Click here to register on OneGuyFromBarlick|2|1
Go to Page
  First Page  Previous Page    61  62  63  [64]  65  66   Next Page  Last Page
Author Previous Topic Topic Next Topic  
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




Barlick View
stanley at barnoldswick.freeserve.co.uk
Replies
Author
Go to Page
  First Page  Previous Page    61  62  63  [64]  65  66   Next Page  Last Page
 
Stanley
Local Historian & Old Fart


36804 Posts
Posted - 28/10/2007 : 06:17
Johnny spoiled Newton rotten when he was a lad but made sure he got him on the right track when he got to making stuff.  There were some great stand-offs between them and Johnny could see which way the wind was blowing once Newton got into the engines, after the Clough Mill episode he never went to an engine again and Newton was only 14 at the time.  It didn't help that they both spoke their minds.  Read the episode of the broken shaft at Big Mill again....  Nevertheless, they respected each other.  Funny thing was that the last grandfather clock Newt ever made had a Westminster chime and he admitted that the only reason he did it was because his dad had never made a full chiming movement.  Newt had three goes at it before he got it right and then swore he would never make another!  He admitted Johnny was right......  I have a fancy to mount Newt's cylinder on a dummy wooden boiler just for a keepsake and to protect it.  Newton would have played hell with me.......


Stanley Challenger Graham




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


36804 Posts
Posted - 29/10/2007 : 06:25
I went in the shed yesterday and did some gentle drilling of lids and steam chests.  All the small ones are done.  I'll do the big one today and think about drilling and tapping the cylinders themselves and opening all the other holes in the chests and lids to clearance size.....  I'm gently getting going again.....


Stanley Challenger Graham




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


36804 Posts
Posted - 30/10/2007 : 16:37

I think the effects of the flu jab are behind me.  I was up to speed again today....

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I finished drilling the lids and steam chests today including the 1/2" 26tpi stab-in for the steam pipes.  Then I decided that this was a good time to make the valve rod guides.  So, here's another riser getting trued up ready for some brass turning....

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I've done one and will do the small steam chests tomorrow.  I haven't drilled the guide for the spindle, I'll do that when I have them all made and use the gland as a guide to make sure the valve rod guide is perfectly in line.  Then I'll make a dummy rod and use that to measure for the slide valves.




Stanley Challenger Graham




Barlick View
stanley at barnoldswick.freeserve.co.uk Go to Top of Page
A.J. Richer
Werebeagle


24 Posts
Posted - 31/10/2007 : 16:48
 Stanley, I have to say that even though you don't think it's perfect (and what is?) I think your work on these engines is exemplary.  Having had the pleasure of making a few small ones myself (but nothing of your caliber - I'm Tommy Tyro as LBSC used to call him) I'm highly impressed.

A question and an observation, if I may:

1. When you bored your cylinders did you chase them with a hone after or did you get an adequate finish with the boring tool? This has always been one of my personal banes when engine building - though it may well be I can't grind a tool worth a hoot. Mom tried to teach me...honest she did.

Re: Newton's cylinder: Were that sitting on my shelf I'd be building a boiler for it to sit on...and then running it.

                         Yours, Al Richer - grumpy old Yank engineer, model engineer and Land-Rover anorak..




Go to Top of Page
Stanley
Local Historian & Old Fart


36804 Posts
Posted - 31/10/2007 : 17:40

Al, welcome to the site, you seem to have managed to register without my help.  Don't worry, keep a note of the other one in case you ever have any trouble.  We never bothered about honing cylinders on the full size ones, a good tool finish is all you need.  Remember that CI is porous and if you look inside the bore of an old engine it is like glass.  This isn't because it was honed, it's because over the years properly fitted rings polish the bore and at the same time oil and metal dust is filling the pores and the result is a perfect bore.  I've seen engines running with daylight coming past the pistons, all that happens is they use more steam and lose a bit of power.  I'll bet the difference between a properly fitted piston in a tool finish bore and one in a honed bore is so small it doesn't matter.  So rest easy, take the sharp edge off the boring tool with a fine stone, use the slowest feed you can and always finish with a reverse cut at the last setting.  That'll do.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

By dinnertime all the steam chests had guides for the valve rods, none of them drilled as yet because I haven't quite decided on the size of the valve rods.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I've decided to make and fit the eccentrics and rods before making the valve rods.  I Had a bunch of castings in the treasure box so I chucked them into the V mill and went looking for some flat faces taking as little off as possible.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

All marked up and then split with a junior hacksaw.  You're right, the cuts aren't dead straight, I don't believe anyone can cut straight with a junior hacksaw and who cares anyway?  The cuts match and that's all that matters.  Nobody will see any discrepancies once they are fitted. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A bit of my amateur soldering......  That was enough for today, I shall decide on the thickness and size tomorrow and then make them look beautiful.  I'll keep as much meat as I can, the more contact the less wear.  Not a bad day, I think I am on song again.




