# CCRR Porter #4 in Steam X2



## Kovacjr (Jan 2, 2008)

It has been a long time since I had posted any updates on my progress of the build. I was sidetracked when I decided to make the 1/2" cylinders. But now they are complete and I have 2 chassis running on air. Today I spent 5 hours makeing 3 sets of sight glasses for the ruby boiler. I have to make a new take off for atop the boiler and the lower glass part will be threaded directly into the boiler. The back sheet of the Accucrafts are .095" thick and plenty of grab I also have a jam nut to keet the seal. The new take off will have the top glass section, gauge, check valve for the hand and maybe axle pump and a blank M5 for a whistle in the future. The throttle will be taken from the old safety location since it will be buried under the faux wagontop / steamdome. A threaded connection with a pipe running into the cab will be for the throttle. Havent decided on what valve will be used for the throttle yet though. Maybe a Regner they are very nice valves and offer better control. The front filler will have the smaller pop safety and will also act as the filler. Of course you can just fill the tender and pump it in by hand.  Te smokebox will be extended with a 3.5" piece of sch80 1.25" pipe. It is a perfect fit for the inside of the boiler smokebox and will be bolted together. The boiler wrapper will cover it all up except for the true smokebox which ends up being almost the correct size.

The domes will be turned in a 3 pcs upper lower and middle. They will all be helt together by a threaded stud and the stud will be soldered to the jacket. The top section of the dome will be the nut so to speak to hold it all on. The stack may be turned but may be brass sheet. I have te brass but have never tried soldering something like that up yet and am worried about it falling apaer with the multiple parts soldering together.

Cab and pilot are from Doug Bronson yet to be built.

Enjoy


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## Alan in Adirondacks (Jan 2, 2008)

Jason, 

Beautiful work! 

Best regards, 

Alan


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## rbednarik (Jan 2, 2008)

Jay, 

Seems that as soon as you have to go back to work, you get the most out of your projects! Looking really nice, especially the sight glasses. Do we get a preview of them at Scranton?


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## Slipped Eccentric (Jan 2, 2008)

Looks good Jay. I like the way the crossheads came out.


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## jimtyp (Jan 2, 2008)

I thought the Barnhart log loader was tough, looks like a snap compared to this  I don't even understand most of what you said, kind of like Greek to me. One day I'll get into live steam and probably appreciate what you have done even more. 

It looks like you are making 2?


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## Kovacjr (Jan 2, 2008)

Yes there are 2 actually a 3rd is being built by Justin (Slippedeccentric) Although he keeps getting sidetracked by the small of coal. HAHA 

The 2nd of mine is for David Fletcher both will look like this:


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## wchasr (Jan 2, 2008)

WANT~! 

Very nice work Jason! Can't wait to see them finished! 

Chas


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## Kovacjr (Jan 2, 2008)

Well I had my first track trial and it ran ok. I didnt have a gauge on it and was not sure that there was enough pressure at all times. I did run it on rollers before though and with a full head of steam I was able to get a decent 15 min run. Air tested and timed before that.


I finished up the sight glass parts but had to still make the new manifold - Ii did that today. Here are a couple updated photos with the glass added to one of the boilers. I just drilled and tapped the backhead for the lower section. I pressure tested it and just a few drips from the glass, that should go away when under pressure. And thanks to Ryan I have the glass for the fittings now along with 2 gauges.....I do have to give up one of my secret safetys though in trade. Its all good


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## placitassteam (Jan 2, 2008)

Jason, Wow that is quite a change from the Ruby! I don't understand how you will be able to see the sight glass if manifold is so far under the wagontop that you have to move the throttle valve back. I have the same problem with my Bogie but just made an extension for the valve shaft. It doesn't have a sight glass. Keep up the great work.


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## Kovacjr (Jan 2, 2008)

Winn the throttle will be taken from the rear most filler, old safety plug. That should also keep me from picking up water.


