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Stanley
Local Historian & Old Fart
36804 Posts
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Posted -
25/11/2004
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14:20
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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
Barlick View stanley at barnoldswick.freeserve.co.uk
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Stanley
Local Historian & Old Fart
36804 Posts
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Posted - 27/11/2007 : 06:53
Now then, about the statue....... My only stipulation is that I am fully dressed and 50% greater than life size........ Ithink it's the passion bit I object to, My 'passion' is very cold and logical, when Coates approached me in the first place I told them that if Ellenroad was a business decision, all they could do was scrap it. You've got to give them the option, once they decided to save it it was their responsibility, not mine. In all the battles I never let them forget this, my rol;e was to get the job done, not make heritage decisions. Give Coates their due; they understood perfectly. They also understood that if I was ultimately responsible for getting the job done, I needed ultimate power. They gave it me and it worked. The engine still runs over twenty years later...... (Arrogant sod aren't I....)
Stanley Challenger Graham
Barlick View stanley at barnoldswick.freeserve.co.uk |
Stanley
Local Historian & Old Fart
36804 Posts
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Posted - 27/11/2007 : 17:02
I like this pic, so much information in it. It struck me as I was fitting the valve and packing the gland that there wasn't a singlr surface on the casting that hadn't had holes drilled in it. Quite a lot of very careful work in that little lump....
Next job was to cut about half an inch off the con-rod. Here it is ready for refitting.
By dinnertime the cylinder is back on and the piston rod gland packed. The piston is on and fastened down tight with a dose of shaftlock. I've tried it and whilst it's a bit tighter, it turns OK. Jack and I go for a walk.....
After dinner I popped the lid on and got the con-rod on and fastened to the valve rod. I had to finish here because I had a doctor's appointment (Nowt wrong, just getting him to sign my Living Will and demanding a general blood test seeing as I cost them so little). Tomorrow all I have to do is centre the valve, time it and put the lid on the valve chest. Then, we shall have to have a bit of a tidy up to make room for the compound on the bench....... Exciting stuff!
Stanley Challenger Graham
Barlick View stanley at barnoldswick.freeserve.co.uk |
Stanley
Local Historian & Old Fart
36804 Posts
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Posted - 28/11/2007 : 12:09
By 11am we have two engines in steaming condition.....
Next for shaving....... Impressive isn't it. It's go out in the rain and give Jack his exercise time so I'm taking a break here and I'll decide what to do when I get back. Afternoon TV looks attractive...... Ah, the joys of retirement!
Stanley Challenger Graham
Barlick View stanley at barnoldswick.freeserve.co.uk |
softsuvner
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Posted - 29/11/2007 : 00:24
Retirement.......mmmmm This week I seem to be running around like a blue .......d fly (as we say down south). Loctited the rotor Sunday, but haven't got near the workshop yet to put a clock on it. Daytime TV? Good Grief! I haven't watched any of the evening variety since the weekend.
Malcolm
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Stanley
Local Historian & Old Fart
36804 Posts
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Posted - 29/11/2007 : 07:06
I'm very good at doing nothing when the mood takes me........
Stanley Challenger Graham
Barlick View stanley at barnoldswick.freeserve.co.uk |
Stanley
Local Historian & Old Fart
36804 Posts
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Posted - 29/11/2007 : 17:29
The day started with dismantling the HP cylinder, driving the taper pin home in the crank pin retaining collar checking the piston for clearance at the end of its stroke, drilling out the steam chest to stud clearance and wetting the cylinder up ready for drilling the tapping holes in the valve face using the lid, already drilled to tapping size, as a template.
I couldn't get to the middle holes so I drilled the used holes out to clearance, fitted the lid with 2BA set screws to the holes I had already drilled and tapped and got it under the drill again to do the middle holes. Once these were done, a bit of gentle stud making and then put the Hermetite in the joint and start fitting the studs.
It was all going so well....... As usual, due to tight fitting of the clearance for the studs, one stud wouldn't engage so I popped the lid on and used the other studs to nip the chest down hoping this would straighten the offending hole up. It didn't, and what is even worse, the stud you can see on top snapped leaving the thread in the hole in the valve face. Ah well...... these things happen. Tomorrow i'll take the lid and steam chest off, see if the broken thread will come out easily, if not, I'll drill it out and tap for a larger size and make a special stud. Oh, and I'll make another to fit the hole that wouldn't line-up. No damage done, just a set back and the end result will be fine. Patience Stanley........
Stanley Challenger Graham
Barlick View stanley at barnoldswick.freeserve.co.uk |
Stanley
Local Historian & Old Fart
36804 Posts
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Posted - 01/12/2007 : 17:33
In case you're wondering..... No shed Friday because of domestic tasks, none today because I got diverted into spending 9 hours scanning the Baitings Mill pics in. My idea is to send them on CD to the museum that has the engine now but so far no word from them....... Perhaps they aren't interested. Or perhaps I move too fast for them.... Shed tomorrow I promise!
Stanley Challenger Graham
Barlick View stanley at barnoldswick.freeserve.co.uk |
softsuvner
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Posted - 01/12/2007 : 23:54
Stanley
I know the scanner feeling, do you do like me and end up scanning 2 for OGFB and 6 for yourself! Like you, I've got a Nikon Coolscan, since I've nearly all slides, you can imagine how much time that can take.
