Author Topic: Steam Tractor 3/4" (Rudy K)  (Read 242015 times)

Offline Kim

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Re: Steam Tractor 3/4" (Rudy K)
« Reply #255 on: February 15, 2016, 06:26:16 AM »
Cletus, Zee, and Dave, thank you for your kind comments and your continued support!
Kim

Offline vcutajar

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Re: Steam Tractor 3/4" (Rudy K)
« Reply #256 on: February 15, 2016, 01:10:53 PM »
Great work Kim.  You have the patience of a saint to do all those rivets.

Vince

Offline Kim

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Re: Steam Tractor 3/4" (Rudy K)
« Reply #257 on: February 17, 2016, 05:38:20 AM »
Thank you Vince! :)

Next on the build list is a set of 6 Bering Blocks.  These are made from 3/16" aluminum bar stock, with 3/8" bronze inserts.

I started by cutting all six to size, 5/8" square (they were cut from 3/4" wide stock, which is what I had on hand).  The smaller piece is the Idler Mount.  This isn't really a bearing, just a place to attach the short shaft for the idler gear.


I setup a stop on the mill so that I could slide the Bearing Blocks in place and repeatably perform a series actions on each block.  First I drilled and reamed a 1/4" hole.


Then I drilled 2 holes in each block, and tapped them for 2-56 threads.


Finally, I drilled out one side to 3/8", 1/8" deep, using a 3/8" end mill.  This is where the bearing will be pressed in place.


This shot is showing the final step of making the Idler Mount, which was an 8-32 threaded hole to mount the Idler Gear Shaft.


Here's all the work completed on the Bearing Blocks.


Now for the Bearings.  These were made from a piece of 3/8" (ish) Bronze.  It was actually more like 0.415", so I turned it down to a nice light friction fit for the 3/8" holes  just made. Then I drilled & reamed a 1/4" hole in the center.


After this, I used my new indexed parting/slotting tool that I just got.  It worked quite well!  It sliced six 1/8" wide donuts off just like that, clean as you please!


And here are the 6 bronze bearings.


Finally, I pressed the bearings into the blocks.


It wasn't too hard to do, but they won't fall out accidentally.


The completed Bearing Blocks & Idler Mount:


Next will be the Horn Plates, where I will mount all of these pieces for the various shafts.

Kim
« Last Edit: July 08, 2017, 05:58:50 PM by Kim »

Offline fumopuc

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Re: Steam Tractor 3/4" (Rudy K)
« Reply #258 on: February 17, 2016, 05:52:26 AM »
Hi Kim, nice progress. I have to think about such a little arbor press, too. May be with the right self made tools a good helper for riveting.
Kind Regards
Achim

Offline zeeprogrammer

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Re: Steam Tractor 3/4" (Rudy K)
« Reply #259 on: February 17, 2016, 10:43:13 AM »
Looking good Kim.

I've been thinking of an arbor press myself. What size (if that's the right term) is yours?
Carl (aka Zee) Will sometimes respond to 'hey' but never 'hey you'.
"To work. To work."
Zee-Another Thread Trasher.

Offline b.lindsey

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Re: Steam Tractor 3/4" (Rudy K)
« Reply #260 on: February 17, 2016, 02:57:29 PM »
Those turned out excellent Kim. Less tedious that all the riveting too I am sure :)

Bill

Offline mal webber

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Re: Steam Tractor 3/4" (Rudy K)
« Reply #261 on: February 17, 2016, 03:22:12 PM »
Hi Kim ,those bearing blocks have turned out very nice indeed .can I ask what sort of size is the engine going to be when finished Kim.

Cheers Mal.

Offline Bearcar1

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Re: Steam Tractor 3/4" (Rudy K)
« Reply #262 on: February 17, 2016, 03:33:12 PM »
N-I-C-E !!!!  very neat work Kim. I am looking forward to seeing more.


BC1
Jim

Offline Tennessee Whiskey

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Re: Steam Tractor 3/4" (Rudy K)
« Reply #263 on: February 17, 2016, 03:49:18 PM »
Nice job Kim. You are just becoming an all around master manipulator of metal  :ThumbsUp: :ThumbsUp:

Cletus

Offline Dave Otto

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Re: Steam Tractor 3/4" (Rudy K)
« Reply #264 on: February 17, 2016, 04:29:00 PM »
Nice work Kim!

Won't be too long and you will have a rolling chassis.

Dave

Offline Don1966

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Re: Steam Tractor 3/4" (Rudy K)
« Reply #265 on: February 17, 2016, 07:00:15 PM »
Moving right along are we, like dog said master manipulator............. :ThumbsUp:

Don

Offline Kim

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Re: Steam Tractor 3/4" (Rudy K)
« Reply #266 on: February 18, 2016, 03:15:29 AM »
Thank you all for the encouraging comments!

I've been thinking of an arbor press myself. What size (if that's the right term) is yours?
This is an inexpensive 1 Ton arbor press from Harbor Freight.  I think I picked it up on sale for ~$40 a couple of years back.

Less tedious that all the riveting too I am sure :)
Yes, it was a nice change from the riveting! :)

can I ask what sort of size is the engine going to be when finished?
I believe it will be about 16" long, give or take.  That'd be 40cm or so for the rest of the world.

Thanks,
Kim

Offline Kim

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Re: Steam Tractor 3/4" (Rudy K)
« Reply #267 on: February 21, 2016, 12:23:47 AM »
Today, I started work on the horn plates.

I cut two pieces of 20 GA sheet steel to the approximate size, then marked one of them up:


Then I double-sticky-taped them together.  Like so:




Then I used all my sheet metal wiles to make them look like horn plates.  A little filing:


A little sanding to get them all square:


A little more sanding to round off the corner.  I actually used the band saw to cut the corner off first, before using the disk sander.


Then nibbled out the notch, and filed it clean.


Finally, I drilled all the holes.  I was holding the sheet metal down on a block of wood thinking that allowing the sheet some mobility would let it center more easily on the punch mark. And this had been working fairly well.

However, on one of my last holes, something happened.  I must have missed the punch mark and the sheet started wiggling a lot and I got one of those triangle holes. :(  I was not happy.


This was my hole:


So after considering what I could do to recover this mess, and being grumpy for a while, I decided the best thing to do was to call these practice and move on. So, I started from the beginning again. And this time, when I went to drill the holes, I did it right and clamped everything down.


So, for a long morning of work, this is what I have to show for it:


Next I'll be attaching the bearing blocks to the Horn Plates.

Thanks for watching,
Kim
« Last Edit: July 08, 2017, 05:59:21 PM by Kim »

Offline Dave Otto

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Re: Steam Tractor 3/4" (Rudy K)
« Reply #268 on: February 21, 2016, 12:51:32 AM »
Hi Kim

Nice mornings work there!
I'm not exactly sure why, but sheet metal doesn't like twist drills; usually you end up with the triangular shaped holes. :wallbang: Maybe it has to do with the hardness or lack of.

Dave

Offline Don1966

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Re: Steam Tractor 3/4" (Rudy K)
« Reply #269 on: February 21, 2016, 12:54:27 AM »
Bummer Kim, but that usually happens with a fair size bit, if the work isn't secured. Even secured you will notice vibrations in cutting, but thin stock the bit can grab and yank the piece out of your hands if unsecured. Second time is a charm and looks great. You might consider step drilling on fairly larger holes.

Don

 

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