Author Topic: Vickie Stirling Engine  (Read 74684 times)

Offline b.lindsey

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Re: Vickie Stirling Engine
« Reply #30 on: April 27, 2015, 12:24:29 AM »
A little more progress this afternoon. I got one of the two crossheads roughed out and bored. This one is for the power piston There is still more to do to finish it but will need the mill for that and its still occupied :).  Work on the displaced cylinder continues but as the final two pictures show I am about to run into a problem. The mill head is about to interfere with the top of the cylinder. I think I can get the current groove and one more done, but then it will require reversing the cylinder  with the same setup to cut the last two grooves. IN this case the problem isn't the Sherline's size but rather the diameter of the slotting saw...easy enough to work around though.

Bill

Offline wagnmkr

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Re: Vickie Stirling Engine
« Reply #31 on: April 28, 2015, 11:55:10 AM »
You are doing a fine job there Bill, and making good progress. I hadn't thought of doing the fins on the mill ... I usually use a backside parting tool and do them on the lathe.

I did make myself a longer mandrel for the slit saw though, for just the type of situation you are in.

I hope to get to my Vicky soon.

Cheers

Tom
I was cut out to be rich ... but ... I was sewn up all wrong!

Offline tvoght

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Re: Vickie Stirling Engine
« Reply #32 on: April 28, 2015, 02:28:53 PM »
Things are looking great Bill, I'm watching intently.

I cut the fins on my gamma engine in a similar way, and while it certainly seems to be "the long way around", it's relatively foolproof. I tried it on the lathe and experienced the frustrations that seem to be common among beginners who first try cutting fins.

http://www.modelenginemaker.com/index.php?topic=4006.msg73896#msg73896

I may have cheated by using a CNC machine (which didn't even require a rotary table), but I'm glad to see it works just fine using manual machinery.

--Tim

Offline b.lindsey

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Re: Vickie Stirling Engine
« Reply #33 on: April 28, 2015, 03:47:16 PM »
Tom and Tim,

If I was using a larger lathe with more power and good tailstock support then that would be the most efficient way to go. I am used to often doing things the long way around on the Sherline equipment, but that is part of the fun and challenge as well. As I may have noted, when it comes to doing the tapering on the fins I will likely do that on the lathe, but neither will it require the amount of material removal of cutting the basic slots. Thanks to you both for looking in and following alone.

Bill

Offline wagnmkr

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Re: Vickie Stirling Engine
« Reply #34 on: April 28, 2015, 10:55:43 PM »
Bill, the last time I cut fins, I did them on my Sherline. I used the tailstock, the backside parting tool and WD40. No noise, no muss no strain on the lathe ... it never even slowed down. One suggestion ... make a tailstock center extension for a bit longer reach over the saddle. I haven't done that yet, but it is on the list.

I am constantly amazed by that lathe. I used the thread cutting tool the other day to cut some 16tpi threads in 3/4" 12L14 steel. One thou at a time but it made perfect threads.

Cheers

Tom
I was cut out to be rich ... but ... I was sewn up all wrong!

Offline Tennessee Whiskey

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Re: Vickie Stirling Engine
« Reply #35 on: April 28, 2015, 11:05:27 PM »
Professor,  just splendid work. I think you are doing a super  job showing what modeling is truly about,  making a beautiful model with the tools you have.  Its obvious  the Sherline equipment is up to the task,  given a knowledgeable and patient operator. BTW the accounts payable clerk will be back in the office Thursday ;) 8).

Cletus

Offline b.lindsey

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Re: Vickie Stirling Engine
« Reply #36 on: May 15, 2015, 12:55:52 AM »
Its been a while since I posted any progress and it has been slow and hard to find much shop time lately. About all that I can say is that the fins on the displacer cylinder are finished and after a little polishing it looks tolerable. After cutting the fins straight I turned down one end as called for as shown in photos 1 and 2. To get the slight taper on each fin I set the RT on the angle table to the required 3.5 degrees and cut again with the slitting saw...the bottom of each slot was tapered from the right hand side and the top of each slot from the left hand side (photos 3 & 4). Once again the headroom limit was reached so I had to flip the whole thing over to finish tapering the last 3-4 fins. Finally after turning the diameter on the opposite end and doing some polishing the end result is shown in photo 5.  I still need to flatten one side of this cylinder where the cooling fan will be, and then drill both ends for the required bolt circles for mounting.

Bill

Offline b.lindsey

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Re: Vickie Stirling Engine
« Reply #37 on: May 15, 2015, 12:59:46 AM »
If I was doing this again I must say I would do it more conventionally on a larger lathe, but in this case it was a matter of using what was at hand. While it is fun to find ways of doing things on small equipment, this ended up being far more tedious than it should have been. I hope to make some decent progress this weekend since its the first Saturday in 4 weeks I haven't had something to do at school.

Bill

Offline Dave Otto

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Re: Vickie Stirling Engine
« Reply #38 on: May 15, 2015, 01:10:29 AM »
Nice work Bill!

Thanks for the update.

Dave

Offline Don1966

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Re: Vickie Stirling Engine
« Reply #39 on: May 15, 2015, 03:47:40 AM »
Bill it looks dam good to me and glad to see you finding some time in the shop. I need to get back to mine.

Don

Offline b.lindsey

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Re: Vickie Stirling Engine
« Reply #40 on: May 15, 2015, 12:31:59 PM »
Thanks Dave and Don. I should be able to get the one side flattened this evening and maybe a start on the bolt holes on either end. I am waiting to get those things done in order to proceed with the brass crosshead guide, all of which will be mill work.

Bill

Offline Steamer5

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Re: Vickie Stirling Engine
« Reply #41 on: May 15, 2015, 04:10:35 PM »
Hi Bill,
 Nice work! Love the setup to get the taper on the fins.....wouldnt ofthought of doing it like that

Cheers Kerrin
Get excited and make something!

Offline fumopuc

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Re: Vickie Stirling Engine
« Reply #42 on: May 15, 2015, 07:31:55 PM »
........While it is fun to find ways of doing things on small equipment, this ended up being far more tedious than it should have been...........

Bill

100 ℅ agreed, but I am always happy if there is any way. Good progress, Bill.
Kind Regards
Achim

Online Kim

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Re: Vickie Stirling Engine
« Reply #43 on: May 16, 2015, 05:57:19 AM »
Very nice Bill!  May have been a lot of cranking, but it was effective. It looks great!
Kim

Offline b.lindsey

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Re: Vickie Stirling Engine
« Reply #44 on: May 17, 2015, 12:41:37 AM »
Thanks Kerrin, Achim, and Kim.  I did get the side of the displacer cylinder milled flat (photo 1) and then all cleaned up again (not shown). Unfortunately the headroom on the little Sherling is not enough to do the mounting holes on both ends so I will take it to work and do that on the Bridgeport. So then it was on to doing a bit more in the crosshead guide (photo 2), parting it off (photo 3) and then facing the bottom end and doing a lot of fettling to get it all cleaned up as well (photo 4). These little sanding sticks that were discussed over on Dons Eastern & Anderson thread are amazing so a big thanks to Don for introducing me to those!!  I was having so much fun doing some polishing that I got the hot cap back out and did a bit of polishing on it as well (photo 5). More tomorrow.

Bill

 

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