OneGuyFromBarlick

I started on the crosshead guides this morning. Here they are cut to length and with the longitudinal channel cut into them. Now they need refining and fitting. That comes tomorrow. Now I am focussed on breakfast.

Another small but accurate step. I finished refining the finish on the crosshead guides and then measured and marked for the 5BA clearance holes for the set screws that hold the bars in place. Then I found the six set screws that will be needed. So I am ready now to transfer my attention to the engine bed and fit the guides. Now I'm looking forward to my breakfast.

Today the task was to locate, drill and tap the holes in the crosshead bed for the guides. The guides were first given witness marks to enable accurate orientation on the bed and then One hole in each was processed and the guides bolted down. Once the gap between them had been measured and adjusted the holes in the guides were used to drill and tap the holes at the other end. I was tempted to process the two middle holes but restrained myself. We don't do enthusiasm. I want my breakfast.

Another baby step, the last two holes necessary for the set screws holding the crosshead guides are drilled and tapped. The 5BA bolts are fitted and the tackle put away. The next job is to make the crosshead to fit the guides we have installed but this is entirely different work and so I am leaving early, that comes tomorrow morning! Now I want my breakfast.

This morning was dedicated to measuring and marking for correct size of the stock and using the small slitting saw as an alternative to milling to size. I finished up with two dimensions correct and finished. Tomorrow is the width and then the profile. Now for breakfast!

The crosshead is now accurately sized and square. I have drilled it and fitted the 5BA set screw that will be the pivot pin for the small end of the connecting Rod. Next job is milling the slot for the con rod and the two side channels that allow the crosshead to pass through the guides. The task now is breakfast.

This morning after measuring and marking I made the final cuts in the crosshead which enabled me to fit it to the crosshead guides. It still needs some final refinement but that will come tomorrow morning. At the moment Breakfast is foremost in my thoughts!

I spent 15 minutes refining the finish and fit of the crosshead in its guides. Then I measured and marked the bottom brasses for the crankshaft bearings and got the mill ready for machining them tomorrow. Now it's breakfast time!

The two bottom halves of the crankshaft bearings have been milled to the correct dimensions. All that remains now is fitting. The fit will be achieved by careful hand work but that will be tomorrow. Now for breakfast!

Half an hour of handwork and the two bottom halves of the crankshaft bearings are correctly sized with witness marks and are fitted in the horns of the engine bed. That's enough for this morning. Now I chase my breakfast.

This morning I started on milling the top caps of the crankshaft bearings. Careful cutting and now we need some even more careful measuring and marking to get the sizes right. That comes tomorrow. The goal now is breakfast.

This morning the task was further refining of the top brasses, the main part being to assign them to a particular orientation and give them witness marks and then reduce their width to match the bottom brasses. Now I want my breakfast.

This morning I cut the topside of the lugs in the bearing caps where they will be drilled for the 5BA studs that fasten them down. Then I drilled the oil holes and pockets in them. The next task is to attach them to the bed and bore for the crankshaft..... But at the moment all I have in my sights is breakfast.....

I shall decline the shed this morning as I need to catch up on the sleep I missed after my big day yesterday. However, part of that day was the fact that my friend John Ingoe had got me four blanks to make crankshafts out of....



Lovely! As soon as I have finished the current engine I will set to and chop four crankshafts out of solid bar. I shall enjoy it and it means that if I die before I have used them they are there for Muthomi to use when he takes over my workshop....

First job this morning was to find somewhere to store the crankshaft blanks until I need them, they are serious lumps of steel 2.5" X 7". They are out of the way in the bed of the lathe behind the headstock.
Then I measured and marked the top caps of the crankshaft bearings and drilled them 3.7mm which is clearance for the 4BA studs that will hold them down. Then I transferred those locations to the horns on the bed and set the casting up under the pillar drill ready for drilling and tapping. I shall do that tomorrow morning. Now I want my breakfast.

This morning I drilled and tapped the horns of the bed to accept the 4BA studs that will fasten the top caps down. I fitted the caps and adjusted the clearances between the bearing cheeks until I had a fit for the crankshaft. Next job is to bore the brasses and fit the shaft. That's for another day. My priority now is breakfast.

This morning I bolted the top caps down tight onto the bottom brasses, had a measure and marked a centre for the bore. Then I took the crosshead guides off and put a better finish on the face of the slide in the bed.Then I set the bed up under the pillar drill and bored a 3/16" pilot hole to check my accuracy. That was satisfactory so I finished up with the half inch drill. I shall test fit the shaft tomorrow.... Now for breakfast.

This morning I fitted the crankshaft in its bearings. As is usual, I had to do quite a bit of adjusting before I was satisfied. It's a snug fit but that's how it should be at this stage of the build. Now for breakfast.

Later, I was sat thinking and realised I had two busy days ahead working on the bucket list so I might not get in the shed..... That made this morning the ideal time to do a job that I hate, painting the castings. They are black now and drying.....

Back into the shed after effectively two days off so it was a matter of assessing where I was and what was the way forwards. I decided that the next job was to mount the castings on the finished plinth for fitting. That meant finding a piece of padding and sticking it on the base of an already oiled plinth. I did that and brought the plinth back into the kitchen for the glue to cure and then got my castings together and assessed them. I can mount the base and the bed on the plinth straight away but I need to put a final finish on the flywheel and the other castings before I move forwards so that and finishing the plinth will be tomorrow's job. Now for breakfast.

This morning effectively was the start of the final build. I started by trimming the rubber padding off the base of the plinth. Then I mounted the base on the plinth and screwed it down. Next I mounted the bed and screwed that down with 4 X 2BA bolts and then cleaned the crosshead slide and fitted the guides. My final move this morning was to lubricate and mount the crosshead in the slide. That's enough quiet careful work for this morning. I want my breakfast.

This morning I attended to the final fitting of the crankshaft in its bearings. That involved adjusting the bottom bearings for fit in the horns of the bed and reaming the installed bearings in line before fitting the shaft. Once the shaft was fitted I checked the clearance between the flywheel and the bed. The next step is to finish turn the flywheel, polish it and mount it on the shaft but that's for tomorrow.... I have dome enough this morning and am looking for my breakfast now.....

One clear task this morning, refine the finish of the flywheel and mount it on the shaft using shaft grade Loctite 638. Now I want my breakfast....

This morning I started by cleaning up the mill and the lathe, it couldn't be ignored any longer. Then I mounted the cylinder on the bed and set up the slitting saw in the VM. I cut the screwdriver slot in the piston which is how I screw the piston rod into the crosshead when I have drilled and tapped it 2BA. Doing that is my next job but that's for tomorrow.... Now I want my breakfast.

More quiet building this morning. First I marked the crosshead for drilling using the piston rod. Then I drilled and tapped the crosshead 2BA and fitted the piston rod in the crosshead. There is a misalignment in the bore of the piston. I knew about this but now I have to deal with it. I started by taking the piston rings out and replacing them with Soft packing. This is better but I need to do more tomorrow to get the piston running free. I fitted the packing and the back lid and retreated from the shed in search of breakfast. The bottom line is that I am showing my age in that there is the misalignment. I shall deal with that tomorrow....