Shed Matters 3

[Stanley]

Only one pic needed. I looked back in shed matters and found I had finished the hole in the target end to the size of the register on the front lid by hand so I did the same today and did a bit of work refining the casting further. I can call it ready for further fitting. I'll decide what that is tomorrow.....

[Stanley]

Today I made a piston. I started by getting some stock out of the treasure chest but then used a piece of scrap. I have the piston and tomorrow I will make the rod and clevis.....

[Stanley]

Only one job this morning, accurately measure the piston rod, turn each end down to 3/16" and thread 2BA. Then fit to the piston and install in the front lid and the bore to check it is aligned properly and is free moving. The nut on the end is to protect the thread until final fitting. Slow I know but accurate and no mistakes. That's all that is needed to make it a good morning.

[Stanley]

I sorted out all the gland castings and fettled them. Than I addressed the piston rod gland and after some imaginative chucking and careful cutting I ended up with a gland that fits. Tomorrow I shall fit it to the lid, doing the necessary drilling and tapping.

[Stanley]

Everything went well. I started by marking the gland and drilling it clearance for the 5BA studs that will retain it. I then Transferred those hole positions direct from the gland to the lid and drilled for tapping the stud holes. The first was as usual but on the second the tap broke in the hole. I was doing nothing different and was deliberately being careful. I have come to the conclusion that there was a flaw, perhaps an inclusion in the casting. I tried for about 15 minutes to get the broken bit out of the hole but I haven.d done any good. I shall cut my losses and remake the lid in either steel or bronze. I shall decide on that tomorrow. Not my finest hour but these things happen.

[BobH]

Sounds like they are still getting cast iron from the Tirpitz. Seriously though I do get the impression that recent castings from Stuart have been cooled too fast.

[Stanley]

This didn't appear to be chilled but there was certainly something....



I've just looked in one of the treasure chests and found first a CI chuck back casting that would have done nicely but it seemed to be a pity to use that when I had this bronze end in another treasure chest that will do and have the advantage of tapping like butter! (I do like using up redundant ends of stock.....)
Good luck with the hospital Bob....

[Stanley]

Straight into making a new lid. First I sharpened my HSS cutter and checked it for centre on some scrap aluminium. Then clean the lathe so I can harvest the Non-ferocious chips. Then straight turning and I finished up with a clean and useful piece of brass stock and a lid which is ready for further work. A good hour and a half.

[Stanley]

I faced the lid and left the register in the middle which is a goo fit. Than I broke the edges and put the PCD for the stud holes on it. Then I harvested the bronze chips and attended to a matter that has been nagging me for a while, Mrs Harrison needed oiling! So I did that and that made it too late to go in the front room and divide my stud circles on the 1927 lathe. So I knocked off a bit earlier than usual but no problem about that, nobody is pushing me!

[Stanley]

I was in the front room enjoying Johnny's 1927 lathe as I marked the hole patterns on the front and back lids. Then I went into the shed and drilled the clearance hole for the studs. Important to remember that the bottom two on the front lid are 5BA not 4BA clear for all the others. These two smaller holes needed countersinking for the screws that fasten the lid at the bottom because there is no way ordinary studs would work because of interference by the base castings. My next job is to mark the lids, cylinder and base casting with witness marks to ensure the valve face being perpendicular when erected. That's for tomorrow as it's easy to lose orientation. For instance I cut the first countersink on the wrong side of the lid. That isn't a problem. It will still seal but tomorrows marking out has to be correctly oriented and accurate. Always a nice morning when I can find an excuse to use the 1927 lathe....

[Stanley]

One job this morning before early doors shopping, getting the front lid ready for fitting. I started by marking the boss on the lid and putting witness marks on the lid and the cylinder. Then drilling and tapping and fitting the gland. The other image shows where I was at closing time. Mission accomplished and now I go shopping!

[Stanley]

Only one image this morning. I drilled the lugs on the two base castings 3/16" which is clearance for 2BA and big enough for the screws that will hold the engine down on the wooden base. Then I tapped two of the holes on the bed and fitted the 2BA studs. I have marked the two holes at the other end with a transfer punch and am sure they are correct. I know where I am starting tomorrow!

