Upper Trunk Timber and Logging Company: Yep....It's been a while.....

Sunday, August 9, 2015

Yep....It's been a while.....

Last year, I was informed that a foundry furnace was up for sale. Over 20 years ago, I had met the owner and he cast an item for the Fitchburg. Apparently, he had passed away about 5 years ago and family was now selling off his tools. My cousin had informed me that a furnace was up for sale and I went to investigate. When I heard the name and location, I flashed back 20+ years. His family was getting ready to load it into the roll off dumpster. Nobody wanted it and they couldn't sell it. When I shared my story and excitement about acquiring it, his widow came to tears. She was so thrilled to know that the furnace was going to be put back into service. And so it has been. So far, I'm casting only aluminum. And in the upcoming posts, I will be sharing items I have cast. Some will be available to purchase. Some will be railroad related and some will not. But all of it has been a blast to make.

Switch Throw

Description: This is a positive acting switch throw. Meaning, once the throw lever is dropped into either resting position, there is no way for the cam to rotate. So even having tree branches fall on it or bumping into it or stepping on it won't accidently cause the switch to change position. Not unless the lever is raised and lowered into the other position. The extra main shaft length is shown to indicate that an extension with your own targets can be easily added.
Also, lever travel does not necessarily need to be parallel with the rail or even near the switch. Use your imagination.
$25.00 each,
or,
$45.00 a pair + actual shipping cost.

Step 5

The location for the Throw's pivot should have been center drilled in step 3. Now position the throw lever in the vise to drill and ream the hole for the pivot pin. This should be an undersized reamer to make for a nice press fit of the pivot pin. Once the hole is completed, saw, grind, and file the excess material beyond the pivot and make a nice radius around the pivot pin location. This will allow the throw to move without interference with the bottom of the base.
Carefully press the dowel pin into the lever and check for fit. The lever should move freely. If not carefully file away a little material from the throw.

Step 6

Assemble the Throw into the pivot location and then slide in the main shaft, followed by the Cam as pictured. If the throw interferes with the cam, you will need to file a little material off the throw. But before doing so, make sure there is no flash or match line step causing the interference.
Once the cam and Throw can be rotated without interference, mark the center for the cam follower. Mark the Throw in both positions.
Then disassemble.
Transfer the marked center lines to the surface of the Throw where the cam follower will be located. If they match in the middle, great. If not, split the difference and center punch the cam follower location.

Step 7

At my local "box store" there is a section of miscellaneous hardware items. In there I found these nylon bushings. Yes, nylon will expand a little when exposed to water. "A little", being a few thousands, as in .005. And in the grand scheme of this switch throw, .005 will not be a factor.
So, as pictured, I found nylon bushings with a .194 diameter hole which is perfect for a 10-32 screw. I chucked the bushing up in the lathe and took about 1/8" off the end making it just under 3/8" long. Then countersink one end for the screw head to sit below end surface. Drill and tap the throw lever at the marked location and install the follower bearing.
My bolt was a little longer than needed, so I filed it down even.
I also used a little Loctite on the threads to keep the screw in place.

Finishing it up and assembling

The last thing you will need is a throw arm which is fixed to the main shaft below the base. This arm is then linked to the points on the switch. This arm will need to be fabricated to meet your specific needs.
The one pictured was made from 3/4" round stock with a 5/8" shoulder turned on one end. Then a 1/8" flat stock was ground to shape after a 5/8" hole was drilled on one end. The flat stock was then welded to the round and two set screw locations were drilled and tapped.
A simpler arm could actually be welded directly to the main shaft because the set screws in the cam can hold orientation.

So to assemble: first insert throw lever into pivot hole, then place cam on base engaging follower bearing, now insert main shaft and snug set screws in cam.
Providing care was taken during drilling and reaming operations, your switch throw should be ready to give years of service.

"Splinters of Wisdom" August 2013

At one of the last meets I attended a couple weeks ago, I received a "not so serious" critique. It was in the form of, "Hey, How's come I haven't seen any "Splinters" lately? My initial response was, "I just ran out of thoughts." My second response was, "Why haven't you sent anything in for me to publish?" Sarcastically, he replied, "Cause, I don't know anything." Oh, that was not the truth. Which again, brings me to a thought I have very frequently and I really wish you guys would take this very seriously. Your opportunity to share your life experiences, hints, tips, tricks, i.e. "your splinters" is growing narrower each passing day. Accept it or deny it, someday, you will have permanently lost your chance to really make a difference in this hobby and enrich it with your insights. I can not stress this point enough or put it any other way. The day you "wished" you had sent something in, will be too late. Everyone will miss knowing, just how wise you really are or was. By no means is it bragging or boasting, it is allowing other a rare glimpse into your workshop's mind.
Alright, enough of that, just send your stuff in and stop putting it off.
On with the "Splinter". Now as some of you may or may not be aware, I am not fond of or proficient at silver soldering. Let's face it, I'm rarely successful. I usually have too much heat going and tend to either warp or burn beyond recognition the part. And soft soldering is not much better. On the average of 10 attempts to solder something, I will actually get the desired result 3 to 4 times. If I can weld it or solder it, I will chose welding. In fact, my gas welding is more successful than silver soldering. And some guys can do it with their eyes closed. I am just not one of them. My last attempt at silver soldering was a total disaster and both pieces ended up almost destroyed.
So, what's the alternative for a guy like me? Well, if bolting it or pinning it, or welding it is not an option, there really isn't much left except to remake the piece as one instead of two. That's great except when it comes to sheet metal work. Case in point: the Heisler cab I have under construction. Most of the pieces are assembled together via rivets, or small #2 or #3 screws. However, there are a couple of 1/8" thick sheet metal pieces that require silver soldering. And to put things into my perspective; that equals two pieces that stand a 70% chance of having to be made over again, and again, and again....you get the drift. And in the back of my mind, I already have one piece burnt to a crisp and warped to represent a pretzel. It's the things nightmares are made of. So what's the alternative I ask myself again. These two pieces are specifically the front cab wall and the front window frame. And according to Kozo's plans, they get silver soldered,(sandwiched) together then the windows get cut through them. Well, I could rivet the two pieces together and hope they hold as shapes get cut. And then it hit me. Why not just glue them together. And then I chuckled out loud. I could just imagine steaming down the track and having a window frame fall off the front of the cab. Ok, maybe I just won't put it on, period. Oh, won't that will look just marvelous? So, back to this gluing thought. I have some (no promoting any particular product) Loctite assembly adhesive. I have used it in the past and in order to get the two parts back apart required a press with significant tonnage. Needless to say, I was impressed with the holding power. So, why not give it a try? Can't be any worse than my silver soldering attempts. In fact, I actually have a 70% chance of being more successful than soldering it together. So I did. I let it set over night, but that is not required.
I can only say, wow! They are stuck, for sure. I have not yet cut the windows into them, but I don't foresee and issues. And the best part is; no scorched or warped parts. And no scrap.
So, the next time you have some tricky assembly ahead, explore your "sticky" options. Searching online is a good start and most websites have Technical support that can answer your questions and even offer suggestions. Lastly, consider this, the automotive industry utilizes alot of adhesives in the assembly of modern vehicles. More than you can imagine. And most of those joints fail beyond the bond. Meaning, the metal will fail before the joint. Isn't that wild?
Take Care,
Martin

"Splinters of Wisdom" January 2013

Happy New Year fellow Steamers.
My New Year wish for all of you would be that may you coal always be dry and your steam be super satuated.
I have had a few people tell me that the first thing they do when they get our club's newsletter, is to flip over to the back to read this column.
( And for those of you reading this on my blog, Mr. Clark of LSLS is responsible for putting out our club's newletter and each month, he checks to see if any new "Splinters" has been posted here on the blog so he can copy it and get it into the newsletter. And with that being said, I would like to thank Mr. Dick Clark for all he does for our club.)
Anyways, if you really enjoy this column, then consider submitting a tip or trick you have for doing jobs in the shop. You don't have to be a literary genius, I would be happy to help you organize your thoughts. (and even give you credit for having organized thoughts.)(he he). So sit down, jot down a few thoughts and drop me a line. Because if you haven't noticed, I've run out of thoughts. (I'm sort of surprised I had this many.)(another he he)
So, on with this year's first "Splinter". While working out a program on my mini CNC mill, I kept using an LED style trouble light to light up the tool and the part during the cut. As you can imagine, this got to be a hassle. A few months ago I had bought some lights from the local auto parts house. These were the kind that are comprised of a string of surface mounted LEDs on a flexable strip, with some adhesive strip on the back. The package I bought had two strips about a foot long each and each strip had 18 LEDs. So, I opened a set and mounted them to a thin strip of mylar. I then wrapped the whole gizmo around the spindle so the strip of lights stuck down just below the spindle. Secured it with a couple of rubber bands just long enough to see if it would give me some decent light on the endmill. And it does. And does quite well. These LED's are very bright so you don't want any of them shining at your eyes. Now, you might be asking yourself, "self" how are those things powered? Well, they are 12 volt. And since the amperage is so low, a small power adapter from Radio Shack would easily handle those lights. Or, you could use a 12 volt battery. Or a couple of hamsters in that spinning cage thingy.
Happy New Year

