Member postings for GarryC

Hi Roy

Thanks for the reminder, I haven't started the Crosshead yet - the plan is to get the Piston Rod fitted to it as soon as poss (as Jason suggested), i can then mark out the 3 3/4"...

I've been a bit bemused by having to work out dimensions on the Stuart Drawings sometimes, many times thinking I wonder why they don't simply put a measurement on for something - but all the info needed has always been there, I had thought that perhaps this was just normal for engineering type drawings..! No probs about it, just need to do a bit of calculating sometimes.

I'm to have a look at the Crosshead next, the one thing that I have been wondering is about the 1/16" angled hole and if I would be right this time with the assumption it is an oil hole - just in case anyone knows. I must admit to not having checked the assembly drawing around it yet though ..

It looks like I'll need to order a bull nose milling cutter or cutters once I can see what size I'll need..

Cheers.

Garry

This looked like it had to be the easiest part to make on the whole engine but threading the Stainless Steel by hand with the chuck wasn't easy - finally cut the thread with the die fully open and then another pass tightened up to get a better thread and one that fits a test nut I was using. I did used to have a tailstock die holder but it only took larger size die's - let it go with my old lathe, (stupid as I should have kept it for my next lathe), I'll have to get one that fits more sizes, it would have made this a better and easier job all round if I'd had one i think. I'm hoping to be able to wait before trying screwcutting on the Lathe until I've got one with gears rather than 'change wheels' - but I don't know anything at all about the subject yet..

There are only a few dimensions involved with this and I've double checked that all is right - but I seem to only have two and a half threads at the Crosshead end - have to see how that goes or I'll be having to redo maybe.. Doesn't look right somehow.

Checked again both ends that edges are clean and a nut will connect with the shoulders, but I'lll be able to test properly when the mating parts are done...

The split sleeve worked perfectly and left no marks....

The finished Piston Rod.

Cheers

Garry

Thanks Steve, I'll be taking a look later...

Garry

Just a quick session earlier today - making a split sleeve to use holding the Piston Rod in the Lathe tomorrow..

I'll make sure it is throughly free of swarf and deburred first of course..

Cheers

Garry

Edited By Garry_C on 28/06/2015 15:02:51

Great to see you back working on the engine Steve - I've only glanced at this page for a couple of seconds this morning and already learned from it, I'll go back and read from the start later - I'll be following again for sure...

Garry

Ah see what you mean Clive, I like your attention to detail..!

Cheers.

Garry

Hi Peter

Thanks, lots still to do yet - I've no real idea of how long it may take and I'm so very slow taking it forward but I'm enjoying it at that pace. Just noticed and been reading some more updates again in your build thread and it does make me look like I'm standing still though..!

Hi Clive

Thanks as well, yes that nut does look very 2nd hand, don't know why that is - now you've mentioned it I'll remember to clean it up when it comes to final assembly... The washer comment is interesting, I keep promising myself a trip to a 'steam' museum somewhere to check on little details like that on the real engines... Must do it this summer.

Cheers.

Garry

Edited By Garry_C on 27/06/2015 20:02:09

Here are far too many photos of me finishing the Crosshead Bolt.. Great Fun..

I should have cleaned it up a bit beforehand so apologies some of the photos not too good and a bit dirty..

Lined up in the Mill for drilling. Just after parting off in the Lathe.

Trying to show the shoulder protruding very slightly to prevent the nut from closing the Fork gap.

I did as Andrew Smiths booklet suggested and put the Pin all the way through the top of the bolt - it was easier. The pin doesn't show too much.

The nut tightens just as it should I think / hope.

The finished Crosshead Bolt. Its a pretty tight fit (hoping thats a good thing) - I've had iit together and apart lots of times while finishing and the Pin is already looking well used.

Hope it was of interest..

Cheers

Garry

Edited By Garry_C on 27/06/2015 13:46:54

Hi Peter

Nice to see you starting your first engine, I'll be following all the way..!

Enjoy, and the very best of luck with it.

