Shed Matters 3

[Stanley]

Still reducing my piece of hard scrap to a connecting rod. I started the day by reducing the body of the stock to the minor diameter of 7/16" and when I got there, cutting the rod off from the body of the stock using a hacksaw. You may wonder why I went down the route of manual sawing when I could have parted it off. This is such hard material that there was every chance of the parting operation failing and I wanted to avoid that so I put a new all hard 18tpi blade in my hacksaw frame and settled into twenty minutes of hard work. It was the right decision and you'll see that I finished up with a clean cut. I cleaned the chips off Mrs Harrison and swept the floor. I ended with a nice little piece of stock that I can refine until it is a con-rod and a straight edge in a clean shed. That makes it a good morning!

[Stanley]

More work on the connecting rod. It's terribly hard and this explains why I have ended up with a slightly more chunky rod than usual, but I can live with that. I'm not going to take the risk of going for more refinement and finishing up with a buggered part! I know my limits and have stopped. I can handle the extra thickness in the fitting process.... Now for breakfast and back to bed!

[Stanley]

I went in the shed early this morning and I am out early after only spending half an hour in there. I have a very busy day today and I know my limitations. My chicken is in the oven and I am ready for my breakfast and am early return to bed. But I can here you asking what the hell I have done in that half hour.... The answer is you are right, I am doing what I did yesterday but with the difference that I realised I wasn't thinking straight yesterday and could reduce my chunky con-rod to 5/16" which is more like it. My last pic gives a clue, 5/16" is the width of the slot in my crosshead. Once I had rectified this and polished the rod I cleaned Mrs Harrison up and here I am. I am quite satisfied with this morning, my rod is in better nick than it was yesterday. That makes it a good morning!

[Stanley]

Ticklish little job this morning, drill the end of the con rod to accept the 3/16" crosshead bolt and mill the flats on the end of the con rod that will allow it entry into the slot on the crosshead. The drilling went well, nice and central and then I got into the mill and milled two nice flats on the con rod end. Only problem was I milled them 90 degrees out from what they should be. A keen young engineer would have accepted the mistake and made another con rod but I am not keen and not young! I drilled the hole for the bolt again 90 degrees from the first and then massaged the end of the con rod until it fitted the crosshead. They'll never see it off the Ribble and it makes it easy to oil the joint!
I have been to the Co-op and got my stuffing....

[Stanley]

I got up after second sleep and found Santa had been. Oak engine plinths.....
I asked a friend to help and lo and behold.....

[Stanley]

More work on the con-rod and crank pin bearing. Lots of measuring and marking and then careful drilling and milling. As you can see I almost finished this stage and just had one side of the foot to mill to profile at knocking off time. I was tempted to do some overtime to get to a straight edge but then told myself not to be silly..... That's for tomorrow!

[Stanley]

This morning I spent getting the con-rod cut to mill to fit the bearing and fitting to the con rod. Then trying to fix to fit the bearing and the piston rod. I found it isn't fitting and I shall have to fit it tomorrow and at the moment it looks as though I shall have to make another connecting rod because this is too big. I shall have to have another try tomorrow....

[Stanley]

This morning my quest was to find out why I had made such a mess of this stage of building this engine. No point guessing, what I did was go back to the beginning and start by re-fitting the piston rod gland and the studs that attach it to the cylinder.That meant taking the guides off, using double nuts to screw the studs in tight and eventually cutting the studs off so they don't interfere with the crosshead. Then I made sure I had plenty of thread in the crosshead for the rod. Next I refitted the crosshead making sure it slides easily in the guides when the piston rod is screwed into it. That took longer than you'd think, a had to blue it and do some old fashioned filing scraping and fitting but I eventually got there. Last I tested it by connecting the con-rod and running the crankshaft with the crosshead and piston attached with the electric drill. I have to report it's not the closest fit I have ever built but it runs OK. I shall ignore the dog's breakfast that is the con-rod end, I'm almost 88 for God's sake. The miracle is that I have got this far! That was a good hour and a half. I shall have breakfast and tomorrow carry on with the valve train as if all is well.... (Which it is!)

