hi ron,

boiler 'cleading' is not easy especially for a tapered barrel with belpaire firebox. many of us have struggled. in fact i would say that making the 'cleading' for my 3.5"g GWR King boiler was more difficult and took longer than making the boiler!

you need a bit of 'spring' in the cleading material to slide it along and over the dome bush etc

making the cleading for the front of the belpaire firebox is a nightmare, and nothing compared to the barrel cleading, so you are on the easiest bit at the moment, not that that is any consolation to you!

i presume you rolled the barrel cleading? half hard brass .7 or .75mm would be quite ok.

i fit the cladding around the boiler first before fitting the cleading. lots of card and stiff paper templates required.

cheers,

julian

Ron,

I was once told of a method, but I have so far not needed it so not tried I was told to make discs, one of the small diameter and one the large diameter, place small on top of larger and align rims of both on one side then drill through smaller on centre line and larger at same time. Join both discs with a rod so both discs are the distance apart that matches each end of taper barrel. Chalk or other marking out medium on both rims and roll the contraption out across the flat sheet. If both discs were previously marked with a start/finish line and these marks transferred to the flat sheet, you would now have an exact outline to cut out, not forgetting an overlap allowance. This method is also good for marking out the original taper barrel.

John.

You have problem trying to anneal a big sheet of half -hardened brass without it distorting into all sorts of shapes . Don't go there !

Next time.

If time isn't too important, I think I would try and make a full -size + 3/16" dia. wooden, mock -up of the boiler round tapered section . Wood is cheap enough and easy to turn on your lathe.

Make a similar mock -up +3/16" for the Belpaire firebox.

Wrap your sheet round those wooden formers , resist the temptation to hit anything with a hammer !