Member postings for Alan Worland

Now I like me music, and will nearly always listen to Radio 2. If I am going to have a short (ish) session I will have one of my 50's valve sets going or if I am going for a prolonged workshop workout I will use my Armstrong tuner amp (valve of course) which drives a pair of studio Jamo speakers - and sounds superb.

Alan

I agree, you can never have too much oil!

I will usually push down on the drip levers to give 5 or 6 drops before I start anything, they are set to drip very slowly but I will give them another 'dose' every now and again during use.

I will keep the bed clean and oiled and have a rubber cover fitted to the steady fixing hole to keep the worst of the swarf off - I will also cover bed shears with paper and change often.

At the end of session I will clean and oil up (often dont feel like it)! but is worth it next time you go to use it!

My ML7 is an early 50's machine and still produces very accurate results and should do for many years to come.

Alan

Thanks guys, I did do an internet search and found what you have, I was after something simple! as I dont have the facilities to carry out this process.

I shall use them as is and go carefull with the machining to avoid pickup and possible problems with tapped holes.

Alan

I have a set of aluminium castings to make the side valve 'Whippet' engine which have been cast in LM4 alloy.

I am sure these are usable as is, but seem a bit on the 'soft' side and I was hoping to harden them up in some (easy) way

Has anyone used this quite common casting alloy and done any heat treatment to it?

Alan

Thats a great looking engine Gray - makes me want to get started!

I have no particular use in mind for it but a slow tick over would be a basic requirement and as the side valve design is somewhat limiting for compression ratio it will probably end up as a spark job.

The glow ohv engine I have has a very tight combustion chamber so I guess c/r is quite high, although it does tick over seeming nice and slow.

Alan

Thanks for your replies.

I haven't started to machine any parts yet but the castings I thought looked quite good - other than one with a bit missing!

Thanks for pointing out the possible probs with cylinder head fixings - I would have thought things like this should have been ironed out by now.

I have a 10cc ohv glow engine which runs on the mix you refer to swinging a surprisingly large prop at a seemingly low rpm which sounds well. I may investigate the compression ratio although as the Whippet is a side valve engine I dont suppose I will be able to get it up to the same figure.

Looks to be an interesting project!

Alan

Since visiting Ally Pally in Jan I have found myself with a set of Whippet castings and rather that use spark ignition as designed I am considering running it as a glow engine.

Has anybody built Hemmingways 'Whippet' engine and had it running as a glow plug unit?

Any hints and tips would be most welcome!

Alan

Hi Sarah,

I have not long ago finished a No4 (have a look at photos) and had some casting defects in my castings, albeit on the outside.

I was made aware of a product called 'JB Weld' by this forum and found it very good for this purpose.

I would make sure the casting cavity is super clean and pour the mixed product into the hole after heating the casting to encourage the resin to flow into all parts of the hole, allow to cure and machine as though it was all casting,

It will be fine!

Alan

I have used an IMO inverter to control a 1/2 3 phase motor I have fitted to drive my Myford VMD milling attachment via a toothed belt.

Programming of the controller is easily carried out on the unit itself by going into one of the setting modes.

A truely mass of parameters are accessible, I have the frequency output set to allow 0Hz to 75Hz leaving the rest at the default settings.

Works a treat, highly recommended!

Alan

Surely you are going to let them know how bad the machining is?

Alan

Mike,

I dont seem to have a gap between the l/h side of the box and the guard? Measuring from the r/h side of the gearbox (not the alloy cover) to the l/h side of the gap in the bed I get 1.870 inches

Also I dont have a spacer fitted where it bolts to the bed? This doesn't seem to have caused any unusual wear anywhere which I thought would have been the case if it was supposed to be there?

I would have thought the gears would have been the same DP as the change gears on an 'unboxed' lathe (they look the same)

Alan

Mike,

I have the same box as yours and just been out to remove cover and I counted 18 tooth gears either side of a 30 tooth idler - hope this helps

My box is s/n QC 2268 and is mounted on bed s/n K16170 and was purchased assembled by Myfprd 30/3/1951

I think the internals are the same as I had a broken gear (20 tooth I believe) and obtained a replacement from Myford - and to be honest I didn't even realise I had the early box till I read your post!

I guess you could obtain the correct tooth gears fromm a screwcutting geartrain and adapt?

Alan

It's a great feeling! all your own work - Well done!

Alan

I am at present motorising a milling head and have bought an IMO invertor for £69 and a 1/2 hp 3 phase motor (dual voltage) for £50 (both new) and have bench wired it for testing puposes and must admit it works great!

Output frequency can be varied from 0hz to 200hz giving up to 4 times normal rpm - I would not be using this 200hz option but it shows its versitility)

Using a toothed drive belt it is allowing me to use stepless speed changes and the assembly is far more compact for it

Alan

Daylight is great but my lathe is halfway down the workshop and I find contrast between the 'bright end' and the 'dark end' annoying. So much so that I have fitted a roller blind the keep the sun glare out!

Alan

Thanks for that. I think what I have is a grease cup (it did have grease in it)

I have fitted it to the con rod journal which has a very small feed hole into the bearing, I shall fill it with oil and run it on compressed air to see the quantity of oil used, I could fit it with a wick to slow feed rate down if it all flows through too quickly.

I like the idea of the cup on the crank end, this could be used for all crank bearings I guess.

In hindsight I think oil might be more suitable than grease?

I think a lot of small steam engines seem to have lubricators for main bearings etc but the big end gets forgotten about!

Alan

I have virtually completed my horizontal engine having fitted drip type oilers to the main bearings and crosshead for lubrication.

The big end has a lubrication hole into which I apply oil which finds its way to the bearing by a small capillary hole. Not totally happy about this so I have found myself a suitably sized oiler with a screw cap which would be capable of retaining a more generous amount of oil.

Would it be better filled with grease and given a part turn every so often?

Big end is 5/8 dia by about 5/8 long, steel pin and gunmetal rod.

Alan

Good idea about using a slot drill/endmill, however, I ground up a new 1/4 square HSS bit tonight making it only long enough to pass through the job (the bar I was using is at least twice as long as required and quite slender)

I found top rake was best applied with a Dremmel and small stone, then touched it up with a stone.

It cut like magic (well, like it should) easily got to size for a tight push fit, lovely.

I think my problem was identified by Ady1 in that I was getting a lot of spring in the tool which was different depending if it was cutting L to R or R to L.

Should have made a tool last night but thought I could get away with it - wrong!

Thanks to all

Alan