[Stanley]

After a good look and a think I decided that as all subsequent operations on the engine depend largely on rotating the crankshaft, it would be a good Idea to clean up, polish and fit the flywheel. That will make it a lot easier. So that's what I have done this morning and it is firmly fixed on the shaft with Loctite.
(Oh, by the way. I have found the setting on the camera that was giving me those unwanted date stamps and have zapped it.)

[Stanley]

My first job this morning was to check that the piston could travel over the whole of its stroke with the lid bolted on. It couldn't so I decided the best way to cure that was to put the piston and rod in the lathe , shorten the rod a touch and thread it a bit more. To do that I had to put the bigger 3 jaw SC chuck on. Once I did that I fitted the piston and tested it with the lid on and it was OK. So I swapped the 3 jaw out and put the 4 jaw back on. Then I measured up and made a fag packet drawing of the eccentric, looked for some stock and found it wouldn't fit the bore of the 4 jaw! So back on with the 3 jaw SC chuck and my last image is of me ready to start making the eccentric, but that's for tomorrow..... More progress, and while it isn't top standard, it's OK, it'll run and it's not bad for an ancient bugger like me!

[Stanley]

This morning I did my check measurements and set to to make the eccentric, this included striking a PCD on the end to guide where I drill the hole for the shaft. Remember there's no need for any of the eccentric turning shown by Stuart in their drawing. Just bore for the shaft on the PCD that ensures that the eccentric runs eccentric! Now for breakfast and second sleep....

[Stanley]

The first thing I did, while I had the big 3 jaw on the lathe, was to take the piece of rusty scrap I made the eccentric out of yesterday and clean it up so it was a respectable piece of stock ready for the next time I need it. Then I cleaned Mrs Harrison and put the 4 jaw SC chuck back on. Next I put the eccentric back in the lathe and spent some quality time improving the finish on it. As soon as it was respectable I moved it into the pillar drill and drilled the eccentric hole in two stages. Next I finished that so it fits on the shaft and tomorrow I shall drill and tap for the setscrew that will eventually lock it on the shaft when the timing has been set. Good steady progress and no mistakes.

[Stanley]

I started the morning by drilling and tapping for the 3/16"Whitworth set screw that will be used to lock the eccentric on the shaft once the valve is set. Then, as promised, I looked through my collection of end mills and found three 3flute 1" end mills that could be reconditioned to useable condition. I found three and gulleted the centre of each of them. Then I put a new Grinding wheel on the T&C grinder and put a dust mask on because I was going to spend the rest of the morning grinding. By the time I got to knocking off time I had ground a new back rake on all three of them and was ready to finish them by grinding a new cutting edge at 6 degrees. I had done over an hour so that will be the first job tomorrow..... Now for breakfast.

[Stanley]

I started the morning masked up and working on the Clarkson T&C grinder to finish grind the end mills I had worked on yesterday. I now have 5 serviceable end mills. Then I started working on the brass casting that will become the eccentric strap. The rest of the morning was spent in carefully milling the external features of the strap. I want it all nicely finished, square and ready for further refinement. My final blow was to file some of the curved faces that can't be milled. I haven't finished these surfaces but will carry on with them tomorrow. The chicken is in the oven cooking. A good start to the day, now for breakfast.

[Stanley]

Using the mill, a new Swedish File and emery paper. After measuring and checking I further refined the casting for the eccentric strap and now I am ready to drill the lubricating hole and the two bolt holes for the fastenings that will hold the two halves together after I have split the casting but all that's for tomorrow! Now for breakfast.....

