Author Topic: Chris's Build of Steering Engine  (Read 52224 times)

Offline Michael S.

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Re: Chris's Build of Steering Engine
« Reply #135 on: September 29, 2022, 08:18:55 PM »
Yes, I have to admit that I myself have to think hard about how it works. When in doubt, I go into the garage and turn the steering wheel.
Incidentally, if you disconnect the clutch for manual operation from the large gear wheel, the machine runs without STOP.

 Michael

Online crueby

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Re: Chris's Build of Steering Engine
« Reply #136 on: October 03, 2022, 09:49:17 PM »
Just got back from my latest trip up to Maine, this weekend was the annual 2-day event up at the Maine Forest and Logging Museum. Lombards (steam and gas) running around, all the sawmills going, the line machine shop running, blacksmith, re-enactors, all sorts of stuiff in all directions. I've been volunteering up there for 5 years or so, helping run the Lombards - mostly steering and taking turns at the throttle too. Great fun! A couple of the guys from the Boston Waterworks museum came up Saturday, as did forum member Ron Ginger. Great way to cap off the season.
Here are a couple of videos that Herb up at the museum posted - I have some pics and videos still on my camera, will likely post some of that tomorrow...
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tf4T_pKz-gQ" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tf4T_pKz-gQ</a>


<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dJs6aneDad0" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dJs6aneDad0</a>


https://photos.app.goo.gl/gTDTBceXWMS7CKe56

Online Kim

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Re: Chris's Build of Steering Engine
« Reply #137 on: October 03, 2022, 10:10:12 PM »
Hey Chris!
Glad you had a great time up north, and we're glad you're back safely.

Thanks for the videos, looks like it was a lot of fun!
Kim

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Re: Chris's Build of Steering Engine
« Reply #138 on: October 03, 2022, 10:23:43 PM »
Hey Chris!
Glad you had a great time up north, and we're glad you're back safely.

Thanks for the videos, looks like it was a lot of fun!
Kim
Great time there. The weather was perfect for it, sunny and low to mid 60s, leaves are turned up there so great scenery too. Pretty big turnout both days.

Offline cnr6400

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Re: Chris's Build of Steering Engine
« Reply #139 on: October 04, 2022, 03:31:39 AM »
Great videos! a treat to see them. Thanks for posting!  :ThumbsUp: :ThumbsUp: :ThumbsUp: :cheers:
"I've cut that stock three times, and it's still too short!"

Online crueby

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Re: Chris's Build of Steering Engine
« Reply #140 on: October 04, 2022, 04:09:29 PM »
Back playing in the shop this morning, starting in on cutting the spokes for the two larger gears. These differ a bit from others that I have done in the past in that the inner corners are a larger radius, so the cutting method has to change. I went back into the CAD model, and added two more pages to the drawings for the gears (pages 6 and 7 of the attached PDF file). In these drawings I added the angle, diameter, and offset from center for each of the spoke end arcs. With those measurements, I can easily set up on the rotary table and drill holes at each of those center points. I drilled them 1/8" to match the diameters of 5-40 screws used in the drilling/milling jig. I would have gone bigger size screws, but the radius of the arcs dictated the size - I wanted to leave the screw holes for later steps. So, the rotary table was centered up on the mill head, and offset the distance to the outer holes, then rotated the angle to the first hole. From there, advancing 90 degrees at a time to the other holes. Same for the second hole, on the opposite side of the spokes.

Back to the center position and angle, and did likewise for the inner holes for the arcs at the center. I also added another hole in the center of the arcs between the spokes - these will be used to have another screw holding the gear during milling steps. The extra ones are circled in blue.


Now, thats a lot of holes, and it would be easy to get confused and mill in the wrong place, so I sketched on the spokes to help out with that.

While things were set up and the table centered, I did the corresponding holes in the worm wheel (different positions, same method)

So, ready to start milling the arcs in each corner back on the larger gear. One screw goes through the hole next to the arc to be cut, the other three hold the gear in place and keep it from rotating. The gear is now held on another arbor, one that I've used a number of times in the past so you can see extra holes in it. To drill the holes in the arbor, I started with the center hole, drilled/tapped on the lathe so I knew it was correctly centered. The gear was screwed down through one of the holes next to an outer arc position, and three other holes used as drill guides to drill the holes there. Started with the same clearance 1/8" size to spot the hole in the arbor, then switched to the tap size drill to go through the arbor. Here it is all screwed down:

Then, the center screw was removed since its head would be in the way for milling.

A 1/8" diameter end mill was centered on the opening, and moved over to cut the desired arc, minus 20 thou. I first took several shallower cuts to get through the gear, then moved over the final distance and trimmed the arc to the final size. This gave a smoother finish than doing the shallow cuts at the final radius.

