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Stanley
Local Historian & Old Fart


36804 Posts
Posted -  29/07/2011  :  06:27
New start as old topic was getting too big. Here's the LINK for the original topic.

Sheds are centres of honest endeavour and sanity, rare things these days. Please join in and tell us what you are doing in your shed. All are welcome!

[By the way, if I occasionally seem to be stating the  bleeding obvious, it's because I'm aware of the fact that not everybody has the same experience so please forgive me.]


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 - 29/07/2011 : 06:35
Carrying on from the old topic. I've just started making two inverted vertical marine engines from castings modified by Johnny Pickles based on the Bharett engine that won the ME Exhibition Silver Medal in 1922.

I just noticed that the original version had over 126,000 page hits. Incredible! It shows the shed men (and women) are out there! Get posting!


Stanley Challenger Graham




Barlick View
stanley at barnoldswick.freeserve.co.uk Go to Top of Page
James Powell
New Member


22 Posts
Posted - 29/07/2011 : 15:15
The last thing I did at home (~2 weeks ago), was to faffle around with the tubes again on the 4" Fowler.  I have to drag it outside and see if the tubes have "magic" rusted themselves to tight, or if I am in the land of retubing the upper row.  I made up some tooling to see if I could push the tubes back through both tubeplates, but that wasn't happening, even with the 2 lb hammer.  I'm loath to go bigger, because:
1- I'm going to have trouble hitting with the 10 lb sledge and holding the tool
2- copper tubes may well not like being hit that hard...and may accordion. 

Of course, I'm at the stage where 2 is kind of not really too big of a concern.  The engine is unuseable as it is...so, it may well be time to just hit them & get it over with.  Plan C is to cut the top row of tubes out, drag the remains out, and retube the row.  I will have to invest in a tube roller to do so, but that is part of owning a traction engine.  (all the fun kit one accumulates).  I was watching YouTube videos of Fred Dibnah and he said he figured that the traction was going to take him 1/2 or less time of the roller, because of having gotten the kit sorted out for the roller.  I'm always amazed at how fast dad works in his shed (well, his basement) at making models, compared with me.  I've faffled around with making bits at work (on ship), and only do it when I have to.  It doesn't help that my wife said strictly, no machine tools in the house.  That means, I am supposed to build a shed first...and with 2 boys, that's not going to happen this year.  (so it's been said, for the last 6 years or so...)

Mostly, it depends on me having time & interest to work on steam.  The 5 1/2 year old and I went out and played just before I left, with "my" Caribou, that (grand) dad finished up in 2000.  Dad had warned me about some bits being steel, and indeed they were, and away they went.  Kind of spectacular when the firedoor bolts fall off into your hands.  Dad had used 7BA, they are now 4-40 because I have far more ready access to NA gear than to BA, even if BA looks better than non-model north american stuff.

It took about 3 hours worth of faffling before I chose to retap the threads...we also went for a ride on the 7.5" gauge railway (x3) in the intervening time.  I know one 5 1/2 year old son who had a good time out with dad.   The boiler is a copper boiler, as is normal with 3 1/2" gauge locos.  By using steel through tapped bolts, it kind of presents some difficulties with rusting.

Anyway, I'm stuck 3/4ths of a country away from my shed,

James Powell in Halifax, NS.


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Stanley
Local Historian & Old Fart


36804 Posts
Posted - 30/07/2011 : 07:16
Ditch the wife James! Three standards filed up yesterday, hard work! One to go but might not be today. Up far too late buggering about on Lulu with formatting.


Stanley Challenger Graham




Barlick View
stanley at barnoldswick.freeserve.co.uk Go to Top of Page
James Powell
New Member


22 Posts
Posted - 30/07/2011 : 21:30
ey, but then who looks after the boys when I go to sea?  I thought it a fair enough deal, in that I have woken up enough nights at dad's, and then cursed the swarf in the carpet.  So, outside the tools must go...besides, I got 36x12 + 17x25 for model railway inside, so I can't complain too much, now can I?

I'm allowed to have hand tools inside- so, there are files, and the odd bit of work with rotary tools (die grinder/Dremel) gets done on metalwork inside.  But, I'd rather not have a full shop in the basement either.  It's justification to build a proper shed outside, where I will be able to run away from her anyway.  (even out to the sea containers now is far enough for her not to bother me).  The big issue currently with the sea can is that the "big" lathe that I have suffered a bit from rust.  It's a rather nasty ROC made  3" swing thing, so I'm not too concerned by it's damage.  Had it been my old South Bend, then I'd be far more concerned than I am about it.  This winter, the electric heat is going on earlier, and staying on for the whole winter.

James


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Sunray10
Regular Member


557 Posts
Posted - 30/07/2011 : 22:57
James, may I suggest that you send your two sons over to Barlick. Stanley will be happy to look after them for the Summer, I'm quite sure !!!ya-hoo


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James Powell
New Member


22 Posts
Posted - 30/07/2011 : 23:23
Na, I'm mostly going to follow grand-dad's example (my dad), except with one major change.  I will invest in tooling, and use them for slave labour.  But,  I am going to invest in a metal detector at the door, to stop them walking out with the products of their labour.

