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Post by simplyloco on Jul 1, 2020 18:49:31 GMT
I need a break from locos for a bit, so this came along today and it will fill in workshop time before we go away to France in September in the motorhome. The engineering isn't brilliant, but there's enough meat left on it for me to fix it! It is HUGE! Reminds me of when I was in the Army... I think it was 300 quid well spent! John
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JonL
Elder Statesman
WWSME (Wiltshire)
Posts: 2,907
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Post by JonL on Jul 1, 2020 23:17:45 GMT
I look forward to seeing what you do with it.
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Post by simplyloco on Jul 2, 2020 17:34:37 GMT
I've done an initial inspection today, just to give me an idea of that which I have bought. Even though the main casting work looks reasonable, there is much to rectify or replace. In summary, if I offered it to my two Shi-Tzus for breakfast they would relish it! A few examples: Entablature is 2.00 mm too fat against the main column. It will have to be machined to size and the end rounded to suit. I would be ashamed of these parallel motion links! The centre distance on one of them is 1.0 mm oversize. As I would these! This piston rod gland bore is well oversized and would not grip the packing if it tried! A new one is needed. A gland bush the same size as the piston rod is needed at the bottom of the cap as well! Here's the porting spec. BTW the apertures appear huge compared with what I'm used to, but it is a big bug*er! Here's the cylinder now that I have marked it out. I hope that he was going to machine the ports to size... I'll put it all away and finish the Stirling. Thanks for looking in. John
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JonL
Elder Statesman
WWSME (Wiltshire)
Posts: 2,907
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Post by JonL on Jul 2, 2020 19:25:33 GMT
With that much work at least you can pretty much call it "your engine".
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Post by simplyloco on Jul 2, 2020 19:34:06 GMT
With that much work at least you can pretty much call it "your engine". Agreed!
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Post by coniston on Jul 3, 2020 21:28:10 GMT
Might make a good boat anchor John, plenty of potential customers in Hamble? Chris
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Post by simplyloco on Jul 3, 2020 22:32:03 GMT
Might make a good boat anchor John, plenty of potential customers in Hamble? Chris Bit deep for me that Chris...
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Post by springcrocus on Jul 4, 2020 6:51:03 GMT
Might make a good boat anchor John, plenty of potential customers in Hamble? Chris
Regards, Steve
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Post by simplyloco on Nov 27, 2020 19:27:15 GMT
Back onto the Stuart Major as the Stirling Single is now 'resting' on the sideboard in the conservatory. I want to get the major components finished before I attack the detail, so I made a start on the cylinder porting. I haven't used the FB2 mill for yonks, so it was nice to feel a 'real' mill at work. I used a 7/32 3 flute cutter, and just split the scribed lines by eye. The ball end cutter eased the flow in the bottom of the ports as the ways were nowhere near big enough underneath. Measuring up afterwards I'm only a a couple of tenths of a millimetre out so that is fine. I'm in two minds as to whether I should 'square up' the port ends. This is a plodding engine, and as I'm getting lazy in my old age I might just leave things as they are! More tomorrow, probably... John
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Post by ettingtonliam on Dec 3, 2020 15:24:27 GMT
For an engine like this, I shouldn't think there is any advantage at all in squaring up the port ends. Leave it as it is, would be my advice.
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Post by simplyloco on Dec 15, 2020 18:16:47 GMT
Mating the base plate to the cylinder casting.I've got the seasonal activities out of the way so time to crack on! I was very unhappy with the plate/cylinder mating faces, so unhappy that I was seriously thinking of moving the whole thing on! However, I gave myself a shake and told myself "You are a precision engineer! Fix it!" so here are a few pics. The problem: wrong base screw fixing pcd puts the cylinder 3mm out of position. The only solution was to machine the base plate boss to suit. I knew that I was pushing my luck with this little boring head... I removed the tailstock and got stuck in. Lowest revs and a gentle feel on the quill sufficed. Gently does it until the tool touched the base plate surface. I call this a result! I'll get rid of the chatter marks with a round file. V. Happy to move on.
