Member postings for GarryC

Cheers Julian.

and thanks for the Steam Oil tip, something I will remember for the future. I'm afraid I don't know (but am interested in hearing about?) what "cylinder cleading" is? To be honest I had to look up to clarify what the Steam Oil was for, I had guessed right, but couldn't find any info about the other. There is a "displacement lubricator" available as an add on (for the steam oil I presume?) and I may look at that, also maybe some short pipework if its not too awkward to do..

The assembly notes that came with it are a bit vague about how to set the valve timing, for me reading anyway - although there is a further short reference in the little booklet "Building the Stuart Victoria" that I have which may help. I plan to assemble it all first (still have some more parts yet to make) then ask if anyone on here can explain a little more about how to go about it - but that's still a ways off yet....

I don't know if it will ever start and run when the time comes...!

Hi Steve

Thanks, I was thinking when assembling earlier that the grub screws in the Levers are very tiny...

Cheers.

Allan.

Edited By Allan. on 16/02/2014 22:04:57

Assembly 3.

Just a couple more photos of the assembly progress...

After taking apart again and some poking around with wire and a bit of blowing down through the Cylinder ports I did have some more debris coming out - so well worth doing of course.. Bit of bad luck this morning, walking through the front room holding one of the tiny Guide Supports, stumbled over the dogs bone and it flew out of my hand, of all the places it could have gone it chose the coal scuttle, which was 3 parts full of house coal (not your clean barbecue stuff that most people are familiar with these days) - ended up 'chasing' it right to the bottom and having to empty the scuttle all over the hearth, then my wife arrives back in after walking the dog - oh dear, not good timing - wonderfully dirty stuff coal!

I had to file the lower guide bar supports down just slightly as the piston was a bit too tight to move I thought.. A tiny bit off made all the difference and it slides nicely now..

Assembly so far 1.

Assembly so far 2.

Regards.

Allan.

Thanks Jason, I'll definitely have to do that then, all I did was to blow down through them to check they were clear / open, which is clearly not enough it seems - and a must remember to do in future... but also thinking about it I only did that when first starting to work with it, feel sure I didn't think to do it again after all the machining....heck how silly does that sound, can't believe I did that - they must be full up!

Thanks again.

Cheers.

Allan.

Thanks Neil.

Assembly 2.

While the weather is still a bit full on, a bit more time spent in the warm on the assembly..

All the required gaskets are supplied..

Fitting the Front Cylinder Gasket.

Fitting the Rear Cylinder Gasket - and cleaning out the debris, not sure how all that ended up in there..

Fitting the Gasket to the Valve Chest.

Installing the Graphite Yarn (supplied) around the Piston Rod (there is a 'shoulder' in there to stop it going right through into the Cylinder), then..

pushing the Graphite Yarn into the Cylinder Gland and tightening up.

the same for some Graphite Yarn for the Valve Chest (again a 'shoulder' inside the 'gland housing' to stop it going right through into the Valve Chest).

Assembly so far 1. ( Still some touching up needed here).

Assembly so far 2.

Regards.

Allan.

Edited By Allan. on 15/02/2014 11:55:20

Oh great, just checked my emails and seen the recent posts, thanks very much for the interest, and some really interesting tips and info to go through as well - even better. Not having had much feedback / comments for ages I assumed it had just run its course, understandable as I started it way back in July I think it was last year...

Pleased its worthwhile now carrying on - so I'll post again soon...

Regards

Allan.

Edited By Allan. on 14/02/2014 18:36:48

Ok, seems to be time to give up on this thread now, thanks to all those who contributed for your earlier help. I've taken a copy so please feel free to delete and free up some space..

Cheers for now - may be back to try again with my next project..

Regards.

Allan.

Assembly 1.

Hi, I still have more bits to make but with the weather the way it is at the moment I thought may as well make a start on cleaning and Assembly in the warm..

