Hodgson 9 cycl radial

[swilliams]

I've been wanting to build one of these for a while.

http://www.agelessengines.com/9cyl.htm

No doubt it will keep me busy for some time, but I wanted to do a larger project. I'm starting on the cylinders, with 10 blanks and hoping to end up with 9 good ones. I'm making them out of 1-3/4" 1214. I couldn't get any leaded steel, as specified, but this will do. The final bore size is 1" and the blanks are just over 2" long.

After facing to length I needed to shove a hole through the middle. I drilled 10mm, then 16mm and then rough bored to about 40 thou under final size





Then roughed the diameter where the fins will end up down a bit



and here's how they all are at this stage, so far so good



Then I bored them all to final size and roughed down the OD on the other end. Stuffed one of them up, so I'm down to 9 now. I'll use the bad one as a guinea pig for the remaining operations. Here they are at this stage. I've poked an expanding reamer through them using very very small cuts. So now they all the same size bore and have a good finish. The reamed bores are pretty good and I don't think I'll bother lapping them. The one on the far right is the crook one. I got the outside shoulder length wrong.



This whole batch of ten business really slows things down.

Steve

[vcutajar]

Steve

For sure I will be following your journey and I am sure many new things in the process.  Radial engines always fascinated me but still do not have enough confidence in starting one.

Vince

[steamer]

Looks great Steve!  I'm watching!

Dave

[Jo]

I share the need to build one of those 

Jo

[rebush]

Steve: Will be following along also. Ordered the plans and casting last month. Been reading thru the plans and notes and trying to figure out what I'm about to get myself into. Good luck. Roger

[zeeprogrammer]

I'll be watching too.
I've loved radials since I was a kid.

[Don1966]

Hi Steve, I don't have enough courage to take on one of those. I will be tagging along with you and good luck bud.

Don

[DavidF]

Id like to build one myself...think ill hold off on that one until im retired.
  Just watched the video of the 18 cylinder...that doesnt sound like a model!!

[Groomengineering]

Gotta love a radial.    I started an Edwards 5cyl several years ago.  Made it this far before realizing I was in way over my head. 



I'll be following along for inspiration!

Cheers

Jeff

[Camm-1]

Want to build this then I have learned inough to do it
 
I'm following for sure!

[swilliams]

Thanks guys and gal, the interest is much appreciated.

Jeff - your crankcase looks great. Hope you pick it up again before too long.
Roger - glad to hear you're planning to build one too. Let me know when you get going. What I've learnt so far is you've got yourself into a large amount of work 
Jo - yes you need to build one
Vince, Dave, Carl, DavidF, Don & Camm - thanks for climbing aboard.

So I decided to have a crack at making the fins today. That's the bit of the cylinders that had me most worried. To do that I had to make up the super narrow groving tool and an arbour. I've recently taken to making screw cutting tools with the right size flat on the end for a given pitch. So I made one of them for the 5/8 x 18TPI UNF nut I got to put on the arbour. BTW I'm not following the instructions from Lee very closely.

Here's an early test of the grooving tool on the dud cylinder blank



Here's making the arbour



Then I used an indicator



and a list of stop positions



then tried out the whole procedure. I ended up stuffing up another cylinder blank, so I'm one in arrears now. After much stuffing about I eventually got the grooving tool cutting very freely. I'm running the cylinders at about 650 rpm for the grooving now, which is fast given the 1-3/8" OD. The higher speed also helps with clearing the chips. Makes alot of mess with cutting oil though



Finally I broke the sharp edges with my trusty old chamfering tool



Here's the semi-finished product. The good one is at the front, the one that was already stuffed is on the left. Todays reject is on the right.



I've got the procedure working good now and think I'll be able to make good progress with the grooving from here. I'm now getting first hand knowledge of just how big a job this project is and it's sure alot bigger than what I've tackled in the past, but that's ok.

One last note for today - if anyone reads this who is trying to do the fins for them self and having alot of trouble. You could always make an arbour to go on the rotary table and cut the grooves with a slitting saw on the mill. Getting the grooving to work well on the lathe isn't easy.

Steve

[chuck foster]

looking good steve .

to help with the grooving why not use a rear mounted cut off tool ?
i use a rear mounted cut off tool on my south bend and it works great, no more digging in or chatter.

just a thought.

chuck

[b.lindsey]

Nice progress already Steve, looks like you got the grooving sorted out well too !  These are some beautiful engines and I have seen one of the 0 cylinders running and it is a sight to behold for sure. Just not sure I have the patience to make 9+ of everything...lol

Bill

[swilliams]

Hi Chuck and Bill

Chuck - I do have a rear toolpost but I'd need to make a new holder for it to hold the grooving tool. Perhaps I didn't explain well enough, but the grooves are only 31 thou wide and 1/8" deep. Being so narrow, and relatively deep makes things challenging. With the parting tool being so thin chatter isn't an issue, but maybe the rear toolpost would be less inclined to jam up.

Bill - I see you have the patience for 4+ of everything, so 9+ may be on the agenda some day 
Looking forward to seeing some more on your Wright brothers engine when you find the time.

Steve 

[metalmad]

Hi Steve
This looks like its going to be a fantastic project, Will be following along 
Pete