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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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andydiamond
Hairy Horologist
424 Posts
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Posted - 14/12/2004 : 19:11
carpet in the workshop . . ."wipe your feet when you come out !!"
Thanks for the invite Stanley,will attempt the trip over the hill in t'Christmas 'Oliday, by appointment of course.
I've got a new Satnav, and the Landrover is armoured lightly so the arrows should bounce off o.k. as I come down the Kyber Pass (Manchester Rd.)
Onlic should be able to sign my pass for me as an ex- barlicker, the former Visa requirement won't apply as we are all in Lancashire now . . . .
(I know that was unworthy but The Voices made me put it in!)
Andy.
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Stanley
Local Historian & Old Fart
36804 Posts
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Posted - 15/12/2004 : 05:49
You're right about that. Never mind wiping them when you go in! Newton once told me about his mother playing hell with him when he had a lathe in the attic at home. He used to tread brass chips all over the house. I had something in my shoe this morning when I walked Jack, I put up with it until I got back and then found it was a lump of swarf.
I always look at the flooir when I go in somebody's workshop, you can tell so much about what has been going on. At the moment I'm walking in gunmetal chips as the chuckback quietly grows. I shall be threading it today and then I can put it on the nose and find out how good a turner I am!
It would be a pleasure to see you any time. I think we could pass a quiet hour in there. There are many treasures......
Stanley Challenger Graham
Barlick View
stanley at barnoldswick.freeserve.co.uk |
Stanley
Local Historian & Old Fart
36804 Posts
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Posted - 16/12/2004 : 18:46
The chuck back is coming on nicely, here it is on the nose of the lathe for facing and fitting to the spigot on the chuck body. Doing it like this ensures that it will be dead accurate and run true when finished.
Stanley Challenger Graham
Barlick View
stanley at barnoldswick.freeserve.co.uk |
Stanley
Local Historian & Old Fart
36804 Posts
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Posted - 17/12/2004 : 18:29
Chuck finished and doing what it was intended to do, holding the con rod for boring. In case you're wondering, I'm not going to split it and install adjusting bolts because it will never run, it's only an ornament.
Stanley Challenger Graham
Barlick View
stanley at barnoldswick.freeserve.co.uk |
Stanley
Local Historian & Old Fart
36804 Posts
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Posted - 08/01/2005 : 16:49
Doc mentioned today that shed culture was still getting a lot of hits even though the last post was almost three weeks ago so here I am back again. I've been in there almost every day but very little work on the engine. I decided that a complete clear out and tidy up was needed and so I've been through everything but one far corner which will get done this weekend. I'm amazed at the amount of brass and steel stock and tools that I have collected over the years! I've also been amazed at the amount of rubbbish there was squirreled away. Funny how something looks essential at the time but ten years later is rubbish.
The carpet got an underfelt when the lady in the other house opposite threw some plain carpet out so we now have a double layer. Very kind on the old feet and easy to keep clean. Trouble is I've found another chuck that needs a back fitting so it will go on the Harrison. It's a big handy three jaw SC and almost new even though it's very old. It's hardly been used. Ah well, I'll keep you posted.
Stanley Challenger Graham
Barlick View
stanley at barnoldswick.freeserve.co.uk |
Stanley
Local Historian & Old Fart
36804 Posts
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Posted - 08/01/2005 : 17:47
The little engine has its eccentric rod and eccentric now.....
Stanley Challenger Graham
Barlick View
stanley at barnoldswick.freeserve.co.uk |
Stanley
Local Historian & Old Fart
36804 Posts
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Posted - 11/01/2005 : 16:54
The last corner has been cleared out and tidied up, I now have no excuses, I'll have to crack on with the little Stuart again. But of course I'll have to knock off to do some articles for the BET.... How the hell did I ever find time to work!?
Stanley Challenger Graham
Barlick View
stanley at barnoldswick.freeserve.co.uk |
Stanley
Local Historian & Old Fart
36804 Posts
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Posted - 18/01/2005 : 19:20
We're making progress. We have an eccentric now but when I fitted it I found that the bloke who started this engine got the valve rod wrong so I'm making another one the right length.
Stanley Challenger Graham
Barlick View
stanley at barnoldswick.freeserve.co.uk |
Ringo
Site Administrator
3793 Posts
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Posted - 18/01/2005 : 22:27
Nice to see you have all your tools layed out neatly die holder, toolmakers clamp, verynear caliper etc. , but where is the big hammer which we all need sometimes for fine adjustments?
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Doc
Keeper of the Scrolls
2010 Posts
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Posted - 19/01/2005 : 00:04
I generally use my 16lbs Multi-Purpose adjustable |
Stanley
Local Historian & Old Fart
36804 Posts
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Posted - 19/01/2005 : 06:01
Top left hand corner kids. The 7lb and 14 lb sledges are in the corner of the workshop. Ever seen a 56lb sledge with two handles? Scrap dealers used them for breaking castings by hand.
Stanley Challenger Graham
Barlick View
stanley at barnoldswick.freeserve.co.uk |
andydiamond
Hairy Horologist
424 Posts
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Posted - 19/01/2005 : 21:40
That reminds me of a cartoon I saw years ago Stanley, two blokes stood watching a crane with a wrecking ball smashing up looms, one bloke is saying to the other " now that's progress for yer, when I were a lad it took two of us a fortneet to break them looms with a big sledghammer . . . . ."
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Stanley
Local Historian & Old Fart
36804 Posts
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Posted - 19/01/2005 : 22:46
Yup, here's a bloke doing just that.
Stanley Challenger Graham
Barlick View
stanley at barnoldswick.freeserve.co.uk |
Stanley
Local Historian & Old Fart
36804 Posts
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Posted - 20/01/2005 : 18:55
Well, I've sorted the valve rod out, fitted the piston, fitted the cover and tightened all the nuts up. The further I get the more horrible I realise t6he original build was. The cover on the cylinder is a case in point, the holding down bolts are perfectly divided into four quadrants bbut then fitted all lop-sided. Once again I found myself wanting to put it right but resisted. I want it finished and then I'll give it away, I couldn't bear anyone to see it and think it was my best work.....
One little laugh for the cognosenti: I couldn't find my one eighth Whitworth die and it was a while before I remembered that it's exactly the same thread as the Model Engineer size. When I bought the taps I evidently didn't get the Whitworth tap because it was duplication. Funny how you forget and have to re-learn things.
Stanley Challenger Graham
Barlick View
stanley at barnoldswick.freeserve.co.uk |
Stanley
Local Historian & Old Fart
36804 Posts
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Posted - 22/01/2005 : 12:27
It's finished, well, as far as I want to go. I shall give it away now on condition that nobody associates my name with it.... Pity because the price of a set of machined castings in 1990 was £145.
Stanley Challenger Graham
Barlick View
stanley at barnoldswick.freeserve.co.uk |
Shed culture