"Splinters of Wisdom" October 2012

Yea, I know, it's been a while.
Well, partially because you haven't sent anything in to be posted and mostly because sometimes, the juices just don't flow.
However, there are a couple of things which came to my attention and one is of major historical importance so pay attention.
Lindsay's Publication has just sent out their last catalog.
Hello, are you paying attention? Wake up! This is the famous Lindsay's Publication, you know, Lindsay's Technical Books. The How To's of how to. These are the people who brought you all the Vince Gingery, "how to" books on making your own lathe, mill, shaper and drill press. Then there's the Coffin Making and Undertaking, How to make moonshine, brandy and cordials, how to pour cast iron, brass, and aluminum with your home made foundry. After February 28th there will be no more orders taken for their books.
I personally have a few of their books, which by the way, ain't part of the library, so you can't check them out.
So, if you have never enjoyed the true origins of wisdom found in the Lindsay's books, jump online and check out what's available, then get your order in and call it an early Christmas gift. And if you don't have the internet you can always send them a fax at 815-935-5477 and order their LAST free catalog. The catalog alone is a gem.
Their web addy is www.lindsaybks.com
And now for the not so history making "Splinter". On the old South Bend lathe I usually have a couple of files sitting in the chip pan located under the ways and carrage. Well the like any fine antique they tend to leak oil. And it just so happen that I had parked the carrage over one of the files and the next time I went to use the file, it was soaked in oil, on both sides. Now, if you've read any of my past posts, you will recall the one a while back discussing the care and maintance of files. And in the discussion, keeping a file dry is of the up most importance unless you're working aluminum. Well, I really wasn't too upset because that file was so loaded up with metal that just wouldn't clear out of from between the teeth. I had used a file card to no avail so I figured this one was about spent. I grabbed a different file from the toolbox and finished what I needed to do. Picked up the oil soaked file and was getting ready to knock the handle off, but instead decided to see if chalk might get some of the oil out. Chalked it up real good and took a wire brush to it. Chalked it again and wire brushed it again. The chalk was soaking up the oil and starting to dry out the file, but more importantly was the fact that the metal which would not clear, was coming out too. The oil had soaked in far enough to loosen the metal and let it fall out. Hey, I may have stumbled onto something here. By the time I had chalked and wire brushed that file about 5 times per side, it was almost as good as new and there was absolutly no metal loaded up in the teeth. So, now I guess I must revise my earlier post to clarify, that can use oil or kerosine on a file, just make sure you dry it out completly with chalk before you use it. Unless of course you are filing aluminum, then you should brobably use kerosine to keep the aluminum from loading up the file with just a few strokes.
That's all I got for now.
Don't forget to get your order in to Lindsay.....going, going...gone in 4 months.

"Splinters of Wisdom" July 2012

After taking a couple months off, it was pointed out to me that I should think about posting another Splinter. Honestly, I had not realized that it had been a couple of months. Wow, that time really flew by. But, before gettting on with this month's Splinter, I must share that the Mrs and I took a trip down to Cass at the end of last month. I got to climb up into the Heisler and take a lot of pics. They had a "Meet the Shay" day in which anyone could hop up into the cab of a special Shay. Special because this Shay was the Official State Locomotive of West Virgina. And while I was up in that cab, I got to blow the whistle for as long as I could tolerate the screaming in my ears. So, needless to say, I climbed out of the cab stone deaf and with a permenant grin stuck on my face. I can still hear that whistle. What a thrill.
So, on with this month's Splinter.
A couple of things have come up over the past few weeks since the battery issue rolled off the press. My friend, Richard has been on a quest to find a better controller for his units and has even gone as far as to fabricate his own circuit board and solder in components. He even tested his unit and had great success with the results. However, at one of our last club runs, there was a member there who had a really nice controller in his unit and told us quite a bit about it. After looking the company up, we decided to pay them a visit and find out a little more about them. Dimension Engineering is awesome. A medium sized facility with very modern automated equipment. We purchased a SyRen 50 controller which is a 50 amp (continuous) 100 amp peak controller. We played around with it for a couple of days and upon accident, I dropped a resistor on the controller while it was powered up. All of a sudden the output to the motor stopped. (I broke it) Oh, was I torqued off. Well, that was on a Sunday. I called the company and left a message that I would be dropping by with my broken controller on Monday. When I dropped in Monday after work, the owner just smiled at me and said, "What did you do?" I told him the truth and he asked to see the unit and then motioned for me to follow him. We went back to the assembly area and he put the controller on the scope, located the bad component, unsoldered it, soldered in a new component, put it back on the scope and tested it. (it actually took me longer to type the repair sequence here, than it took him to fix it) I was amazed. I asked for the damages and he reminded me that there was a one year warranty on the unit. Even though it confessed to causing the problem, he was not interested in any payment.
Richard and I were so impressed with the quality and specs of the controllers, the staff and their interest in our needs and applications, that we obtained a distributorship from them. So as a side note, if you are considering the purchase of a controller, give either Richard or I a call. These controllers are probably one of the best units out there. I say that because of the fact that they are built in the USA. They have a one year warranty on the entire unit. The flexibility of the unit in various formats and the ease of installation (no soldering or blade connections to come loose) is unsurpassed. And it's very compact ( about half the size of the others) Oh, and did I mention, very affordable.
The other Splinter topic is on how to keep you milling table cleaner and almost chip free all the time. This one came to me after I cut a pair of pants off to make shorts. I went to throw the cut off leg into the trash and took a second look at the size of them. I walked out the shop with both of the legs pieces and neatly spread the out onto either side of the vise on the Bridgeport table. Initially they looked kind of strange and even "felt" awkward. But, after carving on a few pieces of steel, it became very obvious that having them there was going to make clean up really easy. So, now when I cut off a pair of pant leg to make shorts, I keep the cut off legs to replace those old ones now on the table. And it really didn't take very long before that awkward feeling faded.
Take Care and Have Fun Always.

"Splinter of Wisdom" April

Wow, that seemed like a
short spring, or is it still here? Well a couple of things have come
up in conversations at the track and this one in particular seemed to
spark (pun intended) some interest. I do not want anyone to think I
am any kind of authority when it comes to the topic of batteries so
that is why I grabbed this blurb off internet. All the info listed
below came from the BatteryMinderers.com web site. I also want to
make perfectly clear that I am not endorsing for promoting any
specific kind of product. I just found some interesting info and in
talking with fellow club members, there seems to be a degree of
misinformation that could use some enlightenment. Bare in mind that
some of this info may be worded to prompt the reader to choose a
BatteryMinder product. So keep that in mind as you read. My intent to
bring to light some information which may smack in the face of common
beliefs and hopefully inform and educate some so performance and
application can be better matched ultimately resulting in greater
understanding and satisfaction. Off hand, I do not know how many
articles there will be with regards to batteries. My hope is that
this may prompt you to hit the net and do some searching of your own.
But until then, enjoy!
Choosing the Right
Battery for Your Application
Up to 85% of the 70 million new batteries sold each year will die
before their 5+-year design life is up. *The main reasons for this
are...
Poor maintenance
Vibration
Contamination,
Overcharging/Undercharging
Incorrect application - Buying and using the wrong type/size
battery for your application
Choosing the right type / size battery:
Whether you have good or bad service from your battery will first
and most importantly depend on choosing the right battery for the
right job. Unfortunately most mass retail stores don't have the
trained personnel to help you with this most important decision. A
store specializing in batteries is your best bet. Remember that it's
not what you pay for the battery, but how long it will give you good
performance that determines the real cost of the battery. Think long
term when buying a battery. Each battery has its strengths and
weaknesses. No battery is the perfect solution to any application.
Reducing the "negatives" of each battery type for your
particular need is the process we will help you with.
Starter Battery-Maintenance Type (filler caps)
Most commonly referred to as
automobile/truck starter type. Least expensive (initial cost)
Not to be used for non-starting
type applications such as running lighting, deep cycling (trolling),
fish finders, electronics.
Must not be deeply discharged and should be re-charged
immediately after being used.
TIP 1: Never use a battery rated only in Cranking Amps (CCA) for
anything but starting.TIP 2: Always charge a starter battery as
soon after using it as possible.TIP 3: Always purchase a
maintenance type battery (w/ filler caps), if you plan to properly
maintain your battery and are not concerned about locating/operating
the battery in a con-fined area.TIP 4: Always buy the
largest/highest rated battery possible to reduce the depth of
discharge in order to maximize its life and reduce total cost.TIP
5: Always think of the cost of the battery you are going to buy in
terms of performance, safety, and convenience. Total cost/cycle is
what you should be concerned with, not just initial price.TIP 6:
If you are NOT planning on using your battery on a every day basis,
such as in seasonal type equipment, be sure you have a means of
keeping it fully charged for long periods with-out ever risking it
being over-charged. Batteries kept at full charge at all times
without being over-charged will last 3-5 times longer than those that
are allowed to self-discharge.
Starter Battery - Maintenance Free Type (no filler caps w/ liquid
electrolyte)
Sold as never needing maintenance
i.e. water.
Good for people who never want to
know what is going on "under the hood".
Satisfactory for most starter applications in frequently used
equipment. Disadvantage: Can't determine health of battery without
using an accurate digital volt meter or load tester, even if they
are equipped with a state-of-charge, aka: Charge Level Indicator
window.
TIP 7: Don't rely on the "Charge Level Indicator", aka:
"Magic Eye" for accurate state-of-charge. They are
notoriously inaccurate, especially in stationary applications like
emergency generators.
Starter Battery - Sealed Gelled, AGM, or Dry (no filler caps
-electrolyte is "non liquid")
Much more expensive than
non-sealed liquid type.
Can be operated in any position
without risk of spilling.
Have a lower rate of
self-discharge than non-sealed maintenance and/or maintenance-free
(liquid) batteries.
Are considerably more sensitive to
overcharging and self-discharge, which can cause serious damage and
shortened battery life.
Recommended for applications where little or no checking
and/or maintenance can easily be performed.
TIP 8: Consider the potential benefits vs. cost of these types
before making a buying decision.TIP 9: Check the output of your
alternator/generator-voltage regulator settings before replacing your
standard liquid type battery with any non-liquid sealed type to be
sure your charging system does not overcharge it.TIP 10: Never
allow a sealed "non-liquid" battery to self-discharge below
11.5 volts or permanent damage can occur. Special charging equipment
and/or procedures may be needed to recover sealed batteries that have
been allowed to self-discharge below 11.5 volts.TIP 11: To
prevent self-discharge during periods of non-use/storage, maintain
your battery using a constant voltage type charger with end of charge
to prevent over / under charge.TIP 12: Always use an accurate
digital voltmeter or similar device to determine your sealed
batteries true state-of-charge. Remember to let your battery "Rest"
for 12 hours or longer before testing its voltage.TIP 13: Knowing
the exact voltage of your battery can help you to accurately
determine it's state-of-health.
Voltages and Specific Gravity (s.g.) of
battery at various levels of charge:

Voltage S.G. Capacity
12.6 - 12.8 1.265 s.g.= 100% Charged
12.4 - 12.6 1.225 s.g.= 75% - 100%
12.2 - 12.4 1.190 s.g.= 50% - 75%
12.0 - 12.2 1.155 s.g.= 25% - 50%
11.7 - 12.0 1.120 s.g.= 0% - 25%

Deep Cycle Battery - liquid - maintenance type with filler caps
Designed to deliver maximum
capacity through hundreds of full cycles of charge.
Discharge without damage. Ideal
for trolling motor, RV service (house) battery applications.
Can be left in discharged state
for extended periods without serious damage.
Best used in pairs to maximize
capacity, while reducing level of discharge to a minimum in each
battery.
Should not be used in starter type applications where heavy
current draw is required over a short time period.
TIP 14: Never mix old and new deep cycle batteries in a series or
parallel set-up.
TIP 15: Never combine different type batteries (Gel, AGM, Sealed,
vented) in one set-up.
TIP 16: Try never to discharge any deep cycle battery below 50% of
capacity, in order to maximize cycle life.
TIP 17: Try to recharge deep cycle batteries as soon after
discharging them as possible.
TIP 18: Because most deep cycle batteries are used on an
infrequent basis i.e. not ever day or week, self-discharge and plate
sulphation can become a serious problem. Maintain at full charge
without ever over charging them.
Deep Cycle (non-liquid) Sealed, Gelled and Absorbed Glass Mat
(AGM) w/o filler caps
Can operate in any position and
confined areas.
Have all attributes of maintenance
type deep cycle batteries as described above.
Cannot be checked accurately for
state of health, due to being sealed. Use "resting"
voltage (see chart) to determine state-of-charge.
Rate of self-discharge is less than vented, free electrolyte
(liquid) batteries, but serious recharge problems can develop if
left uncharged for too long. Remember a battery can loose up to 1%
of its capacity a day when left uncharged.
TIPS 14-18 apply to these as well.
Battery Chargers/Maintainers/Conditioners
Choosing the right battery for the job is only half the story. Now
you need to choose the right device to properly charge, maintain and
recondition them, once they start showing signs of aging.
Battery chargers that do not have
an "end of charge control" or too much output current can
ruin a battery in just a few hours.
Avoid charging any battery in a
time period of less than 24 hours, unless you need to place the
battery back in service in a short time.
If a battery is charged slower it
lasts longer.
Pulse type chargers with end of
charge controls minimize the heat build-up during charging, while
decreasing the time needed to fully charge battery.
Minimizing plate sulphation
build-up by keeping your battery at full charge at all times, can
extend its life by as much as 300%.
Using de-sulphation equipped conditioner-chargers early in
the life of your battery will guarantee maximum performance, as well
as longer life.
TIP 19: Never leave an unregulated or so called "automatic"
charger connected to your battery overnight, unless it shuts off
completely.
TIP 20: Avoid the use of "trickle rate" chargers that do
not have an automatic float mode or current control circuitry that is
guaranteed not to overcharge your battery.
TIP 21: Keep your battery at full charge at all times without ever
overcharging it. By doing so you will always have maximum power,
eliminate additional sulphation build-up, prevent freeze-up (to -
40°F) and extend your battery's useful life.
*Battery Council International, January '98, 12 months - Nov. '95
- Oct. '96

"Splinters of Wisdom" March

Hot dog, Spring is just around the corner. Of course I'm not totally convinced that Winter ever got off the ground. Hopefully, the ground froze enough to keep the bug population from carrying us off this summer.
This month's Splinter did not hit me until a few minutes before I logged on here to write one. I was turning a piece for the Heisler and was using a left hand HSS lathe tool bit ground from a half inch square blank. I needed to switch over to the other side of this shoulder I was turning so I could cut the other face of the shoulder. I really don't have many right hand tools because I mostly turn going toward the chuck. In other words, for the majority of my turning the carrage starts at the tail stock and moves toward the chuck. I took the left hand tool out of the holder and went over to the grinder to regrind it and make a right hand tool out of it. Then it dawned on me. What if I was to just rotate or roll the tool along it's lengthwise axis? I cound now use the top of the tool for the face and the previous face would now be the top. And to make it even easier to grind, I just hold the tool up on it's edge. Normally you grind a lathe tool setting flat on the tool rest, like this [ ]. To grind this, roll the tool bit up on a 45 degree. So now the tool sets on the grinders rest like this "V". So, I gave it a try and sure enough it worked just fine.
Now this may be no "ah-ha" moment for you because you already knew this. But I must admit that in my 35 years of playing with machines, this had never dawned on me.
Well, it could have been worse, I may never have figured this one out.
As a side note, I got a phone call from someone who read this article and could not picture what I was trying to explain. So, I went back in here and tried to change some explaination around so it may be easier to understand. I honestly can't figure out any better way of expressing what I did. But if you can't picture what I am talking about, just give me a call.

On a different note, I was asked to make mention of an issue regarding the life span of those ity-bity "O" rings used in the connection piece of the typical air brake system. Apparently, most folks try to limit the "connect / disconnect" cycle of the air brake lines because the tiny "O" ring has a very short life span. From what I have been told, it's around a dozen connect / disconnect cycles before they start leaking and need replaced. When the topic came up, I asked if any lubrication was being used on the part sliding through the "O" ring. The response was, "sometimes, but not everyone does it." It was then I joking mentioned "nose grease".
Yea, I got some strange looks with that one. But, after I explained that the natural oil from the average person's skin is really a very fine and superb lube. And on most persons that are about 4-6 hours post bath /shower, a swipe across the forehead or along the outside of the nose will collect a small amount of very fine oil. Now, if that oily finger was to distrubute that fine oil on the male portion of the air brake connection, one would probably notice that it slide past the "O" ring very nicely. So, the next time you are putting together a train, run your finger across your forehead or along the outside of your nose, collect a little oil and rub it on the connector and see if it doesn't make things slip together a little easier and maybe extend the life of the "O" rings a bit longer.
Take care,
Martin

"Splinters of Wisdom" February 2012

Hello,
Boy, what a winter. This has been ideal for working in the shop. Occasionally using a small propane heater, but usually dressing in layers has done the job. So needless to say, the Heisler has been coming right along. Chassis is done. Trucks are done, except for the brake rigging. Engine is done. Fire grate and ashpan are done including real rolling ashpans. The upgraded steam dome & throttle is done except for the relief valve fittings. Boiler and smokebox is 95% done except for the exhaust. So I believe the plumbing from the throttle to the blast nozzle is next on the list to get underway. Then the water supply plumbing, pumps, checks and valves. In "92", I built a Braum single cylinder steam pump, with the plans to put it on the Fitchburg, but that never happened. Besides the Fitchburg was 2 1/2" scale and the pump just didn't look the right size for it. So, I still have the pump and it looks like it may see service on the Heisler. The dual ram axle pump, tender hand pump and the Braum makes three.
Well, on to the "Splinter" for this month.
For some time now I have been keeping my eye on a suitable material for making a spark arrestor for the Clishay and eventually the Heisler. While the open mesh office items offers decent material, it's almost impossible to reshape and seam together with any kind of decent looking results. At least it was for me. The material is powder coated and even if you sand or grind the finish off, there is some still left in between the edges of the mesh and it contaminates any efforts to solder or even silver solder. But, all hope is not lost. I was wondering throught our local Hobby Lobby store today and came across a sheet of aluminum mesh material used to provide shape and form for plaster and paper mache crafts. It is a very fine wire mesh and super easy to shape. The need for a rigid frame is probably a given; however, the trade off here is that this stuff is so easy to work with, it may just be worth the effort. Yea, it will deform very easily if you throw the arrestor around, but you can easily straighten it back out. The other nice aspect is that once a rigid frame is made, the material can be easily stitched on with copper wire. Which means it can easily be replaced as needed.
Boy, this will be much nicer than those two mesh pencil holders soldered together face to face.
Take care,
Martin

