Shed Matters 3

[Stanley]

This morning I did most of the work on the Con-rod. I shall finish it and fit it tomorrow. Now for breakfast!

[Stanley]

More work fitting the con rod to the crank brass. First I counterbored the bolt holes so as to ensure the bolts were long enough than after fitting the brass to the rod I set the assembly up in the mill and milled the cheeks of the con rod foot to fit the brass. Then I set it up under the pillar drill and bored the small end to accept the mounting bolt that attaches the assembly to the engine. Now we have to fit the rod to the engine and check the travel of the piston. That's tomorrow's job. The priority now is breakfast!

[Stanley]

Lots of small adjustments to the crank bearing , con-rod and piston and rod and over an hour spent on the engine but I am still not there. Nothing seriously wrong just lots of adjustments needed. I shall come back to it tomorrow and finish the job. Right now I want my breakfast.
The chicken is in the oven cooking....

[Stanley]

This morning I re-worked the elements in the crank pin to cylinder train and I have rectified the faults which were mainly small changes to the length of the elements. The piston now runs central in the stroke clearing both ends of the stroke. The crank is, like all my engines, a touch tight but that's no bad fault and will eventually run in. Now for breakfast!

[Stanley]

I wasn't quite satisfied with the fit of the work I did yesterday so I spent over twenty minutes refining it. Then I started on making the valve eccentric and will finish that tomorrow. Now it's breakfast time.

[Stanley]

If you're wondering why so little progress, the answer is simple. You're dealing with an old man who has forgotten how to read a caliper. I made the eccentric 100 thou too small and had to start again. Luckily I have plenty of stock as I am using the CI blank Stuart's supply for the piston and I never use that, I don't want the piston seizing in the bore because someone forgot to oil it so I always use bronze. That's my story and I am sticking to it. I shall finish the eccentric tomorrow..... Now for breakfast.

[Stanley]

You'll be pleased to see I didn't let the world get in the way this morning and finished making the eccentric for the valve train. I have fitted it with a 1/4"Whitworth grub screw to lock it on to the shaft when the time comes.

[Stanley]

This morning I set to to get the eccentric strap to the right shape and size so that it can be prepared for boring and fitting. Here's the result of 30 minutes work. Now I deserve my breakfast!

[Stanley]

I started the morning by cleaning Mrs Harrison, you can ignore mess for only so long and then something has to be done about it. Once it was clean I turned my attention back to the eccentric strap. I did some more refining of the shape and the fini9sh, then milled a flat on the periphery to act as a starter for the oil hole. I drilled the mouth of the hole with a centre drill and finished it with a 1'8" drill. Next I got set up and drilled the lugs of the strap 3.3mm clearance for the 5BA bolts that will hold both halves together. Now I am ready for boring the strap to fit the eccentric but that's enough for this morning, I fancy my breakfast.

[Stanley]

This morning I measured and marked the strap for centre line and then mounted a 1/32" slitting saw in the VM and cut the strap into two halves. Next I marked the strap so that the halves are always oriented correctly and then reinstalled the bolts. The next job was to rough the everyday milling cutter up in the T&C grinder before taking the collet chuck out and installing the boring head. I then centred the cutter in the strap and now I am ready for measuring the eccentric and boring the strap but that can wait until tomorrow because now I deserve my breakfast.

[Stanley]

Just one simple task this morning, measure the eccentric then bore the strap out and fit it. Clean the chips up and take the boring head off the El Cheapo mill and replace the normal end mill. Now for my breakfast.

[Stanley]

Time now for work on the valve train. I cut the piece of stock to length for the eccentric rod and checked it for width and thickness. Then I measured it and marked the holes at each end. Next I put the shape in it. All this was done by hand and rack of the eye.... I fitted the end to the clevis and got set up for measuring and cutting the channel in the eccentric strap. That's the first job tomorrow. Right now I'm pointing at my breakfast!

[Stanley]

This morning I cut the slot in the tail of the eccentric strap for the eccentric rod and measured , drilled and tapped for the CS screw that fixes the two together. Not my best work I'll admit but serviceable and it'll do. I have to forgive myself at times, but then how many blokes in their 90th year are making engines? Now for breakfast.

