Author Topic: Rider-Ericsson ¼ scale - Hot Air and Pumped!  (Read 74111 times)

Offline sshire

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Rider-Ericsson ¼ scale - Hot Air and Pumped!
« on: June 01, 2014, 12:12:40 PM »
Rider Ericsson ¼ scale - Hot Air and Pumped!
Episode 1


If you've been around the forums for sometime, it seems that a particular engine gets built ( or, at least started) at the same time by many members. A few years ago, it appeared as if everyone was building an elbow engine. Then there were the Rockers and the MEM Corliss.
At Cabin Fever, I saw many R/E Pumping Engines. Seems like there was one one at every other table. Not wanting to be left out, here's a start on another Rider Ericsson Hot Air Pumping Engine.  
I've spent the last month aging the castings while the new lathe was put in place and I've now stopped reaching where the controls used to be on the "old" lathe.
I read Bill Lindsey's "How To Build the Rider Ericsson" posts and Bob's "Here's How to Machine a R/E if you actually know what you're doing" about a dozen times and made notes ("Pay attention. This WILL be on the quiz")

So I made a toolholder rack, built drawers for the shop, rearranged and polished my 5C collets, put the Wiha tools in size order, Windexed the safety glasses, swept the shop floor, made some shelves for the lathe's base cabinet, "learned" how to single-point thread, welded some hanging plant brackets. I think I was avoiding making the first chips. $300 castings are scary when you’ve never built anything but bar stock engines, but you've got to jump in sometime. 

Richie, my UPS guy, left this at the door.



I think it’s a rule that any engine built from castings must show a family photo.



I trammed the mill, indicated the vise and gave the Bijur oiler a pump, so, off we go.





Some fettling to remove the flash from the base, then, the tall vise jaws get installed.



First, milling away the gate from the base casting. I wanted to be sure that I had a reasonable surface for the vise to grab when the bottom of the casting was milled.



Then, once both edges were clean, the bottom was milled flat with a 45° face mill. 





Then, flipping the part over to mill the cylinder mounting face and the pad for the flywheel bracket.  The drawings spec a 0.63" height for both of these surfaces.



The legs get their turn tomorrow. I also ordered the required needle bearings (Torrington B-88 needle bearings). There was a bit of confusion until I found that Torrington had been acquired by Koyo and the Koyo B-88 is the same bearing. Actually, Torrington was acquired by Ingersoll-Rand, who later sold it to Timken, who sold it to JTEKT in Japan, who created Koyo USA. You can’t tell the players without a program.

Best,
Stan

Offline vcutajar

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Re: Rider-Ericsson ¼ scale - Hot Air and Pumped!
« Reply #1 on: June 01, 2014, 02:12:03 PM »
Great start Stan on your first casting kit.  I remember my first casting (also first engine).  It felt intimidating.

So how long do you reckon it is going to take to finish it?  Three weeks?

Vince

Offline b.lindsey

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Re: Rider-Ericsson ¼ scale - Hot Air and Pumped!
« Reply #2 on: June 01, 2014, 02:22:35 PM »
Another one I will definitely be watching Stan!!  Great start and I love that facing mill you have. I've seen you use it numerous times now and it seems to give great results. Looking forward to seeing the new lathe in action as well!!

Bill

Offline sshire

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Re: Rider-Ericsson ¼ scale - Hot Air and Pumped!
« Reply #3 on: June 01, 2014, 02:31:57 PM »
Vince
This is going to be a long build. I'm double-checking every dimension in the drawings to be sure before I remove any metal. Four weeks.  :lolb:

Bill
The Glacern Face Mill is one of my favorites. With SEHW inserts I get a mirror finish on aluminum and brass. With SEHT inserts, cast iron and steel get hogged off pretty fast.
Best,
Stan

Online Kim

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Re: Rider-Ericsson ¼ scale - Hot Air and Pumped!
« Reply #4 on: June 01, 2014, 06:09:43 PM »
Hey Stan,
I'm excited to watch your Rider-Ericsson build come along.  Not to sound completely predictable, but this engine is on my short list too! :)
I'll be taking notes!   :popcorn:
Kim

Offline Don1966

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Re: Rider-Ericsson ¼ scale - Hot Air and Pumped!
« Reply #5 on: June 01, 2014, 06:49:37 PM »
Stan I am differently pulling up a chair buddy. Great start so far.

