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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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panbiker
Senior Member


2301 Posts
Posted - 16/12/2007 : 13:14
Similar idea here Stanley, engine in plastic bag and expandable foam to mould around article inside another plastic liner, I think you can get specialist packing expandable foam in aerosol form. How about having a word with some of the high tech engineering places around and about. Hope Technology for instance, dont they make fancy expensive bike bits and the like, not quite as heavy as your items but they may have some tips for packaging.


Ian Go to Top of Page
softsuvner
Regular Member


604 Posts
Posted - 16/12/2007 : 14:01
Don't see alot of that foam stuff. It is good for light objects, but, if you have something heavy and it starts moving about, it crushes to dust. Filthy stuff to unpack when it gets like that.
Take a tip from the fiendish orientals, heavy packing of bubblewrap, especially over the nobbly bits, well taped over, pack the space with cardboard and paper, cant beat it!
Don't worry about Customs, if they are half interested, they will X ray it, modern machines show the difference between organic and non-organic. If they are really interested (or just plain nosey) they should have the good grace to get it repacked properly (I always do). It is actually the responsibility of the shipping agent to unpack and repack. None of this applies to the States who employ cowboys to pack and unpack for Customs exam (believe me I know).
Don't get tempted into giving your package a "nominal value" on the paperwork. If it did get lost, or badly damaged, the shippers insurance company will hold you to it!

Malcolm 


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panbiker
Senior Member


2301 Posts
Posted - 16/12/2007 : 14:25
Take your point there Malcolm, I suppose it depends on the weight and how long it's in transit and handling etc. I bought a generator a couple of months ago. That was packed in expandable styrene stuff and arrived perfect, weighed about 30 kilos, but it was only coming accross country, it was in  the original manufacturers packaging and had previously been imported from the far east, probably crated and containered when in quantity. I think the resilience will depend on the density of the set foam. Don't really know enough about it but I think the multiple layer idea would work well, bubble wrap is extremely resilient and pvc packing tape extremely strong. I agree, multiple layers of bubble wrap, tape then egg box stuff, more tape. Which ever method is finally chosen it will have to be a custom job. What do they weigh Stanley? You can get packing advice from the carriers. The more info the better, i think.


Ian Go to Top of Page
Stanley
Local Historian & Old Fart


36804 Posts
Posted - 16/12/2007 : 17:24
The little ones weigh about 45 lbs.....  The expandable foam I'm thinking about wouldn.t shift.  It sets very solid if it's contained.  After Christmas I'll talk to the shippers.

I decided on the drain valves.  Cocks look nice I know but I've never seen a cock yet that didn't leak eventually.  So I settled for needle valves, drew them up and got going.

A day of solid endeavour.  Eight drain valves made and fitted.  The small engines just need the flywheels fitting and that will happen tomorrow.  Then I think a bit of compressed air to make sure that I have the valves right......  Very close to finished.  There will be quite a lot of work on the compound but compared to where I was six months ago, nothing to severe.


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 - 17/12/2007 : 06:31
I'm sat here in the kitchen early in the morning and admiring the line-up on the worktop, all the shiny bits glinting in the light.  Not the showroom finish the exhibitions look for but a very satisfactory group.  I'm feeling SMUG!  Someone play hell with me and tell me I must do better!


Stanley Challenger Graham




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stanley at barnoldswick.freeserve.co.uk Go to Top of Page
Gugger
Regular Member


61 Posts
Posted - 17/12/2007 : 08:47
Stanley,
The sun was shining early for you this morning.

Walter


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softsuvner
Regular Member


604 Posts
Posted - 17/12/2007 : 16:53
Stanley

Now the evening gloom has descended.......I still think the compound at least, will look better with cladding sheets!

Well you did ask!

Malcolm


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Stanley
Local Historian & Old Fart


36804 Posts
Posted - 17/12/2007 : 17:11
That was me glowing Walter!

Something different than shiny tiddly bits today, a bit of real man's turning for a change.  I decided to make the drive coupling for the big engine.  It doesn't need a flywheel of course being a compound but a bit more weight in the drive smooths it out a bit and I needed something to get a drive off anyway.  I just happened to have some spare flywheel castings from another engine.  Here we are starting to get some shape into it.

