Obtaing Gunmetal Bar in Oz

[Runner]

Hi all,

I wish to fabricate gunmetal cylinders for a twin vertical marine engine I am building from scratch using stock materials. I have sources for gunmetal round but can't seem to identify a source for flat or bar for the steam chests and the steam ports part of the cylinder. I live in Australia so to minimise shipping costs I would prefer the source be from Australia.

Thanks in advance.

Brian

 

[Jasonb]

A slice off the end of a larger dia bar usually gives suitable flat material and the small offcuts can always be put to use for things like glands and steam fittings. Have a look through the construction of this guys engine to see how most of it all came from one length of bar

Hollow cast bronze is also an economical way to get your cylinder material and being a bit harder than gunmetal is nicer to machine. Its usually sold for bearings and the grade in the UK is SAE660, should be an equivalent where you are

If you end up ordering LG2 from teh UK then these two stock it in squares
http://www.livesteammodels.co.uk/pdf/MES2012g.pdf

https://maccmodels.co.uk/index.php?cPath=263_215&osCsid=ad1f6501fb4f000d6f009ddddaa98cff

J

 

[trumpy81]

Brian, have you tried E.J. Winter:

http://www.ejwinter.com.au/index.htm

They may be able to help.

I know I saw some flat bar listed somewhere but I can't remember where now. I wasn't looking for it at the time so I didn't pay much attention to it .... sorry

You could try:

http://www.georgeweston.com.au/

They stock LG2 Bronze.

 

[Runner]

Thanks JasonB, cutting square from round is an option but I think it will be a costly exercise, if push came to shove I would probably use brass for these parts. Having said that I read somewhere that brass is not a good option to use for the slide valve and steam ports when using steam power. Live Steam Models have exactly what I need at a very good price, probably the shipping costs will be much more that the material costs. Oh to be in England ......

Thanks trumpy81, yes I have EJ Winter's catalogue and they only list LG2 round. However, I think that because they supply casting sets for locomotives among those sets would be castings pieces of LG2 flat bar that would be suitable for my use. I'll e-mail them with a list of requirements.

Brian

 

[trumpy81]

Brian, E&J Winter also list Gunmetal Hex Bar. Not quite square, but a lot less waste than using round bar and less work also.

 

[abby]

Guys just email me with your requirements and I can cast exactly the size you require in brass , gunmetal or nickel silver , no waste and no excess postage and cheaper than a stockist.

 

[Herbiev]

Wouldn't the postage cost more than the metal?

 

[abby]

Surface mail is currently £8.11 per kilo , as you would have to pay for delivery anyway if ordered by post you can deduct your local costs from this price.

 

[Runner]

Hi Abby,

thanks for the interest and offer of supply of gunmetal items. I am interested in you supplying the items. It may be a fruitless exercise because shipping costs outweigh the material costs to make it a viable option but if you are willing to give me a total cost for delivery to Adelaide South Australia I shall give it my keeness attention.

I have included pictures of a steel version I made to test the efficacy of the design and to ensure that I am able to construct them within the capabilities that I have. My design is based on having no milling capability and all machining is undertaken on the lathe.

The design is based on a machined cylinder, having a face machined on its length to accomodate a valve chest type construction silver soldered to it. Within this item there are two webs to isolate the two steam inlet ports from the exhaust port. Then the valve chest proper affixed to it and between these two items is a flat plate which carries apertures for the steam inlet ports and exhaust port. The slide valve is a standard design but because I cannot mill the porting recess underneath I have to make it in two pieces silver soldered together.

I can obtain round gunmetal in Australia so if you wish to not consider the supply of material for making the cylinders, covers and pistons then concentrate on the flat material only. Since you indicated some casting capability you can provide them as a casting or as bar that I can machine to size and assemble. Obviously the webs cannot be easily included in the casting they are made separately and silver soldered in. The flat plates 1/8th" thick are are not easily cast, so I recommend that you supply a bar of sufficient thickness to enable three plates to be cut from it and machined, also material for the lower half of the slide valve, say at least a piece 3/4" thick.

It is for two sets of each.

Thanks in advance.

Brian

PS hope the pictures are attached on post, there not showing on preview.

 

[Runner]

Hi Abby,

try this

 

[Runner]

Maybe this is OK???

 

[abby]

Hi Runner , your pictures are not visible to me so just put a sketch or drawing in an email.
Alternative - visit my website http://www.unionsteammodels.co.uk and post there.

 

[abby]

ignore last post , I see them now.

 

[abby]

As I was casting gun metal today I ran a quick sample of 2" dia bar 2" long , the weight is almost exactly 1 kg so you should be able to work out what the total weight of your requirements will be and how much the postage from the UK will cost.

 

[Runner]

Having visited your website I see that you provide a proffessional casting service so if you provided the cylinder casting you would provide a hollow gunmetal rod, so as to reduce the weight, amount of gunmetal and less machining on my part.

If I assume a weight of 3Kg total, does this mean that the postage cost is £8.11 X 3 = £24.33?

No, just checked the Royal Mail Parcelforce website and got a ROM figure of £90 plus 20/%VAT, which at current exchange rates is $A168.

 

[abby]

Surface mail is much cheaper , just takes longer to arrive .

 

[Herbiev]

I've had several surface mails from the U.K. And although it is cheaper most take two months to arrive

 

[Runner]

Thanks Abby for your input, but as I anticipated shipping costs make it non viable to source from the UK. As Herbie has stated the surface mail takes 2-3 months to arrive. I will pursue further sources in OZ, there must be someone who can supply.