Vickie Stirling Engine

[Don1966]

Looking mighty fine there Bill and you sure are getting close buddy. Looks like l may be behind you on completion of the project. If this week goes good I may be finished but we all know how that goes.

Don

[b.lindsey]

Thanks Jo and Don. Don, I still have the flywheel on one of the support pieces to make which will hold the bearing housing in that last pic. Unfortunately a ways away from giving her a try yet.

Bill

[Roger B]

Coming along very nicely   

[Tennessee Whiskey]

Nice work as always Bill.  I'm assuming you are having a small break coming up at Thanksgiving and then the Christmas break is just around the corner.  A man just don't need to rush perfection and the enjoyment that comes with obtaining it  ..DOG said hey.

Cletus

[Kim]

Its looking good Bill!  Not far to go now, then you can move on to your new casting

Kim

[b.lindsey]

Thanks Roger, Cletus and Kim. Ear scratch for DOG Cletus

Bill

[Flyboy Jim]

Is this the "Vickie" you're talking about in your Wright Brothers thread Bill?

What the heck..........you might as well have 3 builds on page 1 of the "Plans" section! 

Jim

Whoops...........the Parsell & Weed is in the Castings section!

[b.lindsey]

Yeah Jim, this is the one. I haven't done well even with two going at once, much less three. But I am determined to get this one finished. It really is a nice looking little engine. I am planning on cutting a piece of red oak I have for the base so as to begin finishing it up so some of the parts can be mounted since the whole engine rests on three pedestals. More to follow....soon!

Bill

[b.lindsey]

Back to the Vickie build this weekend. Wasn't able to get to the Parsell & Weed flywheels at work this week, but hoping to do so on Monday when the students will be off so no class. Anyway, one of the two big remaining parts for the Vickie is the bracket that holds the crankdisk bearing housing and the crankdisks. The part in question is shown in photo 1. After milling a piece of aluminum down to the needed length and height (photo 2), I began machining out the center decorative hole through this bracket (photo 3). This was done by drilling 1/4", milling through with a 3/8" end mill, and then using the Sherline boring head to enlarge the hole to .687" (photo 4). Moving over to the left end the same process was done to form the hole for the bearing. Photo 5 shows after this was done and the bearing housing trial fitted into the hole....good so far. The back to the right hand end for the decorative semi-circle on the mount end of the bracket (also shown in photo 5). Finally photo 6 shows things as they are now. Still plenty to do on this piece...angling the top and bottom as shown on the print, adding the mounting holes and the tapped hole under the bearing housing where the third pedestal will fit to support the back end of the engine frame. Then there is the decorative work to be done as well. More to come as the weekend progresses.

Bill

[Flyboy Jim]

 

Nice to see you back at this Bill. 

Jim

[b.lindsey]

Thanks Jim, not done with it yet but more progress today on the bracket. Before doing any of the angle cuts I wanted to do everything that I needed the square edges for like drilling the four mounting holes (photo 1) and the cutout along the bottom for the third pedestal (photos 2 & 3). Then I set up the mill vise on the angle plate and began the somewhat laborious task of milling the 12.75 degree angle along the top edge (photos 4 & 5). The same was done to the bottom side finishing with a ball end mill to blend the angle into the flat for the pedestal mount (photo 6). Meanwhile the oil cup and decorative base for it were made and fitted into a recess milled into the angled top just above the bearing housing (photo 7).

Bill

[b.lindsey]

Then it was time to begin the decorative work on each side of the bracket.  To do this I centered the rotary table on the mill and made a close fitting plug to screw into the center hole to locate first the center hole on the bracket and then the bearing housing hole. A 3/32" ball end mill was used for this milled to a depth of .090" (photo 1). In photo 2 you can just make out the scribe lines along the angled edges. The groove around the bearing housing hole will need to blend with the straight cuts made along the upper and lower edges. Finally I made a second plug to fit the semi-circular cutout on the front of the bracket (photo 3). Once located, toe clamps will be used to secure the bracket to the top of the rotary table. This is where it stands now. This final arc will be milled and then the straight edge grooves all with the ball end mill the all the middle sections left will be milled to the same depth using a conventional mill.  More on this tomorrow evening.

Bill

[crueby]

Nice! I like the use of the plugs to center the part for milling.

[Kim]

Very nice looking bracket there Bill.  I like the decorative work on it - makes it look so much nicer than just the bare outline of a functional bracket!
Kim

[b.lindsey]

Chris,  that 3/8" threaded hole in the center of the RT comes in handy for lots of things in addition to the lathe chuck adapter.  Kim, Jerry  Howell was  pretty big on such decorative touches, it shows up in many if not most of his plans. It takes as much time to do some of that as it does to make the basic part but thus far I have done it on Vickie's various parts with painting in the recessed areas. It does make for a nicer looking result I agree but man does it eat up the hours...lol!!!

Bill