This is one of my obvious pics.  If you already knew this, skip to the next.  Castings are funny little beasts.  Apart from the fact that they try to fool you by changing shape as you cut them, God gave them armour plate.  Here's a first cut across the face of the wheel.  What you have to remember is that when the molten iron pours into the mould which is made of sand (Powdered glass virtually)  the first thing that happens is that the layer of boiling metal in contact with the mould picks up loose bits of sand.  The second thing that happens is because the mould is relatively cold the first skin of iron freezes instantaneously.  Now iron which cools on a 'chill' has a different crystal structure than iron which cools slowly.  The crystalline structure is martensitical and what this means is that it will, in places, be harder than the tool steel you are using as a cutter.  It can actually be harder than carbide.  So, when taking the first cut, use a carbide tipped tool and using the slowest speed and the finest cut, get the point of the tool under the skin into the softer metal and take a decent cut.  This way you'll get a clean cut even though the skin is destroying the sharpness further up the cutting edge.  Always touch the tool up after this cut and you'll have no trouble.

Here's the state of play at 15:30.  The studs are half inch and might look like overkill but the spider I'll make to fit it will be bedded on rubber to give some flexibility in the drive.  These studs won't look out of place when coupled to a shaft that's at least an inch thick.  Why the rubber?  Theoretically the engine will be mounted in line with the prop shaft but boats don't stay the same shape all the time and if there's a bit of capacity for flex in the drive coupling it takes a lot of strain off the engine and its mountings.  I'll make the spider tomorrow and paint the rough bits of the casting.  One other thing that struck me today which is useful to remember.  When your making the crankshafts or anything that is going to have something mounted on it like a flywheel, make the shaft slightly oversize.  This means that when you come to fit the flywheel or whatever you can drill the bore with  [in this case] a 3/4 drill and do the fitting with the reamer or a touch of light boring.  Easier, quicker and a lot less hassle.


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 - 18/12/2007 : 16:43

Quiet day making the spider from a short lump of 3" bar.  Not worth cropping the end off so a binfull of swarf.  All it needs now is sizing to the shaft of the engine and fixing.  No keyway, 3 allen head grubscrews equidistant on the collar and no flats on the shaft because if ever anyone fits it up seriously for driving a boat they might want to place it differently.  I've poked a 3/4" bore through and if I was fitting it to a prop shaft I'd weld the steel spider to the shaft once I'd got the length right.  Looks like some serious flywheel fitting tomorrow. 

I enquired from DHL what the price would be for an engine delivered door to door to Perth and it's about £150 each.  I'll keep looking.....


Stanley Challenger Graham




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


233 Posts
Posted - 19/12/2007 : 10:54
I'd avoid DHL, had lots of trouble with them. Also worth avoiding Parcel'Farce' - I sent a small machine away for a service, and it came back in FAR worse condition than it was sent in.


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Big Kev
Big


2650 Posts
Posted - 19/12/2007 : 11:06
Find a local transport company who will take a part load. You'd be surprised how many have room in a container........


Big Kev

It doesn't matter who you vote for, you always end up with the government. Go to Top of Page
softsuvner
Regular Member


604 Posts
Posted - 19/12/2007 : 15:27
Sending your parcel by container part-load, known in the trade as groupage, is probably the cheapest option. Problem is that, as against Couriers, you spend weeks rather than days worrying wether you parcel has got lost or damaged.
Over the years I have spent a lot of time in freight transit sheds including DHL, UPS, and TNT. The most important time, is the time you spend packing the item. They all offer roughly the same service, like phone companies, you need to look for the best deal. At least with DHL, Parcelforce and the others, you can track your parcels online.

Malcolm


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Stanley
Local Historian & Old Fart


36804 Posts
Posted - 19/12/2007 : 16:12
Kev, I spent a lot of time on the phone yesterday and up to now have come up with nothing.  Malcolm, yes, I agree.  I know exactly what I am going to do and they'll be as near handler proof as is humanly possible.


Here's the state of play at 14:30 when I got tired and went to bed for a couple of hours..... 


Stanley Challenger Graham




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


3793 Posts
Posted - 19/12/2007 : 17:01
Did a quick online search and came back with this shipping company which is based in Perth.They look good on their website.

http://www.fsmac.com/indexx.html



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softsuvner
Regular Member


604 Posts
Posted - 20/12/2007 : 06:19
Sorry Stanley

Couldn't resist the temptation to post this grab shot from a couple of years ago on the DHL Freight Apron:

Antonov Freight Aircraft

Had you been a football manager or pop star with a spare half million dollars, Antonov Airways would do you a, no questions asked, next- day delivery to Perth. There would be plenty of room for your engines - the Stuarts, Ellenroad and Bancroft!

Malcolm


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