I just wanted to ask if anyone can suggest the best way to prevent non painted surfaces from eventual rusting etc. I will be painting more surfaces than most I expect as my early work in particular had some very bad surface finishes - is there something that can be used to coat the surfaces other than a light oil, or is that the usual way and what most people do?

Thanks for any suggestions.

Regards.

Allan.

Hi Julian

Thanks very much for the kind words and re the 5" Loco - I wish! To have the skill to be able to approach that must be brilliant...

Would be great to get to a point and have a go one day though and plan to go up in size with each coming project, but do want to use my little lathe again for the next (larger scale) one before upgrading - hoping I will be able to. First reaction on thinking about building a Loco, apart from the obvious 'wow' factor, is the bending of metal to get the body shape etc which I imagine must be very difficult (for sure above me, at least at the moment..), also I seem to remember about reading about such things as 'quartering' of wheels - which sounds like some quite technical knowledge is needed. Maybe someday I may improve to a point where it would be worth making contact with a local ME club and learn more...

Cheers.

Allan.

Edited By Allan. on 09/02/2014 13:54:54

48.

The Crosshead. (Brass)

I didn't fully realise as I was doing it but milling the steps was the crucial bit and easiest to get wrong with this I think - next time needs more care and some 'test fittings' along the way - top to bottom on the guide bars is a very nice fit but just slightly too much play across the engine I think. Another lesson hopefully learned.

Also next project I need to concentrate on minimising and removing tool marks along the way and try for some better finishes..

The Crosshead Drawing.

One Brass Bar supplied for the Crosshead.

Milling the Croshead to overall size.

The Crosshead Bar cut into two and milled to size.

Drilling the Crosshead.

The Crosshead after turning.

The finished Crosshead 1.

The finished Crosshead 2.

Test fitting the Crosshead to the Con Rod.

Test fitting the Crosshead in the Engine. You can see the 'slack fit' across the engine - there is some slight movement side to side but not too much I hope, it may be a bit better after assembly with the guide bars tightened up..

Regards.

Allan.

47.

The Con Rod Bush. (Phosphor Bronze)

First time I have tried to make one of these and aimed to make it a 'press fit'... (I imagine making bushes is a very basic task to master...).

The Con Rod Bush Drawing.

A short length of Phosphor Bronze bar is supplied.

After facing, drilling the Con Rod Bush.

The Con Rod Bush after turning.

Checking the Crankpin fits the Con Rod Bush.

After parting off the Completed Con Rod Bush.

Press fitting the Bush to the Con Rod. I believe the micrometer was reading 9.52x mm on the Drill Bit used to drill the hole in the Con Rod and 9.47x mm on the outside diameter of the Bush - anyways it was way too tight to press in by hand. (I didn't have a reamer to fit when drilling the Con Rod)..

The Bush in the Con Rod 1.

The Bush in the Con Rod 2.

Test fitting the Con Rod Bush with the Crankpin 1.

Test fitting the Con Rod Bush with the Crankpin 2.

Regards.

Allan.

Hi Jason

Thanks, yes it is shown rounded off on the drawings and it does look better - but I think I'll quit with it while ahead! The shape of the fork as it is doesn't look too bad to me at the moment but I am interested in what you say about the spigot for future efforts. I wonder how that would be held in place while filing, I know its only a tiny bit to come off that we are talking about - but please don't worry Jason you have given enough of your time helping already...

Maybe I can ask you about it next time around....

Cheers.

Allan.

Another little update to finish the Con Rod.

This has taken a while to do from start to finish but was a great exercise, maybe I should have restarted after making the error with the thickness of the fork (disappointed that I messed up on one of the easiest bits), but have learned lots again through doing it. Thanks again to those that gave all the advice and especially Jason for the overall method of how to go about it...

I would be very careful next time in the corners of the taper and hope it would turn out better - having made the fork too thin made the whole thing more difficult...

Starting to cutaway the Con Rod fork.

The Con Rod fork so far after some more filing.

The filing buttons made for the Con Rod Fork.

The filing buttons in place on the Con Rod Fork. Another silly but this time slight mistake in that the buttons were just slightly too large which gave a slight flat spot at the end to try and smooth out. Something I'll remember to double check next time.

