Member postings for GarryC

A couple of photos of todays progress.

I have the crosshead fitted now but although its a solid fit and doesn't have any play the best I can manage does have a too big a gap in between the Con Rod fork - it feels like I've learnt an enormous amount from doing and fitting it so I'll leave as it is while I'm ahead I think.

I found it a bit of a crunch time as the Crosshead seems to 'link' many of the vital parts, I found I had managed several errors so far that had to be sorted out before fitting -

1. I had not made the Con Rod Fork deep enough - so a bit more plunge milling needed - that went perfectly.

2. I did not have the Con Rod 'shoulder' in the right place, just a tiny bit out but it was catching on the lowest Guide Plate bolts - bit more plunge milling required but it looks fine I think..

3. Needed just a tiny bit of easing to the Standard Groove.

Had great fun spinning it over once it was done - and it feels very smooth...!

Drilling the oil hole - I put in a small CSK as well...

The finished Crosshead and Piston Rod.

Progress so far..

Another one of my poor attempts at video.. The 'tapping' noise is just the Bottom Cylinder Cover Gland moving - there is no packing in the Gland yet to tighten it against..

Cheers.

Garry

Again these photos will likely look the same as yesterday - but I have the grooves in the Crosshead done now and also the Piston Rod made to the right size.. I managed to leave off the 5/8" thread length somehow when I measured to make the first one..

Hopefully I can start going forward again now and may even get to see how its turning over so far in the next day or so..!

Cheers

Garry

Edited By Garry_C on 19/07/2015 13:12:15

Just a few quickie photos of progress today.. Still with soon to be discarded short Piston Rod..

Starting to Mill the Crosshead.[ Using the 'stop' for quick removal and replacement while trying on the engine..]

I was using the bar from my first attempt - from the other end and upside down, but ended up with the hole showing through, I should have measured beforehand with more care - so to clean up I had to mill to size from the bottom, it won't leave enough metal to do the rather elegant 'upsweep' but I think it will be fine..

Showing the fit around the Guide Plates and the 'under hole' removed - I've not redone the curved half rounds yet but will do next session.. Quite surprising how solid it is in the Standard now, I can't budge it side to slide but slides up and down perfectly..

I've spent a little while on it this morning and it looks like i've done nothing - taken a bit too much off the fork end of the crosshead but as I say there is no movement at all - I needn't have taken so much - I came across Andrew Smiths comments too late, they were along the line of - when assembling the crosshead don't have anything more than finger tight at first, good lesson learned even if a bit late..

and my replacement Stainless bar has just arrived..

Cheers

Garry

Edited By Garry_C on 18/07/2015 13:18:44

Nice one Steve, I may well give that a try..

Cheers

Garry

Hi Jason

Thanks very much, i've just been reading through the Gade 'prep and paint' link, its a terrific step by step and is going to be so useful when the time comes - and for future engines as well, another one to print off... I'm determined to make a better job of it this time.

Cheers

Garry

Thought it may be interesting to show this - all going well I think in remaking the Crosshead. I remember seeing on 'Steve's Workshop' Site before I started that the Stuart no.1 castings had a slight issue with alignment on the sole plate, it went over my head at the time and as I couldn't see me managing to allow for it I carried on - its resurfaced though. The pics below hopefully show - The Crosshead alignment on mine is just under 1mm out but the Piston Rod slightly out as well (that I'm sure is my own error) - so I've offset the piston Rod Hole in the Crosshead to allow and will take off the <1mm to fit the Con Rod fork and hope all will be well. After splitting the Con Rod bearing it was nice to see it fit with no play on the crankshaft, it will need to loosen up just a bit but should bed in nicely between the Crank Webs I think. The new Crosshead so far slides very nicely between the Standard Groove. I've lots to do yet with it of course..

Anyways someone else making one of these might find it interesting - its all very slight and no big problem I hope..

This is the very useful explanation from Steve's site [ the site says the plans are free so I hope its no problem showing this here.] It shows the standard base of the casting slightly offset.. I've ended up just a bit less than 1mm out on mine.

I have to be realistic as this is only my second engine, I was never going to be spot on.. But its all easily allowed for in remaking the Crosshead - I say hopefully.. The other side of the Crosshead in this photo is flush with the side of the Fork gap.

This is with the new Crosshead (so far in the making) but with the old piston Rod that's too short - my replacement stainless bar not arrived yet... (not ordered from Stuarts and only ordered day before yesterday I think).

It needs a general clean up really now - I've been at it on and off over a year now apart from a little break a few months back.. I'm going to try [spray] painting more of this one, bearings etc than I did with Victoria - long way off yet though..

Not everything is tightened up fully..

Cheers

Garry

Edited By Garry_C on 17/07/2015 09:56:56

Hi James

I have one of these - and a manual if you need anything. Alex is likely right if the button has been pushed accidentally perhaps during transportation.

Also there are two fuses in the switch box that are easily accessed from the rear.. Hope that's all it is - i think its a great machine.

Let me know if you need any more info..

Cheers

Garry

Jason that's brilliant thanks. I'm going to remake after your explanation and that diagram will be a big help. Its so much easier to see it like that.

Cheers

Garry

Hi Jason

Thanks I wouldn't have known the importance without trying it, you've saved me a lot of time. I've just looked and yes I can take 1/8" off the block end and replace with the larger piece - I've just the right the screws for it too.. I can get that done now while waiting for the stainless bar to arrive.

