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Stanley
Local Historian & Old Fart


36804 Posts
Posted -  25/11/2004  :  14:20
I've always been fascinated by the things people do in their spare time when they can do exactly what they want to do. Men and sheds are a particularly fertile field. Women tend to do their thing in the comfort of the house.



I was delighted to see Andy's picture of the clock movement he has made.







It struck me that we could perhaps start a new topic devoted to spare time skill. So Andy starts it off and my contribution is this:







It's a small steam engine made from scratch and is based on the Stuart 5A but a longer stroke. One of these will drive a 14 foot boat with steam at 250psi. By the way, we don't like to call them models, it's exactly the same construction and materials as a full size engine, just smaller. So come on out there, let's hear about what you make in your spare time. I reckon we could be in for some surprises!


Stanley Challenger Graham




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stanley at barnoldswick.freeserve.co.uk
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Stanley
Local Historian & Old Fart


36804 Posts
Posted - 18/02/2011 : 09:20
They got the thumbs up.


Stanley Challenger Graham




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stanley at barnoldswick.freeserve.co.uk Go to Top of Page
catgate
Senior Member


1764 Posts
Posted - 18/02/2011 : 12:05


quote:
Stanley wrote:
They got the thumbs up.




That must have been quite painful.

Edited by - catgate on 18/02/2011 2:00:33 PM


Every silver lining has a cloud.


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Stanley
Local Historian & Old Fart


36804 Posts
Posted - 27/07/2011 : 07:14
Right! Resolution for today. I published the latest book yesterday on the Calf Hall Shed Company so bugger the writing, it's high time I went back in the shed. I have a little job that needs doing and I also have some castings for an inverted marine engine but no drawings. I shall get them out and have a think. I could well be asking for help finding some drawings when I've got the sizes sorted out, I'm in unknown territory when it comes to marine, no experience of them. Could be looking for input from Robert!


Stanley Challenger Graham




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stanley at barnoldswick.freeserve.co.uk Go to Top of Page
pluggy
Geek


1164 Posts
Posted - 27/07/2011 : 08:53
Avid follower of the shed culture thread here, looking forward to the next big project.   Smile


Need computer work ?
"http://www.stsr.co.uk"

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Stanley
Local Historian & Old Fart


36804 Posts
Posted - 27/07/2011 : 09:21
Well, I started off well by switching the FMII off but then started furtling and had to come back on.



Here's the size of the rabbit! I have two sets of main castings and a lot of small brass castings which might be blanks for this. It's twin cylinder inverted compound, the base plate is eight and a half by six and a half inches and it looks as though it wilkl bore 1 1/2" and 2 1/4" , the standards are 6" overall so it will be a fair sized lump! I have a drawing headed 'Supplement to the Model Engineer Jan 3 1924 which looks to be the right size. So I think what I want is a set of working drawings for that engine. Any suggestions gratefully accepted!

There are two funnies on the pic. If you look at the top right you'll see there is a cylindrical object. This is an extremely well made water tube condenser that I got amongst a lot of miscellaneous bits out of an old workshop. It's just under 9" long and 3 1/4" overall diameter, exactly the size on the ME drawing. I think I've had a stroke of luck and got the right condenser, it will certainly fit!

The other funny is the rusty casting at the front. It's a cylinder block casting for the Stuart Turner Sirrius, the engine that was used for the steam powered wireless sets for use behind the lines in WW2. Now there's a bit of a future challenge. 

I've looked in the ME index online but can't find anything that looks like it. If anyone reads this who has any ideas, please put the word out that Stanley would be very grateful for help!

FMII is going off now, I refuse to be diverted!


Stanley Challenger Graham




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stanley at barnoldswick.freeserve.co.uk Go to Top of Page
Stanley
Local Historian & Old Fart


36804 Posts
Posted - 27/07/2011 : 09:28
Correction. It's not the Sirius, it's the ST Number 1 Speedboat Engine. a pre WW2 model. I measured it and it bores 3/4" X 3/4" stroke.


Stanley Challenger Graham




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stanley at barnoldswick.freeserve.co.uk Go to Top of Page
Stanley
Local Historian & Old Fart


36804 Posts
Posted - 27/07/2011 : 09:53
Back again! Tinternetwebthingy is quite wonderful. I've found a PDF of the article on the web, it actually mentions the coloured supplement drawing I have already. Article written by C S Bahrett. Funny thing is that even though my castings are the same size, and therefore the drawings will be useful, the ME engine has three polished columns on the opposite side to the two standards. No big problem to leave one out! The finished model won Silver at the 1922 ME exhibition. There are detail drawings with the article so I think a bit of studying is indicated!

