October/November/December production photos.

wow, cant believe we are in October. and so starts a new thread for the photos. only reason for this is it makes it a bit easier to find things in the future.

this week the machines have spent most of their time on the prep for the lyka kit1 parts that needed re-visiting. As said last week, on the first couple of kits we did not machine the full batch quantities due to the current sales numbers. All this has been seen before.

on the subject of Lyka kits, all the individual springs have been made up into sets...



other work on the machines has been on the 6inch foden horn-plate kit. all the horn plates are now drilled...



and i've started work on the main bearing housings...



and finished off the gear change levers...



work on the next couple of roller kits continues. the pile of forks is slowly growing...



and we have completed a one off steering chain guide assembly to prove out the design and now working on making the full batch...



also on the roller, the laser cut parts for the smoke-box kit have finally arrived...

So Craig are you telling us (those overseas customers) that none of our kits that we have been invoiced for have actually been made? And that kits 1-7 will not be palletized any time soon for shipment to us? I would like more details please.

that's not what im saying at all.  

We made enough complete kits "at the start of the run" for all orders that were sold "at the start of the run". As more kits are sold we increase the production quantities on all further kits and then have to go back and re-make any short falls on the current "stock" available on the early kits .

this is above the kits sold "at the start of the run" that are allocated and in storage for current customers .

In the case of kit one we have had to make an additional 3 rear axle frames only TO COVER NEW ORDERS. all other parts are in stock.

on complicated or expensive parts this can often happen. due to the cost of cylinder blocks, for example we often machine them in batches of about 15, where as simple parts will be made in batches of up to 50. As soon as we have sold or allocated the 15 kits that those cylinder blocks cover we will order and machine another 15.

in the case of the lyka, the current sales have been much higher than we first expected. originally we did not set out to create a large amount of stock. 

also not all our customers receive their kits at the same time. in-fact i believe we have around 3 separate "runs" on one current model.

please remember, the photos that i post indicate the items we manufacture, NOT necessarily the items we dispatch. dispatch queries should be aimed at Ian... our production manager.

To ease your concerns, here are photos of the kits that are in storage for our overseas Lyka customers 

in all fairness to you guys, i believe the early Lyka kits were made during the months when the productions guides were not being posted.

i will post this weeks photos at home later tonight, sorry about that but we are about to close for today and ive run out of time.

evening all, OK, on to this weeks photos

cylinder blocks. after finishing the batch of DCC blocks, Mark has moved on to a batch of SCC blocks...





onto the 4inch roller and i have just finished machining the steering chain guides...



and they have gone on for final welding...



work has also started on the smoke-box kit. i am told that kit 2 should go out early next week...



im also still busy on the 6inch foden horn-plate kit. the bottom part of the bearing housings are nearly done...



and i've just started on the top half...



and these are the gear-change lever locks...



just started on the lathes, BU4 front hubs...



and hub caps...



and a random part to finish. a Showmans winch roller support sitting in it's jig...

craig@STW wrote:in all fairness to you guys, i believe the early Lyka kits were made during the months when the productions guides were not being posted.

i will post this weeks photos at home later tonight, sorry about that but we are about to close for today and ive run out of time.

Thank you Craig for the additional detail and explanation. You have address all of my concerns and look forward to receiving my first batch of kits soon.

Best Regards,
Grier

your welcome Grier.

sometimes even silly things like the amount of material we buy can effect the quantities we make. we usually buy our bars in 3 meter lengths. some times if we need 4 metres we end up with 6 metres and if its a small part we can often end up making a lot more parts then we need. the semi circular clamps/washers that bolt to the end of the long, front to rear, chassis runner are a good example. we seem to have about 100 spares of these !!!!

this weeks photos !!! the main focus on the machines this week has been finishing the 6inch foden Horn-plate kit and the BU4 front wheel kit.

the last part for the 6inch foden is the bearing housings. we have already had photos of the two parts, now they are bolted together and the bearing hole cut...





and the BU4 front wheels. the pairs of rims are already packed...



we have counter-sunk 100's of spokes and they are now ready for bending...



front hubs halfway done...



and hub caps...



other work includes showmans smoke-box doors...



turned from a solid slab...



and the showmans smoke-box laser cuts are in...

Hi Guys
Any update on the last 2 showmans kits?
Mark

no up-date on the last 2 showmans kits since my last comment i'm afraid. i believe we are still trying to find new motors.

this weeks photos...

the BU4 and SCC kit1(front wheels) are almost done and we should get this out early next week. 

Spokes have been bent...



Hubs are done...



And test fitted in a rim...



Inner covers are done...



And i just need to drill the mounting holes in the outer covers...



The last few bits are being done on the 6inch Foden kit. back plates having clinch nuts pressed in...





Cab floors...



Most of the kit is now on the shelf...



On the Roller, the full batch of Front forks are all done...



And the smoke-boxes are all welded...



