Shed Matters 3

[Stanley]

The replacement switch for the mill arrived yesterday. I had a look at it and decided I could understand the wiring instructions and so this morning I started on that job. The first job was to decide where to mount the switch as it couldn't go where the old one was as it would foul the handle for lowering and raising the quill. Then I had to decide how to mount it and decided on self-tappers. It took me the rest of the hour and a quarter I was in the shed to drill through the cast iron and adjust the drill size to suit the screws I had. I have done that and the body is mounted securely if not dead straight! (You can't have everything) I have the terminal kit and now I need to connect the switch. I think I need some help, I am not good at fiddly work like this in an awkward position, it nearly put my lights out this morning. So I am appealing for some help....... I shall ask elsewhere on the site as well.

[Stanley]

Later on Thursday. It's a good job I can't reach my arse to kick it but have a look at these two images. Spot the difference. It was only after my dinner that I realised I could have lowered the head of the mill and turned it. Obvious you might say but I have been working with the head at the top and facing forwards for 30 years.....
I wish I'd thought about this first thing this morning!

[Stanley]

I started the morning by doing some work to save Col having to do it when he comes. I straightened the mount for the starter switch and threaded the cables through the grommets ready for wiring to the switch. Then I did some work on the castings, nothing serious, just getting ready for drilling hole patterns.

[Stanley]

A very happy morning because the VM is no longer poorly. I spent an Hour on the lid of the steam chest, first making it square and the correct thickness, 3/16". Then adjusting the size to fit the chest and finally putting witness marks on to make sure the correct orientation is kept to. The new switch performed perfectly. Thanks to Colin and his expertise, I could never have fathomed out how to wire it!

[Stanley]

I started by refining the fit of the lid on the steam chest, I wasn't quite satisfied with it. I touched the cutter up before I did this. Old cutters when they have got this short lose a bit of temper and need sharpening more often. Then I used the steam chest as a template for drilling the clearance holes in the lid, once I had them done I used the lid as a template for transferring the hole pattern to the cylinder valve face and tomorrow I shall start by drilling and tapping these holes for the long studs that hold the steam chest onto the cylinder.....

[Stanley]

This morning I reached a point when I could no longer ignore the fractured drawer that holds my BA taps and dies. It was on the verge of shattering into pieces so I had to start the day by swapping the contents into the intact drawer next door that contained the seldom used gauges and metric taps and dies. Once that was done I checked my sizes, got the 4BA tap out and the No.32 tapping drill. I got ready for drilling and tapping and did the first hole in the cylinder. That got me to closing time so I have left it at that. Ready to start straight into the job tomorrow now the side issues have been dealt with.

[Super_7b]

Hi Stanley,

Yesterday I revisited Ellenroad, accompanied by a friend who had never been before. I was reminded how much we owe you (especially) and Newton for making sure this magnificent machine was preserved.

I recall you writiing somewhere that there was a generator in the basement (500 kW comes to mind). Do you know why it was never roped up? Running this into some lights, electric fires or other dummy load, even well under its full capacity, would allow the engine to work a bit harder, as I reckon is is hardly doing anything when running light. One of the volunteers read the gauges for me and the inputs to the LP cylinders were around 15 inches of vacuum!

Or is the single boiler too much of a limit to run anything more than the light engine?

Interestingly, since I last visited, the stokers have gone and they have reverted to simple hand firing straight through the doors. I seem to remember the underfeed stokers were fitted during restoration and had come from a local hospital. Maybe they are now clapped out...

Finally, do you know what the original running configuration was? I know it was a 5 boiler setup, so I suppose they ran 4 at a time with a spare for cleaning out and maintenance. What was the working pressure? A volunteer reckoned 180 psi.

Best Regards

Mick

[Stanley]

I continued drilling and tapping for the studs that hold the steam chest and lid on the cylinder. As you can see I was successful and after enlarging the clearance holes by 1/64" the chest and lid fit the studs with no forcing. Then I spent the rest of my hour in the shed looking for an 11/64" drill but haven't found one...... I think I can live with the old one and not go into a decline!

[Stanley]

More careful refining of the small castings. The front lid was drilled for the piston rod and the gland. The steam chest was drilled for the valve rod and its gland and then drilled and tapped for the steam pipe. A quiet error-free morning. Just how I like it.....

[Stanley]

I started this morning by facing the seat for the exhaust pipe on the cylinder then marking it and drilling and tapping for the 1/4" X 32tpi Pipe.Now I need two pipes to fit this size, one for the steam pipe on the valve chest and one for the exhaust on the cylinder. I reached the point where I had the pipe to size and bored 5/32" and was ready for the thread on the first one but it was knocking off time. No overtime working in this shop.....

[Stanley]

First thing I did was finish making the exhaust and steam pipes and fit them. Then I went back to basic work on the base and bed castings, filing out the flash and using more refined methods to improve the finish of the castings. Once I had done that I drilled clearance holes in the lugs on the base and set up ready to do the same on the bed, drill the lugs 3/16" clearance for the 2BA bolts that will hold the bed down on the base. That's where I finished, that will be the first task tomorrow.

[Stanley]

More work on the base and bed castings. The job this morning was to finish drilling the clearance holes for the 2BA set screws in the bed. Then transfer those hole locations to the base casting. Drill and tap them for 2BA and finally test the authenticity of those holes by bolting the bed down onto the base. I finished up by putting all the tackle away, cleaning my chips up off the drill and making sure I had a straight edge.....

