ModelWorks Foden
Builder's Diary

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Interim 1 - Kit 19/20 Parts - Flywheel, Gear & Chain Guards

Kit 18 account

Foden Home

Boiler/Chassis Assembly

Burrell

POP

Monday 13 October: This kit should have arrived Friday but unfortunately due to a mix up by the new carrier, Interlink Express, I did not receive it until 10am today. In retrospect I was quite lucky to receive it at all as a card with no name etc was left at an incorrect address.

This delivery marks a very important milestone as it is the first consignment from Steam Traction World. Rather than deliver a kit a month their plan is to make a monthly shipment of any parts ready for dispatch with the aim of supplying everything by the year end. Well done Steve and Dean. I was please to find copies of my boiler documentation also included with this delivery.

The change from kit based deliveries will affect the structure of my account. I am going to try to have a page for each "Interim" delivery. What I have not yet decided is whether to write up activities on these pages or provide links to Kit based accounts.

Unlike most constructors I have had my crankshaft for some time. For those that have just received their cranks there is plenty to do as time spent ensuring alignment and free operation will pay dividends later. I spent days on both the Burrell and the Foden and I am glad I did.

I suspect it will be some time before I fit the majority of these parts as my priority is to get the boiler with engine fitted mounted into the chassis. I have made progress on this and have all necessary parts painted however there is one little job I want to do, namely pinning the valve gear shafts. See kit 18 for details.

Initially the top of the guard would not lie flush with the bulkhead

Saturday 6 December: When fitting the Outer Gear Guard (the guard that the end of the crank pokes through) I found I had to made a substantial adjustment to the fixing holes onto the chassis in order to get the crankshaft central in its hole. I then offered up Forward Chain Guard and I was not satisfied with the fit. The instructions indicate that on the control model the fixing holes had to be slotted to get the panel to fit but concerned at the large gap where the guard met the bulkhead I decided to investigate.

Something seemed to be preventing the guard being pushed up against the bulkhead and once I placed the guard on my surface plate it was obvious why. One of the edges was out of true presumably as a result of distortion caused during welding. It was then a simple matter to scribe a true vertical and file the guard to shape. After a few more minor adjustments I got the guard to fit without modifying the original fixing holes.

Checking for square with the chassis fixing flange clamped on the surface plate

Gear guarding in place

The fit is now good but a packing strip between the flanges might allow a neater finish

I am now fairly happy with the fit but I am considering one more refinement. There is a small gap where the flange bolts onto the outer gear guard. There is enough give in the flange to allow the gap to be closed but since this would leave it slightly out of square I am consideringadding a thin filler strip between the flanges.

I shall now continue fitting the cab sides.