Shed Matters 3

[Stanley]

This morning I first spent a lot of time with my diamond files refining the crosshead until it was a snug but smooth fit in the slides. Then I used the cylinder with the piston and rod mounted to mark the crosshead for drilling and tapping 2BA for the end of the piston rod. Once I had that location I marked the other end of the crosshead for the slot that will accommodate the end of the connecting rod when I make it. A good hour and a quarter's work and now I deserve my breakfast.

[Stanley]

This morning started with small but essential matters like cleaning up, vacuuming chips off the VM, sharpening three milling cutters and then measuring up and deciding where to start cutting stock for the beds of the Crankshaft bearings. One final task was cutting the slot in the piston to enable me to tighten it securely in the crosshead when the time comes. I finished the morning with both pieces of stock the same size in one dimension. That's a start. Now I deserve breakfast!

[Stanley]

More work on the crankshaft bearing beds. The stock was far too big so had to be cut back again so that it fitted the beds. This image is of the last cut on one end of both beds. Tomorrow I shall reverse it and cut the other end. Then they can be fitted to the CI engine bed. Now for breakfast!

[Stanley]

I started the day by doing the last cut and fitting on the bottom brasses for the crankshaft, Then I put witness marks on them as they fit one way only. Next I made sure the crankshaft fitted between the cheeks of the brasses. The next job was to fettle the top brasses on the grind stone and with files. Then set up ready for milling them tomorrow. Good progress and now I'm ready for my breakfast.

[Stanley]

This morning was spent on the crankshaft bearing caps. Getting them to the right size, allocating witness marks and getting ready for more work on them tomorrow. But now I deserve breakfast.

[Stanley]

You might wonder why the enormous drill. I have been annoyed ever since I replaced the short custom handle on my tool post lock with the larger spanner, by the fact it fouls the other hardware on the head of the post and needed raising up 3/8". So this morning I have found a piece of scrap and I am making a spacer to cure the problem. You can see the result, job sorted and problem has gone away. After cleaning the swarf off Mrs Harrison I turned my attention to the two top brasses. A change from normal. I took the trouble to put a 3/8" slot drill in the mill and milled clearance into the meat of the cap so as to clear the 4BA not when it is fitted. Normally I just file clearance as I am fitting them but this should save that. Next I drilled the oil holes with a centre drill and then went on to drill the clearance holes for the studs. That done I called it knocking off time and went for a shave and breakfast.

[Stanley]

First I refined the spanner on the toolpost on Mrs Harrison by substituting one that fits the nut properly, 1/2" Whitworth. Then I drilled and tapped for the studs that attach the crankshaft bearings, fitted the studs and adjusted the holes in the bearings so that they fitted. Now I deserve my breakfast!

[Stanley]

I started the morning by tidying up a section of my stock of BA hardware. I had stumbled across a box of assorted ones that was in the way so I spent at least twenty minutes sorting them out and storing rationally where they can be found! Then I set the engine up for boring the crankshaft bearings. Not as easy as it looks, then bore with 1/4" drill to check orientation, finishing with 1/2" and then reaming. The bores need prettifying but that will do for tomorrow, I have done more than twenty minutes overtime! Now I deserve Breakfast, that was an important step forward.

[Stanley]

Very unusually I can write shed matters before I go in there.
Already this morning I have dealt with the last of my cooking from last week, prepared my chicken and put it in the oven for it's four hour roast.
I have to go over one of my engines which is leaving home tomorrow as a gift for a dear friend of mine in Bath. Nothing major but that will be enough because today is going to be busy with cooking my chicken and veggies before Susan visits tomorrow23.
There is also the possibility that TalkTalk will be contacting me about my Email problem. So I need to get my second sleep and breakfast out of the way......

[Stanley]

This morning I stripped the castings down, did whatever finishing and masking was necessary and generally prepared them for painting. The second image is of the assorted BA hardware I assembled when I tidied up the other day. I shall never use all these of course but it makes you wimder how much this loit would cast now let alone later when Muthomi takes over the shed after I die.....

[Stanley]

I wasted twenty minutes trying to find a way of rendering these two pieces of hardwood to make plinths for my engines. I should explain that they were originally a thicker piece of hardwood and in attempting to saw it in two I completely cocked the cut up and had to cut it by hand yesterday afternoon with a rip saw. Good exercise but the result was two botched pieces instead of one. I decided to mill it on the vertical mill and spent the rest of my hour and a quarter in the shed milling the two pieces down to about 3/8" thickness but as near perfectly flat as makes no difference. I can cut these down now and finish them to make two good plinths. I vacuumed up as I went along so the mess was controlled. I'm glad that's done! Now for breakfast......