Regards

Garry.

The Crosshead Bolt today - just need to part off tomorrow and do the hole for the Locking Pin. Have to be careful doing that, but I have a plan!

My new knife tool has been invaluable again today, don't know how I've managed without one..

The Bolt does have some important dimensions so did take me a while to do - think it should be ok, nice fit through the Con Rod, I've checked the shoulders are clean as I can make them and the dimension across the Con Rod so that when tightened its not closing the Fork Gap should be ok - 1/2 thou excess on the drawing and I should be pretty close to that..

The Crosshead Bolt Drawing.

The supplied piece of Mild Steel bar was barely long enough again - so I used some of my own to be a bit safer holding in the chuck..

The Fork and Nut will fit right up to the shoulders.. Went 4 thou undersize on the thread core when relieving the shoulder, I got a bit carried away when all the nut needed was a touch with the spanner - should have tried the spanner first before taking it down that little bit more. But its ok. 1/4 x 26tpi thread and the nut a nice close fit..

Just need to part off and do the hole for the Locking Pin.

Cheers.

Garry

Edited By Garry_C on 26/06/2015 14:46:00

That sounds like another life saver Jason, thank you very much. I wouldn't have done that I'm sure. Needless to say I will now!

I had also wondered about the crosshead being Steel and in moving contact with the Steel Guide Plates... It won't be run for long periods though (assuming I'm successful in finishing it that is) - It'll be good to get to look at what's involved in case hardening generally as well in due course..

The entry from the Drawing 'stock list'...

The photo of the Engine in Stuarts catalogue seems to show the Crosshead Bolt without that 'extension' of a reduced diameter - showing the end of the nut and the bolt pretty well flush together..

and thanks for the comments Steve..

Garry

Thanks Ian, that's one that I will be remembering to try, I can imagine it working well..

(i'm well chuffed at the moment, I've just picked up an old Musket Ball in the garden, never found one before..! Bit of a Time Team fan..)

Cheers

Garry

Ended up with .01mm difference end to end which is brilliant given what I had first time - so didn't need any centre support after all just a lot more oomph and it was much better to hand feed.. With more time spent could have got even closer..

That turned out to be a nice little exercise....

Thanks again..

I would have been better off with a much smaller parting off blade I think.. Really pleased with how the Knife Tool worked.

The Pin was made from Mild Steel..

Cheers.

Garry

Edited By Garry_C on 25/06/2015 09:49:51

Edited By Garry_C on 25/06/2015 09:51:17

Edited By Garry_C on 25/06/2015 09:52:58

Hi Clive and Jason

Thanks - this is the first time I've tried anything this small, I've just gone back to lathe and using a little over 1000rpm and my knife tool that I made - my mike is reading 0.016mm difference end to end and the finish is really nice - not even tried more than one pass at the same setting yet... great, can't thank you both enough. Bit more learning done..!

Garry

Hi Clive

Yes I was running very slow! I had it slow to slow down the auto feed I think about 250 rpm - I'll try much faster and hand feed and see how that goes, thanks!

Garry

Edited By Garry_C on 25/06/2015 07:40:46

Edited By Garry_C on 25/06/2015 07:41:00

Edited By Garry_C on 25/06/2015 07:41:17

I've been having a go at the little 1.5mm diameter locking pin and although I've managed to make one that is probably quite useable its not very good as it has a taper due to deflection when turning (no support without a centre in) - its only about 5/16" long and it has a 3 thou taper which is a bit hopeless I guess really.

So I thought to use a travelling steady and do a piece an inch long to part off from thinking I could have the tool immediately behind the steady - which I can but then discovered that on the next pass having wound in the steady to the new smaller diameter the length that you can turn each time gets progressively shorter due to the steady coming up against the new shoulder each time - I can easily make a better job of this short pin now I hope by having the steady further in front and staying up on the larger diameter or even by just having a centre in - but I was wondering if i'm missing something or likely being a bit dull here - if I wanted to use the travelling steady to turn along a long length I can't see how it would work with the turnable length decreasing each time with the steady being wound in each time to maintain contact as the diameters decreased..? If you put the tool in front of the steady then you have the same problem with the shoulder at the tailstock end..?

