Metal Casting Zone

Something tells me that it is laying right about where it died. They didn't bother to cart off the tons of coal that were lying around, they probably just left it where it was. Not worth the trouble of doing so. I wouldn't want to be on the first restoration team, either, having to clean out 75 years worth of porcupine poop. That's the pellets you see in the bottom of the internal shot. I'm sure that it makes a really cozy little den in the winter.

I wonder how many cubic feet of steam are released in a boiler explosion? Im pretty sure anyone in a 1/4 mi radius would have heard that one go off

if its a lombard it would have had a boiler shield around it so hopefully no one was hurt. history of other boiler explosions worldwide states serious injury and death!it will be most interesting to see what odd duck digs up about it.

Just an update, finally got a start on the next pattern. Since I already have the hand hole cover pattern, I decided to do the ring as well. I have been working on and off on it for the last couple of weeks. I got a little more work done on it today but don't have the pics of it. Here's the progress so far:

It took a little while to decide the exact procedure I would use to build it. I started by making a template of the curve it needed to be made to:

I then cut some 1" strips of wood and marked them using the template:

I then cut them out with my bandsaw:

After that I lay out and cut the top part of the pattern out of 1/2" plywood. I didn't take pics of that because it is nearly identical to the cover section. I then glued the strips for the bottom part together:

I then glued the top and bottom together:

The cover mounting bolts were set 45 deg. off the axis of the curve. I then went back to the bandsaw, and using my duh-simple circle cutting jig I cut the outer circumfrence of the ring:


I have to cut the hole in the middle still, and I have quite a bit of shaping and sanding left, but it is coming along. I will post more pics as I have them.

excellent pattern making there. it serves to remind us of all of the work it takes to build these engines. i wonder how long it took to make all the patterns for the lombard?? i once did a painting job for a local "oldtimer" pattern maker. he told me when he was younger it took 6 months of fulltime work to make a pattern for a rail wheel out of wood.

Progress update, I have finished the first pattern for the hand hole ring. Pics:


and some more links to finishing it up:
i157.photobucket.com/albums/t54/OddDuckFoundry/HHRcuttingoutmiddle.jpg
i157.photobucket.com/albums/t54/OddDuckFoundry/HHRmiddlecut1.jpg
This one shows the boiler side mockup I made to finish the back off and test fit the castings, it is an 18" radius curve, maybe not perfect but pretty close.
i157.photobucket.com/albums/t54/OddDuckFoundry/HHRonboilermockup1.jpg
i157.photobucket.com/albums/t54/OddDuckFoundry/HHRnearlydone.jpg
This is a shot of the inside curve, I cheated and laid wax paper over the mockup and coated the back of the pattern with auto body filler. Worked pretty slick.
i157.photobucket.com/albums/t54/OddDuckFoundry/HHRbacknearlydone.jpg
I did try to cast it last Friday evening, but it was getting kinda late and it was starting to bucket down rain, so I rushed a little and didn't melt enough aluminum and got a short pour.

If anyone needs a toilet seat for their space shuttle I know where there is one... I am going to try it again in a few days, I will post results.

excellent job ! im glad im not the only one who rushes when it starts to rain!. at least when you "get caught short" again you will have a seat.

ps: "caught short" in oz means you suddenly need to go to the toilet.

try this, If you pattern is soft wood (like pine) weight it and multiply by 6.25 and this will give you tha approx weight in al. if it is had wood like oak weigh it and multiply by 3.75. this should get you close

Looks good OddDuck, except for the toilet seat part.
I'm going to use the bondo trick on one of my projects. Just press it down, trim off the excess, sand it smooth when it sets up. Slick