"Splinters of Wisdom" Janurary 2012

I have a couple of things on my mind for this month and the first one is related to those little compressors you can find at Harbor Freight for about $25 on sale, $29 not on sale.
Ok. First of all, they are nice little compressors and seem to be well built, but there is a weak spot that can be managed if you take the time to do so. The connecting rod is held to the crankshaft's crankpin by a socket head cap screw. The one I had somehow worked itself loose and before I realized what was wrong, the unit was destroyed. I was using the compressor to power my large air horn which I installed in my little pickup truck. I did not realize there was a problem until the air pressure would not come up. That's when the problem and weak spot was found. So to fix the problem, take the four screws off the end cover of the compressor end and you will see the crank and screw. Just make sure it's tight.
The other little tidbit is related to bolts and threads. I was making a hydraulic pump mounting bracket for the Honda 5.5hp engine on my little switcher. I needed 4 bolts to mount the bracket with and thought they should be metric, but I just so happen to have a 5/16-24 bolt handy and it went right in for about 1/2" and then seemed to bind up just a little. My first thought was that maybe some dirt, greese and grit had gotten in the hole long before I got the engine so I grabbed a 5/16-24 tap and started to run it it. Right at the first full turn the tap was cutting chips, so I stopped. I figured something was not right. I knew that Honda's were usually metric, but this standard bolt went right in for about a half inch. But the tap seemed to be too large. So finally I went to my metric taps and just so happen to find that m8x1 is so close to a 5/16-24 that mistaking the two would not be difficult at all. So finally, after convincing myself that the Honda was in fact metric, I went to the local hardware store and bought 4 metric bolts and everything was fine.
That's it for now.
Take care,
Martin

"Splinters of Wisdom" December

Well, it's almost that time of year to think about just how Santa is going to stuff that loco down the chimney. My theory is as follows: the reason I never got a big choo choo for Christmas is because once that jolly bugger got it built, he just couldn't stop playing with it.
Anyway, I had gotten an email from another list geared more toward CAD/CAM topics. One of the guys on there made mention of a free CAD drafting program. I was a little suspecious about just how free it was, but after downloading, it does still appear to be free. There is some marketing toward purchasing the upgraded "professional" version, but so far this version does not appear to be crippled in any way.
The software is called DraftSight and here is the web site addy.
http://www.3ds.com/products/draftsight/overview/
So for those of you who would like to try your hand at a CAD drafting program, this looks to be a decent start. Now I will tell you that each time you try to open and run the program, it does want to connect to the internet. I think it's trying to contact the home website. But it's very easy to tell it "No" and move on to your drawing. The other nice feature is that you can actually do three dimentional drawings and export them a .dwg files. Dwg files are an industrial standard. So you can actually draw a part, save it to a thumb drive or disc, take it to your local machine shop and they can cut your parts without trying to read that chicken scratching on that old oil splashed post it note pad.
That's all I got. If you happen to get this and try it out, let me know how you like it.
Take Care and have a Merry Christmas.

"Splinters of Wisdom" November

Yes, I have been off the net for a while but I was able to jump on here to share a few things for November. I had a 6 inch dial caliper for quite sometime up until the day I bumped it off the Bridgeport table. Now, you don't have to be very bright to figure out that dropping a dial caliper just about any distance over 2 feet is not going to do it any good. After the fall, the repeatability was just not there. I kept having to double check my calipers with my scale. Yea, I know, why do I need calipers if I can use a scale and get close enough. Well, I use calipers like micrometers which is close enough for trains. But anyway, I had gotten an coupon from Harbor Freight and they had 8 inch stainless steel dial calipers on sale for $10. Ten bucks, are you kidding me, I can't buy a decent 12" scale for $10. So I figured the worst that can happen is I am out $10. Of which case I would call it a cheap education. After spending about an hour checking out the different calipers and the feel of how they traveled along the beam, I came home with my first digital caliper. On one hand I was very dissapointed with myself for buying something made in China, because I try very hard to stick with domestic products, but on the other hand I was really excited about trying out my new calipers. I was very impressed with the repeatability and accuracy. The really neat thing about them is if you play around with them a little bit you can figure out just how to use them as a calculator. Addition and subtraction is easy, it's that trig part I'm still working on.
Enjoy your Thanksgiving and Christmas and take care.
Martin

"Splinters of Wisdom" August 2011

Been working on the Heisler a little and the next little task was boiler needed the tubes swedged into place . The boiler is steel and the tubes are steel. They have been cut to length and already slid into place. The tubes are 3/4" o.d. with a .050 wall stock. My first attempt was to use a long shaft with a taper leading to a diameter which gave about a .006 per side squeeze once drove home. I figured to start on the front end and once the technique was perfected then move to the firebox end. Well, regardless of how I tried the tubes kept sliding out of the way. It took me a couple of hours, but finally came to the conclusion that this was not going to work. Try as I may, I just couldn't remember how I did the Fitchburg's tubes. I did however remember that those were copper. So the next step was to build a drawbar style swedger. Spun up a couple of tapered pieces, cut hexs on one end and tapped them 7/16-20. That was the largest size rod that would still leave some heft to the wall thickness of the tapered pieces. Chased some threads on a rod and gave it a try. Put a little way lube on the tapers and screwed everything together. Started out with a 3/8" ratchet, but torque resistance soon demaned a 1/2" ratchet and even that was not enough. Again it took a couple of hours to realize this was not going to be successful. The taper ends were galling inside the tubes. So now I'm beginning to consider replacing the steel tubes with copper ones, but I would save that as a last resort. I called a buddy of mine to see if he had any round stock that was heat treat-able. He did. Got the round stock and turned a 3 degree taper per side on about a 4 inch length, polished it up and parted it off. Heated it up with the cutting torch to a nice cherry red and dropped it in a can a motor oil. Once cooled it went back in the lathe and got the chared scale polished off. I did not draw it back and a file barely made a mark on it. So I'm guessing about 55-R. O.k. let's give this a try. This time from the firebox end. Got a nice big round of brass rod, set my tapered piece in the tube and with the brass rod as the extension, I drove it home with the ball peen hammer. Looks good. Got a set up stud, "T" nut and hex nut from my Bridgeport clamping set up stuff and jammed everybody in place to keep the small taper from backing out while I hammer on the front of the tube. Turned the boiler over and drove my other longer taper home on the other end of the same tube. Eureka! It worked. Within an hour, all the tubes were swedged and flaired. Took two days to figure it out and what a learning experience.
Take care,
Martin

"Splinter of Wisdom" July 2011

Well, dispite my best efforts, at our club's Open Run, the Clishay was just not going to cooperate with the thoughts of running. Apparently, a piston ring or two has taken on the personality of stuborness. So after about 4 years of running, it looks like a minor tear down is in the very near future. But that's not the topic of this "Splinter". So what's up? This "Splinter" revisits the topic of belonging to a group of deversified people who all have a common interest in trains. Yea, I know, I've talked about this before but, you guys never sieze to amaze me. Take for example the newly installed lift behind the Stanik car barn. Mr. Foster has done one amazing engineering job and he had me really scratching my head when I paid serious attention as to just how that thing moves. And to just how few moving parts it really has. One part of my brain understands it and the other part still says, "What the...?" Awesome job, Dave.
So, back to the slight hiccup with the Clishay. As I am in the middle of ripping out the power plant in the steaming bay, I had more "useful?" suggestions than I knew what to do with. At one point, I wished for a hand granade with the pin already pulled, but after looking back at the scenerio, where else could you have such a playful group of guys standing around and picking on each other, knowing full well that everyone of those guys was wishing that all would go well with the engine. And the best help they can offer is a sense of humor. And let me confirm right here and now, there is no way I would trade any of it for the world. I cherish every second. I cherish the fact that everyone of those guys feels so comfortable with knowing that I am not going to "pull the pin" and go off on them. For the love of Pete, it's just a hobby and one day soon, we will find ourselves wishing for those days gone by. So my wish is that all of us can remember to take a step back when we may feel frustrated with a situation and give ourselves a minute to bring things into perspective before reacting. When you take a step back, you get to see the forest and not just the trees. Is it easy, not always, but it certainly is an attribute to be honored.
Take Care and have fun always,
Martin

