Between a rescued dog situation gone wrong, disasters at work, and a wife sick with pneumonia for well over a month, I haven’t had much time since Christmas to do anything on my 50 tonner project. But, over the last week I’ve managed to get back into the shop, blow the dust off, and start gluing my fingers together again.
One new challenge is fabricating new cut levers for the locomotive. The as-supplied factory ones are made of wire that’s way too thin, and consists of a single piece with a square bend in the middle. What I want is to make new ones out of some brass rod, and in three pieces like the prototype.
The difficulty is twofold … first, the two outside pieces require 90 degree bends … three of them … in three dimensions. (and a third small bend at the end of the handle) Bending by hand, that’s tough to get once … and I need enough for both ends of at least five locomotives … probably more.
I spent two hours yesterday making ONE … and then had to scrap it as it wasn’t right, and I’d forgot to put the supports on anyway, before I bent it!
I approached Phil (who makes something similar for his freight cars) but he wasn’t interested … he did supply me with some great white metal supports though, along with some nbw’s and some grabirons I can use elsewhere on the project.
Anybody have the technology to make a jig for this, or … have some kind of idea of how to do this except by hand bending (and pulling out hair?) I really need to make some progress on this engine (I’m simultaneously working on wheelbearing covers, window supports, cab interior, details, and trying to work out the handrails…so I’m making SOME progress…) so that I can go back to Alan with something to show him … I’m almost embarassed to call him after being off the project for nearly six months!
Matthew (OV)
