Kit 17 Despatched

Hi All,

Everyone waiting for kit 17 (Diff and gears) will be pleased to know it was despatched yesterday 8th September. Good luck with the build. Only 2 kits left to go to completion.

Dean

Kit 17!!!!
Only 2 Kits to completion
I Wish!!!!!!!!!

Well it looks like a good time was had by all at the G.D.S.F. I'll be there next year most certainly... Until then, work work work n keep pluggin away at our engines guys n girls...
Wonder if a christmas get together/drink wouldn't be too bad an idea??
Somewhere central-ish for most people. Anyone with any thoughts ie: P*** off LilyJack!!! or yup good idea LilyJack!!! would be welcome

Best Regards..

Only at Kit 10 LilyJack

Hi
Gess what came in the post today for me ~~~~~~~~~~Kit 17 But I have now lost kit 24????
If I am right it has falled to the back of my bench .........But if not I will find it soon.
As you say Lillyjack keep going and good luck

Mine has arrived too!
i have discovered one problem!
the thread on BU21721 (diff lock selector handle) is 2.5mm but the hole in BU21718 (diff lock selector) is threaded to 3mm. also the slot in BU21719 (diff lock plate) is 2.5mm wide.

Forge,

Thank you for posting the problems with the selector fork on the forum.
After reading you comments I checked the parts I had recieved and they are the same as yours.
If this had not been posted I would have been unaware of the problem for sometime as I do not intend to fit the gears etc untill I recieve the last two kits so that I only have to remove the rear wheels once to fit all the remaining bits and pieces.
This is where the forumis a great help to all builders.

Malcolm

Thanks Forge
I'm not ready for fitting either but checked and found same problem with handle, fork & backing plate. Locating pin fits OK.

forge wrote:Mine has arrived too!
i have discovered one problem!
the thread on BU21721 (diff lock selector handle) is 2.5mm but the hole in BU21718 (diff lock selector) is threaded to 3mm. also the slot in BU21719 (diff lock plate) is 2.5mm wide.

thank you for this forge. yes there is a problem here and we are now aware of it at STW . we are working on a solution straight away.

craig

OK, part BU21721 (diff lock selector handle) is to be re-made, and the slot in BU21719 (diff lock plate) is to be re-cut to 3.2mm wide on the kits still at the factory. those who have the kit allready will be advised to file their slots to fit.

BU21718 (diff lock selector) will not need any work.

dean or steve should be letting you know more details soon

hi thanks for the warning

Has anyone fitted there crank gears over the splines yet? I've found my splines are too tall needing a good bit taking off them some how. Is everyones like this?

Cheers

Jo

northburrell wrote:Has anyone fitted there crank gears over the splines yet? I've found my splines are too tall needing a good bit taking off them some how. Is everyones like this?

Cheers

Jo

Ho Bummer ok as mine are put on and fixed .I do not know as of yet I am still going with 21 ...But haveing fun
Thanks for the INFO

Joe

Mine's the same, The sides are OK but tops need taking down a couple of thou.

I have the same problem with te diff lock as everyone else

Also

The 2 screws that are supposed to hold the plate that holds all the gears on on either end of the 2nd shaft, are the wrong size, too small.

I've just trial fitted the rest and seems ok. Not sure whether to paint the large gears or leave them, most engines I have seen leave them as bare metal, they shouldn't rust when plastered with grease and it will save a fair bit of work.

Gonna get very dodgy now running on air with all them gears waiting to chew my fingers up !!

(Back from holiday afew few pounds heavier)
Al

PS Whats the weight limit on those nice looking 2" wagons?

Hi Al and Jo

I've also noticed an issue with the crank keys although I haven't fitted mine yet.

As for the 2nd shaft gear retaining bolts,yes they are the wrong size,they are M4,much the same as were used on the rear wheels.

Al ,I'm with you when it come to painting the gears,let the grease do the work,just put plenty on I guess.

cheer's Tony

Fitted all the drive gears, winch gears and guards. All very small tolerances but no rubbing

Have a slight issue with the meshing of the larger crankshaft gear to the smaller of the two 2nd shaft gears, they mesh ok but are both on the wobble and as such there is a tight spot and it creaks and screeches as it runs. I'm hoping it will dissappear when run in. Anyone else got this problem?

Alan

Hi everyone.