"Splinters of Wisdom" June 2011

Well summer finally seems to have arrived. One of my club's fellow members, Mr. Foster, gave a little tip for making quick work of figuring out what to do in the bearing box department on your next project or maybe even a rebuild. There are slick little items known as "take up bearings" and they basically are a square block with a bearing in the middle. They have some lateral movement incorperated into the design of the unit and they also have a grove along each side to slide within a framework. So the next time you are looking into designing your next project, you may want to check out an online bearing house or your local dealer. Thanks for the tip Dave.
My next topic is regarding the correct use of a Cresent wrench. Now mind you, this is meerly just a suggestion. I really don't wish to have a whole slew of hate mail from folks defending their 50+ years of using a Cresent wrench the other way. However, if you are inclined to be the kind of person always looking to make improvements in shop practices, then you might just be interested to know that there is actually a correct way to turn a Cresent wrench. And it's just a simple at always having the fixed jaw lead. And if you think about it, it does make sense to turn it that way because it puts the least amount of stress on the adjustable jaw. It's that simple.
And now for a little insider news. Today I got an e-mail from Village Press. I had called because I did not get my last issue of Live Steam and I thought that maybe my subscription had run out. So I called to check and got everything straightened out. And in the process I had remembered that a few months ago, probably close to a year, Neil had asked for imput from people who had either owned or built a Clishay. They were considering a reprint of the article with some improvements. Well, I asked about the progress of the article and received an e-mail from Village Press stating that hopefully before the end of this year a reprint of the Clishay series will begin. Providing that all goes as planned.
So, remember folks, you heard it here first. And if you heard it first somewhere else, it's probably just hear say.
Take Care.

"Splinters of Wisdom" May 2011

After a very wet spring, I finally had a chance to go out and do some MIG welding. I am using wire that does not require a gas shield. It's called flux core. The configuration of this wire is similiar to a welding rod that you use for an arc welder only this wire is a welding rod inside out. Instead of the powder like coating being on the outside, it's on the inside. And just like an arc welding rod it is highly susecptible to moisture. So when you have let your flux core wire set in you MIG unit all winter and super saturated spring, the wire is pretty much ruined. This is most evident by the quality of weld you get with flux core that has a moist core. The weld bead ends up looking very poor. So what are your options ? Well, first off you can pull the spool of bad wire, toss it and buy another one. But depending on the size of the spool, that could be a huge loss. However, there is another option and so far it seems to be working quite well. And this solution starts out in a strange spot; the evening news. One evening, I'm watching the news and the reporter was talking about how the electric company has finally figured out a way to make all of us pay for those "curly" light bulbs that no body wanted. Now, I had a couple of bulbs in the house that needed replaced and I had no replacements on hand, so one day I went to my local Lowes and started looking through the lighting department. I came across an 8 pack for a relatively low price. And for those of you who know me well enough, I did look for American made bulbs. No luck and Edison rolled over. Anyway, I picked up the 8 pack, headed home and put some of them into service. I hate the looks of them to start with and the fact that they have mercury in them is even less appealing. But, I figure I really can't knock them if I haven't really given them a try. The first thing I noticed was that regardless of how long they have been turned on, they don't get too hot to grab a hold of. This got me to thinking. One of the big issues I have with putting a light bulb in a box to keep my welding wire and rod dry, is the risk of something getting too hot and maybe catching fire. But now with this "curly" light bulb, they didn't get that hot. So I put one inside my MIG welder box where the wire spool is housed. The idea is that everything in the box is steel except for the plactic spool itself, so the risk of anything getting melted is about zero because the bulb doesn't get too hot and the spool is too far away from the bulb. However, the heat from the bulb will be enough to keep that wire warm and core dry. The other nice thing is that I don't have to rethread the wire through the stinger when I want to weld, nor do I have to remember to take it all back out when I'm done. I just have to leave that 15 watt "curly" bulb in the box. And those bulbs have some serious hours of life to them. So they should last all winter. I can't believe I just mentioned winter and this last one is barely over...
Hey, do you have a "Splinter of Wisdom" you would like to share with the club ? Just let me know and I will be happy to post it and give you the credit you deserve.
Enjoy.

"Splinters of Wisdom" April

It's hard to believe that the year is already 1/4 over. And it's even harder to believe that there is still snow on the ground. My birthday is at the end of February and as a kid, I remember my Grandma getting me box kites for my birthday. I remember being able to go out and fly those box kites on my birthday or theres about. It was cold this winter and I went through about 4 cords of wood this winter and only 3-1/2 last year. And we're still below normal temps. Sort of looking forward to that "Global warming" to kick in....Anyway, If this winter happened to kill any of your batteries, you'll probably be heading out to your favorite auto part house to replace it. Well when you do, keep this little thought in mind. As you walk up to the battery rack, take a close look at "all" the batteries in the size you want. And take a close look at the date codes on them. You will probably notice different date codes. If you are picking up a pair to run that 24 V electric loco, you might want to consider getting matching date codes. I went to my local parts house and noticed that some of the batteries in the rack were of one amperage while the ones behind them were 10 to 20 amps higher. Same battery, same price, different date code and the higher amp ones were not maintanance free. I don't like maintanace free batteries. I like being able to keep an eye on the water level and add it as needed. The newer, higher amp batteries also seemed a little lighter. So I'm wondering if they are being made out of a "less lead" material. Only time will tell if they are any better, same or not as good as the old style. So, there ya go. Before winter hit, I gave you a way to keep your batteries charged without cooking them dry. And if ya didn't do that and them wet cells be dead, now you have a couple of ideas to help you hunt down their replacements. See ya on the rails.

"Splinters of Wisdom" March 2011

On an internet newsletter called LiveSteamers, a discussion was brought up about check balls. Apparently a lister was constantly having to tear down his home made check valves and replace the stainless steel ball. He described it as always being scaled over eventhough he uses water treatment. He has tried chromed ones and they don't last nearly as long as the stainless steel ones. So I replyed back to the list and shared with them the great discovery I had using ceramic balls in all my checks. In the 3 years I've been running the Clishay, I have never had (knock on wood) a problem with my home made checks and the ceramic balls. I can take one of them out and it looks the same as it did when installed. Now, I realize there may be some of you who have seen me run the Clishay say, "wait a minute, I have seen him carring a wrench and crack open that check by the crosshead pump to get water pumping back into the boiler." and you're right, I do have to do that, but it's not caused by a problem with the check, it's the fact that my preheater is too close to the firebox and turns the water to steam before it gets to the crosshead pump if I don't keep the bypass flowing enough. And what you see me doing is basically "burping" the feed water line.
So, if any of you struggle with a grouchy check, the answer just might be trying a ceramic check ball. I get mine from www.vxb.com and you can buy one or one hundred. The really nice thing I like about ceramics is that they are so light that you really don't have to use a spring to hold them in place. And being so light, they are really fast to seat. And they come in all kinds of sizes, standard inch and metric.

"Splinters of Wisdom" Janurary 2011

Late ??? Yea, I'm a little late... But, better late than never, yes? I have actually had a topic for quite some time, but everytime I tried to get sat down to jot it down, I got distracted.
So, anyway, Happy New Year !!!
I hope the start of this year has been looking favorable for all of you and I am looking forward to this years runs. But, I digress so on with the Splinter.
I don't know how most of you view snap rings, either internal or external, or E-clips, but personally anytime I have to remove one, I never have the right sized snap ring pliers or if I have one that's even close, I have to grind the points down to get it to come close to fitting in the holes. But that's not the half of it, once that bugger clears the bore, ssppooinnnggg...it's gone. Now I know why their called snap rings. I'm lucky if I don't catch it in the eye. I have heard them leave the immediate area at about mach III and I know they attain orbit in only a matter of seconds, and that's from inside the shop. Well, all that's about to change. Next time your at your favorite office supply, pick up a roll of 2" wide clear shipping tape. Then the next time you have to remove a snap ring, put a piece of shipping tape over the area. You have to use a large enough piece of tape to intercept the snap ring as it attempts to gain orbit. I would cover the entire end of the shaft and pierce down through the tape to get a bite on the snap ring, then lift the snap ring off and up into the tape. Now if for whatever reason, the tape just doesn't seem to allow you access to the snap ring, you may want to consider some modeling clay. Again surround the snap ring with clay and then apply your pliers, open the ring and lift it off and up into the clay. This may seem a pit awkward, but it sure beats the option of trying to find a replacement snap ring when you don't have one to compare it with. Now, as a last resort you could use a rag, but it's really difficult to see what your doing with the rag, been there done that and still lost the snap ring. I'm just glad they burn up on re-entry...

"Splinters of Wisdom" December 2010

Well, it's been one whole year since I started this column. Amazing how time really does fly. And is it along those lines that my first little topic for this month lies. In one of the Christmas cards I got from a club member couple, Dick and Edith, was a little prayer that seemed most fitting. And I quote:
A Prayer For Today
This is the beginning of a new day. God has given me this day to use as I will.
I can waste it...or use it for good.
What I do today is important, because I am exchanging a day in my life for it.
When tomorrow comes, this day will be gone forever, leaving in its place something that I have traded for it.
I want it to be gain, and not loss, good and not evil, success and not failure, in order that I shall not regret the price I have paid for it.

