Shed Matters 3

[Stanley]

This is a good illustration of a tool that lies there unused for years and then suddenly become the star of the moment. This specialised screwdriver is the only way I can access the woodscrews under the cylinder that hold the temporary base in place.....



Here's where I was at closing time. The temporary base has been removed and the permanent one fitted. I have fitted the eccentric strap and the connecting rod and adjusted them all to the correct length which gives equidistant opening of the valve ports at each end of the stroke. I'm ready to move on with the flywheel, the governor stand and the last finishing touches.... A nice rewarding two hours!

[Stanley]

I was so busy addressing little fitting jobs that I forgot about images. Here I am in the middle of fitting the governor stand to the casting. Lots of little jobs including timing the valve.



Here we are at closing time. All that has to be done is put some finish on the flywheel and fit it. Everything else is done and fitted. A nice couple of hours again.....

[Stanley]

Nothing too taxing this morning. I put some finish on the flywheel then fitted it using Loctite. I've left it to set until tomorrow morning. Then I took pictures of my two meters so I have evidence if I need it. I'm quite happy to leave the engine like this and have a rest......

[Stanley]

Sorry Lads but the day after I posted that I tested positive for Covid and am still poorly. I promise I shall be back in as soon as I am fit.....

[Magnu420]

get well soon

[Stanley]

Thanks.....

[Stanley]

This was what greeted me in the shed. I had to force myself in there but once I got going I was all right.



I could have made a big production of finishing this engine but I took the easy route and didn't bother about things like cutting the studs back etc. All I was interested in was getting a straight edge. I don't think it looks too shabby!



Here's a clue where I am going next. Margaret's carronade has gone to great grandson Alex so I shall make another for her. I'm glad I went in the shed.....

[Stanley]

Not a very exciting story for you this morning. The main thing was to get in the shed and do almost two hours. So I decided to rescue a piece of shafting from the scrap box. It's too big for a small lathe like this so I was working at the limit. Not a pretty sight but I shall do a bit more to it tomorrow and finish up with some very acceptable stock.

[Stanley]

One of the main reasons why the finish on my stock is so poor is because I am on the limit, so this morning, after sweeping up (because the floor was covered after yesterday.) was to put the bar in Mrs McMaster and cut it in two.



While that was happening I found the stock for the carronade and did a fag packet drawing with some sizes on it.



Then I set to and made the stock presentable, centred and a reasonable finish. It's ready for use now. Then I had a clean up of Mrs Harrison and put tools away, all directed at having a clean start tomorrow.



Knocking off time...... The aim was to get another two hours activity in the shed to make sure I am back on track. It worked, I am a happy bunny.

[Stanley]

We are making a carronade for Margaret. I told you it was muck shifting!



At closing time I had some shape in the breech. Tomorrow we attack the muzzle end.

[Stanley]

These three images tell the story. The idea was to bore the carronade and start to cut the taper on the body. The boring was OK but then I chose the wrong set up for the taper and it failed, scarring the breech so I had to re-finish it and then address my set up. The last pic is that set up, this will be all right because I have it properly supported.
We shall see tomorrow....

[Stanley]

One pic will do. I have drilled the tail, milled a flat on it and threaded it 3/16" Whitworth for the elevating screw. I have drilled the touch hole as well. The reason for doing these now is that the body of the carronade is still parallel and easy to hold in the vise. I also re-cut the curve on the breech, softening it a bit. Then back into the lathe, set up for taper turning and make a start. At this point I stopped to clear the swarf off the lathe and have breakfast. Tomorrow I shall take a view, do some measuring and get back into taper turning.

[Stanley]

Once again two pics tell the story. Some careful turning and polishing and at knocking off time the taper turning is finished, I have reversed the barrel and I'm ready to finish the muzzle tomorrow.

[Stanley]

Two images do it again.... I finished turning the muzzle of the carronade and then spent quite a lot of time polishing the barrel. Then I went looking to find the materials for the trunnions and undercarriage. I hadn't got enough 1/2" square material. I shall have to be imaginative with what I have got.

[Stanley]

I went in the shed convinced I was going to make the pieces of stock for the trunnions and undercarriage. But then I realised that i will soon need the wood for the carriage so here's what took me an hour and a half. Finding suitable material, cutting it to size, making it the correct thickness, sanding it and giving both pieces a coat of varnish. I made two because I have had a request for another carronade.

