Member postings for Martin King 2

Clive, I am lucky enough to have a mill also, a nice new WM18 that I got on a Papal Dispensation from The War Office, aka the missus! Just getting to terms with that so the shaper will be on the back burner for a while.

My gut feeling is that I will clean it up and check it out, get it working properly and if I do not then see much use for it will sell it on.

No hurry though.

Martin

I didn't!

"These are 3 fold copper washers for steam fittings to help seal the joint":-**LINK**

Ian

Thanks for the link , I will get a few to replace the bad ones.

Is there anythng in particular to be careful of when stripping the engine for cleaning? Timing etc?

Should I make marks for correct re-assembly?

Martin

Some of the connections seem to have alloy washers in very poor condition, almost like the copper sort that used to crush when tightened and were replace when undone. Are thes still avilable. It also looks like this might have had a steam pressure gauge at some time but the pipe is soldered closed.

I will start cleaning the engine in the next day or two but I think that I have to be a bit careful not to disturb the timing rod and eccentric.

Here are some more pics showing the connections to the newly cleaned brass part with the loose nut:

Here are some pics of the shaper as received:

Richard, will try to get some pics up later today.

Martin

Hi all, Yes I have cleaned up the brass item with the loose nut and have so far done the boiler as well, will post some more pics later today. The whole lot was a tenner so quite happy there! I have had the engine running off my air line and it seems to go very well indeed. Where might I get a drain tap for the missing part or can I make one?

Correct , the boiler is a STUART 501 has the number in the casting and there is a chmney with it but interestingly it has NESTHILL on it so I think it was made from an old grease gun body, but looks very nice with the brass rings etc.

Martin

Hi all, you have already left me behind with talk of displacement lubricators etc!

I have cleaned up the boiler and housing and burner so will take some more detailed pics and post tomorrow.

The guy at the car boot did not know what it was, just said some sort of kids toy!

It has obviously been working at some time as the bottom of the boiler was 1/8" deep in soot and about a dozen dead spiders!

Regards, Martin

Hi, it is definitely part of the engine as shown in the pics, the right angled pipe from the cylinder goes to the top union. You can see wher it sits on the base plate.

martin

Here are the pics I left out last time!

Thanks all for that useful info.

It is way at the back of the list of things for me to do at the moment but I think I will keepit as I have just found a castored cabinetit will sit on and I just about have the space. Will post again when I have it up and running.

Regards, Martin

Hi all,

Found this nice little item at a car boot sale, looks like all it needs some tlc.

I have zero knowledge of these engines from a get it running point of view so thought I would just clean it up carefully first and evaluate it later with some help from here hopefully.

I started with the component shown and when I took it apart for cleaning there was this stray nut inside the cylinder part just rattling around. There is also the hole at the bottom so I wonder if a part is missing?

Any thoughts welcome please?

Regards, Martin

Hi All , I have just come into possession of a Corbetts XL Shaping machine and am wondering whether to try and use it or just move it on. I know zero about these and would love any input as to usefullness and methods of use etc.

Came with a lot of engineering stuff from a clearance, some nice bits, lots of Stuart castings and parts which I have a funny feeling I will be glad of as I muddle my way through my 10V build!

Regards,

martin

Mike,

Nice job! I regret to say that I have already screwed up big time as I read the drawing for the sole plate as having differing heights for the bearing posts to the standard positions, that 1/8 measurement for the centre line of the bearing threw me so they are now too short, b*******ks! New casting on the way from just down the road. They do say that you have to pay to learn!

HH's website is proving a mine of info, I will be making the fixtures and clamps he describes, also the step by step video build from the chap in Texas will be helpful, that was where I saw the error I have made, felt pretty dumb I can tell you.

onward and upward...

cheers martin

Thanks Jason, that makes complete sense. I take your point that the alignment on these relatively non critical parts should be visually acceptable rather than be slaved to the drawing.

