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Post by simplyloco on Nov 10, 2022 16:49:41 GMT
Some progress! My eyesight has let me down a little, but I can adjust sizes! The missing castings ariived today from Reeves, without prompting I might add... Absoluteley superb!  Valve chests to 1/2" thickness but waiting for the four jaw chuck to do the glands.  Some idea of the size of the thing.  The HP cylinder bore can't be done until the two halves are bolted together.  |
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Post by ettingtonliam on Nov 10, 2022 16:55:17 GMT
Thats a particularly nice casting for the condenser!
Maybe as well that you've got them all now, as apparently they are in the process of moving premises, which, in my own experience is an excellent opportunity for loosing things.
Setting the imtermediate valve must be a pain if you've got to remove the HP cylinder first.
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Post by coniston on Nov 10, 2022 17:28:19 GMT
Coming on nice John
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dalboy
E-xcellent poster
Posts: 235
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Post by dalboy on Nov 10, 2022 20:42:50 GMT
Enjoy this build. Castings look good and nice piece of machining
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tony9f
Seasoned Member
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Post by tony9f on Nov 10, 2022 21:54:29 GMT
Hi John,
You look to be making good progress with this engine, wait 'til you start assembling it and the weight starts building up, it's a lump.
Just a little heads up, you may find that once the cylinder block is assembled and you are machining the tapered section that the IP valve chest casting is not quite full enough and that you are left with partially unmachined sides. This isn't anything to worry about as is all supposed to be clad. The alternative is to leave the other holes unmachined until after you have loose assembled the block and worked out where the best position for the valve chest before determining the centre line.
I don't know if you have the same drawings as me but there will be a need to make a spotfacing tool for the column bolt seatings and various jigs for the expansion links, crankshaft and column flanges, which I think were shown on the drawings.
I'm not able to upload pictures on here and to be honest all the advice given has confused the hell out of me, so if you want to PM me with your email address I will send you the pictures of my engine.
Tony
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Post by simplyloco on Nov 10, 2022 22:34:23 GMT
Hi John, You look to be making good progress with this engine, wait 'til you start assembling it and the weight starts building up, it's a lump. SNIP I'm not able to upload pictures on here and to be honest all the advice given has confused the hell out of me, so if you want to PM me with your email address I will send you the pictures of my engine. Tony Hi Tony, thanks for the very welcome input. I have to say that after the Stuart Major Beam this one is just a morsel...! There's lots of advice about, which I will take advantage of, and I'm really looking forward to the end result. I still have some 26g Titanium sheet left from the Stirling Single for the cladding which will look right lovely! Regards John PM sent. |
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tony9f
Seasoned Member
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Post by tony9f on Nov 11, 2022 12:30:28 GMT
Hi John,
Sorry but I have not received any PM yet. Pictures are ready and waiting.
Regards Tony
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Post by simplyloco on Nov 11, 2022 21:45:34 GMT
A few images that might appeal to newcomers to ME! More on Valve Chests The four jaw chuck is today a much ignored asset in the face of cheap Chinese vertical miiling machines. However, in the right hands it is a versatile asset, and here is an example of this work. More tomorrow. A lot of folk would centre drill each end of this piece, hang it between centres, and bolt it to an angle plate bolted onto a faceplate. However, even though it looks dangerous, it's much easier to attach some shims to the work, and, using using the wobbler pin in a centre punched hole, set the jub to run true. THEN centre drill it to add support for the facing and turning ops.  Facing off using my tangential lathe tool, which doesn't get used much these days...  Drilling right through for the tail support.  I would have tapped it 5/16 x 32 but I lent the tap to a friend...  |
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Post by simplyloco on Nov 15, 2022 18:02:15 GMT
More on Valve Chests I've been busy today. All three valve chests finished to size. It's looking the part already, provided you don't look too closely...    |
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Post by simplyloco on Nov 16, 2022 17:40:39 GMT
Main Cylinder Ports I only did one end this afternoon as it was too nerve wracking for an old timer like me! I've got the measure of it now so there will be more tomorrow. Aren't DROs wonderful? By the way I've stopped using the rubbish phone camera: these are done with my SONY Cybershot and the difference in clarity, especially closeups, is remarkable. Here's a few pics. From 'ere:  To 'ere:  To 'ere! More tomorrow. Jb  |
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Post by simplyloco on Nov 17, 2022 16:15:24 GMT
Drilling the portsI finished the three sets of ports, and they are quite OK. I made start on the drilling by setting up the rotary table to machine the annular section. That was easy enough, but I stopped when I realised that every hole drilled from there into a port has to be at a different angle to the previous one, which might prove to be problematical! Unless I have misread the drawing that is... BTW the guy who wrote the accompanying articles skipped over how he did this bit...! While I'm thinking about it here's some more pics.    