[Stanley]

I started the morning by drilling the hole for lubrication using a centre drill to give me a tapered cup. Then I drilled the lugs clearance for 5BA to accept the bolts that will hold the two halves together once I have split the strap before boring. Then I refined the strap so there was room for the nut by filing the lugs back. Next I put witness marks on the strap to make sure it was re-assembled correctly once it is split. Next I concentrated on the 5/32" strip that will form the arm of the eccentric strap. I marked the strap so I cut the pocket for the arm on the right side of the strap and then reduced the 3/16" stock by 1?32". Then I measured and set out and drilled the 5BA clearance holes for the bolts that attach the arm to the strap and the journal I shall make for the end of the valve rod. That got it to an hour so I knocked off with good progress and no mistakes.... That's good, now I deserve some breakfast before second sleep.

[Stanley]

I started by finishing the link rod. I milled it down to 5/16" wide and then rounded the ends and countersunk one end for the screw that attaches the link to the eccentric. Clean up and break the edges. Then I did some careful measuring and marking of the tab on the strap to which the rod fixes and then milled out the recess for the rod. I am ready to split the strap ready for boring and then I will drill and tap it for the link rod. I deserve breakfast now after an hour of careful measuring marking and cutting.

[Stanley]

This morning I started by measuring and marking the strap to find the centre and then slitting with a saw in the mill. Far more accurate than doing it by hand with a hacksaw. Then finishing the cut surfaces and refitting the securing bolts. Next I marked, drilled and tapped for the small countersunk screw that secures the arm in the strap. Once that was fitted I am ready to bore the strap out 1" diameter to fit on the eccentric. That's for tomorrow, I am satisfied with progress today. Now for breakfast!

[Stanley]

I started the day by setting the mill up for boring. Then boring the eccentric strap out to 1" which I know will be a good running fit, not too tight. (That's the mistake I usually make in my fitting....) Then a trial fit on the eccentric with the bolts done up tight and double nutted. Its a good fit. Next I took the boring head off and restored the cutter in the mill. Then I took the rough castings for the governor stand and the steam valve and did the initial rough fettling on the big grinding wheel. I am ready now for the accurate measuring and milling that will prepare both these items for fitting.

[Stanley]

I started the morning by stripping the valve chest and lid off the engine and getting the small stock components sammed up ready to work with. Then some careful measuring and doing a small fag packet drawing to remind myself of what needs doing. The first target was to turn the rough bronze casting into a functioning gland and mark it for drilling for the studs. Then I modified the drilling of the steam chest to make sure the gland fitted. That all took an hour but time is no object. What matters is that the work is error free and accurate. Now for breakfast.

[Stanley]

I started the morning by finishing the gland for the valve rod By drilling the gland itself and then drilling and tapping the steam chest to accept the studs that secure the gland. Once that was done I moved my attention to the clevis that has to be made for the connection between the valve rod and the eccentric strap arm. I turned it to length and drilled and tapped it for the 4BA valve rod but before I make the rod I shall cut the slot in the clevis for the strap arm. That's the first job tomorrow. Now for breakfast.

[Stanley]

More work on the clevis block that links the eccentric arm to the valve rod. This was a careful measuring and marking and then cutting of the slot for the arm in the block using a slitting saw in the mill, my eyes won't let me do it by hand. Then drilling the block to accept the 7BA bolt that will act as the pin in the clevis to connect to the eccentric arm. Then more adjustments to the end of the arm so that the clevis block fits. I finished the morning with the clevis block fitted and correct. Tomorrow I shall make it look pretty! That will do for this morning, very small work and so I take even more care!

[Stanley]

Sorry but due to technical difficulties with the site there are no images this morning. I have, as promised, made the clevis look pretty and threaded both ends of the valve rod 4BA and am now ready to work on the valve itself.....

[Stanley]

[Stanley]

This morning was wholly devoted to the steam valve. I milled it square and to the correct dimensions. Then I changed the cutter in the mill to a 1/4" slot drill because that's the size I will be cutting tomorrow. I went to the Co-op early doors and did my essential shopping so as to get it out of the way while the weather was not bad. Now I deserve breakfast!