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Post by simplyloco on Dec 16, 2020 18:28:13 GMT
There's no Valve Chest in the box!A new CI casting from Stuart Turner is £50 plus postage, which I am not prepared to pay, so I found a bit of flat MS and started work this afternoon. First job: slit it to size. Chain drill the old fashioned way. I'm getting used to the DRO now: that's a 5.8 mm drill being shifted 6.00 mm each time. No dramatic incursions into adjacent holes! Hacked out with a 10mm 4 flute end mill. Corners finished off with a 6mm end mill. Tomorrow I'll make the gland boss and silver solder it in.
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Post by simplyloco on Dec 17, 2020 16:38:00 GMT
More Horror Stories!Well, I've got a half decent valve chest with a screwed in gland boss that I can remove to drill the pcd holes. However, the cylinder cap edge is not circumferential to the cylinder, so if I want 'perfection' then I'm going to have to mount the cylinder in the rotary table and do the necessary on the mill: carefully... In addition, whoever machined the cap forgot that the gland has to have a tapered seat, so I will make a suitable insert. Luckily there is just enough of a lip at the bottom to hold the new seat in place. I will also either counterbore the stud holes or turn the domed upstand back a little to accommodate the nuts! All good fun!
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Post by simplyloco on Dec 18, 2020 19:59:52 GMT
Cylinder Mating Faces Sorted I took the chuck off the rotary table and on mounting the cylinder I found I had plenty of room to fit a decent end mill. Clocked up the line using the pin and eyeball method, brought the job to the cutter, locked the beds and wanged it round by hand taking great care not to climb mill into the protruding bit. Worked a treat and I'm happy with it. Not quite perfection but it is good enough! John There's no Slide Valve casting either... I found a lump of brass which on which I took some hacksaw exercise! I'll use a ball head cutter to shape the internals: a simple steam way should do fine. Here's a piece I practiced on, I hope this approach will be sufficient as the thing will get tested once on steam and 'electrified' after that! I'll set the DRO dimensions tomorrow. Whilst my new vice was clocked up I took the opportunity to run the long series end mill along the back edge. Setting the vice up will be so much easier in future.
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Post by simplyloco on Dec 19, 2020 13:01:21 GMT
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Post by simplyloco on Dec 19, 2020 16:37:20 GMT
Slide ValveI know that it can't be seen but it feels good to hew a solid block into a pleasing shape! Lathe work this week: piston rods etc....
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Post by simplyloco on Dec 20, 2020 21:01:01 GMT
I lied about making the Piston Rods...I really was going to make some small stuff next, but this large, lumpy, horribly painted non concentric column winked at me and said "Do me next!". I'm glad I listened as it is starting to look quite nice, just like the original 1968 H A Taylor build. The casting is well oversize, and I can't imagine why the previous builder would want to leave it as it was. I don't have a taper turning attachment, so I used the compound slide to good effect. I did the bottom radius with 14" and 8" files and emery cloth as I have no form tools that size. I'll do the other end tomorrow and bring out the Solvol Autosol! John
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Post by Jim on Dec 20, 2020 22:40:44 GMT
Looking good John. The castings look at first blush to be very similar to the Bolton castings I have.
My Beamer Project is on hold at present as I work on my 'plug and play' railmotor.
Hope you have a great Christmas despite the difficulties imposed by Covid.
Jim
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Post by simplyloco on Dec 20, 2020 23:43:18 GMT
Looking good John. The castings look at first blush to be very similar to the Bolton castings I have.
Snip
My Beamer Project is on hold at present as I work on my 'plug and play' railmotor.
Hope you have a great Christmas despite the difficulties imposed by Covid.
Jim
Hi Jim. We will enjoy the season despite the situation, just llke all the sensible people on here! Very simi!ar castings...😇 Merry Christmas! John
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Post by Jim on Dec 21, 2020 6:52:53 GMT
I lied about making the Piston Rods...I really was going to make some small stuff next, but this large, lumpy, horribly painted non concentric column winked at me and said "Do me next!". I'm glad I listened as it is starting to look quite nice, just like the original 1968 H A Taylor build. The casting is well oversize, and I can't imagine why the previous builder would want to leave it as it was. I don't have a taper turning attachment, so I used the compound slide to good effect. I did the bottom radius with 14" and 8" files and emery cloth as I have no form tools that size. I'll do the other end tomorrow and bring out the Solvol Autosol! John Your method looks good to me John and like you I will be using the compound slide and files to hopefully get the great result you have achieved.Jim
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