Totnes Castle

[Hankwilliams]

Very impressive! Hull is made of aluminium?

[R.G.Y.]

Sorry Hank its tin plate, soldered  Not aluminium, to expensive, I pay for very little. Not tight but very carful.

[R.G.Y.]

Started on the boiler room roof. Cardboard patterns, with skylight & access hatch drawn in. The tinplate marked out, rivets punched, folded & soldered on the corners.

[R.G.Y.]

Slow progress I am afraid, other things to do. Have soldered up the engine room roof. Need to fix angle along the bottom to keep it straight. Found brass angle in my stock, but it will have to be milled smaller & thinner.  Then the safety valve extension.

[DamienG]

 

[R.G.Y.]

the metal part of the boiler roof finished & painted (after photo). Skylight & hatch will be made open to get air to burner.
Boiler complete just the pipe work to do when the engine installed. No clack feed as will remove safety valve to fill, & turn the boat over to empty, although there is a valve on the sight glass. Sorry about the shadow across the makers plate, which is level although doesn't look like it in photo.

[R.G.Y.]

Sketched out the engine, on a scrap of paper. the main frame 1"+ 1/8" two of joined by two 3/8" square. The square drilled through the centres (steam passages). Cylinders 5/8 hexagon, turned off centre to leave one flat. Also 1/8" left at each end to take six 10 BM studs for the end caps. The throttle - reverse mounted upright above to one side. Size over all 3"+ 3" The drawing shows most but questions welcome. 
I have altered this from previous engines I have made. Split the standard so I can increase the size of the bearings. This was a weak point before, didn't wear well.

[DamienG]

 

[R.G.Y.]

Started the engine pics later. Also started on paddle wheels, they have been on me mind for some time. I have made wheels of brass & aluminium in the past. Cut from sheet this is a waste & very boreing. (deliberate spelling ) Found the answer in my stores. A roll of something that looks like brass, 3/16 + 1/16th but it is hard & like a spring. It also melts very near to silver solder temperature, So soft solder now. The pics should explain my hope for method. Wooden formers are the key. one for inner ring another for outer. Joining the strip around then drilling holes at the spokes, pin in first hole to stop movement wile drilling rest. So far so good, we will see.

[derekwarner_decoy]

Always watching from afar RGY ........[am in Adelaide again for a month]

Phosphor Bronze is commonly reshaped from billet into flat bar by initially hot rolling, then as the thickness reduces by cold rolling to sheet which is then sheared into width [again by the rolling process]

This cold rolling produces the toughness, together with the layered structure removes the shear and substitutes or provides the springiness

With a melting point of ~~905.... to ~~954 degrees C fits your melting experiment and the characteristics you mention

[Spring manufacturers use this material for their feed stock]

Should be a strong structure [with little flex] when complete ....Derek

[R.G.Y.]

Always good to hear from you Derek my friend. Thank you for the information now I know. The first side of the wheel ready  for soldering. This inside wheel I will be making flat well almost. The outer will be dished to stop lateral movement. Marking the spokes where they need to bend. ( red marks on board .) Bending in vice & by hand, aligning to pattern.

[derekwarner_decoy]

Just trying to visuilise RGY....are the jaws on your lathe 3 jaw chuck small enough to grip the OD of the hub as shown?.....if they were it would make clean up of the assumed 1/4" wheel hub bore after soldering so much easier

With the set/offset of pins, I am assuming this will be for the inner hub wheel side closest to the hull allowing for the hull pedestal bearing

Having said this, we have seen both variations on the them with the dished hub outboard shortening the paddleshaft

Always watching.....Derek 

PS....I didn't get to post on May the 6th, however am a little concerned with the boiler burner getting sufficient oxygen 

[R.G.Y.]

Don’t worry about air to burner Derek. The sky light will be open so will the entrance hatch, air will be able to pass over top of baulkheads from the saloon stairs. I will be cleaning the wheels be hand, a lot safer.
Enjoy Adelaide.   

[R.G.Y.]

May be someone may want to make paddles using this method. If you do & you have a lathe should be no problems. First turn wooden blanks & mark centre & number of spokes required. Rap strip brass around the former cut & join to a tight fit. it is important as this will keep them the same size. Align the drill accurately to the spokes. Drill one & pin it with a short piece of spoke material, so the strip doesn't move wile drilling rest. The centre hub was divided in the lathe.
On assemble three spokes in my case immediately aligned the rings, that is if the holes are right. If not fettling is the order of the day. I soft soldered mine as the structure is inherently strong. Note soldered away from the marks on blanks, to preserve them.   
The dishing can be seen on the finished upright wheel. This was achieved by a thick washer under the hub, & clamping the outer ring down on to the former. I did try bending the spokes before fitting. But had trouble as the rings didn't align automatically. Clean up by hand. Only three more to make.

[DamienG]

Great work!