Shed Matters 3

[BobH]

Very nice looking model, Stanley. It might have been a bit easier to work on had it been larger but Percy Verance got there in the end.

[Stanley]

Thanks for that, but in truth it's rough Bob but accurate and as I say, demonstrates the use of the Scotch Yokes perfectly.

[Stanley]

More thinking than actual action this morning. This is how I see the pump. I shall make a cradle for it very much like the one in the actual fire engine to mount it on the plinth. I'm satisfied and will design the cradle tomorrow.

[Stanley]

I started by cutting recesses in the base for the heads of the bolts that hold the bottom lids of the pump down so that the pump will bed firmly. Then I went looking for something to make a frame from and remembered some angle plate that Newton had used on one of his abandoned projects. I saved it from his scrap bin and this morning milled the plate away from the rivets. I now have some angle plate with dummy rivets on it and will see what I can do with this tomorrow.... A productive hour. It's coming together I think....

[Stanley]

Cosmetic work this morning, fitting the two riveted angles to retain the pump in place on the base. It isn't fastened down in any way but doesn't need to be. Then I made and fitted a sheet of thin rubber for the base to protect the surface it sits on. Finally a coat of linseed oil. The second pic is of the pump in its new role as an ornament on the kitchen table instead of being a problem lurking in the shed....
Not sorry to see the back of it!

[Stanley]

This morning was all about making the anti-theft device for the top of one of the hinge gudgeons and fitting it.
More to it than meets the eye but I got it made and fitted and the gate can now be regarded as being well hung!





Here's the gate. Ian has made a good job of it. Made with red mahogany type hardwood, it swings nicely and closes automatically. The latch is working well and sweetly. This is a good result and I will have to argue with him over the price. He is very bad at charging enough.... no way I am going to exploit him!

[Stanley]

I had a tidy up this morning after the Shand Mason pump and unpacked the next project. That's right, I am going to make another Stuart 'wobbler' engine. Susan fell in love with the other I made and was always playing with it when she visited, she said it was jewellery! So I had to give it to her.
I shall make another for myself..... (Until someone covets it..... )

[Stanley]

No engines this morning, what you're looking at is a Dumore Tool Post Grinder which is American and therefore 110V AC and has to be run off a transformer. It's specially designed motor has a no-load speed of 15,000rpm and a full load speed of 10,000rpm. I can tell you that when it's running it's a flaysome little beast. If you look it up you'll find that Dumore are reckoned to be as good if not better than all other brands. I am very lucky to have it.
But what the hell am I doing with it? Can you rem,ember the last time I used my Taylor chuck i noted it was bell mouthed? I intend to cure that. Before you start working out all the permutations recognise that I am not grinding the chuck jaws for accuracy, despite what the 'experts' say that's impossible, so don't bother telling me I'm wrong.
The biggest job this morning was lifting the box out from under Johnny's lathe and then lifting it onto the lathe and fitting it. There was a good lathe clean first but that was child's play.
I haven't finished setting up yet but I am a lot closer than I was at six this morning.....

[Stanley]

Only one pic needed this morning. I went in to the shed. Checked and oiled the grinder and honed the internal surfaces of the jaws on the Taylo0r chuck. Not perfect but far better than it was. That'll do for this morning, I have to do the shopping.

[Stanley]

This one picture shows that I achieved my ambitions this morning. I wanted to pack my Dumore grinder away properly and return the rest of the shed to normal working configuration. Mrs Harrison is clean and everything is tidied away. Now I can get back to normal shed work.

[Stanley]

The images tell the story. This morning was a start on getting some square faces and registers into the standard which is the foundation of the engine build. Nothing easy including the work holding and many of the positions are more by guess and rack of the eye. I think I have made a good start but even judging that is difficult. A decent start I think and a good hour ending with a sharp cutter and ready to go forwards.

[Stanley]

Using the registers I created yesterday I went on with squaring the faces of bosses and drilling holes in the standard for the crankshaft and the cylinder pivot. I also drilled the oil hole for the shaft.