[Stanley]

This morning was concentrated on the governor stand/valve rod support bracket. It is without doubt the most difficult casting to fettle in the whole kit. Most of it has to be done by rack of the eye and I am not well suited to this occupation! I have got half way through the process without any serious errors. That's enough for this morning's half an hour, now I shall have my breakfast!

[Stanley]

Question..... How can you spend over half an hour on the cosmetics of a small casting like this? Answer, very easily if you are trying to get all surfaces clean and accurate. That's my story and I'm sticking to it, Now i am going looking for my breakfast!

[Stanley]

I drilled the bracket for its fixing studs, then transferred those locations to the casting. Now I have fitted the 5BA studs bedded in Loctite and left them to cure. I shall have breakfast now!

[Stanley]

It was difficult to find one picture to describe this morning's hour in the shed. It was spent in refining not only the fit of the valve rod support but of the crank pin bearing also. As you can see I have taken the flywheel and shaft out of the engine to get better access to the governor stand in situ. I've made good progress and will carry on with the same tasks tomorrow. Now for breakfast!

[Stanley]

This morning I carried on with refining the fit so far and this morning I concentrated on the flyshaft, crank and piston. I stripped the whole lot down including taking the piston and rod out and after checking everything and refining the finish I built it all up including packing the piston and tested it. There's one tight spot on the crank but otherwise everything is correct and the tight spot will rectify itself with running. Before I move on to the eccentric and valve train I want to fit the plinth that it will live with because in order to do that I have to separate the bed and the base. So that's a clear path for tomorrow. Now that path leads straight to my breakfast!

[Stanley]

No single image describes this busy morning. I have been puzzling over how to cushion the underside of the plinth to protect the surface the engine is resting on. I had run out of sheet rubber but remembered some drawers that were lined with it and didn't need it so I robbed one... Then after cutting the pads to size I had to clear the nozzle of the glue bottle. Would you believe that took 15 minutes at least! Once I had glued the rubber to the wood I did some jobs on the engine to get it ready for transfer to the permanent plinth, like take it off the old one. Breathe on the fit of the valve rod in the support, the gland and the valve chest. By the time I had solved that problem it was time to go looking for my breakfast!

[Stanley]

The rubber padding on the base of the plinth is firmly attached so I could move forwards.... First I fastened the base on to the plinth. Then I addressed the bed with the engine as far as built. I cleaned up all the studs, cutting the excess off them. After checking the fit of the valve rod in the support I mounted the engine on the base and ended up ready to address the fitting of the valve train and timing the motion. I have qualified for a breakfast!

[Stanley]

This morning I continued with the fitting of elements of the valve train. I have mounted the eccentric arm and strap on the eccentric, checked and eased the fit of the valve rod in the support/governor stand and the gland on the valve chest. Re-threaded one of the long studs that holds the valve chest and in general, done all I can to prepare for fitting the steam valve and adjusting the valve timing. That's a clear path for tomorrow, at the moment I am heading straight for my breakfast!

[Stanley]

China would have enjoyed this morning. I have done the last jobs, checked my valve rod length and adjusted it, then set the valve for forward running and finally replaced the steam chest lid and tightened down all the nots on their studs. We have another engine finished and ready to go. Not bad for a bloke in his ninetieth year..... I think I have earned my breakfast.
PS. The next set of castings is waiting to be unpacked and I already have a crankshaft and plinth ready for it!

[Stanley]

This morning I cleaned and lubricated both surface plates and installed a clean table cloth and then I cleaned and oiled Mrs Harrison. The shed is ready now for the next build..... I deserve my breakfast!

[Stanley]

Later, the new castings unpacked and in their rightful places, all packaging recycled. This is far easier in the full light of day.....

[Stanley]

A nice start to another build. I got the flywheel in the vice and started fettling it with a variety of files and then gave myself a treat by mounting it on the lathe and starting the rough turning which included boring it for the crankshaft which of course is already turned out of the solid. You might notice I treated myself by using the big Jacobs ball bearing chuck. It is the most accurate chuck I have and doesn't get used often enough! Now it's time for breakfast.