Member postings for GarryC

Not really a progress update but in keeping with my last build I thought I would include all my little mishaps as well for people to make of what they will, hope some will find them at least amusing if not interesting.. This one not major I hope and concerning the 'least critical' (I hope) dimensions of the 'outside' of the 'Bottom Bearing' i.e.. the 1 inch outside length. I've ended up a full 1mm short but I do have both Bottom Bearings to within 1 thou of each other in this length.

I know the best way to have done these would have been to solder the two lower half's together and do in the lathe as one, but I don't have any soldering equipment at the moment (on order now) so I thought I would do the lower bearing half's on the Mill together at the same time. I've been reading at how Gunmetal 'grabs' at the tool and can now personally vouch for that - but made all the more likely by some very silly setting up on my part. Anyway to cut the story short I'm now facing the Lower Bearings to the outside size on the lathe, one at a time and trying to get them as close as possible to the same size - I seem to be able to get sizes to within 1 thou now regular and hope that will suffice with final lining up (boring) on the cross slide in situ on the Sole Plate later. I have ordered some 'Fryolux' Solder Paint to be able to solder the Upper Bearings to do on the lathe as one as this is a necessity I think - and then separate into the permanent Bearing pairs later, also a 'cheapie' gas tourch with 'Mapp' gas cylinder. I'll then be able to use this to solder and drill the final Bearing sets later before separating again.. Hope all that makes sense.. So I'm busy facing the bottom Bearings at the moment..

I think there will be a touch of 'permanent' soldering involved when I come to final assembly of the crankshaft later - I'm hoping to get some advice on here on what Solder I will need for that etc - but thats a long way off at the moment..

The Bearings Drawing.

The Lower Bearing Half Assembly Drawing to give a 3D idea of the final shape..

The Bearing Castings as supplied. Gunmetal.

How NOT to Mill the Gunmetal Bearings. What can I have been thinking of, holding them with so little 'Vice Grip' as that..! It seems obvious now of course but the blocks were 'grabbing' at the tool and rising, luck was on my side and I noticed pretty quickly - the original casting size was only a tiny fraction over 1' square if at all. Once I have both Half's faced to the same size on the lathe it will be back to the Mill to do the central channel - held together as one but clamped directly down to the Mill table I think.. As I said though its resulted in my having to go slightly under size to 'square' it back up again..

I've milled the important faces of the Vice itself all over and know that work placed in those vice slots Mill very accurately - caught out with the increase in scale is my excuse..

This is what I'm busy with at the moment. That's 12 faces to do - take quite a while on my little Lathe I expect..

Anyways hope some found it interesting..

Regards.

Allan.

Edited By Allan. on 20/04/2014 11:24:07

Hi Nick

Welcome from another newbie! Look forward to seeing your posts, especially if you are going to be building from the Stuart Model range..

Best regards.

Allan.

Edited By Allan. on 19/04/2014 13:51:40

Thanks Jason, the whole thing today felt like a big step forward... learning something new all the time - great!

Cheers.

Allan.

continued...

Another one of the Box Bed fixing holes being tapped.

Spotting through to the Box bed again after getting two studs in place..

All four studs in place on the Box Bed.

Test fitting the Sole Plate to the Box Bed 1.

Test fitting the Sole Plate to the Box Bed 2.

Regards.

Allan.

Another little update of progress - It seems there was 'almost plenty' of room for the Sole Plate fixing nuts after all..

It was another real eye opener and a 1st for me in using the Mill for drilling - found myself whistling instead of sweating, much much better for accurate working..

Using the Mill for drilling the Sole Plate fixing holes.

Using 1/2 inch End Mill to spot face the 1/4 BSF hole. Holes first drilled @ tapping size for spotting through to the Box Bed - using the Zeus guide @ 5.3mm instead of the Stuart 5.4mm recommended on the drawing chart. Likewise used the Zeus guide to later open out to clearance size after tapping the box bed @ 6.3mm and not the 6.4 recommended on the drawing - and it was fine with nice 1/4 x 26 tpi thread and very close fit with the studs through..

A close fit after spot facing - but fine...

Both nuts at the 'Standard' end in place after spot facing.

Showing all the nuts on the spot facings.

Spotting through the holes to the Box Bed from the Sole Plate.

