#9 12 years ago

working fire hydrant

I don't like to leave a thread unfinished, so here is the finished product.

The large nut was drilled and tapped to take a 3mm grub screw, this stops the nut undoing as the hydrant rotates.
I think I might have made a mistake with the size of the cogs as the hydrant turns through 360 degrees, but you never know when the wheelhouse might need a wash out 😁

I cant show it working as the wife does not like me playing with it in the bath 😯

Alan

Liked by Colin H

#8 12 years ago

working fire hydrant

If they are anything like Severn Trent it will cause traffic chaos - 1/2 to do the job and refill the hole, 2 day wait for the next gang to come and reinstate the tarmac, another 24 to 48 hours for the next gang to come and remove the cones and traffic lights. 😟

As usual Alan your lathe work is brilliant, I don't know how you get such a cracking finish on the things you turn and produce. 😊

#7 12 years ago

working fire hydrant

Waiting for North West Water to come and connect it up Shaun 😁

#6 12 years ago

working fire hydrant

It says working in the title - why isn't it working in the picture? 😁 😁

#5 12 years ago

working fire hydrant

Here is the finished item, put together, painted and in position.

Ill shut up now 🤐

Liked by Colin H

#4 12 years ago

working fire hydrant

To fasten the hydrant to the superstructure a 10 mm bolt is drilled out with a 7/32 drill, a 10mm nut is a bit on the big side (and nobody wants big nuts, do they) so the nut is turned down to less that half size.
The handle arms are made out of plasticard and fastened with the 1.4 rivets. Thin brass tube and a bit of hardwood dowel make up the handles

#3 12 years ago

working fire hydrant

The spout, not much to say about this, made from brass, a 7/32 hole drilled part into one end and a 1.5 drilled at the other end to meet the 7/32 hole.
Again this can be made on a pillar drill, drill the 7/32 hole in the brass bar first, silver solder tube into the hole, hold the tube in the drill and fashion the spout, like that word spout 😁

I will finish the thread tomorrow night

#2 12 years ago

working fire hydrant

Next came the body, this was made on the lathe out of aluminium bar with a 7/32 hole drilled up the centre, as to the shape, well, the worlds your lobster (don't like oysters)

A pillar drill can be used for this part if no lathe is available, drill lots of bits of plasticard with a 7/32 drill, slide these over the tube, gluing with plastiweld as you go, leave overnight for it to harden. Put the finished result in the pillar drill, make a pivot for the bottom out of another piece of brass tube that will slide over or inside the tube that's held in the pillar drill, hold this tight in a vice, fasten the vice to the bed. Rotate the drill by hand before starting it to make sure everything is inline and secure. There you have your lathe, use files and emery on a slow speed.
I have made all sorts of things with this method before getting a lathe, including some very nice brass bollards.

#1 12 years ago

working fire hydrant

Having to make a new pusher tug, the present one been In a sorry state due to playing "last man floating"

The new tug will have a working/rotating fire hydrant, thought It might be of some Interest If I documented the build.

Although I have used a lathe, with a bit of Ingenuity a pillar drill can be used.

The first bit Is the middle bit, a good place to start 😁 10mm rod was used, two holes have to be drilled In line, so a line was scribed around the rod, a centre drill, then a 3mm drill and finally the 7/32 drill was used to drill half way Into the rod, a piece of 7/32 stock tube was put Into the hole. The rod was then turned to give an angle of about 45 degrees for the spout from the body, drill the other hole Into the centre. Two pieces of 7/32 tube with the ends filed at an angle should fit Into the rod.

The rod can now be cut to length, cleaned up and polished. Two 1.4 holes are drilled In the centre at each end, these are to fasten the handle arms too with 1.4 rivets

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working fire hydrant

working fire hydrant

working fire hydrant

working fire hydrant

working fire hydrant

working fire hydrant

working fire hydrant

working fire hydrant

working fire hydrant

working fire hydrant