Office of Steam Forum for Model & Toy Steam Gas & Hot Air Engines

(Non)Progress Update

Hi Friends,

Just poking my head in here to give an update on the B-43 restoration...

With the last installment, I was planning to bead-blast the sheet metal parts in preparation for primer and paint. Didn't get very far with that when, oops! my air compressor quits! It needs a new part. Got the part on order, and meanwhile, I contact an old friend who lives out in Phoenix (AZ). She's kind of into astronomy, so I ask if she would like to visit here in early April, as my city is in the "totality zone" for the upcoming solar eclipse. To my horror ( [ Guests cannot view attachments ] ), she says "yes", and now I've been going nuts trying to get my place in order, finish up some half-done home improvement projects, and give the place a deep-clean. Whether or not I finish in time is still up in the air.

Back to the B-43... I've also realized that this restoration is going to be a bit more involved than I initially thought. A couple of parts that I thought were in decent condition turned out not to be. I'll get into the details when the project gets back on track. In addition, I've been pursuing a whistle-top reproduction effort (in conjunction with @RichSteamTx), which has sent the progress kind of sideways.

Anyway, that's what's been going on with this project. Hope to be able to get back on track before too long. 

Paula