Actually got my overalls on again today, first time since last weekend, looks like we are getting somewhere with the Triumph alternator. Will post the update tomorrow.
Malcolm
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Stanley
Local Historian & Old Fart
36804 Posts
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Posted - 02/12/2007 : 08:02
Get a Canon LIDE.... 6 negs at a time and far faster than the Coolscan. Only about £80. I scanned all the Baitings pics and Alan May, who is associated with the Calgary Museum has responded. I shall send him the CD tomorrow..... 175 pics scanned in at 1600dpi, not bad going for one day. The LIDE will scan in at incredible resolutions if you want them. We're talking 1gig files!
Stanley Challenger Graham
Barlick View stanley at barnoldswick.freeserve.co.uk |
Stanley
Local Historian & Old Fart
36804 Posts
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Posted - 02/12/2007 : 15:58
Never got into the shed. Took Jack for a walk, got soaked (both of us) had a shower (both of us but seperately) and then picked up the book by Greener on Guns that Doc gave me. I've been boning up on gumaking, I always did wonder how they made those Damascus barrels......
Stanley Challenger Graham
Barlick View stanley at barnoldswick.freeserve.co.uk |
softsuvner
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Posted - 02/12/2007 : 17:37
Stanley
I looked up Canon Lide and there are a whole raft of them. Reminds me that my Epson flatbed is about 5 years old. Like the Coolscan, when I bought it, it was state of the art and big bucks, amazing how the price and capacity has moved on over the years. Have had a Canon printer for years, so I know about their quality. One of my backburner projects is to process a huge batch of old family negs, for which the prints have mostly been lost. They are all the old 120 and 127 format so I may have to spend a bit more on a higher spec flatbed. I was wondering what to buy myself for Christmas......!
Malcolm
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softsuvner
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Posted - 02/12/2007 : 23:44
Triumph Alternator.
In the last instalment I was left with a crank with a damaged rotor-seating and keyway. Eventually I found somebody who was prepared to take on the job of sorting it out, we did a deal over some Norton spares, so no money changed hands.
The engine had to be dismantled, and the metal-spraying and machining was put out to a sub-contractor. They had two goes at it, eventually, the engine was returned to me with a claimed run out of 3 thou. This was without the key in.
They had also changed the arrangement slightly, instead of being secured by a nut, they drilled the centre of the shaft, and tapped it. What looks like a nut in the picture is actually a bolt which is now used to retain the rotor. I had to do some work on the keyway, initially when I fitted it up with the key, it dragged the whole set up out of true. After a dry run, the clock gauge gave a run out of 4 thou, so I decided to settle for that.
The shaft and key were treated to shaft strength Loctite, the nut retained with medium strength Nutloc. The picture was taken when I put the clock back on after the Loctite had gone off ( and a couple of nervous roll-ups later!). Still 4 thou!
There are a few other bits to sort out, but, that's the worrying bit done. Before I put the primary chaincase on finally, I put a paint line over the centre of the bolt and the rotor. For 1953/4 year only, the Triumph twins had an observation plate on the chaincase so you can check if the bolt has moved without dismantling the whole chaincase. Time and weather permitting, we might even put it on the road for Christmas!
Malcolm
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Stanley
Local Historian & Old Fart
36804 Posts
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Posted - 03/12/2007 : 06:31
Looks like a tidy job to me..... 4thou will do I should think. Hope it is OK on running. Nice to see the baccy and papers, equivalent of my pipe..... Nothing like a quiet smoke and a pot of tea when considering a problem, looking at something and thinking never hurt anyone. On the same theme..... I have been avoiding the broken stud on the engine and last night I think I realised why. I was going to strip it right down to get at the broken bit but I've changed my mind. I'm going to drill the stud tapping size in situ and grind the shank of the tap down so it will reach the hole. I shall drill and tap it and pop a stud in as far as it will go. Remember that maximum grip on a stud is thread same depth as diameter. I shall be better than that. While I'm at it I shall do the other stud that was being difficult. Oh, by the way, I shall give the hole in the lid a touch more clearance while I am at it. I got into this trouble by being to mean with clearance...... Only one thing gets in the way, a trip to the nurse who wants an armful of blood for a routine blood test and call in at the bank. I should be on stream by 10AM.
Stanley Challenger Graham
Barlick View stanley at barnoldswick.freeserve.co.uk |
Stanley
Local Historian & Old Fart
36804 Posts
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Posted - 03/12/2007 : 06:33
PS, I was just thinking..... there could be more than 4thou tolerance in the wall of the rotor......... You may be more accurate than the original. Courage Mon Brave!
Stanley Challenger Graham
Barlick View stanley at barnoldswick.freeserve.co.uk |
softsuvner
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Posted - 03/12/2007 : 11:33
Stanley
Funny how these tolerances can all seem a bit relative. Had a chat last night to my cousin's lad who builds and races old Yamahas, he pointed out that I should have checked for runout on the crank itself first. Mind you as he said, how will you notice a bit of extra vibration on that old thing?
Malcolm
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