Member postings for Ron Laden

Thanks Jason,

Up early and turned the spigot to size and bored the cylinder using the 12mm bar (biggest I have) with a GT insert.

With a question mark over the size of bar I took it easy, 1.0mm to remove so went with 2 x 0.3mm passes, 1 x 0.2mm and 2 x 0.1mm all run at 650 rpm except for the last pass at 950 rpm. I may have just been lucky but as best I can measure using a Mitu Digimatic the bore is good to half a thou which over 60mm I am really pleased with.

I turned up a spigot ring as the alu block was just too short to allow the spigot to be turned from the end face. The spigot is fitted into a recess with 638 retainer and I have left enough meat for it to be turned to size.

Next job is boring the cylinder to 24mm, currently drilled to 22mm.

Well I need not have worried the drilling couldnt have gone better, sailed through it, none of the drills grabbed at all and the lathe had no problem.

The cylinder block is to size apart from adding a spigot ring, I machined it all on the mill using the 25mm end mill and its turned out nice and square so thats good.

Its now set up in the 4 jaw ready for drilling and boring, I know a recent thread said the proper way is to go from the pilot drill straight to the largest drill size but there is no way my lathe will cope with that so am going with a set of drills and do it in stages. I am going to give a 6.0mm, 13mm, 16mm, 19.5mm and 22mm a try, then bore out to the finished size 24mm.

I must admit I am a bit nervous about it I think the largest hole I have drilled on the mill to date is 13mm so I will see how I get on. One area where I may have a problem is the boring, the largest boring bar I have is 12mm with a GT insert which is probably too small but we will see. From 22mm to 24mm I only have to bore out 1.0mm so hoping a series of light cuts will work, but I dont know.

I have the Sieg SX2P available from ARC for £710 (current price) its a small mill but capable for its size and its done all I have asked of it and its also been very reliable with no issues.

Ron

Made a sprung centre this morning ready for working on the cylinder, its a delux version in Magnesium Bronze.

I think I will go with keeping the cylinder the correct length and turn up a ring for the spigot.

Thanks Jason.

Jason,

I found a piece of 100mm x 50mm 6082 which I had tucked away and thought it would be ok for the cylinder, I can get the 80mm and 36mm out of it but unfortunately it is a tad short for the 64mm. Its actually 65mm but cut at an angle which means with cleaning up and squaring the ends I would just manage 62.5mm so the spigot would be short by 1.5mm at 2.5mm.

I thought of a couple of options to make use of it, take it back to 60mm and machine and fit a stepped spigot to achieve the 4mm or have a shorter 2.5mm spigot but I dont fancy that. One other option would be to maintain the 4mm spigot which would leave the cylinder block at 58.5mm, I couldnt see a problem with that in checking the drawings but thought I would check with you in case I have overlooked something.

Ron

No specific subject but seeing good engineering here on the forum, from simple items to more complex things which have a full description and pictures of how they were set up, tooling used and produced. As a relative beginner that inspires me, I have learnt such a lot from it.

Ron

No specific subject but seeing good engineering here on the forum, from simple items to more complex things which have a full description and pictures of how they were set up, tooling used and produced. As a relative beginner that inspires me, I have learnt such a lot from it.

Ron

Well the wife likes the look of the little engine, she even suggested finding a place for it on a shelf indoors, now that was a surprise.

Finished, maybe not perfect but I am reasonably happy with it for my first engine, even happier that it runs ok. I have learnt quite a few things in making it so thats good.

I turned a steel plinth to offer some stability when running, seems to help up to mid speed.

A couple of pics and a short bit of video of it running.

Ron

Look forward to seeing that Jason, my engine is finished I will put up a short video a bit later.

Thanks guys and thank you Jason for the breakdown and drawing of your sprung centre I will get one made up.

Ron

Thanks Geoff, I would certainly buy from them again, I need a pair of 100mm wheels for the Jowitt but they dont list that size in the normal flywheel range but I havnt checked their engine range of wheels yet.

Jason, can I take it the flywheel you have programmed is for the little oscillator with the reverse mechanism you have designed, I know you said you were considering making one.

Thanks guys but maybe my description is wrong, I dont mean a sprung tapping guide the ones I have seen are a length of bar, I,m guessing but maybe 6-8 inches with a small sprung centre. Used with a DTI in centering a workpiece in the 4 jaw, you have a picture of one Jason in your build thread when doing the cylinder..?

Would anyone know where I can get a sprung centre for the lathe, I must be looking in all the wrong places as I havnt found one yet, well I tell a lie I found one but I am not paying £56 for one.

I also wondered if its ever been featured in tool making over the years, I cant imagine they are too complicated.

I just purchased my first ever casting, I think on the quiet I must be a make it from bar stock man..lol

I thought an iron flywheel would do the little engine justice and look more the part rather than knock something up so I got a 3" x 1/2" wheel from Stuarts. I was hoping the casting would look like the one pictured on their website, well I wasnt disappointed in fact I was surprised at how good it is.

Set it up on the 3 jaw and just 0.6mm skimmed and trued the rim, 0.3mm cleaned the rim edges and 0.5mm faced and turned the boss. Ten minutes with the dremel cleaned off the spoke flashing which was very slight.

I dont know if Stuart flywheel castings are always as true and clean as this but I am certainly impressed.

I am relatively new to machining but one thing I have learnt is the limitation of my machines. I have an elderly Warco 918 lathe and a SX2P mill which are both hobby machines and I try and keep within their capability and quite often well within at the expense of an increase in time/number of cuts etc.

I get good results from both the mill and the lathe and they are quite capable for their size providing what I ask of them is realistic, expecting too much of them especially on a regular basis I think is just heading towards problems and breakages.

Just my two penneth anyway.

Edited By Ron Laden on 18/02/2020 16:35:02

Hi Clive,

Glad you found some of it of interest, good luck with your 7-1/4", have you decided on the type of loco and the power train yet..? Let us know when you have its always of interest and also your progress when you make a start.

Ron