www.mikes-models.com blog » ash pan

When the ‘obvious’ is discovered!

Mike Freeman — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 16:02:29 +0000

Today's workshop session was something of a mixed bag really. I started with making the four legs for the grate to stand on for the Fowler 2" scale traction engine. The simple procedure is the face off the bar stock, turn down to size for the 4BA thread for the correct distance, then thread, and cut off to size. This means that you have to change from a cutting tool to a parting off tool. I made some time ago a tools post system where the tools have their own holders so setting for height is easier. So this cuts down on tool setting work but as I say the tools have to be changed. Multiply this by 4 legs and you can see that there are 8 changes.

After I cut the first bar down to size and threaded the end I needed to move the bar out to allow the length to be cut. This is when the 'blindingly obvious' struck! Why not just reverse the bar and use the same tools, resulting in less changes as when both ends have been threaded, they could be parted off. Doh! But its something to remember for the future. A 'put it away' for future use moment.

Feeling quite pleased with myself I fitted the four legs and using a depth gauge got them all to the same size by filing. So the next task was to make the damper plate. After studying the plans for a while I couldn't see where the pivot blocks fitted. The answer was I hadn't finished the top flange. I don't know how I missed the fact that the top flange continues all the way around the ash pan and its onto the damper end that the pivots get secured to. So I now have to make the top flange continue all around the ash pan.

I had hoped to wrap up the whole assembly today but that's not going to happen now. I think there are at least another couple of session before it is finished. Drat!

A couple of images for your delectation...........

Legs for the grate - Fowler 2" scale traction engine

Grate needs to be adjusted to fit

More work on the ash pan and grate

Mike Freeman — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 17:50:20 +0000

I spent quite some time on finishing the profile at the rear of the ash pan, before I can start on the damper. The cast iron casting of the grate was cleaned up on the milling machine and then drilled and tapped 4BA and that's about all a write up I can give really. One of those jobs where time doing was a lot more than time writing (for a change) so here are a couple of photo's.......

Fowler Traction Engine Ash Pan

I created ash with the ash pan for the Fowler today!

Mike Freeman — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 22:22:22 +0000

The ash I am talking about came form the burning of the sacrificial board when silver soldering the top edge to the pan itself!

Today's ash pan session was spent by soldering up the four corners using the highest temperature silver solder I had. The reasoning being that I could use a lower melting point for the connection of the top edge to the
ash pan.

After the corners were done I decided to place the ash pan into the pickle solution whilst I chain drilled the copper sheet being used for the top edge. Once the drilling was completed the sheet of copper was
taken to the Proxxon bandsaw and the inside cut out.

The ash pan was then mated to the top edge and a scribe mark placed around the pan so it could be located again when soldering. The silver solder paste was then mixed and 'painted' onto both the edge of the ash pan and the top plate.

To hold the ashpan in place a couple of heavy steel blocks was placed on top and then lengths of silver solder cut and placed against the edge of the ashpan and into the flux.

The ash pan itself was then heated with the propane torch, bringing the ash pan to cherry red, where upon the solder rod melts itself and flows between the joint.

It is important that the flame does not impinge on the solder rod itself, melting it before the surrounding metal is ready. I started work on the left hand corner, moving the flame around to the otherside when the solder started to flow.

The ashpan unit was allowed to cool before placing it into the pickle solution. After cleaning up a little, the ash pan was then placed onto the up turned boiler and pleasingly the holes and pins were still aligned.

The next job will be to file up the inside edges of the ashpan top edge then make the fittings for the grate and the damper plate, not forgetting the holes to be drilled in the four pins for split pins to reside it. It is the split pins that hold the ash pan in place and these are pulled out if the fire needs to be dumped quickly, when in use.

A few words but a lot of work done..................

Annealing we shall go! Ash pan for the Fowler

Mike Freeman — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 17:57:46 +0000

Annealing the ash pan proved difficult and a little frustrating, Well that's not quite true, the annealing was the easy part. The forming of the copper however was a little more difficult. No again, that's not quite true it was &**^%$ difficult!

I started at the corners as the build manual suggested and the copper was easily formed after annealing but there was a lot of copper which didn't want to go anywhere, but outwards. In the end I had to remove the excess metal and will have to silver solder the joins. I am not really pleased with the results but there is much work left to do so perhaps I will reserve judgement. Anyway I here are a couple of photo's for your delectation.

Fire grate on top flange of the ashpan

Trial fitting of fire grate in the yet to be finished ash pan

The copper for making the Fowler ash pan arrives….

Mike Freeman — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 15:47:53 +0000

Today I got into the workshop later in the morning and didn't manage to get much done really. I didn't trust myself to do anything accurate but did manage to burn out my Proxxon drill! Its seems to be one of those months what with all the troubles with changing hosting plans and current poor health. So I know one present i would like for Christmas now, but the trouble is its need now also. The Proxxon is used quite a lot and will certainly be needed over the coming days so it looks like this poor pensioner is going to buy one.

The good news is that the copper for the ash pan arrived late morning so tomorrow I will be able to take my frustrations out on bashing metal. Hopefully there will be some progress photo's of trying to get the metal to go into a different shape than it wants to.........we shall see.