 :popcornsmall:

Don

Offline fumopuc

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Re: Rider-Ericsson ¼ scale - Hot Air and Pumped!
« Reply #6 on: June 01, 2014, 08:28:09 PM »
Hi Stan, never machined a casting kit until now. So it is time for me  to  watch and learn.
Kind Regards
Achim

Offline sshire

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Re: Rider-Ericsson ¼ scale - Hot Air and Pumped!
« Reply #7 on: June 01, 2014, 08:30:04 PM »
Achim
Nor have I. Watch but not sure you'll learn anything but "don't do this"
Best,
Stan

Offline sshire

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Re: Rider-Ericsson ¼ scale - Hot Air and Pumped!
« Reply #8 on: June 01, 2014, 09:19:41 PM »
Rider Ericsson ¼ scale - Hot Air and Pumped!
Episode 2




The next operation is drilling three thru holes at the corners. Each corner was indicated, spot faced and drilled. For the spot facing, I raised the knee until a complete circle was visible. Just a few thou.







The last operation, at this time, was to drill and tap a blind hole 8-32.



Belt and Suspenders

Now comes something that I had been a bit nervous about. Milling the tops of the legs.
They have to be parallel to whatever base will be used for mounting and equal in height or the baseplate won’t be level.
I started with Bill Lindsey’s technique of clamping them together and milling as one part.

Working on the surface plate, I used the height gauge to establish some sort of level top.



Then, with a small quick grip clamp holding them together, I resurrected a technique that I used when I made furniture. When hand planing a tabletop (or whatever needs to be flat) cabinetmakers have always used winding sticks. These are basically wooden parallels that are as wide as the board that’s being flattened. One is placed at each end and you sight over them. It’s very easy to see if they don’t line up. I used parallels.
Here’s a high view so you can see what I’m talking about.



Now, at the lower angle, sighting over them shows that I’m fairly close to having both ends level and lining up with each other.



I made a threaded plate and then drilled the clearance holes in the feet.



If one clamp is good, more clamps are better. In addition to the two Kant-twists at the top, the legs are screwed to the baseplate which is clamped to the mill table. Not enough for you? I also made a hold-down plate to further immobilize the setup. It’s threaded into a t-nut in a table slot.
I drilled the hold-down plate to relieve the decorative areas on the legs.





I started out at Bill’s recommendation of .005” per pass. Everything seemed very stable and I eventually went to .008 and then to .010. No vibration or chatter. The 2.5” face mill had SEHT inserts.



Here’s a short clip of one pass at .010” D.O.C

<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iTs-_i2DcS8" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iTs-_i2DcS8</a>

I’m calling this operation done.



Thanks for following this build.
Best,
Stan

Offline philjoe5

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Re: Rider-Ericsson ¼ scale - Hot Air and Pumped!
« Reply #9 on: June 01, 2014, 09:32:59 PM »
Nice work so far Stan.  Great pictures, as usual.  I'm in for the long haul. :popcorn:

Cheers,
Phil
If you pick up a starving dog and make him prosperous, he will not bite you. This is the principal difference between a dog and a man.  - Mark Twain

Offline sshire

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Re: Rider-Ericsson ¼ scale - Hot Air and Pumped!
« Reply #10 on: June 01, 2014, 10:01:57 PM »
You've got that "long haul" right, Phil.
6 hours to finish the baseplate and the legs.
Best,
Stan

Offline b.lindsey

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Re: Rider-Ericsson ¼ scale - Hot Air and Pumped!
« Reply #11 on: June 01, 2014, 10:16:48 PM »
Stan, I can here that sigh of relief now that you have the legs done. They look good too!!! Once the legs are attached to the base plate it will take on that unmistakable look of the RE...those classic lines that we all like about this engine.

Bill

Offline sshire

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Re: Rider-Ericsson ¼ scale - Hot Air and Pumped!
« Reply #12 on: June 01, 2014, 10:28:04 PM »
Bill
I finished the last pass and decided not to press my luck. Turned out the lights, came upstairs and I'm about to pour a glass of fine Scottish produce to celebrate a part done with no screw ups.
Best,
Stan

Offline b.lindsey

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Re: Rider-Ericsson ¼ scale - Hot Air and Pumped!
« Reply #13 on: June 01, 2014, 10:55:38 PM »
I don't blame you one bit Stan. I'm hanging it up for the day too, buts its been a productive weekend. Enjoy the celebration !!!!

Bill

Offline mklotz

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Re: Rider-Ericsson ¼ scale - Hot Air and Pumped!
« Reply #14 on: June 01, 2014, 11:48:36 PM »
I think Episode 2 should be required reading for anyone building a casting set that involves those tall, spindly legs so beloved of the Victorian-era designers. 

Many of the PMR machine tool models involve such legs and I've sweated through the same problem at 1/12 scale so I can appreciate how relieved you feel having pulled it off.  Prosit!
Regards, Marv
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