Any thoughts on the standard setup, should I go with HH and do the whole thing in the lathe having made the holding fixtures he mentions or go with the mill? I am most worried about getting the bore on axis on such a log part.

Martin

Hi Jason,

Point taken and that certainly is on my reading list.

My query re setting the casting in the milling vice and zeroing the DRO is not there however. Am I being too worried about this and should I 'just get on with it!'?

Just really trying not to get into bad habits when I know so little. I realise that I can just get another casting if I screw up but would like to get it right first time.

I have done successful practice pieces using the DRO where all sides are machined but not used it on a casting with the potential problems outlined above.

Any help ther would be most welcome please.

Regards, Martin

Hi all,

Just started to have a go at a Stuart Models10V, bought the castings set from them as they are just down the road in Bridport, very nice helpful people.

Their showroom is AMAZING!

Thought I would use this to develop my infant skills using my Warco mill and ML7.

Started on the base box and base plate; carefully hand filed the flashings off and checked the castings on the mill table for no rocking; held in the vice upside down on a piece of cartridge paper tapped down. Milled the bottom just fine, measured, then did the top, all OK, correct thickness etc.

Same thing with the base plate, this had a lot more flashing so filed it all off and machined the bottom after placing on parallels. Did the bearing posts and standard areas. Again no problem.

Where I am a bit stuck is this:

I now want to use the X/Y DRO on the mill to do the 4 holes in the base box and the other holes in the plate but how can I set my zero when I am not totally sure that the castings are sitting EXACTLY square in the milling vice?

I filed as best I can and they LOOK OK but I can foresee problems if they are out a tad.

This has not mattered in the facing operations.

As the vertical sides are tapered I am not sure where to touch off if using a centre finder, also the edges are not machined so will a centre finder give an accurate reading, probably not ?

My other intention was to drill one hole in the base box using one of the dimples and use this as a zero for the other holes. Do the same with the plate and bolt together then drill the plate but I am just not sure about alignment etc. Is there a better way please?

I find the accompanying book on the build usefull but it assumes a level of skill below mine!

I would also really appreciate any thoughts on how to hold the standard casting for facing (in the mill) and particularly how do I centre it on the lathe for boring when the actual axis centre is in fresh air! I will make the holding fixture by H Hill for the legs when faced.

My apologies for what may seem obvious questions to the more experienced.

Regards, Martin

Keith, that table is perfect thanks a lot!

martin

Roy, I have the 26 tpi taps and dies but the French items are all non standard diameters so must be screw cut.

Neil, I get what you are saying but is there a way of calculating the internal turned diameter?

Lets say the external diameter of a male part on a can spout is 9.4mm across the thread tops; is there a way of working out what the internal diameter of the female part needs to be for a 26tpi thread to fit the spout?

I have about 4 of these to do and another 9 cans with hugely differing end diameters but all 26tpi.

Likewise working the other way, I have many that need new filler caps so can only measure the internal diameter at the thread tops and need to work out what the turned external diameter of the cap needs to be before screwcutting the thread.

If I can get my head round all this I anticpate being really good at this before I run out of cans...

Thanks to all for putting up with all this from me.

Regards,

Martin

It had not clicked in my head that the initial setting for fine feed was just a thread with a really, really fine pitch!

One other thread problem I find is that I have a lot of small jobs where i have a threaded fitting on the end of a can spout or a small filler cap and need to make the mating part for it.

It is easy to find the tpi with gauges and I can measure the diameter of the male thread in order to make the replacement or new part but working out the diameter for the mating female part to be drilled and threaded always seems to cause problems as just measuring the internal diameter does not help. I cannot seem to use the mating male part as a 'template' and keep ending up with a part that is too loose (usually) or sometimes way too tight.

Obviously if these parts are a standard thread diameter the problem does not arise but most of these items that need fixing have odd diameters and thread pitches. They are usually old French spirit or oil cans in many odd sizes.

So far my attempts at internal 26tpi threading have been pretty dismal but I have a lot of brass and plenty of time....

Any thoughts please?

Regards, Martin