Tapping the 1/4 BSF holes in the Box Bed

I usually run a plug tap through by hand ie. without tommy the bar after the 'second' tap - seems to work well for me.. must admit I haven't been using any taper taps to start..

1st one of the Box Bed Studs in Place.

Regards.

Allan.

(sorry about the poor photos again)

Edited By Allan. on 16/04/2014 15:07:15

Hi Norman

I'm afraid I had 'look up' SMEE to see what is was!

Now I know though - very impressive! Oh for the chance to go back in time and be taught by a real engineer...

Cheers.

Allan.

Think I'll have a go from the top after all and use an End Mill to spot face as Jason suggested..

Cheers.

Allan.

Thanks for all the useful replies.

Jo, the soleplate is a solid cast all through and about an inch thick. The top of the Box Bed is about 1/4 inch all the way over. Don't want to be the only one with his nuts hanging about..

Jason, really interesting photo's, I'll be taking a much closer look at nuts now in future and its all your fault. I need to get in some hexagon bar as I'm beginning to see its uses - I remember thinking it would have come in handy when I was making the Air Compressor adaptor for Victoria's Cylinder..

John, you are right of course it will hide all my sins and think this may be my best option because of it, also have a feeling I may prefer the look - need think a bit more.

Cheers.

Allan.

I was wondering if anyone had any views on if there was any reason why I shouldn't fit the Box Bed Studs from the bottom of the bed so that they are threaded into the Sole Plate from below thus hiding the nuts i.e.. with the studs protruding into the hollow base? The 1/4 BSF nuts provided are a very close fit to the edge of the frame and 'Standard' seating mount when fitted as they should be from the top - they will fit with spot facing, just, but I think it may look better to hide them. Wondered if anyone else has maybe done this or similar? Would there be less 'fixing' strength to do so..?

(Jason, I can't see these nuts in the 'Gold' photo you sent me so I think something similar may have been done there as well.)

Thanks for any thoughts - some photo's to show better...

Plenty of room in the base and a standard length drill could be used - I have an 'extended' smaller one to use for a pilot.. Would just need to run a Die down the studs to extend the thread a bit..

The 1/4 BSF nuts would be a very close fit and maybe look a bit large when fitted 'normally'.

Regards and thanks.

Allan.

Thanks Neil. Yes looking back at the photo's I have the nuts way too far away from the clamping point. Hadn't noticed that, stands way out in the photo's - something I'll remember now.. If they had slipped it would have caused real problems...

Cheers.

Allan.

p.s. Yes I did have the clamps 'angled down' towards the clamping point.

Edited By Allan. on 13/04/2014 20:49:47

Finished off the Milling today I think on the Sole Plate. By far the most milling on a single part I've done to date. All went well with all sizes to within 1 thou except for the thickness of one of the bearing houses which was just over 1 thou - so its so far so good.. I used a 14mm end mill for all of it.

(Hope i haven't put up too many photo's of the same thing....)

The tilting table over at 8 degrees to Mill the 'Turned Column' seating.

Setting up to Mill all around the Sole Plate in one setting. The Sole Plate is simply aligned down one edge with a T Square to 90 degrees across the Mill table. I'm hoping if I do the same when it comes to boring the bearings in situ on the Lathe Cross Slide all will ok.. Didn't have anything to use as a machining plate as Jason suggested - have to have a think about that for the future...

Checking the height of the 'Turned Column' seating on the Sole Plate.

Milling to the correct measurement for between the Bearing Houses on the Sole Plate.

Milling to the correct thickness for the Bearing Houses on the Sole Plate.

The Bearing Houses on the Sole Plate after milling.

The 'Turned Column' seating on the Sole Plate after Milling.

The Sole Plate so far.

Regards

Allan.

Hi Neil

I guess we all see these things differently. For me John's post was over the top and offensive and am quite surprised and disappointed it could be seen otherwise or ignored.. Amazed even!

Ignoring this kind of behaviour leads to more of it.

Not for me this..

Bye.

Allan.

Hi Gary

Sorry to hear that, very painful. My wife has recently been through it with a fractured leg over Christmas and is still limping a bit even now. As you say though lots of time at the moment for forums, and general reading no doubt - there's a never ending amount of interesting Model Engineering things to read about thats for sure. Make the most of some free learning time as much as you can!

Hope you're back at the lathe before too long and we see the S50 running soon..

Cheers.

Allan.

"Why oh why do people who have nothing to offer the post and have nothing else to boast about just jump in to keep their name alive?"

