BUILDING THE EASTERN & ANDERSON GRASSHOPPER

[b.lindsey]

Well its a fine looking strap Don. Sorry about the tap though...don't ya just hate when that happens!!

Bill

[Doc]

 Bummer about the tap I've been pretty lucky with the small taps (Knock on wood) I was going to try the Alum thing but have had to yet (and that's quite alright  ) Hopefully it will work for you. What percentage threads do you go for I usually go for about 60% or less. Your eccentric is looking good! 

[fumopuc]

Hi Don, if the alum is not the successful solution, I have heard from my colleges that accumulator acid should be the right choice for the combination of brass and steel. Until now, I have not tried it by myself, so also no idea what will happen with the soft soldering in the acid.

[swilliams]

Somehow I've not been on track with watching your build Don, but back on board now. She's looking real nice

Steve

[Roger B]

Still following along and enjoying     

[Don1966]

Bill, Doc, Achim, Steve and Roger thank for following.

Somehow I've not been on track with watching your build Don, but back on board now. She's looking real nice

Steve

Steve glad to have you following along buddy. I know you have you hands full with your project.

Well I have been working out of town so I can't report on the Alum dip yet. I Don't leave it unattended. But now I have another eccentric strap in the dip. Today I made one of the eccentric rods and realized I hadn't drilled the holes that attached the Rod to it. Well in the process of drill it the bit broke in the last hole so in the dip it goes. I don't have much to show you in way of photos except the eccentric Rod.

The rod was cut to aone degree taper and I need to make a ball end. So using GHT'S Spherical  turning tool we cut the .250" ball on the end of the eccentric Rod.

The ball completed.

A look at the eccentric Rod and I am not to happy with it. I my remake it when I get time.


That's all for now and thanks all for your comment and following along.

Don

[Don1966]

Had some time in the shop today and as I wasn't happy the the eccentric Rod I had made I made two today. I also managed to make one of the eccentrics. All that's left to do is cut the other off the parent stock and finish the face.
Ok I did another approach to the eccentric straps since I had never made any this way I gave it a try. I left some of the parent stock on each end to be able to cut the flats on both ends. This is what we have.

After cutting the flats on both sides I get my center and drill the round end hole. I used 123 blocks and parallels to shim the other end and secure it.

Then clamped the eccentric end in the vise and after getting my center drilled the securing holes.

For the rest of my time I managed to get one eccentric made and partially clamped together. I still have one eccentric strap soaking.


Well that' small I managed to do and thanks for looking.

Don

[b.lindsey]

Those look good to me Don. How is the alum working out for you? Was this one of the eccentric straps you saved?

Bill

[Tennessee Whiskey]

Well, we ain't happy if Don ain't happy,  although I would have probably been happy with the first one.   . I remember Marv saying that you shouldn't cut a part from it's parent stock until there was just nothing left that could be done to it and after you did, there probably wasn't much else that needed doing.  Anyhoo,  they look great. I'm kinda in shock though, I think this is the first time you've ever shown us a piece of brass that wasn't shining like new money 
Keep it swinging Dog,
E

[swilliams]

I like it Don; always good to see the ball turner coming out.

Steve

[Ramon Wilson]

Another nice part Don - they always come out better the second time 

That ball turner makes for a useful tool - always intended to make one but always ended up taking the quick way and cobble a form tool up - ah maybe one day 

Hope you manage to get that tap out.

Keep it coming

Regards -Ramon

[Don1966]

Bill, Eric, Steve and Ramon thanks for looking in and commenting.

I managed to get a little done today and remade the eccentric I made yesterday and finished the other. Started making the pivot arms and got one in it's rough state.

Those look good to me Don. How is the alum working out for you? Was this one of the eccentric straps you saved?

Bill

Bill so far the Alum has not done it's thing. I thought the strap I showed in the photo had finished until I went to drill it again and found there still was a piece left in it. So back to soaking it went. I increased the dosage and heated the water today but I Have this feeling I will be remaking both of them.

Well, we ain't happy if Don ain't happy,  although I would have probably been happy with the first one.   . I remember Marv saying that you shouldn't cut a part from it's parent stock until there was just nothing left that could be done to it and after you did, there probably wasn't much else that needed doing.  Anyhoo,  they look great. I'm kinda in shock though, I think this is the first time you've ever shown us a piece of brass that wasn't shining like new money 
Keep it swinging Dog,
E

Dog I just didn't get a chance to shine her up yet. But I did do the eccentrics and eccentric rods today.

I like it Don; always good to see the ball turner coming out.

Steve

Steve the ball turner is a joy to used and so simple to set up.

Another nice part Don - they always come out better the second time 

That ball turner makes for a useful tool - always intended to make one but always ended up taking the quick way and cobble a form tool up - ah maybe one day 

Hope you manage to get that tap out.

Keep it coming

Regards -Ramon

Ramon my friend the way things are going I probably be making quiet a few the second time around. Looks like the eccentric straps will be next. This engine deserves the best I can give it. I just hope I don't waste to much brass, the stainless I can live with.
The ball turner like I told Steve is a pleasure to use and very quick to set up and use.

Ok just a few photo for you today and I make the shaft that holds the linkage and one link.

A photo of the eccentrics and eccentric rods and the shaft.

A family shot of what we have thus far.


That's all for today and thanks for looking.

Don

[Doc]

Wow that's looking awesome Don!

[b.lindsey]

Oh yeah, I love the family shots brother!!  All the little parts are starting to add up and looking good!!

Bill

[Don1966]

Bill and Doc thanks for looking.
Today I didn,t have much time so I finished the rocker  I had started yesterday. I thought some might be interested in how I go about cleaning and finishing my parts. So I have a few photos for you.
This first photo is my setup and you can see all the material and tools I use to do it with. The mat is from Micro mark and is a slick surface the bottom non skid. I use the mat to keep my area clean as I don't want grit to accumulate because if I am doing brass it will scratch the already polished surface. I also keep my sand paper clean continuously to keep grit out of it as it will also scratch the brass finish. The sanding ads are from Rockler and you can see the chart of different grits it comes in. These pads are made of some kind of rubber as is the sanding wand and sticks. I have an assortment of clamps to hold small parts as well as a vise with swivel base and plastic, aluimunin, and brass jaws. It takes a lot of work to get the shine I want on my parts. Any scratch shows up like a sore thumb when you polish it. Using the wands I can get all the scratches I see. As you can see I have a viser and magnifier to check them with.  Some times it takes hours on just one piece like the rocker arm to get it as you will see. Ok first photo.

This is the rocker being work on to get it just right,

The finished rocker arm.


Thanks for looking and I hope some of you enjoyed the presentation on my finishing.

Don