Steam Tractor 3/4" (Rudy K)

[10KPete]

Kim, that's just a beautiful tractor! With the gears and wheels it's now very much a tractor just waiting for motive power... I'll be watching this great build continue. 

Pete

[Steamer5]

Wooooo that's looking the part Kim!

Cheers Kerrin

[Roger B]

    

[fumopuc]

Hi Kim, good progress. I like this kind of projects. There are so many different hidden tasks in it.

[Kim]

Thanks Pete, Kerrin, Roger, and Achim,

I appreciate the kind words!

Hi Kim, good progress. I like this kind of projects. There are so many different hidden tasks in it.

I know exactly what you mean Achim!  That is one of the reasons I choose this as my current projects.  There were so many different things to try!  And I'm learning from every step.

I may be slow, but I'm having fun
Kim

[Tennessee Whiskey]

Great work Kim. It's sure starting to look like a traction engine now 

Cletus

[Kim]

Thanks Cletus!
Kim

[b.lindsey]

Simply fantastic Kim!!!  Very nice work-arounds too on the bolt clearance issues.

Bill

[Dave Otto]

Looks great Kim!

Dave

[Flyboy Jim]

Fantastic Kim! That "bad boy" is starting to look like a tractor.

Jim

[Kim]

Thanks Bill, Dave, and Jim,
I appreciate you stopping by and having a look!

Did a little work today, but not much.  Got started on the upper steering bracket - that's the easy one.  The lower one will be harder because it has to be made so that the worm and spur gear mesh properly.

Next weekend maybe I'll have an update?
Kim

[Kim]

I’m getting behind in posting my progress! Sorry about that.  I’m going to try and catch up this week.

I’d mentioned that I made the upper steering bracket, but now, finally, here’s the build log to back up with that feeble statement with photographic evidence.

I made the bracket from a piece of 1/32” sheet steel.  So here it is all marked out  and ready to be removed from the sheet:


First, I drilled the hole for the steering column (do it while the piece is big enough to hold on to!)


Then I nibbled it down to size, leaving it on the parent stock.


I used a combination of nibbler and disk sander to shape the end, like so:


Then to the mini-brake to bend the bracket.  Before bending:


After bending:


Using the nibblers again, I cut it off the parent stock.  Then I made a saw kerf in a wood slat I had (a free paint stirring stick from Home Depot) and used that as a handle to bring the edge of the bracket to size on the disk sander.


Finally drill the holes for the rivets:


And here’s the competed bracket:


Actually, that’s the 2nd completed bracket.  When I was cleaning up the edges, I dropped the first one and it was gone!  Off to decorate the cave of some happy little shop gnome.  So I did it again.  Went faster the 2nd time of course, but made me feel stupid.

I'll try to get a few more posts up this week so I can get caught up!
Thanks for looking in,
Kim

[b.lindsey]

Nice to see an update Kim and I like the idea of the saw kerf in the paint stick to assist with the sanding, will have to file that one away 

Bill

[Don1966]

Kim, I somehow missed one of your post but all caught up now. The socket head screws could of been replaced with flat head screws and countersunk. But you did well and any progress is good movement forward buddy. The tractor is looking great with the gears on it and the family shot......


Don

[Kim]

Thanks Bill and Don!

The socket head screws could of been replaced with flat head screws and countersunk.

You are SO right Don!    Unfortunately, I didn't think about that till after I'd implemented my slightly more heavy handed fix.  And in fact, I am planning on using some shorter hex head screws, but now that you mention it, countersunk flat head screws might be the best way.  I may re-do the spacers. They're not to hard to turn out

Thanks for stopping buy,
Kim