[Stanley]

This morning I concentrated on making the elements of the undercarriage. If I had been in possession of some 1/2" square steel it would have been a lot easier. (I ordered some this morning....) As it was I had to cut a gib key down to make one of the long elements. These three pics tell the story....



At closing time I had the two long elements ready for fitting and had made the bar that carries the trunnions. Tomorrow I shall make the trunnion housings. A nice morning with quiet progress.
(The order for the steel is the first I have made in the last 30 years and of course the price shocked me...... )

[Stanley]

More undercarriage..... I have made the trunnion blocks which support the carronade, measured and marked them up with witness marks and drilled for the holding down bolts.



At closing time I have marked the lower members for drilling and tapping to mount the trunnion blocks. That's for tomorrow......

[Stanley]

An hour on the undercarriage. Drill tapping size and tap all six holes. Notice that I am slowly working my way down the tin of Trefolex.



6 2BA bolts fitted.



At knocking off time I had drilled for the trunnions and fitted the Bar. The next job is to fit the trunnion bar to the body of the carronade. But that's for tomorrow.....

[Stanley]

The carronade and its undercarriage take a back seat this morning as I put the finishing touches to the last engine I made as I am going to give it to my mate who has lost a leg. It needs the studs cutting to length,all bearings checked, the lock nuts fitting and a good clean.



Here we are after an hour and a half of tweaking..... I shall return to the carronade tomorrow....

[Stanley]

I started this morning by doing the final titivate on the gift engine. Then I addressed the attachment of the trunnion block to the barrel. The first part of this is to mill a 1/2" slot at right angles across the barrel so I started by finding a good cutter and making sure it was razor sharp.



I spent a long time on the set up to hold the barrel whilst I am working on it. The basis of this rig is that the bar across the muzzle is tightened until it starts to bend. That means that in order to shift it has to overcome the need to alter the bend. It worked.



The trunnion block will be attached to the barrel by two dowels reinforced by some Loctite shaft fit. So I had to sort out a drill, two dowels the right size and get ready for drilling the trunnion bar and then transferring those locations to the barrel. That's for tomorrow.
This morning was high risk but it turned out OK. I am a happy bunny!

[Stanley]

Two pics tell the story. I fitted the trunnion block bedded in instant glue and put the dowels in, again bedded in glue. I made the elevating screw and fitted it while the glue was curing and then used a smooth file to cut the dowels back to the size I wanted, out of the way but still signalling that they were present.
I'm ready now to make the axles and wheels.....

[Stanley]

The first thing to note is that the 1/2" mild steel stock arrived yesterday. No more scratching about for material for undercarriages.



I found some silver steel for the axles and a piece of scrap that was close to the diameter I wanted for the wheels. This is a good example of the perils inherent in the scrap. Mind you, this morning's experience wasn't a surprise because I knew that this was a mandrel made by Johnny Pickles and as such I could expect each end to be hardened. Luckily it was only case hardened so I only buggered up one tip. That particular one has 8 cutting edges so it wasn't a disaster.



I have enough steel at one end to cut four wheels and have drilled it 5/32" for the axles. Tomorrow I shall part four wheels off from the stock. That should be OK because I have turned the hardened skin off. Fingers crossed!

[Stanley]

I was a bit optimistic about the hardness! I parted the four wheels off without damaging the parting tool tip but only by using a slow speed and flooding the cut with oil. That meant that cleaning the lathe up afterwards was a messy operation. I went on to drill for the axles and make sure everything fits nicely. At closing time I had done that. Tomorrow I shall fit the undercarriage to the wooden base. Here's what it looked like as I stopped.

[Stanley]

Two pictures tell the story. The task was to fit the undercarriage to the wooden bed and get the axles and wheels ready for fitting. Nothing difficult here but almost every operation required an adjustment and there is almost two hours work here. You'll see from the second image that we are getting close to the final adjustments and build. A quiet and productive spell, very relaxing!

[Stanley]

Only one pic this morning. The carronade is finished and the wheels and axles installed. I also touched up the paint on the No.9 Engine that is staying in the stable. The other one is packed up ready for giving to my friend later today.