details & it will be good for this year.  Next winter, more internal detailing....

This has a cavernous deep keel which I filled & grouted with lead shot to overcome the possibility of rolling caused by the high C/G coffee pot boiler...



The green is closer to GWR livery, not as "bright as seen here...





"Artists impression" of the final paint/colour scheme. The green here is closer to actuality...



My pump on/off/ duration components...

[Underpressure]

Can't wait to see it on the water.

Nice work 

[benjaml1]

I'm aiming for open day in May at Cheddar if not before.... 

[Bernhard]

hi........thats  a great boat.. .......bot i better like it ,with  the old wood look before ..      maby just with the lower part paintet?........

Regards Bernhard

[Underpressure]

hi........thats  a great boat.. .......bot i better like it ,with  the old wood look before ..      maby just with the lower part paintet?........

Regards Bernhard

There's no pleasing some people 

[benjaml1]

hi........thats  a great boat.. .......bot i better like it ,with  the old wood look before ..     maby just with the lower part paintet?........

Regards Bernhard

I too struggled with the thought Bernhard. The problem was the " wood"  finish to the hull was a little unstable ( it was coming off in places) . Orion moldings kindly sent me a match to touch up or would have gladly repainted it for me free of charge. I had trouble matching & indeed the finish would have needed a total repaint. That meant me sending it back/shipping etc. with all of those hassles, I too am disappointed . The truth is also there was too much wood with little highlights. You have achieved the weathering of wood & materials to the level of an art form, I will one day attempt to come close. Today, I will have her outfitted as a pristine steam launch, who knows what tomorrow holds...  

[Bernhard]

Hey  Oh  OK..so do i better understand it,,,i like the green color,,look good ,,,When i did try to make the Wood look on the River Queen, i used, the Braun color fore leather..and so 3 times with the good old floor lack...works real fine
Regards Bernhard

[benjaml1]

Thanks Bernhard, that does look very nice indeed... 

[benjaml1]

After my visit to Cheddar Steam Club I decided I would also like the option of using disposable gas canisters. This now allows me to use the fixed tank or the canisters. Also up front is an auxilliary water tank that doubles my boiler feedwater capacity.. Took me all morning to make that cover ( by hand, I don't have machine tools) & it's a lot shinier than the pic shown... I now have blisters...  




 

[Bernhard]

Great ide,,,,,,,,,,looks good to

[Neil]

Hi Benj,

I have a sSun and a Star, or that's what they are supposed to be.

I foolishly stripped them both to pain, and refurbish, and, in the process, lost the timing.

Has anyone got any ideas of where I would get the info to "put things right"?

As an aside, I bought a 5" Test Boiler about a year or so ago. I finally got around to "giving it a run". I noticed at the end of the run, that the main steam supply globe valve had turned on the boiler about 30°. I thought that was more than odd, as it started off being "nice and square". On closer inspection, I noticed this dreaded lead colour at the base of the valve. I got some soft jawed pliers and gave it a little "tweak". Yep, it fell off in my hand.

Some potential murderer had soft soldered the valve into place.

That was a waste of £850 it seems. I'm not game to fire it again.

Cheers to all.

Neil

[derekwarner]

Neil..... all cannot be lost...post a few 'jpgs........if I can visualise the main steam isolation valve has been soft soldered into the boiler bushing [1/4"x 40 or 1/4"x 32 tapping]

OK.......remove it ....lap the boiler bushing....install a new the steam isolation valve as the temperature of even soft soldering would have exceeded the 205 degrees C limit for the VITON o-ring

If you have the time or resources....you could fully strip the isolation valve & renew the valve seal o-ring & clean the threadform....[by die-nut] ..& recommission the boiler with fibre or annealed copper washers sealing the isolation valve

Naturally check all other boiler bushings & plugs for signs of leakage as you increase temperature/pressure whilst observing the appropriate safety standards ....etc

All is not lost.....Derek

[benjaml1]

Here is the timing diagram....No 1 piston at TDC with the eccentric drive at 110 degrees. Dial in with correct rotation to make sure you remove all backlash.

[Circlip]

Was it the valve or the valve bushing soft soldered Neil??

  Regards  Ian.

[benjaml1]

Finished (for now,)  time to sail....Where is that sunshine ?...

[Underpressure]

That is going to turn a few heads at Cheddar.

Nice work.

Neil

[benjaml1]

Thanks Neil, my first attempt at steam. If it wasn't for the guidance of the members of this forum I couldn't have done it.....

[Neil]

That's fantastic.

I envy people with that kind of patience (which I have dray loads of), but the talent is the ingredient that matters most.
If someone could tell me how to time these engines, I will be very grateful. I have a couple of the Stuart Boat Engines, this one, and a Star, but the names are open to conjecture, neither look anything like these examples, in regard to the finish.
I think, in my case, I should buy "factory made".
Nick is a name ringing in my ears right now.

Cheers.

Neil.

[benjaml1]

Neil, If you see my pevious post I have posted a timing diagram. I would "guess" the Star & the Sirius would have the same timing.... As for patience, I am retired & it has been a long winter.. Still here as far as I'm concerned...

[TAG]

Most impressed with your ST sun driven boat, you must have put in a few thousand hours in building the set up.
I note from your pictures and descriptions that you have an electric feedwater pump under electronic control.
Any chance you would explain the principles of the electronic control?

[benjaml1]

Basically two timer relays. You can get dual function relays but they are harder to find & more expensive. Sadly I do everything in my head & do not put things down on paper ( like a circuit diagram.) However, when one timer times out it starts the other, when that times out it starts the first. That way you can alter the duration the pump is on & also the frequency of cycles. IE Pump on for 1 minute, delay of 30 seconds, both being independant & configurable. Later I propose a smarter circuit with boiler level being the control factor...

[TAG]

Thanks for explaining how your electronic control works, inactual fact it is simplicity its self. Should you want to initiate pumping from the boiler itself I have a couple of systems which can do this by either sensing the boiler water level using a probe which screws into a suitable spare bush or the other way is to "look" at the water level in the gauge glass a la Cheddar models method.
Unfortunately both systems have come to a grinding halt as they are both based on programmable chips (PIC) and the club member who did the programming for me died late last year. I have tried to teach myself to do the programming myself but to no avail. I have yet to find some one to help.