Please comment on this steam valve - proportions and looks?

[mmagliaro]

Anybody have the Gold Medal Models brakewheel sheet?  There are some that look quite a bit smaller than a normal brakewheel.
If you could measure them for me, I'd appreciate.  I suspect they are about a scale 12" across, which is way too big, but
it couldn't hurt to check.

[mmagliaro]

How about a red decal?  If it were a circle, .025" in diameter, with 4 spokes, done in red, it could be applied over a solid black
disk (like my washer), and I think it would go a great job of creating the illusion of a red spoked valve handle.  The black areas between the spokes wouldn't be see-through, but I think it would still look very much like a spoked handle.

[narrowminded]

I really do appreciate all the effort you guys are putting into this.  Honestly.

Anything around .038"-.039" (1mm) is still oversized enough that I don't think it's worth all the work to try to get the detail
on there.  If we're going to do this, it may as well be .020" or so, or else, I will just stick with a plain washer.
It looks like a plain disk on the end of the stem, which isn't great, but at this size, I really have come to the conclusion that I am grossly overthinking this.  Having experimented with it for a while now, it's clear to me that proportions are far more important on this part than the actual appearance.  If the handle is tiny with a dot of bronze or faded red color, I think it will look good as long as it's not too big

The"bigness" is everything.



Those watch parts do look good, but the ones that look like a handle of any kind are way too big.

I think you're right about the general size and at some point the details do disappear even if only in the paint.  But maybe if there was a dish in the head of it to break up the plain disc look.  Looking closely that might help the appearance. 

I'd be willing to try smaller holes but there is a point with really tiny drills where even decent collet tolerances are a little too much run out for the drill to be able to hold accuracy and/ or not fail from fatigue.  A diameter around .005" should be safe in my mill and maybe better, like .003", but I would have to try it to be sure and would be incrementally surprised if there was general success at increments below .005". 

I'm willing to try a few of these things if it would be helpful.  Even if it didn't work it wouldn't be a totally wasted effort on my part as I might find use for the ability another day and would have a new experienced capability benchmark.  This is tiny!

[narrowminded]

How about a red decal?  If it were a circle, .025" in diameter, with 4 spokes, done in red, it could be applied over a solid black
disk (like my washer), and I think it would go a great job of creating the illusion of a red spoked valve handle.  The black areas between the spokes wouldn't be see-through, but I think it would still look very much like a spoked handle.

And how about machined but just dimpled for the through holes?  That might actually work nicely.  The dimples might be able to be with an engraving cutter that gives the point a little more support.

[peteski]

I really have come to the conclusion that I am grossly overthinking this.  Having experimented with it for a while now, it's clear to me that proportions are far more important on this part than the actual appearance.  If the handle is tiny with a dot of bronze or faded red color, I think it will look good as long as it's not too big

The"bigness" is everything.

Those watch parts do look good, but the ones that look like a handle of any kind are way too big.

And you should go with that thought.  Really!   

As far as "mechanical" wristwatch parts go, I get those movements at flea markets (for a dollar each or less).  The French eBay seller is selling for ludicrous price and shipping cost! I guess they are sold as repair parts.  There are eBay sellers that sell similar parts for building steampunk art or models, for fraction of the cost of new parts. I think assorted wristwatch parts are also sold in craft stores for jewelry making projects.  even in very smalll women's watch movements I have not seen any gears even close to 0.020" diameter.

[mmagliaro]

Here is the reworked valve, and I'm really think I'm done with this.

I totally remade the assembly, because I decided that after getting a scale-sized handle, it really started to make the epoxy blobs for the body look too sloppy.  So this is a piece of .0125" wire bent in a "J" inserted in the dome.

I then took a piece of 0.5mm OD Albion brass tubing, and drilled out the inside with a #80 bit (yes, this is possible) so that it could slip over the wire.   But before cutting the tiny bit of tubing off, I soldered a tiny piece of .010" wire to it to form the valve stem.  It is SO much easier to do these things BEFORE you cut the workpiece off the longer stock!

After inserting the wire in the dome, and slipping the tubing over the wire, I popped a tiny 0.7mm diameter washer over the valve stem and glued it.  Using tubing and solder makes the whole thing just so much more crisp, neat and strong... and so much more in scale.  I'm pretty happy with this.

[Chris333]

[up1950s]

That looks perfect .

[peteski]

PERFECT!

[Darkelf]

Awesome!   

[Doug G.]

Very neat work, Max! Is that really N scale or is it really O and you're just telling us it's N?



Doug

[PGE_Modeller]

How about a red decal?  If it were a circle, .025" in diameter, with 4 spokes, done in red, it could be applied over a solid black
disk (like my washer), and I think it would go a great job of creating the illusion of a red spoked valve handle.  The black areas between the spokes wouldn't be see-through, but I think it would still look very much like a spoked handle.

I like this idea, but why not try to substitute a .025" circle punched out of 2 or 3 mil Mylar?  You'd get the red handle WITH clear areas between the "spokes".

Cheers,

[up1950s]

This is a backead on an On30 loco , but if that is an Xacto those valves knobs are very small .
http://www.railroad-line.com/forum/data/ba4990/2010127164857_backhead.jpg

[mmagliaro]

I agree, Richie. If a small Xacto barrel is 3/8", and those little valves look to be about 1/10th of that, they are about .037", which is pretty amazing.

[Chris333]

Grandt Line makes just the backhead knobs in O scale, but I  doubt they are any smaller than the brass HO I posted.
http://www.grandtline.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/167.jpg
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Grandt-Line-1-48-1-4-Scale-Valve-Handle-ASST-Plastic-Detail-Set-167/142471938217?epid=2166211616&hash=item212bfd40a9:g:x4wAAOSwBkRaKLoZ