Well out of order John. Sounds like 'a moment of madness' to me and for very obvious reasons concerning Jason - but we've all done that! Jason's contribution to this forum is immense - think you should apologise...just my opinion.

Looks very nice Roger.

Regards,

Allan.

Edited By Allan. on 11/04/2014 13:41:36

Edited By Allan. on 11/04/2014 13:45:45

Just managed to mill the Sole Plate bottom flat today..

The casting is not particularly 'square' whichever way it's measured and looked to have a noticeable taper across the width - it looks fine to the eye now though, I found the best way to mill the bottom after all was to simply up turn onto the bearing housings, (resting on parallels across the frame was very unstable when I tried that). Trying to take off as little as possible I ending up taking several cuts totalling 90 thou before it was sitting square. Everything will now be milled with reference to the base and hopefully be ok..

Setting up to mill the Sole Plate bottom flat.

The Box Bed and Sole Plate after milling.

The Box Bed and Sole Plate so far.

Regards.

Allan.

ps. trying to make at least a little progress most days..

Edited By Allan. on 11/04/2014 12:35:25

Hi Bill

"A sad sign of the times" - agreed 100%...

'Progress' is what this generation usually calls this kind of thing I think...

Regards.

Allan.

Your good sense must be starting to rub off on me!

...and the 'Machining plate' sounds like very good advice.

Thanks Jason.

Cheers

Allan.

Edited By Allan. on 10/04/2014 13:40:34

A little more thought on this and remembering the rule when machining castings and measuring in relation to surfaces that will remain un-machined (hope thats right) - so to get the Sole Plate bottom milled flat I think now to start with the Sole Plate upturned and resting on parallels across the top of Sole Plate frame..

That's a big taper in the Sole Plate base thickness showing in that last photo..

Good thing I gave this lots of thought and didn't jump straight in I think..

Cheers.

Allan

Edited By Allan. on 10/04/2014 13:23:15

The Sole Plate drawing.

The Sole Plate as supplied cast.

The Sole Plate after some cleaning with a file.

Showing the 'Standard' seating is not central across the casting.

Showing the 'turned column' seating although at the reqd 8 degrees is not square across the casting. Although after milling the bottom of the Sole Plate flat will hopefully help with this.

Regards.

Allan.

A bit of time with the file this morning along with much tea drinking and head scratching and I’m hopefully a man with a plan - for the Sole Plate anyway..

This obviously needs a lot of care with alignment. I have read to watch out for the casting not being quite symmetrical and in particular that the ‘Standard Column’ (the big curved support arm) doesn’t end up being off centre of the centre line between the bearing housings. This can hopefully be seen from the following photo’s. Also the seating for the turned column although being pretty accurately cast at the reqd. 8 degrees it is not square across the Sole Plate, again seen in the photo with the rule laid across it, (although this will need to be checked again after milling the Sole Plate base flat and may put that right as suggested in the 'rule' photo.). There is not much room for error with little material needing to be removed. So with this in mind the plan in hopefully a good order.

1. Very light milling across the top of the bearing houses to flatten off.

2. The Sole Plate upturned onto the top of the bearing houses to mill flat the bottom of the Sole Plate. The fixing holes for the box bed can be marked out and drilled for later ‘spotting through’

3. Level off the Turned Column Seating at the 8 degrees using the angle table (retaining the 8 degrees angle of course).

4. Mill down the top of the Bearing Houses to get the height right between the 'Turned Column' Seating.

5. Mill the 'Standard' seating to get the right height to the top of the bearing houses.

6. Mill down the in the bearing Houses bottom surface to the correct depth.

7. Slight filing to get the internal distance between the facing bearing houses, and their width correct.

8. Make the bearings.

9. Fit the bearings to the Sole Plate housing - more milling / filing of the bearing houses to fit them..

10. Mount the Sole Plate on the Lathe Cross Slide with bearings attached and holding a boring bar in the Lathe Chuck bore the final internal diameter of the bearings to get them aligned correctly.. Maybe needing a between centres boring bar.

The fixing holes for the Standard Column will need to be marked out from the centre line between the Bearing Houses directly on the Sole Plate itself and drilled - and not spotted through from the Column - because of the offset.

Please feel free to shoot that lot down in flames if I've got the wrong idea!

Had to split this post into two as had an error message to say it was too long..