Of course, just like dad said:  if you can walk out of here carrying it, I'm not stopping you.  (mostly talking about the lathes...)  Condition:  lathe must be in one piece when you do it.  I guess that's why I only have the 3" swing lathe, and not a 4.5" swing one !

James


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Stanley
Local Historian & Old Fart


36804 Posts
Posted - 31/07/2011 : 06:44
James, I understand the problems. Newton always envied me my current shed, the best I have aver had. Inside the house, CH, no rust and always handy. Lokk at the old topic for the pics. He also used to laugh at the way my last job was always to vacuum up the filinmg dust and swarf! I told him he was used to having labourers to clean up after him! I have a lathe in the front room as well. Swarf in the carpet is a bugger! Especially brass chippings, they get everywhere!

No work done yesterday, I am having a titanic struggle with formatting my latest book. So bloody frustrating! But I shall triumph in the end! (And watch the Hungarian Grand Prix as well.)


Stanley Challenger Graham




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


36804 Posts
Posted - 01/08/2011 : 05:47
Got somewhere near a good format for the book yesterday after another struggle. Published and ordered a proof copy so it's kicked into touch for a few days. If it's anywhere near right I shall finalise it. This means I can go into the shed and file me last santard up. Then sharpen a milling cutter and get some shiny surfaces I can measure from..... Perhaps another read of the destructions is indicated!


Stanley Challenger Graham




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


36804 Posts
Posted - 02/08/2011 : 06:07
Last standard filed up. I think base plate milling today....



One set of the base and standard castings ready for milling.


Stanley Challenger Graham




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


36804 Posts
Posted - 02/08/2011 : 12:33


All set up and ready to go.

 

An hour later I've found a level on this base and all it took was 25 thou taking off. In case you're wondering why I didn't take some more off and make it nice and shiny all round, no need to. All I was after was  was to get the high spots off and get enough bearing points to make sure it sits solid and level on the surface plate whan I'm measuring.

By the way, if you're still building your shop up see if you can find a second hand surface plate. It doesn't need to be tool room quality, many are thrown out when they get accidentally marked. An odd dinge or two is OK. Makes measuring from a datum so much easier, you'll never regret it.


Stanley Challenger Graham




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


36804 Posts
Posted - 03/08/2011 : 06:48
Bit of a worrying problem. The horizontal miller gearbox was noisy yesterday so last night I pulled the plug and draine the oil. Bad news is there are steel chips in it! Will refill with new headstock oil and use the next speed up. Looks terminal but you never know it might last me out! Might flush it with paraffin.....

Ah well, these things are sent to try us!


Stanley Challenger Graham




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


36804 Posts
Posted - 03/08/2011 : 08:53
Just thought I'd hand in my report. Gearbox flushed with paraffin and drained. Refilled with the thickest oil I have, Century 25H cylinder oil. very little difference but at least I know the box is full of clean oil! I suppose it only runs an average of a few minutes a day so I shall just press on regardless. Plenty of sheds manage perfectly well with the vertical miller....  Bit upset about it though, it's like having a sick dog!

Added later: The good news is that after the thick oil circulated the noise quietened a bit, supportable. Second bed has base faced. Set up for milling the bearing housings out tomorrow.


Stanley Challenger Graham




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


36804 Posts
Posted - 04/08/2011 : 06:50
Went to sleep weighing up the pros and cons of machining the bearing housings out now or waiting until I have the cylinders mounted on the standards and can find a true centre line. Brain must have been working on it overnight, I have decided to machie them and cope with any misalignment when I come to it. The main one is the longitudinal location, length of con-rod will cope with lateral errors. I can cope with longitudinal when I mount the standards. I just love working things like this out! As long as I get the centres of the cylinder bores accurate in relation to each other I shall be OK. Anyway, as Johnny Pickles used to say "It isn't driving 300 looms. It'll be all right!" (In this case a 2,000 ton ship!)


Stanley Challenger Graham




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


64 Posts
Posted - 04/08/2011 : 09:32
I have been in the shed (i.e. shop) again today, trying to bring order to the chaos and to recover a bit of floor space.

This is a new shop, in our new house, it is just through the door from the lounge but I have a sink bench for washing up and a washing machine so that shop clothes and old cleaning rags do not cause a problem with the laundry staff!

I have someone making a concrete bench for me, it will take the 12x36 lathe, my little Adept power shaper, a drill press and hopefully my cold cut saw.  I hope concrete is a good idea, at least it should not vibrate much, I am thinking of putting wooden blocks under the legs which I think will provide some insulation from the floor and maybe less machine noise will get into the house.  It will be free standing and hopefully easy to clean especially with a gutter around the edge to catch the coolant etc.  My mill is free standing  but that and a couple of grinders are all the other machines in my shop

The rest of the workshop is in steel cabinets as far as practical and I do all my welding and brazing in a seperate tin garden shed  which hopefully I wont be able to set alight!

Edited by - The Artful Bodger on 04/08/2011 09:36:48 AM


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Whyperion
Regular Member


122 Posts
Posted - 04/08/2011 : 19:29
Just been watching TV and seen an advert for Nuramol , a head/ache pill combining in various proportions Nurofen and Paracetamol.  Why did they not name it Parafen ( Paraffin ??!! )


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