Marie Estelle 2 1/2" scale

[twombo]

My First post

I'm building a 2 1/2" scale Marie Estelle and I am gathering up copies of the original build articles from Live Steam magazine. I need the November 1985 copy which has part 2 of the build. I'm actually well past that a stage but I'm a little anal about the documentation. I love reading Don's builder notes because he had such a command of the subject.

Anybody have one to sell, or at least a clean hi resolution copy of the article? I can trade you a finished copy of the digital compilation of the construction notes that I am building.

I have the chassis nailed down, cylinders and valve chests are nearly ready to be erected, and I'm finishing up the valve gear parts. I just received a flanged boiler kit to start the next phase.

Anyone out there building one of these little cuties?

thanks

twombo

 

[portlandron]

Someone has a set of all the 1985 issues on ebay right now

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Live-Steam-Magazine-1985-/311066999415?pt=Magazines&hash=item486d09ba77

 

[timstir]

Hi Twombo,

I'm presently building the same model. . . I've got a "shop copy" of the article on my bench. I can get you a copy of that easily, but it is not super clean. I should also have the original magazine in my storage room and I can get you a clean copy of that but it will take a bit of digging to get to it I'm afraid.

I would love to stay in touch and see how you are progressing. -Timstir

 

[twombo]

Tim

I'm the top bidder on the auction so far.

Thanks for the offer. Whatever the case, I would love to stay in touch.

I have the construction notes compiled in a set of 4 PDFs that I keep on my iPad along with scans of the drawing set. Pretty handy tool because I can keep the whole package in hand without spreading those big drawings over the whole shop. I also open the PDF drawings in adobe illustrator to trace the part being made and develop working drawings coordinates for the DRO or hand dialed movements. It's handy for me. I'l share what I have as well.

I end up working in 3 places... Home, the machine shop at work, and, at the local community college where I take classes. I always get a D in the class so I can retake it during the next offering. I've gotten to know the instructor over the years and I have my own agenda to follow.

I usually have several interesting little demos for fellow students on things like fixturing or using tools or tooling that they may not otherwise use in the class, rotary tables, coaxial dial indicators, slitting saws, etc. My instructor is a steam fan so its a very beneficial arrangement. I also get to help new students on tasks contained in their sylabus so I can benefit the whole class. Nice to have someone more a rookie than oneself!!!!!

Only drawback is, on schooldays I am up at 4 am and don't get home till 10 pm. I have a little getaway tool kit that I stock up for the current task

Right now, my South Bend is apart so all my little turning tasks are on hiatus. that lathe is not the Queen of Machines for no good reason!!!!!! I have the cylinder sets ready for final drilling and installation of studs with the exception of finishing the the steam exhaust fitting that locate the cylinder blocks to the smoke box. So... I'm stuck!

So...I'm dancing to task to task. Worked on expansion links yesterday.... but i have turning jobs coming right up. So the butterfly will dance elsewhere.

Did coupling rods over the last two weeks or so.... third time is a charm!!

Sat down a little this weekend assessing that big pile of copper... Oh My!! I'm reading Alec Farmer's book on boiler building and with Don Young's construction notes, I think I am ready to start assembling some fixturing for bending wrappers and punching holes in plates. Generally, it looks like the way ahead is to dry assemble, to perfection, the sheets and wrappers using 3/32 rivets copper rivets. I have access to slip rolls at work but have not used them much.

I have some Macassar Ebony and Curly Maple I'm thinking of using for the cab.

Anyway, duty calls.

mike

more later

mike

 

[twombo]

Lets see if this works!

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-...AAARA/6_xKTG5BVf0/w1645-h1229-no/IMG_0828.JPG

 

[twombo]

Well, Life got interesting on me.
I had a cerebral hemorrhage on the 26th of october of 2014.
My Marie estelle project Has become a brain retraining exercise. So far, So good.







i am making good progress on all fronts!! My colletion of construction articles is now complete, with progress notes of my own In each Live steam number.
I had to relearn a lot of basi c stuff like walking and talking, now machine work and MANDOLIN PLAYING.

MORE LATER!!!

MIKE

 

[Blogwitch]

Mike,

You keep things going, the more you do and think about it, the better it will get.

I had similar problems to yourself, so understand what you are going through. Mine were caused by PTSD and its treatment, only now can I remember some things from the past. Sometimes you remember a lot, most times a detached tiny fragment, and you have to put them together like a jigsaw puzzle.

It might take you a while to get fully operational, but who cares when you are enjoying yourself.

John

 

[Wizard69]

Sorry to hear about your health problems. Mine are minor at the moment but even so you struggle to do the right things. We have lost a couple of guys at work due to health issues and frankly it sucks.

As for your engine, I think I missed the start of this thread. It looks like you have a good start on it. As for relearning, please be careful, safety has to be relearnt also.

 

[twombo]

safety!
during my initial occupational therapy sessions, I mentioned my desire to get back at he workbench, and my therapist nearly lost her mind. " You can't use machine tools, that is dangerous. I took her out to my shop and when she saw the 9 inch south bend and she suggested rearranging my library was a better choice. My responce was, I'm a model engineer, I you can't allow me my passion, just put a bullet in my head right now! That didn't go well!!
The next day I ordered a Sieg X2D hi torque mini mill.
Again, she was not amused! I had built up a DRO before the stroke, using the instructions found at Yurie's toys Website.
quickly enough, I had the DRO installed and I have been relearning the Wonders of Cartesian coordinates ever since. I have since built one for the south Bend, And learning to flash firmware to an MSP 340 micro-controller is pretty good therapy to get the old thinking machine in working order.
I have the engine is nowblocked up on a granite surface plate and leveled up. everything is in alignment. Frame rails, crosshead bars, cylinders and valve faces. Plus or minus .1 degrees.
Presently, I am up to my ear lobes in valve gear bits and pieces. With a little luck, I may have it running on air this spring. That nice lady, Tanya , at reeves has been keeping part and castings headed my way.
i just completed all 4 pedestal and axle boxes for the tender. As soon as the arch bars are finished a major step will beout of the way.
My son in law has been raiding the off cut pile at work and I have enough Quartersawn white oak for all the woodwork on the beast.
Now, for the brass sheet and some tender tank building.
I have been hoarding a pair of bronze mercer couplers for years. finally, they have a home in sight!
thanks for the encouragement, gents.
I never tire of reading Don young's articles in Live steam, He, Martin Evans and LBSC,"Curley" to those of you in the old country, are my Gurus!
Bouts of depression are held in check by liberal doses of model engineering.

Calculating decimal equivalents to fractional dimensions is a really great mental exercise, as is the mental gymnastics of figuring out how many turns of the handle plus how many additional thousandths to reach a table position, Then checking against the digital readout for verification.

All the best, friends!
Twombo

 

[Swifty]

Just tell the occupational therapist that making things on the lathe and mill IS therapy, that's what I call it when the wife comments on the amount of time spent in the garage.

Paul.

 

[Chiptosser]

Great to have you back! Keep up the engine therapy!