Fitting wheels for outside frames and cranks.

User avatar
jon price
Posts: 641
Joined: Mon Jun 07, 2010 2:34 pm

Fitting wheels for outside frames and cranks.

Postby jon price » Mon Nov 20, 2017 11:15 am

Has anyone got experience based (rather than hypothetical, I have plenty of that) suggestions for how to fit wheels to axles for outside framed locos with outside cranks? Getting the wheels at the correct spacing without wobble I can handle, and I'm fairly confident about how to fit the outside cranks, but making sure there is the same length of axle sticking out each side of the wheels I'm not so confident of. The axles will be non-removable from an inner frame, which is a seperate unit to the outside frame/footplate assembly so the axles will drop out of the outside frames.
Connah's Quay Workshop threads: viewforum.php?f=125

User avatar
Le Corbusier
Posts: 1600
Joined: Wed Feb 11, 2015 3:39 pm

Re: Fitting wheels for outside frames and cranks.

Postby Le Corbusier » Mon Nov 20, 2017 12:22 pm

jon price wrote:Has anyone got experience based (rather than hypothetical, I have plenty of that) suggestions for how to fit wheels to axles for outside framed locos with outside cranks? Getting the wheels at the correct spacing without wobble I can handle, and I'm fairly confident about how to fit the outside cranks, but making sure there is the same length of axle sticking out each side of the wheels I'm not so confident of. The axles will be non-removable from an inner frame, which is a seperate unit to the outside frame/footplate assembly so the axles will drop out of the outside frames.

Jim made a good fist of an old Keyser Kirtley 700 class goods for Brettell Road ... he used the Brassmasters chassis I think ... might be worth taking a look.
Tim Lee

User avatar
Andy W
Posts: 884
Joined: Thu May 21, 2009 8:11 am

Re: Fitting wheels for outside frames and cranks.

Postby Andy W » Mon Nov 20, 2017 2:32 pm

I've built a few Midland locos with outside cranks, and appreciate your worry. I seem to recall that I used a GW wheel press with the stops set to the right depth to allow for the cranks. Obviously a bit of pre-measuring is required.

Also remember to slide your horn blocks on first!!??!!??
Make Worcestershire great again.
Build a wall along the Herefordshire border and make them pay for it.

Enigma
Posts: 533
Joined: Tue Aug 13, 2013 2:49 pm

Re: Fitting wheels for outside frames and cranks.

Postby Enigma » Mon Nov 20, 2017 4:41 pm

I know that this may not be helpful to everyone but I fitted the wheels on my 08 diesel shunter first using the lathe with the axle in the tailstock drill chuck and first wheel up against the headstock chuck with a minimum 1/8" 'hole' through the jaws, having first calculated the amount of axle that was to project through the wheel. The axle was then removed, turned round with the projecting axle in the tailstock chuck and the procedure repeated, using a B-2-B gauge. The fly cranks (which I machined myself in solid brass) were then fitted with a GW wheelpress with the 'top' rod replaced by a longer one and the 'bottom' one replaced by the 'top' one. Small grub screws hold them in and they are easily removed and replaced by suitable diameter silver steel rod. This is a dodge offered to me by Gordon Luck and allows the jaws to open further so as to accomodate the extra width of the fly cranks.

As stated above - don't forget to fit the axle bearings etc. first!!

User avatar
jim s-w
Posts: 2186
Joined: Wed Jul 30, 2008 5:56 pm

Re: Fitting wheels for outside frames and cranks.

Postby jim s-w » Tue Nov 21, 2017 11:01 am

Le Corbusier wrote:Jim made a good fist of an old Keyser Kirtley 700 class goods for Brettell Road ... he used the Brassmasters chassis I think ... might be worth taking a look.


Nothing clever from me. I just drew a line in the centre of my back to back gauge and then marked the centres of the axles.

HTH

Jim
Jim Smith-Wright

http://www.p4newstreet.com

Over thinking often leads to under doing!

User avatar
jon price
Posts: 641
Joined: Mon Jun 07, 2010 2:34 pm

Re: Fitting wheels for outside frames and cranks.

Postby jon price » Tue Nov 21, 2017 11:41 am

Actually Jim that sounds cleverer. Measuring from the centre guarantees equal sides, whereas offsetting from one end leaves the possibility of imbalance. I'll try your method!
Connah's Quay Workshop threads: viewforum.php?f=125

User avatar
Le Corbusier
Posts: 1600
Joined: Wed Feb 11, 2015 3:39 pm

Re: Fitting wheels for outside frames and cranks.

Postby Le Corbusier » Tue Nov 21, 2017 12:06 pm

jim s-w wrote:
Le Corbusier wrote:Jim made a good fist of an old Keyser Kirtley 700 class goods for Brettell Road ... he used the Brassmasters chassis I think ... might be worth taking a look.


Nothing clever from me. I just drew a line in the centre of my back to back gauge and then marked the centres of the axles.

HTH

Jim


The simpler the cleverer ;)
Tim Lee


Return to “Other Workshop Practice”

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: ClaudeBot and 0 guests