Author Unknown
I have mentioned thoughts along these lines to my kids, who I felt spent way too much time in front of the T.V. Get up, get out and do something, anything.

So that's the first thought.
Next is a shop tip that my son-in-law shared with me. He has a few Benzomatic torches. And being a carpenter, he uses them quite a bit. He has had a few go bad by way of seals going south. Apparently he is one of the few people who actually read the owners manual included with a new one and discovered that he was causing the failure of the torch by allowing it to lay on its side for extended periods of time. According to the manual, liquid propane will degrade the seals and cause them to fail. When they fail the torch will act like something is plugging up the unit and no fuel will come out. Which really seems odd. One would think that a failed seal would allow all the fuel to leak out and empty the tank; not the case here, fuel stops and the unit acts like it plugged up. So the moral of the story is, don't lay the unit down, or take the tank off if it must lay down.
That's number two.
This next tip comes from an online magazine e-mail I get every so often. This author has taken and mounted a hard rubber hockey puck to a piece of wood that he can then clamp to the work bench. The use of this little unit is to help hold small work pieces so they can be filed, sanded or polished without having to struggle with keeping them in one place. He states that he can place a very small piece on the puck and file on it without it sliding all over the place. Apparently the trick here is the hardness of the rubber and the skill of patients. I have not yet tried it, but the next time I go by the used sports exchange store, I gonna pick up a couple of pucks and give it a try. Might even make a nice Christmas or birthday present for that "hard to buy for builder".
That's number three.
This last topic probably should have been February's "Splinter's" topic. Because the title of "Splinter's" came from one and once you get a splinter, one's primary focus turns toward removing it. And I don't know about you, but the best weapon I own is my tweezers. I acually have two favorits and depending upon the size and depth of the splinter usually dictates which one I use. When I worked in the machine trade, my #1 tweezer was one from Zee Medical Products. It has needle points that come together and match perfectly. It also has a very nice magnifing lens attached and aligns very well with the points. My second favorite tweezer is neatly consealed and tucked within the bright red handle of the Swiss Army Knife, which I always carry. It is completely the opposite of my Zee's. It is short and stumpy and the ends are squared off. However, it too has well matched jaws and if any splinter is setting above skin's surface, they will grab. But for the really serious and deep splinters, I must confess to the use of a diabetic's insulin syringe. The other must is a good pair of "cheaters" or magnifing glasses and of course, I rarely go after a splinter without the use of alcohol to sterilize the area and the weapons. And I don't know if you have ever noticed it or not, but if you use a little alcohol pad or cotton ball with alcohol on it, the splinter will actually show up much better in good light. Now you can ask any one of my kids, and they will tell you, I am fairly decent at getting out splinters and not causing much pain if any. Intially, they were very intimidated when I came at them with tweezers, alcohol and maybe a syringe and the biggest challenge was to get them to trust and hold still, but once the splinter was out, they were always "be-backs" and sometimes brought their friends. So, I would have to say that a good pair or two of tweezers are just a valuable as my 0-1 mics or 6" calipers and there is a small wooden box where they reside in the top of my toolbox along with some alcohol pads.
So, that's all I have for now.

I hope you all have a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

"Splinters of Wisdom" November 2010

My continued efforts to keep these writtings some what "shop" related has once again fallen short of the goal. However, I do have a couple of thoughts which has entertained a good deal of my day dreaming time over the past few weeks so I figured, "Why not share?" "It will help to clear the mind."
In looking back over the past year we have lost some dear train lovers. Some of us have known them very well and some of us have known them only in casual passing. I personally wish I had known them better. Which brings me to topic. I can't just type out a name for this, because it's more than just a name or a simple topic of discussion. Calling it more of an unspoken concept is about as accurate of a catagory as I can come up with. So, let me explain.
At one of NEOLS' meets last year a long time fellow steamer came up to me and not only shook my hand but pulled me in close and gave me a big hug. Said something like, "Glad to see you old buddy." And I could tell he truely meant it. I reciprocated the greeting with no hesitation. But, then it got me to thinking. "Gee, that was kind of strange." "I hope everything is well with him." I'm sure some of my thoughts may have been driven by the fact that we had recently lost a member of our club at Lake Shore. So each time after that, any time I saw that NEOLS member, I made sure I expressed my sincere joy in his presence. What I also started to notice was that this was not limited to just him anymore. Occasionally, a few fellow steamers, at my club would be victim of a similiar greeting; hand shake-n-hug along with a sincere, "I'm really glad to see you here today." And maybe even a "How ya been?" Some of the real challenge has been to not be concerned with what they might think. But to just let them know I was glad to see them.
Some of this strange behavior has been driven by the fact that I started to realize that eventhough I know of some of my fellow club members, I don't really know them other than the fact that we share a common passion for trains. The other realization is that they ain't gonna be here forever and neither am I.
This has become more apparent with the sad passing of Larry Volzer a couple weeks ago. I wanted to get out to his home track this fall, but other things came up. He had personally invited me out a couple of times, but I just never made it. So now, the opportunity to get to know Larry better is forever lost. And of the few times I was around Larry, he was a great guy and I am less for having not gotten to know him better.
Now, I can just imagine some of you are thinking to yourselves, "Brother, this guy is getting just a little too soft." Well, that may just be the case. Because, believe it or not, some people do change as they get older and wiser. And if they don't change, they become hardened and bitter. But you know what ? It really doesn't matter much to me what some people might think, because I know in my heart when someone genuinly cares, it shows. You can't fake it. And some of the most memorable times you will ever spend with someone is when you are learning a little something about them. Will we always get along? Nope; that would be boring. Having our differences and working them out is what helps us grow stronger.
We are an organization of many different people. Our common interest is a passion for trains. The train is just the mode of transportation which should be taking us to a better understanding of one another, before we come to the end of our track.
I have yet to see an engineer out live his locomotive.

"Splinters of Wisdom" October 2010

Hard to imagine the season is quickly coming to a close here in Northeast Ohio, but it is. And this brings us to a topic that just about everyone in the hobby has to deal with during the winter; battery storage. I came up with a hands off way to keep your batteries trickle charged and not constantly have a charger turned on. You also don't have to remember to go out and turn the battery charger on or off. Back when I had a few Honda Goldwing motorcycles, (three was the most I had at any one time) I went to a department store looking for an inexpensive way to trickle charge all my motorcycle batteries at one time. A couple of guys in the club had problems with trickle chargers malfunctioning and cooking their batteries, so I had to figure out something just a little better because Goldwing batteries start at around $90 each. I found myself at the lighting department trying to figure out a way to use one of those automatic timers that turn your lights on and off while your on vacation. I picked up two of them and figured out that if you plug the first one into the wall and set it to turn the lights on for one hour every day and then plug the second timer into the first timer and set the second timer to turn on for only one hour, you will have a system that turns on for one hour every 24 days. And of coarse you can make approx. 575 different combinations of on and off cycles to plug your battery charger into. And don't forget, you can also vary the amps your charger is putting out each time it turns on. I have used this set up for about 8 years with great results and no dry batteries come spring time. Now, I can just imagine the light's gone on in someone's head and they are trying to figure out just how many timers they would need pluged into each other just so they wouldn't have to ever plug in those Christmas lights they still have hanging on the house from last years. Let's see, the lights come on at Dec. 10th and off at Jan. 10th.... Yep, I can almost hear the little wheels-a-turnin in their head... Let me know when you get it worked out...

This next splinter comes from a fellow club member, Richard Sales. Richard has figured out that he can use his magnetic indicator base to make quick work of those pesky chips the shop vac can't digest. In fact once he used the base for this a few times, he actually wants to pick up another base just for picking up chips. When Richard called and told me about his discovery, I debated about sharing with him that there is actually a very large, hand held magnetic chip collector and it has a quick release trigger to let the chips fall. Those are used mostly on CNC machines where keeping chips out of the tools way, can be a full time task. So for most of us, a magnetic base will do just fine.

Thanks, Richard.