[Stanley]

This morning I spent my time refining the two plinths and also cleaning up the plinth I use for temporary purposes while fitting. The two hardwood plinths have been sanded and the edges broken and finished off with a coat of varnish rather than my usual oil. They are seen here resting until tomorrow.If it's still dry I may paint my castings later by spraying them on the welding bench in the yard.......But now for breakfast!

[Stanley]

It stayed dry so I went out into the yard and painted my castings...... They're drying now along with the plinths.....

[Stanley]

Not the most techically challenging 45 minutes I have ever spent in the shed but certainly, in view of the state of my shoulder, one of the most physically demanding. I have cut strips of rubber and glued them to the two engine bases I have conjured up. They are in the vise under pressure and will stay there as long as possible. That's it for this morning, now I am going to enjoy a well-earned breakfast.

[Stanley]

This morning I started rebuilding the engine now I have a plinth and the paint has dried. I shall continue and start the actual fitting when I get to that point..... Now I want my breakfast and a rest from working left handed!

[Stanley]

I spent 45 minutes carrying on with the rebuilding of the engine so far. First I tightened down the bolts holding the crosshead guides in place after checking the clearances. Then I refined the finish and fit of the crankshaft bearings, fitted the flywheel and did the first easing of the fit in the bearings by running the shaft in with the drill. Then I check fitted the flywheel temporarily to make sure it clears the base when fully engaged on the shaft. That's enough for this morning, my mind is on breakfast now. (And the pain in my shoulder!)

[Stanley]

I returned to the fitting of the crankshaft and decided the best way to free the shaft up in the bearings was to take it out and skim half a thou off the journals.
That was straightforward. Then I decided to refine the crosshe3asd while I had this end stripped down so I measured marked and drilled it for the crosshead pin. Put a small radius on the end of the slot for the connecting rod and repolished it before putting it back in the crosshead guides. Next I took the studs out of the horns for the bearings and re-fitted them with Loctite. Then I did the drawing for the crosshead pin and at that point stopped. I had done an hour in the shed and I want my breakfast. There is no rush and the morning was error free....

[Stanley]

One task this morning, make the crosshead pin from scratch and fit it in the crosshead. Then put away the tackle and have breakfast! I did it quietly and accurately with no mistakes and it took me 45 minutes..... That's fine!

[Stanley]

The first job this morning was to install the crankshaft in the bearings, fully tighten them down and then check that the shaft was free. All was well, a far better fit than yesterday. Then I mounted the flywheel in the lathe and refined the finish ready for installing it on the engine. That done I installed it on the crankshaft locking it in place with Loctite 638, high strength retainer. This way I don't throw the wheel out of true with keys or set screws. Then I cleaned the CI dust off Mrs Harrison and that filled my hour.... Now I deserve breakfast!

[Stanley]

This morning I checked the crosshead slide for freedom and adjusted the guides. The flywheel and crankshaft are perfectly free, a big improvement. I then switched attention to the cylinder. I fitted all the studs, bedded in Loctite after checking all the threads and the nuts, re-tapping where necessary. The cylinder is now ready for fitting to the bed. That took an hour of close work but well worth it. Now for breakfast.

[Stanley]

This morning I mounted the cylinder on the target end,I installed the paper gasket as I fitted the front cover. Then I fitted the piston and rod adjusting the crosshead by milling the base until I had a fit. I have mounted the piston rod gland and finished up by installing the back lid. I am ready now to make and fit the connecting rod. That was a productive hour and now I'm ready for breakfast!

[Stanley]

This morning I started working on the crank pin bearing and after measuring and deciding on sizes I hit one or two problems. I got two cuts done and then damaged the cutting edges of my milling cutter so I ended the morning going back into the T&C grinder for the second time. But now I am focussed on breakfast.

[Stanley]

I started the morning by re-grinding the cutter I spoilt yesterday by catching the hardened jaws of the vise. Then I reduced the castings for the crank pin bearing to the correct size. Tomorrow I shall do more work on the bearing but now I want my breakfast!

[Stanley]

This morning I refined the front half of the crank pin bearing by making the location for the oiler, Drilling and tapping it 3/16" X 40TPI and then making the plug for it with a bit of knurling for David. That took me an hour and a quarter, slow, but error free. Now for breakfast!

[Stanley]

I started the morning by making a replacement exhaust pipe for the engine, I damaged the original when removing it for painting.... Then I refined the crank pin bearing by drilling it for the two bolts that will attach the completed bearing to the connecting rod. This involved some careful measuring and marking and counterboring the front side of the holes to embed the bolt heads. All completed error free. I an ready to bore the bearing, fit it and make the con rod. Now for breakfast.