I seem to be much more vulnerable to making mistakes when I have less regular workshop time..

and thanks for the comments Peter..

Cheers

Garry

I've been a bit sidetracked lately so just an update to say I'm able to continue again now - although looking this morning I can see that I've measured the Piston Rod wrongly (too short) so I've had to order some more 5/16" stainless - hopefully here in a day or two...

This is where I'm at now.. Sorry photo's are not too good.

The crosshead needs milling down to size / shape, its way too big yet..

I've made a slight error as well with the end width and thought I would need to redo this as well but the fit between the guides feels really nice so maybe I'll be ok with it. I'll decide for sure when I've finished it. Had trouble visualising this part from the start but it seems straightforward now if I do need to redo - followed Jason's advice with the plunge milling and its worked perfectly..

Sliding up and down between the guides it feels like a nice fit - there is a bit of play but hardly anything..

I'll get going again when the stainless bar turns up...

Cheers

Garry

Edited By Garry_C on 15/07/2015 10:37:54

Hi Peter

I've been off for a while and so a bit behind on here, can't believe you've finished already - congratulations..!

Look forward to seeing no 2 project...

Cheers

Garry

brilliant..!

That first engine with the propeller reminded me of when I was a small lad and having a flying model of a Hurricane fitted with a glow plug engine I think it was called - my mate had one the same in a Stuka. They had two 'control' lines running out from the wings to a handle so that you could fly them around you in a circle - we never got either of them off the ground as I remember.. The sound of the engine in the video brought back the memories like it was yesterday..

Thanks for the slideshow Jason, some superb work in those engines and great to see. Not having been to one of these shows yet (wish there were more closer to home) found it just a tad sad and surprised to see that everything has to be 'chained together' a sign of the times I guess.

Hi Ian

Thanks, and yes I'll definitely be trying as you say - but also I see I have a little 'centre' type attachment in one of my Tap and Die sets that I've not noticed and can use on the Mill with this method. I'm often a bit limited tapping on my small Mill because of lack of length between the Table and Tool - the Centre attachment is quite a bit shorter than the little 'Pin Vice' type tool that I usually use [not tightened] with a collet. So could be really useful - heck no looking again and with it pushed right up into a collet its going to be much shorter - what a useful little find, thanks again Ian..

I normally use the small 'pin vice' type tool in front of the little centre in the photo for tapping on the Mill.. The Collet should come right down to the knurl on the little centre, thats a big difference..

Makes me wonder what other things I have that I may not have realised or don't know how to use..!

Cheers

Garry

Edited By Garry_C on 04/07/2015 17:37:26

Hi Ian

I've just looked and yes there are small centres in the end of taps I was using - can't believe I didn't even notice they were there... I should be using them..!

"PS, not a beer drinker, but is the distribution thing what happens after you drink it?"

no thats usually more of a sprinkling job Ian..

No real progress today other than to get me back where I was starting from yesterday but with my own larger size MS bar - making it straightforward to get the Piston Rod thread in properly.

Just need to mill the face down to size now - and someday soon I'll stop putting my nuts on upside down..

edit: I forgot to mention that the 2 and a half threads on the end of the Piston Rod have made it a really solid fit, it didn't look like there would be enough but its so tight and solid it feels like one piece - I had been wondering how it would be as it didn't look quite right..Nice surprise.

Cheers

Garry

Edited By Garry_C on 03/07/2015 12:09:55

Edited By Garry_C on 03/07/2015 12:26:41

Some great little insights to pick up on there again, thanks Andrew, Ian and Jason. So often I find my mistakes get much offset by understanding why they likely happened on here.. No small thing that and a massive help in not repeating them when you're beginning in the hobby..

I really should get into the beer distribution business, seriously...

Cheers

Garry

The little hole had a big bite after all...Luckily all I've done is drill a hole, so no real harm done - as I'll have to restart it..

After grinding off the end of the Plug Tap..

this - oops. No taper left after grinding to start it square, not even in the mill.. I suppose I should have done a lot more checking before starting the tap..

But I have some slightly larger section bar in stock so I can restart and use a taper tap to start properly followed by my ground off one to get a thread right to the bottom - and then mill down to size. Also meantime I can have a look at getting a spiral flute as Andrew suggested..

Cheers

Garry

Hi Andrew

Thanks thats very interesting, I didn't know about them but know what to look for now, cheers.

Meantime (and before I saw this..) I did grind off the end and it seems to have worked fine, I think luck is still with me at the moment..!

and I agree 100% with the rant..!!!!

I'll put some pics up later..

Regards

Garry

Just starting the crosshead today and already I've got myself a bit stuck at the moment - I should have realised this before I'm sure. The hole for the Piston Rod is so shallow at 1/8" that its not deep enough for the tap to start, not even the plug tap..

All I can think to do is grind off the taper on the plug tap..

I thought I'd put this here just in case I'm missing something silly..

Cheers.

Garry

Jason, many thanks thats really useful - I've just been sat staring at the top photo and its just clicked..!

This job is different from anything I've come across before - its already making a bit more sense and easier to see now after this..

edit: and I've just looked at the link. Some amazing things there for sure, but I can see better the plunge milling as well..

Cheers.

Garry

Edited By Garry_C on 30/06/2015 18:13:34