"Splinters of Wisdom" September 2010

Usually I work toward making the content in this column focused on something useful and shop related and I do have a topic which is, but a couple of things have popped up which also deserves some exposure. So, please bare with me because as mentioned in other posts, putting it down here helps to clear the mind.
When it comes to putting a finish on loco parts or any parts for that matter, the usual option is painting. Be it from a rattle can or powder coating. One of the down sides of painting is if parts are to be fit close, paint sometimes has to be removed in order to get the pieces to fit back together on final assembley. A couple of times I had thought about doing a cold blue, but was never pleased with ability of the bluing to resist rusting besides the fact that I could never get a really good deep blue. But, stop the presses ! I just so happened to stop by a gun shop with my brother when he came back to the states. I strolled by the Birchwood Casey display of products and noticed a "double strength" bluing. So I figured I would give it a try. Brother was I impressed. (sometimes that not hard to do) I have a few small parts of steel in the linkage of the Heisler's engine. I probably should have made them out of stainless, but after bluing them, I really like the results and time will tell how well they hold up to not rusting. They should be fine because of all the lubes used on the moving parts of the engine, but we'll see. Another option is blackening, which is a chemical oxidation process. Again it adds nothing to the dimension of the part, but can be a little costly unless you have alot of like parts. I am seriously considering annodizing the aluminum side rods of the Heisler. A nice deep blue would look sharp.
On to topic number 2. Some time prior to the Discover Live Steam convention at Mill Creek Central, I got an issue of Live Steam and they had asked for anyone who either had a Clishay or had built one to share any input on improvements or experiences with the engine. I sent an e-mail to the editor with a link to my blog and my phone number. I also told him that I had C.A.D. files on the boiler revision which was a huge improvement on the original. Time passed and I never heard anything back at all. Not even a "thanks, but no thanks", nothing. So while at the Live Steam convention, I tried to catch up to Neil Knopf but I kept missing him. Shortly after the convention, I got my next issue of Live Steam and in the editors blurp was a topic of dealing with "first publishing rights" and "plagiarizing". I can understand his point; however, as I pointed out to Neil in an email, that the internet is probably not going to go away. And either they figure out how to work with it or they, like a number of other magazines will fold up and go out of business. A lot of other businesses was challenged by the vastness and flexibility of the internet. And, "Yes", sometimes, change can be very scary, but it is a learning experience and if one thing does not work, then try something else. When I responded to the request from owners of the Clishay, I was not looking for payment for my contribution, I was just excited about being able to share. Neil was expressing how advertisers loose exposure because people are finding them on the internet themselves and not in their magazine. Again, I have to say, "Figure out a way to work with the internet. Your advertisers have." And on the other hand, when someone sends you an email or two; Respond. Never responding to any emails just says that you don't care, especially when you ask for input.
Will I continue my subscription to Live Steam ? You bet. I think it's a very good magazine. I do miss Model Tech, another fine publication. Changes will always be happening and the key to survival is adaptation and the sooner it is mastered, the more successful one will be. Some get it, others never do. Only time will tell.

Take Care and Have Fun Always.

"Splinters of Wisdom" August 2010

Outside influences.
This months splinters comes from a member of the Lake Shore Live Steamers and the Northeast Ohio Live Steamers.
And I will present them in the order in which they were submitted. George Metts has a slick way of making alot of screws or bolts all the same length. Let's say you need about 100 bolts at a length just under 3/8", say .340. George will take a 3/8" thick piece of bar stock about an inch wide or so and shave it down to .340 or whatever length of bolt he needs. Then he will drill and tap about 25 holes in the bar stock. Now he has a fixture which will hold 25 bolts. He screws the bolts in and put the fixture in the mill and shaves off the excess of the bolts or screws. He leaves just about .005 above the fixture and finishes off with a file. Cycle that process through 4 times and you have your 100 bolts. Once he backs the bolts out of the fixture they are pretty much ready to install. A light dusting on a flapwheel makes them easy to start into their permenant home.
Nice job and Thanks for your submission George.

This next tip comes from a member of both clubs, Dick Dute.
One of my first "Splinters" about using card board stock for welding shims sparked Dick's submission for thin gasket material. Most of the gasket material you can find at the auto parts houses are either around .015 or .030 thick. And in most cases that will do. But, if you need something that isn't going to throw surfaces out of alignment by being too thick, here's your ticket. Dick has used brown craft paper. This is a high fiberous paper that you can usually find in any craft store. And unlike most other papers, this does not have any grain. ( Yea, I hear ya.) "Paper has grain?" you ask. Yes, most paper has a grain. And the way you can tell which direction the grain runs is to tear off a strip of it. If you tear along the edge of a piece of note book paper and then turn the paper 90 degrees and tear off another strip, take notice to the edges of the tear. One is more jagged than the other. The cleaner edge represents the direction of the grain. This brown craft paper has jagged edges no matter which way you tear it. Hence it has no grain and therefore it is equally strong in all directions which is ideal for making gaskets.
Now, Mr. Dute's timing is perfect because, I had been putting off making gaskets for my Heisler's steam chests just for the issues of gasket thickness. I had considered shaving down the steam chests to compensate for the gasket thickness, but that can get hairy when you have to consider how much the .030 gasket material will compress, or how much the .015 gasket material will compress. And the initial compression is not the same as what it will compress over a year or two of use. And if you look at the valve train set up on a Heisler's engine, there is no room for misalignment. So, craft paper was the perfect answer. It's only .005-.006 thick and once the paper is soaked with oil, water or steam is not an issue.
Thank's Dick for your "Splinter" and thanks for sharing it. Again, your timing was perfect.

This last idea is a safety related topic.
With club members usually living a good long time, the chances of a member or even a guest having some kind of a cardiac event while in our midst increases each day. I sent out an e-mail to my fellow club members suggesting we look into obtaining an Automated Electronic Defibrilator, also known as an AED. I also suggested that we train as many members as possible to become familiar with its use. Well, unbeknownst to me, one had already been donated by a concerned club member named Joseph Laskowski. I want to personally thank Joe for his donation. But, I must say that few, if any members actually know how to use one. So we need to get on the ball and get some training in place before we actually need to use it. Few things could be worse than having a piece of life saving equipment and no one knows how to save a life with it.
In contrast, nothing could be greater than the critical moments during a cardiac event and being able to deliver the life saving intervention with a simple push of a button.

Let's be ready folks.

Take Care and Have Fun Always,
Martin

"Splinters of Wisdom" July 2010

At the last club run a fellow club member came up and gave me a great idea for a topic in "Splinters"; however, not having something to jot the idea down onto and being somewhat engrossed in a few unpacking tasks at hand, I was not able to remember it. So for this "Splinter" I will throw out a thought that crossed my mind with regards to playing it safe with batteries.
A large number of guys are running electric units or gas powered units with batteries running the compressor for brakes or just running lights.
And with guys transporting batteries from home to the track, dropping one and cracking the case is not beyond the rhelm of possibility.
The thought that hit me was, "What steps do we have in place in case of an accidental acid spill ?" I honestly don't know if my club has anything on hand to deal with an acid spill or not. It doesn't mean they don't, it just means that I am not aware of any plan.
So my suggestion is to get a few boxes of baking soda and keep them within easy reach during any runs. Brief the members on where to find the soda and how to use it on an acid spill.
And if you are a prudent member, you might just keep a box handy on your train.
And if you don't know how to use baking soda on an acid spill, contact your local fire department and I'm sure someone there would be happy to show you.

One other little note to consider. Our club newsletter editor has started publishing these "Splinters" in the monthly newsletter. However, the "Splinters" that he puts in the newsletter is about 6 months behind what I actually post here on this blog. So please bare that in mind when you submit a suggestion for me to post. I will post it right away, but it won't show up in the newsletter until 6 months later.

"Splinter of Wisdom" June 2010

A Sine of things to come...

...off that is.
When it comes to lathe work, in its' basic form, you are only working with two axis. Don't ask me to explain why it's "X" and "Z". I still scratch my head on that one. Having never ran a CNC lathe, I couldn't really be certain which axis is "X" and which is "Z".
But, back to the manual end of things. I have an old South Bend from WWII era. HSS tooling is really all I can use. It just doesn't have the revs for carbide.
When I was going machine trade school, we were taught to use the lathe with the compound set on 29 1/2 degrees. 90% of your turning jobs can be done with the compound in this position, especially chasing threads. At 29 1/2 degrees and chasing threads, the inward feed of the tool is done on the compound slide, not the cross slide. That way you only put the cutting load on one side of the threading tool. However, I have tried chasing threads with the compound set at 30 degrees, and have not noticed any difference in the 1/2 degree.
Now the real kicker here is that if you set your compound at 30 degrees, you can easily take off .0005 without trying to guess how to split lines on the cross slide dial. The Sine of 30 degrees over one inch is .500 or 1/2 Therefore if you dial in .001 on the compound slide set at 30 degrees that will equal .0005 on the diameter. And of course this depends on how you dials are set up. My S.B. is set up that if I turn the cross slide dial .100, that's what comes off the total diameter. I have ran the other kind and brother is it easy to turn a project into a paper weight if you break concentration.
To take things one step further, if you wish to only take off .00025 one would assume that you could swing the compound over to 15 degrees, which is half of 30 degrees, but that is not the case. Actually 14.5 degrees gets you closer. The Sine of 14.5 degrees over one inch is .2504.
The only drawback to this method is that if your turning up to a shoulder, you must remember that when you crank in the compound slide your moving the tool closer to the head stock. So be careful or you will cut into that shoulder.
So, there you have it; an easy way to make tight tolerances more managable.
To be honest with you, I would need to have a very sharp tool with stoned keen edge to peel just a half a thou. off of a piece in my old S.B. and even then it would be a 50/50 shot.
But, it is nice to know that the means to make it happen is not difficult at all.

"Splinters of Wisdom" May 2010

Getting Wired.