The finished Con Rod (fitted to the Piston Crosshead) 1.

The finished Con Rod (fitted to the Piston Crosshead) 2.

The finished Con Rod (fitted to the Piston Crosshead) 3.

The finished Con Rod (fitted to the Piston Crosshead) 4. You can see in this photo how I messed up on the taper.

Have to make the bush for the little end next..

Regards.

Allan.

Just another very small update..

Rounding off the corners of the Con Rod little end - apologies, it's such a small thing this for everyone I'm sure, but something I've been having trouble with (aiming to improve a little each time)... I did try and see if I could use my little Rotary Table but it seemed it would have been difficult to hold the tapered Rod steady and square - again in case someone else starting out may be interested, I think I made a mistake in buying such a small table (its a 3 or 4 inch..) - a 6" one or larger would have been a much better buy I think, much easier / more options for work holding...

This time I made the Filing Buttons to fit properly in and around the 3/8" hole.

The Filing Buttons and bar for the little end 1.

The Filing Buttons on the bar for the little end 2.

The Filing Buttons in place on the Con Rod ready for filing.

Filing the Con Rod little end. I used some tape on the bar ends to stop the buttons sliding off - but leaving them still able to rotate. I'm sure there are better ways?

The Con Rod little end after filing 1. Its not quite right but at least its a bit better than my last effort..

The Con Rod little end after filing 2. (Sorry its so blurry again).

Now to do the same thing for the big end and finish off the fork..

Regards

Allan.

Edited By Allan. on 29/01/2014 17:11:35

Hi Gary

Thanks found both videos very interesting. I think Mr Appleton would take one look at my effort and just keep walking though! I wonder how much previous experience the builder, I would bet builders, had. Hope they weren't first timers like me, if they were I had best run away and hide somewhere! Interesting though as some / most of the parts look very well done - to me anyways. Some bits of note I thought were the reference to the rubber 'piston ring' not being suitable but it looks exactly like the one supplied to me. I did quite early on discover the importance of splitting the bearings, thanks to someone on here I think, but left it at the time as it looked difficult right at the start, but then of course later on a similar operation had to be done on the eccentric strap and it turned out to be not as bad to do as I thought, if anything the strap is harder with it having the recess - so I will be doing the same to bearings in future. Even the comment on "bushing it" didn't completely pass me by and was interesting. The video makes the points well though. Also interesting were the comments on the Crosshead and the possible problems as I'll be having a go at that soon myself...

Cheers.

Allan.

Thanks again Julian, I could do with a morale boost! Understanding why something went wrong ready for next time offsets mistakes a fair bit - so its thanks to Jason for explaining again, I'll remember to back out and go in very very very gently at the ends next time...

Cheers

Allan.

Another little update with the Con Rod. Hopefully have learnt a little at this first attempt at a taper, the main problem was in going too close each time with the profiling tool at the two shoulders. I was trying to go to the same point each time but had problems with the tool binding and having to make 'repairing passes' that were not planned for, I don't know if my little lightweight Lathe and the small 10mm tool made this more difficult, I would imagine that a more heavy weight setup would fair much better for this kind of thing - or very probably I was just going about it the wrong way. Towards the end I stopped trying to go so far into the corners and found it was an easy matter to just use a light touch in there with the round file afterwards. I think with this in mind I would hope to do much better next time. Also I was not sure of what Lathe speed to use when hand feeding the cross slide - I started out at about 450rpm and then went to about 600rpm which seemed a little better but I was also using a lighter cut by then. The end result is not very pretty, bit one sided! If I now mess up with the rounding off of the corners I wont be too upset at having to redo I think, but will probably go with it and accept it on this first project if I don't... I worked out the angle for the taper to be I think 2.8 - going from an 8mm max diameter to 4mm along about 40mm length (I think they were the figures), but as this was just really an exercise on achieving something that was pleasing to the eye it was not critical - something I've certainly failed at though... Hope if anyone else reads this with a little lathe and about to try something similar, like me with no experience of trying this, they may save themselves some problems - by feeding a little less into the corners each pass...