[Stanley]

I tapped the last two holes in the base and mounted the bed on it. Then I mounted both on the temporary wooden base which I'll use for fitting. I offered up the cylinder, made sure it was square and cut the witness mark on the bed casting so I can locate the front lid accurately to mark the clearance holes in the target. This governs whether the valve face is in a vertical plane or not. Nice quiet progress, no rush!

[Stanley]

This morning I used the front lid as a template for drilling the four clearance holes needed in the target casting. Then I sharpened my 1/4" HSS cutter and cut the exhaust port in the cylinder valve face. I shall drill for the exhaust pipe tomorrow. A quiet and careful hour and a half. Good progress and no mistakes.

[Stanley]

This morning I drilled and tapped the exhaust passage into the piston and then made a piece of 1/4" brass pipe and threaded it to fit the Cylinder. Tomorrow I shall make the steam passage into the steam chest and fit it with a steam pipe.

[Stanley]

Only one image this morning and that's the steam pipe I have made ready for the steam chest. I had to make it from scratch and the morning has included harvesting the non-ferocious metals from the lathe and one or two small jobs that needed to be done. (We have to do a bit of running maintenance every now and again!)

[Stanley]

The task today was to refine the steam chest, change the witness marks because they were confusing, drill and tap the passage for the4 steam main and then gather the materials needed and start to make the valve gland, rod and clevis and fit them. Good progress. This was not time wasted!

[Stanley]

This morning was fitting the valve rod gland to the steam chest. I held the gland for finishing by using a 5/32" rod to centre it and a bed of wet and dry paper to give me a friction drive. Then I drilled the steam chest and finished by drilling the gland for the studs and marking the casting ready for drilling and tapping. That's for tomorrow! A good hour....

[Stanley]

The first image is of the secret Santa drills I found on my doorstep yesterday. Turned out they were from Muthomi who had called while I was in bed.
Then this morning's small step forward. I drilled and tapped for the 5BA studs that will retain the valve gland and fitted the gland. I could have started on another job but as it's Xmas Eve I knocked off ten minutes early to make my breakfast.

[Stanley]

Time to start drilling and tapping on the Cylinder and I started by attacking the fit of the lid and steam chest on the cylinder. The process started with using the packing as a template to mark the lid with stud positions and drill tapping size. This is the template for all the other drilling. The last pic shows I had got to the point where two studs are in place and this holds the assembly while I mark for the other 4 long studs. But that's for tomorrow. An hour and a quarter of slow but accurate work.

[Stanley]

Only one image needed this morning after a quiet careful hour and a half drilling the chest and lid clearance for the studs and then drilling and tapping the cylinder for the studs.
The picture shows the cylinder at closing time, with its steam chest and lid fitted. We are ready to start drilling and tapping for the lids now.
In case you're wondering, the slab of aluminium is there because for a while now I have been considering making soft jaws for my 6" Parkinson Perfect Vise.... Don't be surprised if I allow myself to be diverted!

[Stanley]

I got diverted and it cost me two hours in the shed. You can see why from the images. The alloy didn't cut easily and in the end seized up and shattered a good slitting saw. All this took time and in the end I decided not to come out of the shed until I had two pieces of stock for the jaws. Not a happy morning but I have got there in the end.

[Stanley]

I carried on making my jaws but without destroying valuable tackle. I started in the lathe and ended up with two pieces of stock square enough to finish to size in the mill. Slow but sure and nobody or thing was harmed in this process. A good hour and a half.....

[Stanley]

Still on vise jaws. I started by cleaning the lathe and the floor of aluminium chips. Then I roughed the jaws, cut them to length, squared the ends in the mill, reduced the heavier one so that both jaws are the same dimensions and finally finished up with two jaws ready for fitting. It won't surprise you but I re-sharpened the nilling cutter giving it plenty of back rake and gulleting it because of the peculiar sticky way aluminium cuts.

[Stanley]

I took the existing jaws off the vise, cleaned up the bed they sit in and ascertained what thread the original bolts are. As I suspected 5/16" BSF. This is the fine thread form of Whitworth that was used when a low geared tight grip was wanted. I got my BSF tap and die on the bench. Mounted the jaws in the vise and marked with a transfer punch then drilled 17/64, the tapping drill for 5/16 BSF. I've cleaned the bolt threads up and fitted them. I am ready for mounting the jaws and tidying up tomorrow.