As the steaming season gears up (being a logging fan, I just had to use that line..) boiler testing is just around the corner. And with boiler testing, there always follows a rash of usually or steam engine hiccups. Let me explain. Most engines run at around 100 pounds of steam. And at 100 lbs. boiler materials expand at "x". During hydro testing a boiler is tested at 1.5 to 2.0 times operating pressure. And at 1.5 to 2.0 times operating pressure materials expand more than just "x". Now if you're an owner/ operator, I'm not telling you anything new. The hiccup comes in when during that hydro test expansion, calcium, lime and other "boogers" become dislodged from inside the boiler and find their way into all sorts of places where they are not wanted.
How do you prevent this ? Simple. After your hydro test, steam up to just before the safeties lift and then blow down. You can dump the fire if you wish, but wait a few minutes to allow the pressure to come back down under 70 psi. Then you can do a complete blow down. The alternative would be, after hydro, do not drain out all the water. Drain to your normal steaming up water level and then pressurize the boiler with compressed air to just below safety pop off. Then blow down completely. I don't think this latter method is quite as effective because you don't have steam ready to expand which would give you a longer blow down than just compressed air. Either way, I'll bet you would be surprised what comes out.
Now, if after that you still manage to get a "booger" lodged in a small line, it usually means that some plumbing is going to need dismantling. And if you have a piece of hefty guitar wire, you can use it to feed through a plugged line to break it up small enough that it might just pass through and clear the line. Yea, it's a hassle to tear apart a plugged line, but you're already under steam and if you can clear the line in a few minutes with a stout guitar wire, you'll be on the track in no time.
Sure beats the heck out of shutting everything down, packing up and going home.

One other little note to consider. Our club newsletter editor has started publishing these "Splinters" in the monthly newsletter. However, the "Splinters" that he puts in the newsletter is about 6 months behind what I actually post here on this blog. So please bare that in mind when you submit a suggestion for me to post. I will post it on my blog right away, but it won't show up in the newsletter until 6 months later.

"Splinters of Wisdom" April 2010

I have to tell ya, I'm not really certain how to start this "Splinter" out. I have a couple of things on my mind, so it's getting crowded. To start with, I must share that over the past few years, I have come across a few guys, (mostly for health reasons) who will no longer be able to get to the shop and utilize their equipment. It saddens me deeply when I hear about it, because I know someday it will be me. And when my time comes, I hope I will be able to say, give me what it's worth to you and may it serve you as well as it did me. Because I strongly believe that one of the greatest trangressions a true machinist can commit, is to allow their tools to sit and not be put to the use for which they were intended. Rates right along side of buying a beautiful bird dog and keeping him indoors all day or on a leash. Strange thing with tools, they quite often out live their owners. For the most part, I can pick up one of my tools, be it a mic or some gauge and I can remember who I got it from. I may or may not recall his name, but I still see his face and I may even remember his shop or what he liked to work on. That's the funny thing about these kind of tools. If you are buying a used tool, take the time to get to know the seller. I have done this on a number of occasions and have lost track of the number of times a seller will say, "You know, I might just have something you might be interested in." Now mind you, not only have I been getting to know him, but I have also shared my passion for this steam hobby gig.

One of the very first times I went to look at some tools for sale, my dad went with me. It was in 1978, this widow had her late husband's tools up for sale. He had been gone for over 20 years and his tools had remained down in the basement, in the tool box, pretty much the way he last left them. He knew he was dying and priced all the tools so his wife could easily sell them. Now all the mics were rusty and worthless. Even the 20 year old price was more than they were worth. Dad and I both commented later, that it was a sad moment indeed. For whatever reasons, she just couldn't bring herself to part with his tools before they were ruined. I really can't fault her, heck, he knew he wasn't going to be able to use them, yet he couldn't part with them either. But, I still have that magnetic base and all its attechments. It was about the only thing not rusted over. I may not think of that situation every time I use it, but if someone asks me where I got it, the story lives again through that tool.

I know some don't concern themselves much with what others may think about them in the here and now, but how do you want to be remembered ? Are people going to remember you as that guy who ruined all that nice tooling. "He put so much effort in to caring for those tools, only to let them sit there and rust." Or, will your memory live on in the tools you pass on to others ?

Now, you may be asking yourself, "Is he writting this to anyone in particular?" The answer is, "No." This is just something that has been on my mind, off and on, since my birthday a couple months ago. And since this is a wisdom related topic, I thought it most fitting, besides, I told you in the beginning, my mind was getting over crowded and this was the only way I could think to free up some space.

"Splinters of Wisdom" March 2010

"In the Thick of Things"
Some time ago, when I fabricated my first logging Disconnect truck, I needed some kind of shim material to put between the journal boxes and the truck frame where the journal boxes nested.
All my metal shims were either too thin or too thick. I was looking for something about .015 thick. The plan was to clamp the vertical pieces to the journal boxes with the shims in place and then weld the verticals into place. I needed a shim that was basically disposable.
Being nearly lunch time, I was getting hungry, so I decided to grab a bite and think about a solution.
I made myself a sandwich and as I sat down at the table I closed up a cereal box left out from breakfast and started to put it back into the pantry. Then it hit me. I took a second look at the thickness of the cardboard cereal box. I grabbed my calipers and it measured just under .020. Perfect. I cut the top tabs off the box, finished my sandwich and went back to the shop. Cutting the tabs into narrow strips about 3/4" wide, I put a strip on each side of the journal box and clamped on the verticals. By the time I clamped everything down, I had about .025 clearance overall for the box to move in.
Needless to say, now I keep my eyes open for all kinds of grocery boxes. For example Blue Bonnet stick butter comes 4 to a box and the box is .010 thick. Little Debbie Nutty Bars box is .025 thick. Most cereal boxes are about .018 to .019 thick as is the cardboard in a case of pop. Poster board from your local Walgreens is .013 thick. And here's one I learned when I first started in the machine trades over 30 years ago; Zig Zag cigarette papers are .001 thick and you can usually find those at your local gas station. We used cigarette papers to touch off tools on top of the work piece to establish "Z" zero on the CNC's
I also use these cardboard shims when I'm welding up a frame work. If you use the cardboard to gap your joints when tacking up the frame, then pull the shims out and finish welding. Your frames will turn out much squarer and you'll have very little tweeking to do to on that frame.
I also use cardboard on the movable jaw of my mill vise when I have a number of like pieces in the vice at the same time. The slight .001-.002 size differences is easily compensated for with a thin strip of cardboard.

Hope this helps.
Take Care and Have Fun Always.

"Splinters of Wisdom" Feb. 2010

For those of us who do a good bit of metal working, there comes a time when holes must be drilled, tapped, counterbored, ect. ect...
In Janurary, I shared a little trick for clearing chips as you are tapping holes. This month, I'll share another little trick for making hole work a bit easier.
For quite some time when I had to drill and tap a hole, I went to the drill index, pulled out a drill, opened the drawer containing all my taps and searched for the right one. Then I would go to the drawer where all counter bores or counter sinks are at and find the right one. Then go back to the machine and start the hole operation. As I mentioned, this has gone on for a long time, like up until three months ago, when I started giving a little more thought to working smarter in the shop. The solution; re-organize drills and taps and group them together for easier utilization. Some suggestions for this used a nice block of wood with blind holes drilled in it to hold each drill and tap in close proximity to each other. I never liked the idea because I'm the one who would knock it over and onto the floor they would all go. So, I had saved up some plastic end mill tubes and decided to use those to house each set seperatly. These tubes are about the size that a 1/2" end mill would come in. But you can use what ever you have handy, including prescription bottles, Altoid mints cans, or whatever else may come to mind.
Masking tape serves as a label. And a bolt or screw in each container helps determine the counter sink / counter bore depth. Having a half dozen or so more commonly used drill and tap sets that include a tap drill size, a tap or two, a clearance drill and maybe even a counter bore, because I use socket head cap screws for 99% of all my fastening work. Now I keep all those sets in a little blue Akro-Mills parts bin.
Now, some of you might be saying, but I don't have any end mill tubes or perscription bottles. This is where belonging to a club comes in real handy. If you are one of those people who have more empty prescription bottles than you know what to do with, peel off the lables and collect the bottles in a bag or box and bring it to the next club meeting or drop it off at the station. I'm sure others will really appreciate your thoughtfullness as they organize their shop.
As a side note, if you happen to have any tips or tricks that help you out in the shop, please feel free to share your wisdom with me. Either e-mail me or just call, I will be happy to submit your ideas so you can share them with the rest of the membership.

Endorsed Suppliers List

And in no special order.

Thom Zahler

Art Studios, Cartoonist & Caricaturist

Phone 440-269-8653

http://www.thomz.com/

e-mail; tz@thomz.com

(the artist that did my new photo at the top of this page.)

D & W Fastner Co.

15 May Street

Barberton, Oh 44203

330-848-2891

( I have yet to find something they don't have)

Godshall Custom Machine

Wayne Godshall, Owner

Phone 717-582-4405

I thank Wayne for his awesome and almost silent popoff valves.

Ann Moore Hats 207-285-3472

(call for brochure. No internet site or access.)

Authentic RailRoad hats of various styles.

Clippard http://www.clippard.com/

Pneumatic fittings and valves.

Parker-Hannifin http://www.parker.com/

Other fittings and valves.

Quick Service Welding.

Kent, Ohio 330-673-3818

Mr. Motion http://www.mr-motion.net/

"Get on the Live Steam track with the Shifter."

see Mr. Motion's ad below...

Live Steam Events; past and future.

Live Steam Powered Podcast

Sunday, August 9, 2015

Yep....It's been a while.....