Powder Coat Vs Spray Paint

Hi Nick

I don't think they forgot, the lamps and bracket locations vary on different engines, showmans or road loco. I saw these type on a full size engine and liked the location compared to on the side of the smokebox whre some are. so designed them to suit the lamps I had bought. I put the smokebox on the perch bracket, put the axle on and a wheel and then identified how much space was needed to get the lamps on and off the bracket without interfeering with the smokebox and where the wheel could not catch them.

Below is a rough sketch I did tonight after measuriing up from my model, I did not draw it when I made them I did it in my head - once an engineer and all that.

The bracket was bolted to the perch bracket on the centre line of the axle, holes wer marked from the bracket, drilled and tapped for M5 bolts or whatever you have to hand. I also drilled and tapped a hole so I could drill a small hole in piece whe the bracket fits in the lamp so that it can be locked in place to avoid 1) shaking off and 2) light fingers



If it needs doing properly I can have a go another day when I have more time.
Here is a close up photo taken at an angle to show you some detail plus a straight on shot without the lamp on.

Dwain/Brian M

I think there must have been a lot of blood spilt in the workshops of this land during the building of the fortysomething showmans and road locos on the go at the moment.

A week ago my dad was grinding down the excess thread on the dummy rivets on one of the front wheels and my daugter was trying to get a photograph of this with the sparks flying. I suggested she raised the camera up high to be able to see past his shoulder - she touched him by mistake, made him jump and he ground a groove in is finger

He managed to hold back the words he was probably thinking at the time and lukily a grinding wheel tends to cauterise a wound so no blood was spilt on the wheel/bench/us etc.. He eventually saw the funny side if you can with this type of incident and has promissed that she will still get a birthday present in the summer. I think she has learned a lesson on the dangers of powertools though.

Be safe everyone!

Brian W

Hi Brian,

Did you paint your smoke door and then rub the letters with emery cloth or a go over each word with a dremel.

Cheers,

Brian

Brian

I polished the beading and letters of the large name ring in the lathe using fine emery cloth around a small block of wood. The small name ring was trickier and I fitted it into the door centre piece before putting it in the chuck. For the letters in the small name ring I folded emery cloth around the end of a small piece of steel and gently touched the letters to clean the tops. I gradually reduced the grade to the finest emery I had.

I then filled the area around the letters with paint cleaning the tops of the letters of any paint once it had dried using one of those special rubbing tools with fibreglass bristles. It is relatively easy to rub away excess paint from the polished brass surface. I used 3 generous coats.

The paint I used was from Halfords and is their own brand. It is a high temperature gloss red engine enamel that can withstand temperatures of 300 degrees C.

Brian

When I painted my smokebox ring I polished up the brass first then painted the infill reasonably carefully and just wiped off any surplus with a turpsy rag as I went. With the cylinder name plate (on the SC Burrell) I sprayed that one and then as soon as I had finished, with a lint free rag, wiped the surface revealing the letters. I found painting with a brush on a smooth surface gave a poor finish and too much was going in the nooks & crannies.

When I originally made 'Madeline', the smokebox ring was red with brass letters. This was a pig to keep clean as the letters are very deep. I eventually nickel plated the brass and painted the background black: most agricultural TEs had steel name rings and black keeps clean!

On the SRL(S) I have thinned down the letters a bit on the lathe to reduce the relief to make them easier to clean - although the castings on the new engines are much finer than the originals- and cleaned up with various burs (professional advantage). Haven't painted them yet, but these will remain as brass with a red background.

Tim