Right! Enough, FMII off, into the shed!


Stanley Challenger Graham




Barlick View
stanley at barnoldswick.freeserve.co.uk Go to Top of Page
Stanley
Local Historian & Old Fart


36804 Posts
Posted - 27/07/2011 : 10:27
Back for the last time. There were two pages of drawings that were scaled differently than the rest of the piece. I took the easy way out and photographed the screen. I now have two A4 pages that make up a general arrangement drawing. The reason I came back is that when I had the full drawing I noticed that the standard side of the bed had two lugs for holding down bolts and the opposite side, the supporting stays side, has three. This is exactly the same on the bedplate casting I have. I am convinced that these castings are for Mr Bharett's engine.  I really am going away now!


Stanley Challenger Graham




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stanley at barnoldswick.freeserve.co.uk Go to Top of Page
Stanley
Local Historian & Old Fart


36804 Posts
Posted - 28/07/2011 : 06:26
Found all the castings for both engines yesterday, all I'm short of is the steam chest lids but they're no problem, I will find some CI plate that will do. One thing I will need is a casting for and Edward's air pump but that can be long term.

I did some thinking about it all and whilst I am going to make it so it will be capable of steaming, I shall make bronze pistons with grooves for graphited asbestos packing instead of rings.If anyone runs it on air this will help stop pistons seizing because of condensation and rust. I have plenty of cast bronze because I used to buy redundant risers off Big Dick at the Lilley Injector Works in Rochdale when he was doing big bronze castings for me for the full-size engines. All the small parts like the crossheads and crosshead slides can be bronze as well. Come to think, I need to have another furtle, there are some castings that might be crossheads.

Very tiring doing different things, I must be older than I thought! It will be good for me.

Right, FMII off now until tomorrow morning! See you then....


Stanley Challenger Graham




Barlick View
stanley at barnoldswick.freeserve.co.uk Go to Top of Page
Stanley
Local Historian & Old Fart


36804 Posts
Posted - 28/07/2011 : 10:30
Just popped in after three hours in the shed.



First job was a bit of a nag I have had. I made this flywheel just for the challenge and I knew it was nowhere near true on the shaft so I spent half an hour on it this morning and made it better but still not good enough. A lot harder then it looks so I've put it back in the front room.



Next job was to find the Rosalex and use it. I know from experience how Swarfega can damage your hands. A rub of Rosalex before you start means that ordinary soap will clean your hands.



The first job I like to do is clean the bed castings up so I can machine the bases and find a good datum point from which everything can be measured. Three hours filing and the beds are clean enough to be machined level. This is where you find out how good the pattern maker and the ironfounder were. Johnny Pickles made the pattern, typical of him that he removed the middle stay, Johnny was always one for making things simple. The pattern was good and the founder did a good job as well. (Geoff Smith at Keighley), very little flash, a good finish on the castings and nice iron, files like butter! This bodes well for the other castings because they were all done together thirty years ago. The age of them means that a lot of the stresses will have worked out of them. So, a good start, me hands are clean and I can go for a walk now with a clear conscience. I've realised that it will take a week or two to get shed-fit again. Standing at the vice is hard work when you've spent the last three years sat down writing! Different muscles.

Re. the stresses. I knew about residual stress in castings but the first time I ever had to take the matter seriously was at Rochdale Welding when I was reconditioning big safety valves and valves. They had to be right and it was amazing how when you skimmed the seat on an eighty year old casting it could distort in a very short space of time. I used to arrange it so I machined the seat just before dinner and an hour later it was out of truth. A very light skim usually took care of it. Funny things castings, they are alive and the bigger they are the more serious the effect. These small castings will be OK. Makes you wonder about big ones like lathe beds!


Stanley Challenger Graham




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stanley at barnoldswick.freeserve.co.uk Go to Top of Page
Stanley
Local Historian & Old Fart


36804 Posts
Posted - 29/07/2011 : 06:21
No aches and pains after yesterday. A bit of filing on the standards and then some milling on the bed plates to get them level and cleaned up. I've got the bug again!


Stanley Challenger Graham




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stanley at barnoldswick.freeserve.co.uk Go to Top of Page
Stanley
Local Historian & Old Fart


36804 Posts
Posted - 29/07/2011 : 06:24
The topic is getting too big perhaps. I'll close this one and start another. The new version is SHED CULTURE 2. Please post what you are up to in your shed, those oases of sanity and honest endeavour, rare commodities these days!


Stanley Challenger Graham




Barlick View
stanley at barnoldswick.freeserve.co.uk Go to Top of Page
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