[Stanley]

I took an hour to drill two tiny holes this morning and make no apologies. I think I have them in the right place. These are steam passages and there is more watchmaking to do tomorrow. Courage mon brave!

[Stanley]

I realised this morning that I wasn't clear in my head about steam passages and so instead of going to the bench and starting to drill holes I sat down with the drawings and got it all clear in my head. This has taken longer than I expected. I have it straight now and know what I have to do and why. That, plus the important news coming in and the need to knock off early to do my shopping has stopped any actual work in the shed on the standard but it is not a wasted morning....

[Stanley]

Fiddly work, drill this steam passage out to accept a plug, make the plug an interference fit and install it with Loctite. That took me an hour! I shall leave it to cure overnight and cut it off tomorrow.
Oh, and I also drilled the clearance holes for the 5BA set screws which will bolt the engine to its base eventually.

[Stanley]

Good progress on the standard. I cut off the excess of the plug and polished the top of the casting. Then I drilled for the installation of the steam inlet pipe. I threaded the socket and made the 1/4" steam pipe and fitted it. I may cut its size down later but for the time being it will do. I am ready to make a tool to aid marking the face of both the standard and the cylinder for drilling the steam and exhaust ports. But that's for tomorrow. A good morning, progress without errors! That'll do me.

[Stanley]

Despite oversleeping this morning I did get in the shed to do one major task. I said I was going to leave sizing the steam inlet pipe until later but decided to do it this morning as it looked silly!
That's it for today.... See you in the shed tomorrow.

[Stanley]

The task was to make a tool with which to accurately mark the position of the steam and exhaust ports on the standard and the cylinder. (I guessed it last time and was lucky. I have taken the guess work out of it this time!) all self explanatory and note the knurling done for practical reasons but I'll admit David was in my mind! The pins are Loctited into place.

[Stanley]

The aim was to bore the steam ports in the standard in the correct positions and prepare the cylinder for boring the steam passages (which of course also double up as the exhaust passages when the engine is running. The images tell the story, using the tool I made and then careful drilling. The ports are in the right place, I felt them all break through into the steam passages. Then I started to prepare the cylinder and finishing that is tomorrows task!

[Stanley]

Quietly away again in the shed, a productive hour. The cylinder has been bored and reamed. The face cleaned up and marked and the central 5BA hole drilled and tapped and then the tool I made used to mark the 15/32" PCD for the steam ports. Tomorrow I shall set up and bore them.....

[Stanley]

Good progress this morning, a nice hour. I drilled the steam passages and made the knurled knob that holds the cylinder onto the face of the standard. Ready now for the piston, rod and crank bearing.

[Stanley]

Small and very fiddly work to make the piston and its rod. I'm ready to make the piston now. If you think that's not a lot for an hour of work remember that I have to check everything multiple times, I can't trust my eyes. There was also the small fact that the material supplied for the piston rod was too large so I had to find something better. Another annoying fact was that I swapped to the 4 jaw SC chuck and then remembered it won't grip anything as small as the piston rod so I had to go back to the 3 jaw and change it once I was done with the rod. It all takes time.

[Stanley]

This morning I finished the piston and made the crank journal and fitted it. The images tell the story, almost an hour and a half of very careful work. One cheat. I have not cut a groove in the piston for the 'O' ring, it was tiny, 5/64" and its omission will not affect the occasional running of the wobbler on compressed air.
A nice quiet morning with good solid progress.

[Stanley]

I'm making the cylinder lids today. Funny thing is that the material supplied is a very copper rich bronze that machines very hot and sticky. No problem with a sharp HSS tool but worth mentioning. I did the top lid and marked it with the pitch circle for the studs and I have started on the bottom lid.....

[Stanley]

The task this morning continued to be the cylinder lids. The drill for the spigot on the bottom lid was 1/10", so everything was done slowly and carefully! I finished with two lids marked with the PCD for the three studs, now for a trip into the front room tomorrow morning to divide the lids....