24 November, 2019 in Carlyle, Illinois
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This past week’s project was to grind the old ears/boiler mounts off of the Tram boiler. This was done with a thin wheel grinding disc and cutting through the old welds. Care had to be considered to not grind into the boiler plate, but only remove and smooth the area of the old welded on ears. New ears/mounts were constructed out of 5 inch “C” channel, cut in to 2 -1.5 inch pieces and then cut those in half and drill for the 4 deck mounts. Each one had to be cleaned up (no sharp edges) and a slight 45 degree bevel put on the back of each side and top to create a smooth welding surface.
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Good friend, Jason, came over to inspect my progress/work and weld the ears/mounts on to the boiler. Remember, I’m not a welder or machinist, so all of this is a challenge and learning experience for me.
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Next step is to drill and tap the holes in the deck of the frame to secure the boiler.
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Thanks for looking, as I document my progress/ redo’s and mistakes.