SHED MATTERS 2

[sister sarah]

Hi Stanley,

I have been coninuing to keep an eye on whats hapening with the engines and find it fascinating watching it develop. Also the tips for doing things so others can learn,like painting the metal and marking it up.

Love and hugs,

Sarah
xxxx

[Stanley]

Sarah. They tell me quite a few people watch to find out how it's done, that's why I try to make all the stages clear. The thing that always strikes me is the fact that very skilled people go to a lot of trouble making a splendid lump of steel and all I do is chop bits of it until there's hardly anything left..... The finished shaft will only be a fraction of the weight of the billet. But it's the only way to do it to be certain it's homogeneous and will do the job. I shan't be doing a lot today as I have an eye test at 9AM...

[Stanley]

I was in the shed at 6AM so as not to disappoint Sarah. I'm scrubbed up now ready for my eye test.



First job was to mark the remaining web of metal for the next two small cuts.



Then set up ready for cutting them out.



A while later, both billets chopped out and ready for the lathe.



I had a good chip chase and clean up and swapped the 9/16" cutter out of the mill and replaced it with the 3/4". Then I turned my attention to the lathe. As you can see I had set up for turning between centres with the catch plate but I've decided I'm going to do them my usual way with the big 4 Jaw. The better the hold I have the more secure I'll feel!



I extended the dead centre in the collet but left it loose then I fitted the four jaw, installed the first billet on the centres and adjusted it until I was almost onto the chuck but not quite. Locked the collet chuck so the dead centre was rigid. Then I oiled the live centre and clocked the workpiece in. No problem as it fell immediately into the right place, about a thou of run out and that could be in the diameter of the bar itself.



All tightened up, cutter installed and ready to start making muck. Time to get ready for the optician.



Everything tidied up, we have a clean start tomorrow.... Not a bad two hours endeavour!

[Stanley]

The recycling wagon took the swarf, no problem. That's a relief as I shall be making a fair amount over the next week or so......

[PanBiker]

I have never had a problem putting alternative metal stuff into the recyling bin, same with glass that is not an actual bottle either.

[Stanley]

I have, at one time they refused swarf......

[Stanley]

I wrote an article for the paper to get them off my back for a week and was in the shed at 07:30. All tidy from yesterday, all I had to do was bring the swarf bin in ready for the muck, hone the cutter, check my set up and get ready to go. One thing about the live centre. The way I have this held, and cutting next to the chuck, there is really no need for the centre except for a restraint and constant check we are on centre. As you start cutting the billet will warm up and expand. Keep checking that there is no undue pressure on the centre as this will distort the workpiece where it has been cut away in the centre.



Off we go. Stringy swarf so a bit of experimenting with speed and depth of cut until I had manageable swarf peeling off.



Two hours later I stopped to hone the cutter and extend it more so I could reach into the work.



Clocking off time. I have it down to a thou under 1" and I'm chasing .750" for the major diameter and 1/2" for the end section. So, out with the micrometer and start getting serious. The intention is to finish turn this end before reversing the workpiece and cutting the other end. Nothing fast about this job, be patient and careful!

[Stanley]

The first thing I did this morning before I made the final cuts to size the shaft was to clean up the web of the crank because we are aiming for the final finish on this side this morning.



3/4" next to the web and 1/2" for the rest of the shaft. This is going to be the eccentric side and with a piston stroke of 2" you can get into trouble when you make the eccentric if you have a 3/4" shaft....



This side is finished. I shall reverse the billet now and do the other side which will be 3/4" all the way as it's the flywheel side. I did the more slender shaft first because I'll turn the crankpin with the billet held from that side and the 3/4" will be a stiffer drive than the other would have been.



Ready for shaving. First hone the cutter and check the set up.... I dialled both ends in with the indicator to check I was still accurate. The chuck end is within half a thou and the tail end is within just over a thou. That's good enough for me.



Away we go again. Don't forget to keep checking that the live centre is not putting undue pressure on the billet as it warms up.



Clocking off time. All my swarf cleaned up and ready for the final cuts tomorrow. If anyone thinks I am being slow, have a go yourself and learn! Carefully and quietly away. No slip ups. That's good work, no room for heroic cuts here!

[micktoon]

Morning Stanley,
All looks good to me and not slow at all either, as you say no heroic cuts or speeding up as something will go wrong or a mistake be made.
No doubt like most of us you will have learnt the hard way go steady or you will wish you had of done
Cheers Mick

[Stanley]

Thanks Mick, and yes, you're right. The more you invest in a task the worse it is when you try to force things and have a cock-up. It's very tempting to consider heavier cuts but that can be a big mistake. I'm not on piece-work! Biggest job is keeping the lathe clear of swarf! Having said all that, it's lovely watching the shaft appear out of the billet, I knew it was in there all the time......

[Stanley]

Into the shed in good time and straight into muck shifting again....



About an hour and a half later.... taking the final cuts that get me down to .750".



Taking the finishing cuts and then breaking the edges and polishing up a bit. This is getting close to a finished shaft!



That's all I can do on these centres for the time being....



Set up on the crank centres and ready to start cleaning up the inside of the web of the shaft.



If you thought I was being cautious before you ain't seen nothing yet. 34rpm and a fine cut on auto feed until the cutter just touches the crank pin.



Close of play. Both inside faces of the webs faced smooth until the cut reached the crank pin. You need the sides this clean and square so you can get right into the root of the pin without fouling the side. I'm ready to start cutting the crank pin now but that and the finishing off are for tomorrow.....