So, one down, three more to do for the other corners on that side of the spokes. then I can flip the gear over and do the other four from the other side, using the same holes in the arbor. After that, same steps on the larger arcs in the center. This is going to take a while, but the results should look good.
 :cheers:

Offline cnr6400

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Re: Chris's Build of Steering Engine
« Reply #141 on: October 04, 2022, 05:34:41 PM »
 :ThumbsUp: :ThumbsUp: :ThumbsUp: :popcorn: :popcorn: :popcorn:
"I've cut that stock three times, and it's still too short!"

Offline Michael S.

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Re: Chris's Build of Steering Engine
« Reply #142 on: October 04, 2022, 07:18:08 PM »
Chris, I see you had a nice weekend too.
There is plenty for visitors to see how people lived and worked over a hundred years ago.
This steam engine as a tracked vehicle is really rare but useful in the forest.
As a helmsman, do you always have it warm in your back 😉.

The gears take a lot of effort but it will pay off.

Michael

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Re: Chris's Build of Steering Engine
« Reply #143 on: October 04, 2022, 07:34:21 PM »
Chris, I see you had a nice weekend too.
There is plenty for visitors to see how people lived and worked over a hundred years ago.
This steam engine as a tracked vehicle is really rare but useful in the forest.
As a helmsman, do you always have it warm in your back 😉.

The gears take a lot of effort but it will pay off.

Michael
The smokebox cover behind the steersmans back is warm but not too hot to touch, no where near as hot as the boiler sections with the water behind them. Back in the cab its a lot hotter. It was very comfortable with the temperature in the low 60s outside.


Out of about 85 built, there are about 6 left, this is the only steam Lombard still run regularly. The museum has a second one on display, on loan from a local family, that is runnable but the boiler is not inspected to run with public riders. The museum has two gas powered ones they run, with a third on the way. The owner of the gas ones has a fourth being restored too, plus he has most of the parts for a steamer that he is restoring, long way to go on that one.

Online crueby

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Re: Chris's Build of Steering Engine
« Reply #144 on: October 04, 2022, 10:53:45 PM »
Got my pics off the camera, and put together a compilation of video clips of the Lombards trundling around. In the first clip, we were heading down the hill to pick up a load of wood using the Lombard dump truck. Note the heads poppping out of the re-enactor tents (was first thing in the morning) as they heard us coming around the corner.  At the end is a clip from the belt driven machine shop, they had just gotten the big shaper running and were taking down the surface on an engine head (scrap one, for practice)
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cjGGPcyUAkA" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cjGGPcyUAkA</a>


Online crueby

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Re: Chris's Build of Steering Engine
« Reply #145 on: October 05, 2022, 03:54:42 PM »
Quite a bit more done on the gears yesterday and this morning. Got the rest of the inside corners done on the outer ends of the big gear

On the worm wheel, the outer end holes were small enough to just drill them to size.


Then cut the arcs between the spokes out at the rim. First cuts were inboard a bit, then finish cut out to final diameter. On the worm wheel, I had to cut from both sides since the gear is too thick for the small end mill to reach through.


On the large gear the cutter made it through from one side. Same process of starter cut inboard then finish cut.

Another set of holes in the arbor, and cut the arcs near the hub

Same on the worm wheel. Again, cuts from either side. The straight section of the spokes on this gear will be short.


Before cutting the straight sections to remove the last of the material between the spokes, I did what I should have earlier on, and drilled the mounting holes for the sprocket and clutch on the large gear. The holes are countersunk so I can recess a set of socket head screws. These screws will also be handy for ensuring the gear does not turn when milling the sides of the spokes.

With the mill at that position, also drilled/tapped the matching holes in the blank that will become the sprocket holder and one side of the clutch (it is possible to disengage the steam engine portion of the drive train to allow manual steering in case of breakdown of the engine or loss of steam).

Here it is set up for cutting down the sides of the spokes.



Offline RReid

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Re: Chris's Build of Steering Engine
« Reply #146 on: October 05, 2022, 04:16:20 PM »
That last picture is quite artsy. Almost looks like a sound board for a stringed instrument. Nice!
Regards,
Ron

Online crueby

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Re: Chris's Build of Steering Engine
« Reply #147 on: October 05, 2022, 04:18:44 PM »
That last picture is quite artsy. Almost looks like a sound board for a stringed instrument. Nice!
It does have a good ring if you tap the edge!  A GearTar?   :Lol:

Offline cnr6400

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Re: Chris's Build of Steering Engine
« Reply #148 on: October 05, 2022, 05:11:50 PM »
It rings, eh? I bell lieve it!  :Lol:    :facepalm:

Looking great!  :ThumbsUp: :ThumbsUp: :ThumbsUp: :popcorn: :popcorn: :popcorn:
"I've cut that stock three times, and it's still too short!"

Online Kim

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Re: Chris's Build of Steering Engine
« Reply #149 on: October 05, 2022, 05:57:29 PM »
You guys and your puns!   :facepalm2:

Great work on the gears though, in spite of the puns!  :popcorn: :popcorn:

Chris, why didn't you just drill a hole for the outer corners on the large gear?  I was wondering that yesterday but forgot to ask.  Then saw that you did that very thing on the worm wheel and it made me wonder all over again!

Thanks,
Kim

 

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