Stanley Challenger Graham




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


36804 Posts
Posted - 01/11/2007 : 17:48

A quiet day, busy with other things this morning and a bit of thinking and measuring this afternoon.  'Measure twice, cut once'

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I was torn between fitting the bolts and getting something concentric and finished to measure off before doing that.  I decided to go down the dangerous route and get a clean face and a 1 1/2" bore first.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

By teatime I had one finished......  Plenty of time tomorrow, all day to go at once I've done the shopping.  Nice castings.....




Stanley Challenger Graham




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


36804 Posts
Posted - 02/11/2007 : 16:56

Got into the shed after dinner.....

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

All of the eccentris machined.  I was agonising a bit about getting the faces exactly parallel in the four jaw which would have meant some fairly serious setting up and then decided to just get them done by rack of the eye.  A lot quicker and as it turned out, close enough, they aren't bad and they always need a bit of space in the sheave anyway.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Big sigh of relief when they were all drilled for the 6BA bolts.  One of them split and separated a bit, the second one along, but it will be OK.  I shall cheat and make the bolts out of threaded rod tomorrow, I have plenty of 6BA rod in the treasure chest....... and hundreds of nuts!




Stanley Challenger Graham




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


36804 Posts
Posted - 03/11/2007 : 16:26

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bolts and full nuts fitted to the eccentric straps.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Remember the con rods I made a mess of?  I told you there were eccentric rods inside them.  One down and three to go.  The first one isn't finished of course but I'll turn the other three tomorrow.  Normally I'd put a taper on them but I decided they'd work just as well if they are parallel and it makes it easier to hold them when I put some shapes into the ends......




Stanley Challenger Graham




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


36804 Posts
Posted - 04/11/2007 : 14:15

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I got this far by dinnertime and then, after walking Jack and having a bowl of soup I decided to have the rest of the day OFF!   One thing that struck me was that some of you might have noticed the funny little ruler that appears to be made ot of angle iron.  It's a shaft ruler, used mainly for setting out keyways on shafts.  Handy little beggar because when you sit it on the shaft it is always dead in line with the centre.




Stanley Challenger Graham




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


36804 Posts
Posted - 05/11/2007 : 17:33

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Not a lot to show for a day of careful work but that's how it is sometimes.  Quietly away with lots of adjustments and measurements.  They will get finished this week......




Stanley Challenger Graham




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


1164 Posts
Posted - 05/11/2007 : 19:49
 Hows the steel attached to the bronze ? Just curious... 



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

Pluggy's Household Monitor Go to Top of Page
Stanley
Local Historian & Old Fart


36804 Posts
Posted - 06/11/2007 : 06:37
It isn't yet, It will be two 4BA setscrews and just for luck, a drop of shaft grade Loctite in the joint.  Stuarts didn't trust their rods, they show a pip in the end of the rod engaging with a hole in the brass.  The other rods will be quicker because I have my ducks lined up now.  The pin at the end is a 5/32" hardened clevis pin that goes back to me days on rod operated brakes, I have at least three of them and have little doubt that I can find a fourth.  I do like using these old bits of 'scrap' up!  By the way, I have to confess, I finished early yesterday because I sat down and finished 'Ragged Trousered Philanthropists'.  Wonderful book and we should all re-read it every now and again.


Stanley Challenger Graham




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


36804 Posts
Posted - 07/11/2007 : 06:22



A day of tiddly little jobs and at the end of it we are showing progress.  Two eccentric rods ready to fit and the other two well on the way.  I'd forgotten how much work there is in them!  Onwards and upwards.


Stanley Challenger Graham




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


36804 Posts
Posted - 07/11/2007 : 12:15
Done nowt this morning, had a bacon butty and felt sleepy so I went back to bed.  What a terrible life these pensioners lead..........


Stanley Challenger Graham




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


1164 Posts
Posted - 07/11/2007 : 16:05
Can't beat bacon butties and more sleep Stanley......  Wink


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

Pluggy's Household Monitor Go to Top of Page
Topic is 92 Pages Long:
Go to Page
  First Page  Previous Page    61  62  63  [64]  65  66   Next Page  Last Page
 


Set us as your default homepage Bookmark us Privacy   Copyright © 2004-2011 www.oneguyfrombarlick.co.uk All Rights Reserved. Design by: Frost SkyPortal.net Go To Top Of Page

Page load time - 2.375