[Stanley]

I think you'll all be glad to hear I dragged myself into the 21st century this afternoon. I've bought an auto darkening welding screen in the hope it might help improve my welding. Bit late in the day I know but better late than never!

[micktoon]

Hi Stanley, another days fine production, the crank is appearing as you say and looking good too. As for the auto darkening helmet, its never too late to invest in new tools I hope to purchase some tools on my final day
Cheers Mick

[Stanley]

Not so much of the 'final day' Young Mick! Amazon say delivery is tomorrow.... I ordered a leather welding apron as well, ridiculously cheap! The last time I used my angle grinder outside I set fire to my trousers!

[Stanley]

Check all the settings, hone the tool and start cutting extremely carefully taking care to take the shoulder out each cut!



Getting there, I've got a continuous cut round the pin.



That's it, 5 thou above .750 but that's all right because the bearing will be bored to fit the pin. Start polishing and breaking edges.



I've taken the hacksaw to the end and now I'm looking to get it centred properly so I can pop a centre drill in it.



I've got a centre in the small end and I need to face and centre the other end but to do that I'd have to take my setup down and install the 3 jaw. It can wait for the final finish when I've chopped the next one out.



In the meantime it can sit with its mates on the dresser in the kitchen. I cleaned Mrs Harrison's face and I'm ready for mounting the next billet.....

[sister sarah]

Hi Stanley,

I may not have posted anything for a few days but I have been watching. Its wonderful to see all the pieces coming together. I hope your new purches arrived ok and we wont have burnt trousers?

Love and hugs,

Sarah
xxx

[Stanley]

Morning Sarah! No, no angle grinders used in making these little lads. For the next three or four days you'll see the same thing all over again as I make the second shaft. The billet is sat there waiting for me with its centre chopped out already..... More bloody swarf! XXX

[Stanley]

I don't know about you but if I have a cutter that's working OK I tend to crack on with it even if I could actually do better. This morning I had a root in the HSS treasure chest. I was in Dixons at Worsthorne one day shortly before they finished and saw a weft tin full of HSS. They had just cleared out a factory that made fire extinguishers. I bought the lot for £25 and when Newton (who was with me) asked me why I told him, look at this way, neither of us will ever be short of a cutter! I've never regretted it and have given a lot away.



I don't use this Wimet carbide tip tool so I sharpened the new length of 3/8" square Cobalt HSS into a Newton style muck shifter and set it up in the lathe. It will be more rigid than the lighter tool I used for the first one.



I set the billet up in the lathe and dialled it in. Within 2 thou at both ends which is good enough for me as the billet is still as it came out of the mill.



I got set up and then realised I hadn't put the live centre in.



I sorted that and started cutting.....



Knocking off time. A lot of muck shifted safely and Mrs Harrison nice and clean and the swarf disposed of in the recycling bin. I even swept the carpet! Nice clean start tomorrow morning.

[Stanley]

My leather welder's apron arrived yesterday. Well made and very good quality leather. Ridiculously cheap, £16 including VAT and P&P. End of holes burned in trousers Sarah!

[Stanley]

Straight into muck shifting again! It didn't take long to get down to an inch diameter and at that point I swapped cutters and set to to clean the faces and corners up before I got down to turning to finished size.



Last cut down the face, looking better.



Change of cutter, get the micrometer out and start getting serious.



Clean the other face out.



Apart from polishing, that's this side finished. Both diameters spot on at .750 and .500.



Then reverse the billet, dial in again to make sure it is running accurately, all is well so away we go again!



Close of play. A good start on roughing this end out and Mrs Harrison cleaned up and the carpet as well. Ready for a clean start tomorrow..... There's a crankshaft in there somewhere!

[sister sarah]

Hi Stanley,

Good to see further progress being made and I wish Mick was as tidy after a day in the workshop! I look forward to seeing you in your new welding apron and good to know your a man after my own heart when it comes to a bargain.

Love and hugs,

Sarah
xxxx

[Stanley]

Morning Sarah, I had no intention of buying a leather apron until I saw it on the same web page that I bought my new welding screen off. I thought it was worth a punt.
I was taught woodwork at school by a man called Eddie Bromley and he always drilled into us 'Clean up as you go along'. I think it stuck! Newton used to laugh at me but he was an untidy bugger and had labourers cleaning up after him all his life! I work better if things are clean and tidy......
Nice to know you are keeping an eye on me. Nag Mick and John about having a casting session!

[Stanley]

I was in the shed at 06:30 and got stuck into muck shifting. I soon got to the point where I had to change cutters and clean the sides out.



Then I got serious and got the micrometer out.....



Spot on .750"... I told you there was a crankshaft in there somewhere!



Next job was to get set up for the crank pin.



I cut the left hand side out and then got carried away.



I'd done over four hours and it was knocking off time but I couldn't resist taking the other side out as well. While this slow careful cut was going on I cleaned up. We have a good start for tomorrow.... we are almost there! I'm pleased, this has been a morning of honest endeavour!

[micktoon]

Hi Stanley,

I've never been known as a nagging women believe it or not but I will give it a go at getting the casting done. I don't want a stop in production as I will not have anything to look at on a daily basis.

love and hugs,

Sarah
xxxx

[Stanley]

Do your best Sarah.... I still have lots to get on with but it would be nice to have the castings done as the cylinder is the reference for everything else. Glad you're enjoying the progress. We should have two finished shafts later today.



Just showing off really. A clean shed ready for today's activities. I work best when things are tidy!