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## Dwight Ennis (Jan 2, 2008)

Jason - I, and I'm sure others, would be _very_ interested in some sort of sectional drawing or sketch detailing how you make a site glass, the parts involved, and their relationship. The old timers may already know this stuff, but I (and I'm sure others) don't. 

If you have the time and inclination, why don't you post something I can PDF and add to the "Informative Threads Index?"


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## Kovacjr (Jan 2, 2008)

It has been a very long time since I was able to get some work done on the Porters. Recently I have been working on the pilot parts and how to attach them. I finally decided on just soldering some brass angle to the underside of the pilot deck and bolt it to the frame. I was thinking orignally of a brass bar from the Ruby Pilot but it leaves too much movement on the pilot. Here I was able to get 2 0-80 bolts per side so it is very sturdy.

The pilot itself is a laser cut kit from Doug Bronson. He also cut me the cabs in wood for us. 

The pilot deck itself had been shortened a tad due to the reversing valve being the same size as the cylinders.


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## Alan in Adirondacks (Jan 2, 2008)

Jay, 

Beautiful work! 

Best regards, 

Alan


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## Kovacjr (Jan 2, 2008)

Since it was a rainy day here in wet NJ, I decided on getting some more work dome on the Porters.

Both pilots are mounted, smokebox base is secured to the reversing valve and pilot deck. Still need to make some side covers for the pipework as a shoud. The reverser since it will not fit in the cab had to be changed and since the length was increased on the frame it was necessary to either extend it or build it into the frame and conseal it. So there are 3 notches in the top of the frame just in front of the cab that will be the reverser lever. I plan to never even change direction as reverse is choppy since it is timed much better for foward. There is a brass tab mounted on the cab floow that puts pressure onto the rod to the piston so it stays in place. Up next is the lower cab parts and the rear boiler mounts.

BTW the rear cab support was laser cut and look just wonderful once soldered up. They would never come out that way without it as the thickness it way too small to work with in the layers you need. Here is who cut these and some other parts for me on this project. http://www.modelengineerslaser.co.uk/index.htm

Ran both chassis again today on air after setting the reverser valve and both run down to the peg on the compressor gauge. 10lbs and they run very smooth, 20lbs and its a rocket. Looking foward to running the the track soon.


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## placitassteam (Jan 2, 2008)

Jason, That cab support is a piece of art. At first I thought it was a casting. That is going to be a beautiful loco when you are done!! Hope you get to to steam pretty soon. It sure felt good to see my Bogie run so well today.


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## Kovacjr (Jan 2, 2008)

With the holiday around I had some time to put into the Porters again. I had completed the cab floor and supports, built the ashpan and mounts, cut and punched the smokebox wrapper. In the last few months I have been looking for a shear so I can move foward with accuratly cutting sheet so there is not so much cleanup if I was to cut it out with hand shears or a nibbler. I picked up a old Di-Acro shear recently so that has helped out a lot. I orignally was looking at the grizzley and Harbor Freight 7" units and they were not up to my expectations. Tey cut up to 20ga brass the Diacro will cut 16 ga steel and I think 12 or 14ga Brass. Its also calibrated to well that it will shear a sheet of paper cleanly. I already had bought last year a slip roller, brake, and a few other tools for sheetmetal from a local guy clearing out his shop of unused tools. In the batch there was a few doubles, I have 2 12" brakes, 2 12" slip rolls, and 2 bench mounted power nibblers. Funny thing was these tools came out of my middleschool, but the school never got the isurance for a sheetmatal class and they were never used, he was the music teacher and farm owner and bought them from the school about 15 years ago. When I get around to it the extras will be sold. They are all USA machines and much better built then the chinese junk.

Anyway here are some new photos, everything is soft silver-soldered so I know it will hold up to the heat and its stronger too.









































































Because the boiler saddle is changed a bit I needed a easy way to level the boiler so I threaded the mounting stud M6 x 1 so I can use a nut to elevate it to the height and another to secure it to the plate. a 1/4" hole is in the cab floor for the stud.



















Here are a few shots of the new toys too..