The turning is almost done on the showmans smokebox doors...



I'm working on a batch of reverse lever triggers...



Another batch of boilers have been passed off...



And the box section for the lyka upper chassis has arrived...

Hi have received my roller front fork could you please tell me what the high strength retainer and bearing grade fluids are for?

Sorry, having trouble up-loading the photos at stw towers. Will have to post when i get home.

The fluids in the roller kit should have been sent with kit 1. Due to an error they were included in kit 2

this weeks photos...

News on the search for replacement showmans generator motors. we now have the first of two samples that we have been waiting for. I'm told that Steve believes its possible to use this one but thinks the second sample may be more suitable. I'll let you know when it arrives...



Mark has been working on the SCC cylinder blocks. Cutting of the saddle...



and the complicated 4th axis op where four faces are machined in one set-up...



I have finished the showmans smoke-box doors...



and the smoke boxes are rolled...



the front rings are now being turned...



and the door, hinges and hinge blocks are test fitted...



other parts this week include Burrell ash pans...



and on the Lyka Catch-up parts, a new batch of diff-housings are nearly done...



and a random part for stock. Foden 4inch expansion links...

Showmans gens look good

this weeks photos...

the foden expansion links that i started last week re all done...



standing them up-right to drill the oil holes...



the turning on the showmans smoke-box door rings is all done...



once the 4th axis machine has finished on the cylinder blocks the door rings and the smoke-boxes will go on for final drilling... 



chimney base rings are turned and waiting for drilling...



burrell 4inch pistons are being turned...



i have finally got around to finishing the small and fiddly 2inch Burrell crank-shaft bearings... 



and the manual section are working on the showmans tender kit. countersinking and forming the panels before welding...

Hi Craig
How are the last 2 showmans kits getting on?

Wot? No production guide for this week? Whatever has happened? It usually appears like clockwork!! This has ruined my weekend as I always look forward to this little "snippet"!!

sorry for the delay guys, i was busy setting machines on Friday, and although i took some photos i didn't get chance to post them up !!!

Here they are...

we were just getting to the end of the showmans smoke-box kit and unfortunately the machine has had a technical !!!! these chimney base rings are waiting to be finished...



work on the showmans tender kit is almost done...





on the 4inch Burrell we have been working on the pistons...



regulator rods...



and valve rods...



and we have started work on the upper chassis of the lyka. im just machining the box section at the moment...







and as always, more boilers are in production...

Thank you Craig, for our weekly dose of lovely metal bits. Life's worth living again.

Eric

Any chance we can get a update on the last two showmans kits please

OK, first things first, the last of the showmans kits... the motor that was pictured a few weeks back has been tested and its not up to the job. another unit has been ordered. until we work out what we are going to use we dont know if anything will need modifying. i have spoken to Steve and he said although we could re-use the original unit he was never happy with it and wants to continue looking for an alternative.

this weeks photos...

the good news is our 4th axis machine is up and running again (although using a donor part from one of the other machines until its faulty unit is fixed) and the last jobs for the showmans/road loco kit 3 are now nearly done. this kit should be going out next week. A showmans smoke-box on the machine for final drilling...



most of the other work done this week has been for the Lyka upper chassis kit. loads of brackets and fittings have been done and the main frames are just about ready to hand over for fabrication...





when finished, this will be the main handbrake boss that's welded into the frame...



and these laser cuts will form other parts including the battery tray...



another quick job on the machines this week is the drilling of the angled holes in the whistle bodies...





BU and SCC kit-18 gear guards needed for stock. Again this is a good example of how we work. We only needed one at the moment to complete an order but its just as easy to make a new batch that will be ready and waiting when we need them later...



SCC cylinder blocks ready to go out next week...



and as im trying to feature a photo each week of the boiler making, here is the inner workings of a boiler... the fire box. don't ask me what model its for but bonus points to anyone how can make a guess...

craig@STW wrote:
and these laser cuts will form other parts including the battery tray...

Battery tray? On the Likamobile?

Does that mean it'll still have a Derr boiler and an electric paraffin burner?

Eric

Eric, You are obviously not a Lykamobile builder or you would not be so ignorant and uninformed of the current state of play! For the record, the Derr boiler (water tube) has now been replaced by more traditional fire tube boiler as in the original. Firing of course will be by electric oil burner (as before) to meet with health and safety standards and legislation for a replica (does not apply so much to an original) for licensing purposes. Fuel (Parraffin, Jet, A1, Avtur, Diesel, Gasoil, Heating oil etc etc) is the choice of the owner/builder.

Indeed, I'm currently not a Likamobile builder, but very interested in building a replica that is as close to the original as possible. I doubt if having questions makes me ignorant.

Can you point me in the direction of regulations that say that oil burners should be electric for meeting current safety standards and for licencing purposes? I'd really like to know, because it's the first time I've heard of it.

Eric