Building the Benson Vertical Steam Engine

[Kim]

You got a lot done today Don!!

Wow!  I'll say.  I don't know how you find time to get so much done, Don!  And it's beautiful work too!  I like how you made the form tool.  I'm going to have to file that away for future reference.

Kim

[PStechPaul]

Nice work, Don. It is a very elegantly styled engine, as I noticed by means of the pictures of Jason's build, and I look forward to watching your progress. Hopefully I will also learn more about machining techniques from your efforts. 

[Tennessee Whiskey]

My Brother, that is looking awesome. The use of all the tools you've made is really showing up and producing some nice parts. Keep on it dog. I'm  and  and watching.

Whiskey

[zeeprogrammer]

Geesh. Seems like all I did was turn around and suddenly there's all this progress.
Very nice work Don.

So the 'graver' was hand held? I've never tried that. I see you have that block pretty close to the work. What other techniques are there.

 

[geoff5269]

Hi Don
Great progress so far, I built this engine recently and found that A.M.s plan to just hold the column down with a long bolt made alignment difficult. so I had to add 2 locating pins in the column base  to keep the alignment in relation to the cylinder. I also made the entablature from strips pined and soldered. Hope this helps, when I made the baseplate from corian I found it blunted tools pretty quick what did you find?
Regards Geoff

[Don1966]

Thanks guys for following along and giving me support.

Geesh. Seems like all I did was turn around and suddenly there's all this progress.
Very nice work Don.

So the 'graver' was hand held? I've never tried that. I see you have that block pretty close to the work. What other techniques are there.

 

Zee graving is like wood turning and tools are pretty simular. Yes the tool rest is close and I try to keep it at a height so the graver is close to center height.

Geoff thanks for looking and the pointers, yours came out great. If you have more advice just let me know.


Today is was back to fabricating the entablature. I started by milling two slots on to the flange plate. Then drilled and pinned the main frame ready for soldering. I some how missed the part that holds the governor on the entablature. This was after I had already soldered it together. So I had to regroup and cut a slot into the center frame on one side and make a piece of .25 brass rod slotted to fit around the frame slot.
Lining up the mounting holes before milling the slots.

Milling the slots for fitting the entablature for soldering.

I drilled a pinned the frame together by drilling the inside hole smaller and sharpIng the point. Then driving it with a small ball peen hammer to expand the pin head. The entablature after pinning.

The entablature ready for solder after fluxing and placing small bits of solder at varies points.

Now to let it set in the pickler. This is where I realized I had something missing, so  I mounted it on the mill and cut the slot and made the .25 rod to fit the frame. And it was back to the flame to solder and pickle again. This is something I don't like to do and it's heat something I have already soldered, but it went well. I kept the flame small on concentrated to one spot.

This is the photo before I resoldered.

Now it was time to square off the top of the entablature and milling the top square to the bottom. I had left enough material to skim off quiet a lot.

Now the entablature after some good old fashion clean up. Notice the governor mounting post on this photo.

And the last shot of the day to make the day complete, the parts made so far.


That's all for today and thanks for looking.

Don

[Dave Otto]

Nice bit of fabrication there Don.

The entablature (what a strange name) is turning out real nice.

Dave

[Robert Hornby]

Brilliant work Don and so much in such a short time, (you need to get out more ) just kidding. Do I assume correctly that you are leaving the column with the brass finish or are you painting it like the photos?
Robert

[Jo]

Coming together nicely Don 

Dave, Entablature is a good old word reused from Architecture it refers to the horizontal mouldings above a column. I think it comes to us from the Romans

Jo

[Roger B]

Looking very nice    I didn't realise who small it is (unless you have huge hands  ). For entablature think Table, the thing you put something onto.

[Kim]

Your entablature looks great Don!  Nice recovery too.  I know that sinking feeling you get when you realized you've forgotten something, but you handled it in stride.  It looks great!

And I have to agree with Roger here; I hadn't realized how small this engine was going to be.  I'd pictured something much larger somehow.

Thanks for sharing,
Kim

[b.lindsey]

That turned out great Don!! Can't miss a day on this one, else I'll miss something

Bill

[Don1966]

Thanks Dave , Robert, Jo, Kim, Roger and Bill for following and I do appreciate your support.

Brilliant work Don and so much in such a short time, (you need to get out more ) just kidding. Do I assume correctly that you are leaving the column with the brass finish or are you painting it like the photos?
Robert

Thanks Robert, I plan to keep it the way you see it but shiny. And work is slow for now so I have time in the shop.

Looking very nice    I didn't realise who small it is (unless you have huge hands  ). For entablature think Table, the thing you put something onto.

Roger the size I am using is the same as Anthony Mounts dimensions. If you go back to the first photos I put a 6" ruler next to it.

Thanks for looking

Don

[b.lindsey]

Sorry work has slowed down Don, but its been great seeing all the progress you have made on the Benson.

Bill

[fumopuc]

Hi Don, that is looking very nice. I like these fabrication works.