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Post by ettingtonliam on Nov 17, 2022 20:48:05 GMT
I see what you mean, and I don't immediately see an easy solution. All I can suggest is to calculate the angle for each drilling and then set the block up at an angle accordingly. One of those little digital angle measuring gadgets would be handy for this. Maybe glue a piece of thin card to the side of the block and draw the line of the different ports on it, then set each one to vertical, in turn?
One thing I might suggest and that is to omit the central drilling, it looks pretty close to the stud hole to me. I should think 6 instead of 7 drillings will be plenty anyway.
When I was young and didn't have much in the way of equipment, or the money to buy it, I remember drilling ports like this with a hand drill, just judging the angle by eye. The heavens must have smiled on me because it worked OK.
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dalboy
E-xcellent poster
Posts: 235
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Post by dalboy on Nov 17, 2022 21:31:00 GMT
A little trigonometry needed me thinks you only need to work it out 4 times just for the LP cylinder. Single hole centre and the pairs working out wards. Same idea but less holes for the others. Keep up the good work
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Post by simplyloco on Nov 17, 2022 22:28:25 GMT
I see what you mean, and I don't immediately see an easy solution. All I can suggest is to calculate the angle for each drilling and then set the block up at an angle accordingly. One of those little digital angle measuring gadgets would be handy for this. Maybe glue a piece of thin card to the side of the block and draw the line of the different ports on it, then set each one to vertical, in turn? One thing I might suggest and that is to omit the central drilling, it looks pretty close to the stud hole to me. I should think 6 instead of 7 drillings will be plenty anyway. When I was young and didn't have much in the way of equipment, or the money to buy it, I remember drilling ports like this with a hand drill, just judging the angle by eye. The heavens must have smiled on me because it worked OK. Good advice both, I like the idea of a piece of card: the alignment is not critical. I'll have to drag out my triggernometry memories. SOHCAHTOA rules OK! PS. I see what you mean about the stud hole! |
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Post by simplyloco on Nov 24, 2022 14:09:52 GMT
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Post by ettingtonliam on Nov 24, 2022 14:21:08 GMT
Looking good, although I always find port drilling to be to be an anxious time, even though I've never actually had the drill break out in the wrong place - yet----.
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Post by davewoo on Nov 25, 2022 16:16:20 GMT
Those castings do look very good, have Reeves changed the foundry they use? they are a million miles away from the castings for my Aspinall from them. I do hope they keep that standard up for the rest of their range.
looks like an interesting engine, and off to a good start I'll be watching with interest, I've got one dodgy eye, but you get used to working round it, I found an Optivisor has helped with things like marking out and centre popping, though I have retained my ability to drill holes in the wrong place!
Dave
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Post by simplyloco on Nov 26, 2022 22:53:18 GMT
Those castings do look very good, have Reeves changed the foundry they use? they are a million miles away from the castings for my Aspinall from them. I do hope they keep that standard up for the rest of their range. looks like an interesting engine, and off to a good start I'll be watching with interest, I've got one dodgy eye, but you get used to working round it, I found an Optivisor has helped with things like marking out and centre popping, though I have retained my ability to drill holes in the wrong place! Dave Hi Dave. Yes, it's an 'interesting' engine! Interesting to hear about the Optivisor. I spent £240 on one recently from Germany and I found that it was unworkable unless I was up close and level with the job. I returned it and I now use my mid range reading glasses! John |
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Post by simplyloco on Nov 27, 2022 20:24:49 GMT
More port drilling!I've completed the porting on the main casting, but I have yet to do the High Pressure cylinder. I used a hemispherical cutter for the IP cylinder ports. It produced a nicer -aerodynamic?- profile, and the shape enabled me to do without a centre drill as the bit just nestled nicely into the concave surface. Same setup as before, although I did without the masking tape and relied on the engineers layout fluid.  A much nicer result methinks!  Getting there!  I haven't used this high temp seal before, but I am going to use it to replace the myriads of gaskets on this beast. I've tried it on the two pieces of steel shown, and it is like a very thick superglue! I left the joint overnight and it was sound, but came apart easily when persuaded! 
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tony9f
Seasoned Member
Posts: 116
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Post by tony9f on Dec 1, 2022 15:04:13 GMT
Hi John,
Good progress you're making there; drilling the ports through seems to have been without the anticipated drama then. As I said, there is a fair amount of leeway for them.
I have used that Loctite flange seal on my 9F cylinder mounting faces and found it to be very good, likewise the pipe sealant. I will be using them both extensively on my loco build.
Regards
Tony
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