Member postings for AJW

I put this question here as it relates to a marine boiler now being repurposed for a stationary engine!

Originally it was heated by a paraffin blowlamp burner and I want to replicate the heat output with a gas burner. I have experimented with some Sievert models and my 2943 appears to give a good output but is quite noisy!

Is there anything that might burn quietly?

Alan

I usually give 6 drips before I start then I'm not sure after that but they do drip!

Alan

I bought the same square many moons ago - cost 11/6 pence! It came in a light coloured box with corregated cardboard either side of the blade and the protective brown paper.

I have for the most part stored it lightly oiled and it's as good as the day I bought it.

There must be some sort of vapour being released from the cardboard - I'd contact the manufacturer with your photos.

Alan

Planning on using my launch boiler to supply a horizontal stationary engine. It's a copper water tube unit about 10 inches long by 5 inch diameter with a 2 1/4 inch flue fitted with 8 water tubes.

Looking inside through the safety valve bush it looks quite green and dirty. It was made by a family member back in the 60's. Always steamed well and was heated by a paraffin (blowlamp) type burner. I've always dried it out after use, many moons ago but I don't suppose it was before I inherited it!

Was going to dose it with citric acid - what do the panel recommend?

Alan

Progress!

My Mrs loves her 'old' phone.

Alan

I also have a Scheppach bandsaw bought from Aldi (internet) and it does a glorious job. I modified the vice which now is operated by a 20mm threaded leadscrew but once setup it appears to cut squarely on all I have cut with it which has mainly been heavy box section and big angle.

Just changed the blade for one from 'misterrbandsaw' (eBay) also 14tpi and cutting very cleanly. The only reason I replaced the original blade is because it had lost a tooth.

Alan

Absolutely superb, we can all appreciate the work that's gone into it.

Alan

Got to be worth it for the drills!

Alan

Read some posts about wear on the bed/saddle on the myfords and a mod involving adding a sliver of gauge plate to the rear shear of the saddle giving it a better wearing surface area and helping with the wear caused on the front shear.

So before Christmas I ordered a half inch wide strip of 1/32 gauge plate with a view to tackling it over the holiday break.

My model, an early example has not shown any appreciable tight spots along the bed and after a stripdown and a measure of bed shears it showed under .001 of material worn from the 'most used' area on front shear and rear measured unworn. Looking at the saddle the original machining marks could be seen on rear shearing surface but with wear marks on the front (short) shear.

Degreased the saddle and bonded my gauge plate in with slow curing araldite. Saddle was placed on the bed and gib screws tightened to ensure it was pulled down evenly and allowed to cure for a couple of days.

Just finished assembling this afternoon with a mod that should improve working. Saddle runs end to end very smoothly.

I was pleased with the lack of wear I found and the mod was probably not strictly necessary but covering the exposed bed with a rubber cover attached to the saddle I believe has helped preserve it.

Alan

(can't seem to add photos from phone but there's a couple in my lathe mods folder)

I built my engine a couple of years ago (photos in my album) and it never got totally finished. So with renewed enthusiasm I'm on a mission!

One point I was never happy with was the banjo arrangement for lubrication of the big end bearing. This is designed to recycle the oil lost from a main bearing and carry it to the big end.

I have therefore dismantled the big end bearing and am in the process of fitting a lubricator screw top pot to hold oil. This will have a feed hole directly to the bearing and rather than start off with a hole that's too big I have drilled it 0.45mm on the non load side.

Obviously it's very small but is it the sort of size I should be aiming for? I tend to use a 5-30 synthetic oil on all engine parts.

Alan

Clive, I constructed one of these 2/3 years ago (photos in my album) and I wondered about the groove. As you say a bit tricky down the bore of the carb! I did put the groove in the seat but unless someone could come up with a good reason it would be relatively easy to have a valve with and one without the groove, and try it? On the face of it it sounds a good idea.

The only downside would be if you decided it was needed in the seat, setting it up again to run true for machining could be a pain.

Alan

I've used that method for the last 35 years! All fine!

Alan

Finished last pair of wheels so got to drilling bench top for new vice. It's held down with 3 M12 bolts with a plate underneath to spread the load.

Drilled an extra pair of holes so the vice can be swung around it's left foot and bolts dropped in the extra holes. Not sure of the angle but it's such that anything 'long' can stick out through workshop door!

Love the jaw opening, a full 7 inches. Have used graphite grease on the leadscrew and nut but so far haven't applied any lubrication to the slideways (not like me, I lubricate everything!) for fear of attracting dirt - what's the general opinion on vice lubrication?

Alan

Yes the idea was that the left bolt stayed where it was and additional fixings added to my bench to fix the vice at 30 degrees (ish) Nuts welded to a plate underneath the bench top so I would only have to move 2 bolts and loosen/tighten the third. M12 fixings purchased today, bench top all marked out but, I seem to have got involved in re finishing the car wheels!

Will post photo's when back on the vice project.

Alan

My Dad used to work at STC in Woolwich back in the day and would relate that story of the guy going out past the gatehouse when his plan failed!

Not the sort of thing you would want hanging round your neck!

Alan

Well the beastie arrived today, what a lump!

First job was to dismantle it it for de greasing - everything was covered in grease and where it was required it didn't look particularly clean, as in not cleaned before application.

All cleaned up and de burred where required, graphite grease applied to leadscrew and nut and it now works to my satisfaction.

As suggested it stands a good inch taller than my old one so will not be increasing it further by adding a swivel base I shall just make it able to rotate by about 30 degree although that has to be confirmed before I start drilling fixing holes.

Alan

Clive, I think extra holes is the way, also without incurring extra height. One thing I will do is make a 'plain' set of jaws. Had my existing vice jaws modified by grinding the grip surface off and never regretted it.

Alan

Thanks for your inputs. Only yesterday did I use the swivel facility of my vice on a long piece of 1 inch by 1/4 bar!

As you say it's what you get used to, but I think I would miss it, even if only occasionally. I like the idea of additional holes so the vice can be mounted 'on the angle' when required but rather than add height with a base I would go for extra fixing positions.

Existing bench is 1/8 in steel on top of 1.5 inch ply mounted on a square section steel frame on a concrete floor and bolted to the wall with the vice bolted in the usual corner position, so it's pretty solid.

New vice due tomorrow!

Alan

Or find my old Cuban heels!

Alan

Thanks, definitely retrofittable to an existing vice, they are available for various models. Agree it looks like about an inch but I wonder if that could raise it a bit high especially for the likes of filing.

Think I will hang on till I get it as it could well be higher than my existing 4 inch job anyway.

Alan