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## Stan Cedarleaf (Jan 2, 2008)

Jason, that's awesome. Just enjoy seeing the craftsmanship in your work...


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## Torby (Jan 2, 2008)

I'm totally and completely (slight exaggeration, but very slight) amazed. What craftsmanship!


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## livesteam5629 (Jan 2, 2008)

Jay, 
These are coming along great. Love looking at them. Check your email...you have mail. 
Noel


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## Kovacjr (Jan 2, 2008)

Just a short update as I have been working on a few other things and with Christmas around the corner it has been busy.

The shoes are Ozark ad bolted and soldered to the brass strip. Dont ask the melting point but it held up to rosin solder without melting or distorting. Looks about they melt at 200 though. I did have a bad one that I soldered and kept heating to se how long before it melted. About 5 seconds after the solder flowed in direct heat.

The cylinder I am going to turn from brass and solder to a flat bracket for mounting to te chassis.

The springs in the 2nd photo are ex K28 springs from a scrap chassis cut down drastically to fit Fletches drawings. They have a notch to rest and center over the frame but bolt up to the back, I just soldered them onto the side frames from the inside with 450 solder. I recently bought some 450 solder paste and it works very smooth and you can just touch on some 450 silver bearing solder I have from radioshack that I use for non hear bearing parts.


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## railgeek (Jan 15, 2008)

Jason, 
Looks great!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Gives me an idea for brake rigging for a couple of scratch builds. 
Marc


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## rkapuaala (Jan 3, 2008)

Jason, 
Looking great! Can't wait to see how you hook the throttle up.


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## Ray C. (Jan 2, 2008)

Where did you get your sheet metal tools?


Posted By Kovacjr on 11/29/2008 8:04 PM
With the holiday around I had some time to put into the Porters again. I had completed the cab floor and supports, built the ashpan and mounts, cut and punched the smokebox wrapper. In the last few months I have been looking for a shear so I can move foward with accuratly cutting sheet so there is not so much cleanup if I was to cut it out with hand shears or a nibbler. I picked up a old Di-Acro shear recently so that has helped out a lot. I orignally was looking at the grizzley and Harbor Freight 7" units and they were not up to my expectations. Tey cut up to 20ga brass the Diacro will cut 16 ga steel and I think 12 or 14ga Brass. Its also calibrated to well that it will shear a sheet of paper cleanly. I already had bought last year a slip roller, brake, and a few other tools for sheetmetal from a local guy clearing out his shop of unused tools. In the batch there was a few doubles, I have 2 12" brakes, 2 12" slip rolls, and 2 bench mounted power nibblers. Funny thing was these tools came out of my middleschool, but the school never got the isurance for a sheetmatal class and they were never used, he was the music teacher and farm owner and bought them from the school about 15 years ago. When I get around to it the extras will be sold. They are all USA machines and much better built then the chinese junk.

Anyway here are some new photos, everything is soft silver-soldered so I know it will hold up to the heat and its stronger too.









































































Because the boiler saddle is changed a bit I needed a easy way to level the boiler so I threaded the mounting stud M6 x 1 so I can use a nut to elevate it to the height and another to secure it to the plate. a 1/4" hole is in the cab floor for the stud.



















Here are a few shots of the new toys too..


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## Kovacjr (Jan 2, 2008)

Hmm Ray thats a hard one.....As many of them are from all different places and all are used. I can not afford these as new or the larger cheap ones. 

Keep an eye on Ebay. 

Grizzly sells a 3 in 1 unit but has limited cutting capacity. The Diacro shears can handle 16 ga steel or equivalant softer metals. The go for 500 and up for the small ones used on ebay. Cabin fever is a good place to look too but they never had any that were deals all overpriced in the last 2 years I have been looking. 

Jet made a 12" slip roll look used on that too. 

What are you looking for?


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## rkapuaala (Jan 3, 2008)

I would not recommend the grizzly 3 in one roller, shear and brake. Mine was in terrible condition brand new and I had to remachine many of the parts to make it work. 
It works now, but not till after I fixed it.


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