Tender Trucks

This is the 5/8" x 5/8" square bar stock for making the journal boxes.

All eight pieces were cut, each 7/8" long. The band saw makes quick straight cuts for this task.

The lathe is used to face these blocks to a finished length of 13/16". I converted this to a decimal 0.8125" so I could measure with my dial calipers.

Here is the nice clean face of the block. I used no lubricant with the carbide tool and brass. The blocks do not require accurate centering for the facing operation.

The journal boxes are now all faced to length and ready for the next step.

Here is what the "wiggler" looks like from the operator side of the lathe. It is incredibly easy to operate. There is a little inter-operability between the cross feed and the four jaw adjustments. But this is easily figured out after the first set-up.

This is a view from the back side. My lathe is fully accessible from all sides except the right or tail post end. Plenty of room at that end but I can't walk there. I have the room, so it is great to have my machines where I can get to all sides of them very easily.

This is an "action shot" of just how accurate I can dial in the four jaw chuck. I was able to rotate the chuck many complete turns and this picture could have been a movie. The secret is to make sure the pointer rod isn't rotating with the chuck. Any little bend in the rod will drive you nuts if you don't!

The center drill is dead on.

Drilling the center.

Drilling 3/8 inches.

Boring to exact size

Above is the end of step two of the journal boxes. Just had to do everything eight times!

This is the next or third step. I am milling the slots for the truck frame. Kozo recommends doing two at once. I am using the accurate square to make sure the parts are properly alined.

In this step I bring the mill over and just touch the side of the part. Then I lift the head, crank over the width of the end mill plus the width of the flange I want. No scribe lines here!

Here I am ready to make the first pass.

This is the last pass on this side. I shot this series with available light so I finally got the end mill to look like it is running. (It was!) To see how I milled the other side in less than 70 seconds, click the picture.

This step is drilling the holes for the frame bolts. The jig is used to keep every journal box consistent. The jig is made to fully interlock with the journal box, so there is little chance for error. It is actually a press fit.

Next the bit is lined up with the jig hole before turning on the machine. Repeat 31 more times.

The drilling is in process here.

A better look at the drilling jig and the journal boxes.

I had intended to use my sine vise to do this angle milling, but the grip on the part would have been on the narrow 1/16" edge. The part would be turned 90 degrees from what you see here. This picture is as Kozo recommends, which grips the part much more secure, on the wide sides. It does require the making of the angle gages.

The gage under the journal box is made from scrap aluminum I had on hand. For this cut, it is a 3-in-10 slope. [tanA = a/b], [tanA = 3/10], [tanA = .30]. A = I figured, to be 16.66 degrees. Weird, but it works. I just scribed a 3/10 right triangle and cut out the slope!

Here I am set up for the next cut which is a "no brainer" 45 degrees. I just made a new gage

A few passes with the mill and the part is shaped. What is next is to clean up all surfaces to remove tooling marks by rubbing on a flat file and some #400 W/D paper.

Here is a fully detailed journal box. Looking at all the pictures, I realize there is a lot of interesting steps to making one of these. Then doing it over again, seven more times. I haven't shown the 3-48 tapping process. (32 holes!) I asked Ed Hume where he got the small screws.

The answer is McMaster-Carr in Atlanta GA. Great service, fair price, very reasonable shipping. I highly recommend McMaster-Carr. Their link is in Links Section. I also bought a 3 piece 3-48 tap set from them (taper, plug, & bottoming) for only $13.78. (shown above)

Previous

Next