[Stanley]

I started the day by fixing the base onto a temporary plinth, it makes it much better for fitting. Then I wasn't sure where to go, at first I favoured the crankshaft bearings and the crosshead but then decided instead to address the holes in the front lid. I spent a lot of time checking and re=-checking which two holes were the smaller and countersunk 5BA ones.... and got it 90 degrees out! That's what old age does for you..... Not the end of the world, it just means that the piston rod gland will not be oriented horizontally but vertically. I can work with that.I'm a bit pissed off with getting that wrong but I can live with it, it's still progress!

[Stanley]

I started by examining the alternative design of gland and it would.t work because the hole in the gland is the wrong size so I went back to making the usual design of gland and mounting it vertically. The images show the stages, and end up with me marking for the stud holes and drilling. I shall tap the holes tomorrow....

[Stanley]

This morning I finished tapping the holes for the 5BA studs in the front lid and then fitted the studs and refined the fit of the gland. Once that was done I checked the piston rod and found a piece of scrap bronze to make the piston out of. Remember that if by chance a CI cylinder is left wet a bronze piston with a soft packing will not seize like a CI piston and CI rings..... I am ready to make the piston and rod tomorrow.....

[Stanley]

Only one image needed this morning. I took the piece of scrap bronze and made it into a piston that fits the cylinder bore. I have drilled and tapped it ready for the rod and chamfered both ends. I shall cut the groove for the soft packing when the rod is made and fitted tomorrow because then it will be easier to hold it concentric in the chuck. Slowly away with plenty of checks. I have made no mistakes. That makes it a good morning!

[Stanley]

Only one image needed. I cut the 1/4" SS piston rod to length and threaded one end 2BA for 3'8" and then screwed the piston tightly on to the rod using Loctite as I have had problems before with the piston loosening while being fitted. Then I cut the rod to finished length and fitted the large original 3 jaw SC chuck as I needed enough room in the bore for the piston when the rod was mounted reversed to turn it down and thread it for fitting in the crosshead. It all takes time! That's it for a nice error free hour.

[Stanley]

The first job this morning was to thread the end of the Piston Rod 2BA to screw into the crosshead. Then cut the slot for the soft packing in the piston and check the fit in the bore of the cylinder. That was OK so the next job was to cut the slot in the end of the piston that's needed for screwing the rod into the crosshead when we get to that point. Then start threading the stud holes in the front end of the cylinder starting with the two 5BA countersunk screws down at the bottom. Tomorrow I shall thread for the 4 4BA studs that attach the cylinder to the bed. Every move checked and no mistakes so it has been a good morning!

[Stanley]

The focus this morning was on drilling and tapping for the 4 X 4BA studs that make the fastening of the Cylinder to the target end of the bed. Once they were done and fitted the hole pattern in the front lid had to be transferred to the target end, than refined until the studs fitted and clearance for the nuts filed in the casting. Then the lid was fitted to the cylinder and the studs were re-fitted with Loctite as they are a problem if they unscrew with the nut when the cylinder is fitted. That was where I finished leaving the Loctite to cure overnight.....

[Stanley]

I spent the first half hour this morning making room next to the stud holes on the target face of the bed for the nuts but before that I ran the tap through all the nuts to make sure they were an easy fit on the studs. Once I had done that and proved the fit I put the cylinder in the mill and cut the 1/4"slot which is the exhaust port.... That's done and so once again we have had slow but steady error-free progress..... That makes it a good morning!

[Stanley]

I started this morning with housekeeping, changing the cutter in the VM from the 1/4" end mill I used last to the normal cutter. Then I Addressed the cylinder. I marked the cylinder for the 4BA studs that will fasten the back lid on. Then I marked and drilled the lid clearance for the studs and went back to the cylinder where I drilled for tapping 4BA and ended the morning ready to start tapping. That will be the first job in the morning. Another morning which has been an hour of steady error free progress. That makes it a good morning!

[Stanley]

I was late in the shed this morning, other matters got in the way.... but once in there I cracked on with tapping the stud holes in the back of the cylinder. Then I found the 4BA X 5/8" studs and fitted them. Next I made the small adjustments necessary to the hole pattern in the lid and got that to a fit. I put the witness marks on the lid to aid fitting and then found my 4BA die as the first thing I have to do tomorrow (as usual!) is to extend the threads on the studs, at the moment the nuts run out of thread before they tighten the lid down. That's OK and was expected. It can wait until tomorrow.....

[Stanley]

Only one task this morning, adjust the le3ngth of thread on the 4BA studs that attach the rear lid, Test fit the lid and then test fit the cylinder so far. All is well. I could have crashed on with fitting the crosshead slides but had breakfast to cook so I knocked off early. The chicken is in the oven roasting and all is well. no errors. It's a good morning.....

[Stanley]

I decided that the next task was to make and fit the crosshead guides. First I had to do some careful measuring and check that I had the dimensions right. Then some careful milling in the VM and at knocking off time I had two guides, the right size and profile. Tomorrow I shall drill the bolt holes and start transferring those positions to the crosshead bed ready for drilling and tapping. Very small cuts and I can hardly see my marks. Always a big sigh of relief when I have got to this stage!

[Stanley]

I started by refining the finish on the guides I cut yesterday. Then some careful measuring and marking and I was ready to drill the clearance holes for the 5BA bolts that will hold the guides on to the bed. Next I put witness marks on the guides and the bed and marked the end two holes for the bolts and tapped them. Then I mounted the guides on the crosshead using those two bolts and at that point I declared it knocking off time. Tomorrow I shall mark the remaining four holes and drill and tap them. Doing them this way ensures that they will be accurate for the guides. Steady quiet and careful progress with no mistakes. Another good morning!