Maybe someone will post how it should be done..

Setting the Cross Slide angle for the taper.

Starting to turn the con Rod taper.

The Con Rod taper. The con Rod using a small drill bit through the bearing allowing the Con Rod to rest roughly in place along the engine.. i.e.. not fitted to anything! Tapered a bit more one side than the other..

Regards

Allan.

Hope someone at least finds it slightly interesting.

Going to see if I can use the little rotary table and new edge finders before resorting to filing buttons for the 'rounding off's' next..

Another little update, although getting time has been difficult the last few days and not much progress made. Have managed to get the Con Rod onto the lathe now though...

Setting up the Con Rod to turn between Centre's - despite the new extended 'Live Centre', still had to extend the tailstock a lot..

Initial Rough Turning of the Con Rod to slightly oversize the largest diameter 1.

Initial Rough Turning of the con Rod to slightly oversize the largest diameter 2. (Sorry think this is very similar to the above pic..)

Time to have a go at the taper next. I know its not perhaps very important here but I was pleased to see that after turning the micrometer was measuring almost exactly the same diameter end to end - less than 1/3 of a thou difference...

Regards

Allan.

Sorry about the quality of the photos again, could do with a new iPhone I think.

Hi Jim

The house looks very nice and your workshop looks like it has lots of nice clean space - just how I like it!

Mine is in a garage too, but a wooden one, although it is lined and with a raised concrete floor - it seems to stay very dry, even with a stream running along side it which attracts the damp air. The floor though is a bit of a problem as it creates lots of concrete dust. Old carpeting is not an option as it's impossible to keep the metal fragments at bay - the dog likes to wander around.. I try to keep everything covered in oil (3 in 1 spray) and I must admit WD40 (as its cheaper) to prevent rusting - I know it has or seems to have a bad name and is disliked by many but I've never had any problem using it..

We think we have another house move left in us yet but a few years off I think, probably be the last one. I've already started to drop hints to my wife that an indoor workshop would be very nice, in fact Its getting higher on my priority list! The older I get the more off putting and worse the winter seems...

Look forward to seeing the workshop progress and also your first project using it...

Cheers

Allan.

Hi Jason

it came out at just very slightly over 3.5mm. Yes it should have been a 1/4". Really silly thing to have done, I was concentrating all on getting the slot right..... Enjoyed doing it though...

Thanks

Allan.

Hi Julian

Thanks, I read your post before going over to the workshop earlier - both you and Roy have saved me making a mess today I'm sure. If I'd just gone at the slot with the 3/8" slot mill as I had intended I would likely be needing a restart now...

I'm hoping when switching over to the Mill for drilling that accuracy will be better over the Bench Drill, there was a big improvement on the Bench Drill in using the Wiggler over nothing but that was not really suitable for the Mill - so have ordered a new set of edge and centre finders from RDG Tools which I hope will do the job and get the improvement, and also help in setting up my little Rotary Table..

Anyways I wasn't comfortable in getting a hole central enough in the Rod until I can have a go at using the Mill and the new finders so decided not to drill and to go with an 8mm Slot Drill down the middle and then follow with the 3/8" I made a silly measuring mistake resulting in the fork being thinner than it should after I had done the slot and will have to turn down the taper to suit, but I hope it will be ok - if not it would be good practice to do again anyway... The main thing i wanted was to get a result with the slot... The intention was to get to the point Jason suggested before doing the turning...

The setup used to Mill the Con Rod Slot.

Checking the internal width of the intended 3'8" slot. It came out much closer than I expected, just slightly over size..

I think beginners luck was on my side again today.

The Con Rod so far 1.

The Con Rod so far 2.

The Con Rod so far 3.

So although not too brilliant with the silly mistake I was still quite pleased as this was a first attempt at a Milling a slot and looking forward now to having a go at turning between centre's...

Regards

Allan.