Bull Moose 2-8-8-0 Build

[superturbine]

I am thinking that this was started earlier than yesterday , and progress shots were taken . Then Jason yesterday started to feed us them in segments Friday and Saturday . It's either that or his heart beats like a 180 lb hummingbird . Looking more like Bullwinkle every few hours .

  Well, I did state that Adam and I had talked about this engine for the last year's.  The castings of the domes were done months ago.  But the boiler and frame you see did not have any work until Friday.  Some of the speed at which I am able to work is attributed to the large number of castings and molds I have collected over the years.  I would not be able to do the work I do without the pressure and vacuum pot.

[draskouasshat]

Yes  Richie, this is real time. Jason didnt start until i told him a couple key ideas on thursday and friday. weve been chatting about the moose for months but it was until talking about the 9000 boiler that we realized it would work.

[superchief]

Damn Jason I know you don't sleep but you have to burn every end of the candle!!!!! and all I did yesterday was play on "live steam" trains and go out in the car last night....the engine looks GREAT, keep up the good word, after you build ALL the UP steam engines start on the Santa Fe ones HAHA....I have not seen Jason work on his steam engines, but you should see him build scenery he IS that MAD scientist you see in the bad 50's black and white "b" movie.......HAHA Gordon

[superturbine]

Ha!  Thank Steam Buddy!  FWI it looks like several steam engines exploded on the work bench!!

Here is a little work for today.  Handrails and sanding pipe installed.



Jason Smith
Tomball Locomotive Works

[carlso]

Very nice Jason! ! ! What a true artist you are.

Carl

[superturbine]

Thanks Carl,
Really appreciate it!

Of course I was able to get more work done tonight.  Handrails and many other boiler details including headlight.








Jason Smith
Tomball Locomotive Works

[superturbine]

Got Lucky!  Had the morning off which is nice when you are hyper-obsessive compulsive!

Quick paint job, light weathering, decals installed ...... all are still wet.  More weathering will be done after the tender is built.  Also, the cab will not look so crude when the fireman and engineer are installed.  I really don't bother cleaning up the inside of the cab anymore since its so hidden by the figures.

Sorry Otto, I was 12 hours late... and still need to build a tender.  The tender will take a little longer I am going to make castings.








Jason Smith
Tomball Locomotive Works
 

[mmagliaro]

"The tender will take a little longer..."  which in Jason's universe means it will take about 2 hours instead
of 20 minutes.     

[superturbine]

Ha!  No I am going to give myself more time on the tender.  The engine concept works so I will now build a new master for the tender and over time build a master boiler for the casting of the Bull Moose.

Here is the other side of the engine.



Jason Smith
Tomball Locomotive Works

[up1950s]

Looks terrific Jason , what are you going to build next weekend , a backup flying saucer just in case yours is in for a oil change and you need to get back to your home planet of Slamdunkwhizbang .

[peteski]

Looks terrific Jason , what are you going to build next weekend , a backup flying saucer just in case yours is in for a oil change and you need to get back to your home planet of Slamdunkwhizbang .

I firmly believe that Jason has some sort of time-warping machine, and he is able to speed up the time in his workshop, while slowing down the time passage elsewhere in the universe.   

[superturbine]

Ha, you guys really made me laugh!!  Thanks Richie!

This is my time machine, I could not do any of what I do without it.

[peteski]

Ha, you guys really made me laugh!!  Thanks Richie!

This is my time machine, I could not do any of what I do without it.

Hey!  That looks like a pressure pot from Harbor Freight. I have one of those (but haven't used it yet).  So, I also have the ability to bent the time continuum!  Sweet! 

[pnolan48]

Also works as a vacuum pot--to remove moisture, not necessarily bubbles. It helps with molding materials other than silicon rubber, which doesn't seem to need a vacuum.

Jason (or others), what is the set time for casting materials used in the pressure pot?

When I cast big stuff (like hulls) I've gone to long-setting materials to try to eliminate most bubbles. They don't work much better than short-setting materials, since the pot life is still only 15 minutes, while the cure is 3-4 hours.

But I am casting some smaller parts in volume, without many bubble problems. Occasionally I get a void, but that is caused by trapped air in the pour, rather than residual entrained  air in the casting materials.

[superturbine]

Your right Pete, my other pot is a vacuum pot ( the pot screws are worn out from cycles but will still work for 20 bar).  The vacuum process pulls out an amazing amount of air.  My set up time using silpak white is about 15 minutes (depending on temp) the perfect amount of time to get multiple small molds into the pot.  I usually use about 100psi, seal failures do not start to occur until about 120 psi.  Either way when the pressure get turned on.... I get back!