Shed Matters 3

[Stanley]

I was in the shed early cleaning up before fitting the new jaws. The idea is to get the vise jaws finished and start back into making the Stuart engine. After a good clean up I fitted the new jaws and surprise surprise, they were a perfect fit and all I had to do was insert the bolts and tighten them. Then I put tackle away and cleared up and then hit an unexpected problem. Fitting the jaws went so well it was a natural end point and I had to force myself to get going on making the clevis for the end of the valve rod. I got to the stage where I was ready to start some serious clevis making and wrapped up and came in the kitchen. That's enough for one day and the jaws are perfect..... Lets see how they stand up to everyday work.

[BobH]

Those jaws are almost too good to use Stanley. How long did the old ones last? I’ll look at large pieces of aluminium now as potential vice jaws not just oddments

[Stanley]

Looking back Bob I almost never used the metal jaws but the Python jaw liners. When the compound wore out I re-lined the python liners with alloy and basically wore them out so I decided to make two new soft jaws. I could have made them in bronze but thought that might be a bit showy. If these don't stand the pace I might get round to bronze but I have an idea, the sort of work I do, these might last me out....

[BobH]

Yes, I think those will last a long time as you say. I currently have some fibre or hard rubber lined jaws. The previous set lasted at least 15 years but aluminium is good if, like you, there is some to hand.

[Stanley]

I christened the vice jaws when I swapped the slitting saw for a 5/32" one. Then quiet careful work making the clevis for the valve rod. I am ready now to make the valve rod and fit the clevis to it.

[Stanley]

Today was carefully finishing the valve rod. Very small work and so I checked everything three times... But after an hour in the shed the rod is finished and perfect. I am ready to make the valve now and fit it.

[Stanley]

Upon reflection it became obvious that before I start fitting the slide valve it was best to finish all the drilling and tapping necessary to enable the cylinder to be fitted. So that's what you are looking at here. I have fitted all the studs for the back lid and opened up the clearance holes in the lid to make it an easy fit. All is good, tomorrow I'll attack the front lid.

[Stanley]

Only one image needed this morning after a quiet productive hour in the shed. All the studs and fastenings are installed on the cylinder. Now we are ready for installing the cylinder on the target end but that's for tomorrow....

[Stanley]

Looking at where I am I have decided the next place to concentrate my efforts is on the bed, the cross head slide and the pedestal bearings. The deceptively simple job of making the guides for the cross head slide bed has taken most of the time. I have 3 of the dimensions machined, tomorrow I shall do the other two and the fitting.

[Stanley]

Continuing the cross head guide bars. Some careful milling gave us the profile we need and then I marked them for drilling the holes for the fastenings. I have to separate the bed from the base casing in order to drill it and then I shall be working on the pedestal bearings which also needs the bed separate. Tomorrow I fit the bolts to the guide bars.

[Stanley]

A quiet hour in the shed working on the fitting of the crosshead guide bars to the engine bed. This included witness marks to identify the guide bars and their positions. One left to do tomorrow.

[Stanley]

I started by finishing the fitting of the guide bars to the crosshead and then moved on to the pedestal bearings. I spent the rest of my hour and a quarter in the shed getting the top bearing caps ready for fitting. This included the oil holes but not the witness marks, I will put them on when I am sure where the caps go..... A good morning. Quietly forward and no mistakes.

[Stanley]

One last adjustment of the top bearings and then marking with witness marks. Next I moved on to the bottom bearings and the rest of this morning's hour and a quarter was spent measuring and getting them to size. Not quite finished but that's for tomorrow morning....

[Stanley]

More work on the bottom elements of the pedestal bearings. Lots of measuring and checking and eventually I had the brasses ready for final fitting to a perfect fit. I'm not prepared to rush that so that's where I will start tomorrow.

[Stanley]

Another quiet hour in the shed working slowly and carefully, this is not the time for silly mistakes, too much effort has already been invested. I started by making sure that the bottom brasses were a snug fit in the horns of the bed and then starting on drilling and tapping for the fastenings of the top brasses. The usual drill, fasten the brass down with one fastening before drilling and tapping the other end. I have Almost finished one side.

[Stanley]

This morning I continued with the pedestal bearings and finished fitting them to the bed. I ended up marking for the boring of the bearings which is the next job but that's for tomorrow.

[Stanley]

The job was to set up the bed to bore the pedestal bearings to accept the flyshaft. You can see where I finished. It fits perfectly but at the moment is too tight which is how it should be. I shall ease it to a proper running fit tomorrow but that's enough for this morning. I have to go for early doors shopping.

[Stanley]

This morning was all about fitting the crankshaft in the new bearings. I reamed the bearings and then lapped the shaft in using a very fine lapping compound. Then I polished the bearings in the lathe and at the same time reduced the length of the crankshaft on the flywheel side. I had deliberately left it too long. The shaft is now a perfect fit and turns easily with the bearings tightened down. That took over an hour and a quarter but was time well spent. Another useful step forward.

[Stanley]

The task this morning was to build the engine up, doing all the necessary fitting so as to get a straight edge before I build the crosshead and con rod. Fairly straightforward, just a few holes to tap out better and the modification of all the studs on the back lid so that they fit properly. As you can see I finished up after an hour and a quarter with something that's beginning to look like an engine!

[Tripps]

I feel as if I'm trespassing on this thread, but this surely belongs here.

The first few minutes of tonight's 'night cap' video from the Geordie mafia is a cautionary tale. Hope John recovers quickly.

Take care

[Stanley]

You're not trespassing at all David, it isn't private property! Thanks for putting that up, I hadn't seen it, too busy watching the snooker. Penetrating wounds like that can be nasty little buggers.... I shall mail him...

[Stanley]

Today is crosshead! First I did some very careful measuring, the drawings aren't accurate enough for me. I started making the stock square in the mill bit then swapped to the lathe as it was easier and quicker and just as accurate. I finished with the stock square and reduced to the exact dimensions I need. Tomorrow I can start to put some shape in it.

[Stanley]

A good hour and a quarter in the shed. I started as always with measurements and checked them. Then I cut a channel down each side of the crosshead, marked it with a witness mark that sets its orientation and then re-sharpened my favourite milling cutter. A good morning and more error free progress.

[Stanley]

More crosshead. I started by marking the position of the drilling and tapping for the piston rod and fitted the rod. Then more careful measuring and mill out the recess in the front end of the crosshead to accept the end of the con rod. Making that will be the next job. A nice hour and a quarter with no mistakes.... More progress!

[Stanley]

The focus this morning is on the crank pin bearing. I did an hour and a half and have made good progress. More of the same tomorrow....