Sorry its early, maybe that doesn't make much sense - I'll have to do some reading up on using it later...!

But in case someone can understand what I'm trying to say and can put me straight - thanks..

Garry

Edited By Garry_C on 25/06/2015 07:19:09

Edited By Garry_C on 25/06/2015 07:24:10

Thanks Jason, think it will be the Crosshead, Piston Rod and the Crosshead Bolt to look at next. I've only had a quick look so far but it looks like when Andrew Smith wrote his guide booklet Stuarts were suppling the Piston Rod and Crosshead as a single casting (unless I've read it wrongly) - so he won't be much help at all this time I think .. The Crosshead looks like an interesting shape and another challenge! But I really haven't looked at them much at all yet - been too much focussed on the Con Rod.. I'll start trying to understand it all tomorrow..

The Piston Rod and Crosshead Drawing.

The Crosshead Bolt Drawing. No its not meant to be bent - a bad photo..!

The supplied materials - The Piston Rod is Stainless Steel the others Mild Steel. I've read Stainless Steel can be difficult to work with..

Cheers

Garry

Couldn't resist had to go finish it...

I think there has been more work to make this one part than any I've done to date (I'm counting it as one as the parts had to be made together) - brilliant to have got through it without any terminal mishaps, just one silly mistake with the taper really and the other from not reading the drawing fully but I can easily sort that out ( if needs be, it may be ok) when I come to fitting, all part of the fun! Few cans for me now this afternoon by way of celebration..!

All needs a good clean up and polish now - think I'll be stuck with the dog marks though, have to count that as another mistake if I'm counting really. My first real go with a rotary table attempt at an accurate set up, just a simple one here but I have it my head now in seeing how things are done, helped a lot by the explanatory drawings posted here earlier.. Very satisfying and a nice thing to work with.. My efforts with my old (tiny) table were more guesswork I remember..

Just put together quickly not tightened up and oops I see one of the nuts upside down..

Great little project in its own right & think I've learnt lots just from doing this one part..

Cheers and many thanks again to everyone for all the help given, I would't have got here without it.

Garry

Almost done dare I say..

There was quite a bit of material to come off the ends I thought..

The radius is a little larger than it should be - I wasn't sure if I would come back onto the 'flat' if I used the exact measurement - need more practice to see how that works...

I used an end mill and milled down (i.e. not side milling ) with light cuts - not sure if that's the right way but its working ok so far..

May have chance to finish later..

Cheers.

Garry

Edited By Gary on 21/06/2015 12:54:18

A couple of photos of todays progress - just the remainder of the drilling done. Ignore the curved ends they are still untouched and still as cast (having a go at radiusing them with the rotary Table tomorrow)..

The drilling went ok, I had assumed I could use my slot drills in doing the crosshead hole but the only one I had without a shoulder and long enough was a 6mm so I used that one to make sure all was square going across the fork gap, it seems to have worked out fine. The photos make the gap to the 'pin' hole look massive but to the eye it looks very close.. I'm glad I took Jason's advice and moved the hole out to 13/64"...! The Crosshead Hole is reamed at 5/16".

Using the 6mm Slot Mill to make sure all was square over the fork gap.

The Crosshead hole reamed to 5/16".

Drilling the 1.5mm Locking Pin hole - at 13/64" from the centre of the Crosshead hole.

I'm still very heavy handed in getting marks on the work - these are left over from the Lathe Dog. Have to try and get better at preventing this.. This the opposite side to the Locking Pin face.

The Locking Pin side.

Next to radius the ends with the Rotary Table.. I'll have a go at turning the 1.5mm Locking Pin when I'm doing the Crosshead Bolt..

Quite pleased I didn't have the problems I thought I may get today doing this..!

Cheers.

Garry

Edited By Gary on 20/06/2015 14:41:10