I spoken to Steve today about how badly this kit fits together so i'm sending all my gears and crank back to STW for them to get fitted properly, there not a good fit at all and these parts need to slide and mesh spot on to stop wear in the future.

what i've found wrong..
my splines on the crank are way over size, either the key ways are not cut deep enough into the crank or even into the gears.
My small crank gear has had the bore and key ways machined on the piss! so when I managed to get the bloody thing on and turned the crank it goes round all wobbly!
the middle gear of the diff that has the big brass bush in it is a sloppy fit on the shaft of the inner bevel gear of the diff. this means when the outer bevel is fitted and the end washers fitted the howl main drive gear of the diff wobbles around, again this shouldnt happen and should be sorted out.

I personally think these parts need factory fitting if not just the gears that go on the crank.. i'm a little disapointed with the fitment of this kit to be honest.. : (

Jo

Jo,

I think after your call today with Steve he suggested you send the bits back, we will then check them, fit them and return them to you once done.
This is standard practice for any issue a customer might have with any of our products. I think the comment about 'this shouldn't happen and should be sorted out' is a bit misleading for any potential customers out there, after all you only called about it today and we've not had the bits back to sort them yet. I agree it shouldn't happen but occasionally manufacturing over 200 kits a month, over a range of products, things do slip through. When they do if it's not sorted out in a reasonable time frame then thats the time to jump up and down.

I also believe Steve said that of the other 50+ kits despatched you are the first who has called with this problem he is aware of. Again as standard practice, when a customer has a major issue with an item in a kit, once it is brought to our attention we then check all the kits and spares we have in stock.

As soon as the bits are recieved we will look at them as a matter of urgency and if need be we will send a a complete set of replacements.

All the best

Dean

Hi Dean,

I appreciate you looking into my problems with the crank gears and diff, I'm not jumping up and down about it i'm just letting other builders know that there are problems and that they could have them also.... Yes Steve said he hadn't heard anyone having the same problem but i'm not sure how many builders of this engine have experience with how steam models like this should fit together. (no offense to anyone)They might never even spot it or not be at this stage in the build yet.. Posts on this thread would suggest that gears are not meshing, not fitting on splines and are also wobbly so it's not just me..
I suggested to Steve that important parts of the model like the fitment of the gears on the crank/splines could be factory fitted by you to ensure good quallity fitment, after all these parts take the brunt of the power and the load and will make the parts wear more quicky if they dont mesh and run smoothly. I know it's more work for you guys but in the end it makes for better models out there in steam and makes for happier builders.
whats better? spend a little more time and money on checking parts and making sure ALL parts fit the control model or having people ranting about it when things dont fit..I know what I would choose.
I now have to take apart my valve gear, take out my crank, box it all up, then post it at my own cost to get it put right. i'll then probably have to re-paint my crank also... Like I said at the start i'm not jumping up and down just informing people.

Jo,

I agree in part with your post, however, some of the best engines we have ever supplied have been built by builders with no experience what so ever so don't under estimate the novice.

Deciding what to supply individually or assembled, what level of detail to provide, how much cleaning up can be done on an item is never an easy task. For some individuals there isn't enough to do in one of our kits whereas for others there is too much. It's a fine line reaching a compromise that keeps everyone happy and makes customers feel that there is enough for them to do to feel they have contributed towards their finished model.
Would most customers want a cylinder supplied with the piston and valve chest fitted so it can be just bolted on the boiler? I don't think so and we think it's similar to the gears on the crank and other parts. We don't want to supply a kit that is just put together like lego. What is important though is that all parts supplied should fit and be fit for purpose. To try every part on the control model would just be too time consuming. Each machinist is responsible for their own quality and has gauges and mating parts to try the parts as they come off the machine. As the majority of the things we manufacture are CNC machined the tolerances can be held if managed correctly. If the parts are then inspected correctly before going in to packing we should in theory be able to try one or two on the control model as the rest of the batch should be identical.
Where we have slipped up on the gears for your crank is that we decided to buy them in and on delivery they have not been checked thoroughly enough, meaning a rogue like yours has slipped through the system. It shouldn't happen but occasionally it does, bit like the dif lock pin having the wrong thread last month, a silly mistake which could have been avoided if it hadn't have been missed on the control model but quickly and easily rectified when spotted.

Whenever we make a minor 'cock up' believe me we feel equally as bad as the customer. We get annoyed with ourselves too, as the rest of the kit may have been the 'dogs nuts' but the implication when something goes out incorrect is that all that is forgotten about. We also get annoyed at the cost implication (remaking a part, sending it out) and we feel for the customer who may have to disassemble something he has spent a long time putting together and painting.

Have a good weekend

Dean

Has anyone fitted there crank gears yet? do they fit? does your diff wobble around?