(Saturday 1st February 2003: Fuschia Room, Jabula Center, Sandringham)
Anthony Els brought along his half (almost) finished Jones KL66 mobile crane.
He mentioned that the instructions were not very clear. He has done a lot of modification.
One notable modification is the steering system using a socket coupling centered properly.
The original design kept on popping out.
Space Craft
Anthony also brought along a Non-metallic Meccano model.
The model is built using standard Meccano parts of which none are metal!
Euro Truck
Chris Els brought along an Euro truck.
It is built off a set ten model plan. The bed of the truck is being modified to convert the truck into a skip truck.
Chris has tried various different methods to get an effective hydraulics system working properly.
None have worked thus far.
WorkShop
Chris also showed his model of a metal workshop driven by a Mamod SE3 twin piston steam engine.
In the above picture, you can see the air compressor used to drive the steam engine (Its easier and quicker to run it that way than to fire it up via steam at a meeting).
The engine powers transfer shafts that use bands to power the machinery.
The saw and drill press is Wilesco. The stamp press and grinder is Mamod.
Snowdown Railways Locomotive
Peter Mathews brought along his Snowdown Railways Locomotive.
The Snowdown railways locomotives were used to push coaches and locos up the steep 12:1 up to 18:1 gradient.
Large cogs between the axles of the loco engaged in chain laid down between the tracks to get traction.
The flap on the chimney was used to cause a downdraught to fire up the coals when reversing down the gradient.
Steam was used to operate the brakes on the downhill run.
The loco never coupled with the carriages, it just pushed up against them.
Peter used the large plastic track gear wheels engaging in plastic track laid down between the rails to operate.
The model breaks down into key components.
Peter is busy with a model plan for the loco.
Miniature Gearboxes
Peter Mathews also brought along a few gearboxes using the M.O. motor and the new plastic gears.
They were built from postings on the spanner newsgroup a few months ago.
Roller and Thrust bearings
Peter Feather brought a display of 9 roller and thrust bearings. Bearings, 4 hole collars and 1/2" pulleys were used.
Miniature Meccano Graphs
Peter Feather also brought along 2 miniature Meccano Graphs.
Each graph has 2 moving arms and rotation!
The one on the left is the smallest at 1" by 3".
The slightly "larger" one is just as small!
In each picture you can see designs drawn on 1/2" paper.
Airplane Constructors Outfit Number 1
Frank Ferreira showed us an Airplane constructor kit he purchased from a jumble sale. Very nice.
Universal Coupling
Dave Heathcote showed a Universal coupling design that used the new plastic collars and plastic collets.
It runs very smoothly and quietly.
Matchbox Dispenser Machine
Dave's matchbox dispenser machine is still in progress. It is based of a design he has, but it does not
use any PLC. It will all work mechanically when finished
Walker
Dave's 6 wheel, 4 wheel steering experimental model can steer on its axis. He thinks an idea would be to add proximity sensors to
it, mount a small vacume to it and let it become a roaming vacume cleaner!
Set 9 Meccanograph
Dave's set 9 MeccanoGraph.
Internal drive roller bearing
Dave's experimental roller bearing with internal gearing for slewing / rotating.
The multi purpose gear wheel engages short threaded pins to rotate the superstructure.
This does away with external gearing, sprockets, chains etc... and looks very neat.
4 Function controller
Dave built a unit that uses a motor and a cut off switch to change a driven shaft output to 4 different outputs.
This will work nicely for a 2 way radio control setup where on motor is used for drive and the other motor is used to change the functions.
Multi direction gearbox
Fred Koenig brought a Multi direction gearbox for a floating crane model he is planning on building.
You can incorporate 6 drive functions into the gearbox. Multiple functions can run in reverse or forward at any
time without the motor having to change direction.
Sorry Fred, the Web Master/ Photographer somehow missed your model!
