Author Topic: Steam Tractor 3/4" (Rudy K)  (Read 242066 times)

Offline Kim

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Re: Steam Tractor 3/4" (Rudy K)
« Reply #735 on: August 02, 2017, 02:27:59 AM »
Kim, just curious....why is it necessary to temper the filing buttons?

Bill

Well Bill, it's my understanding that tempering, after heat treating, maintains the hardness of the tempering, but makes it less brittle.  And I thought that tempering was always a the second step to an official full heat treating process.  Is that not the case? Is tempering optional?  Does it not matter if my filing buttons are brittle since they're less likely to receive a shock when in use?  As opposed to the rivet tools which take a continual beating?

I'm happy to learn here!
Kim

Offline crueby

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Re: Steam Tractor 3/4" (Rudy K)
« Reply #736 on: August 02, 2017, 02:39:45 AM »
I would think that the filing buttons, being so short and just being rubbed on, would not need the tempering, though it won't hurt. For a longer shaft, it's important to prevent cracking. I've hardened the ends of clock pivot shafts so they wear better and don't bend, for them tempering was very important.

Are parts like valves or crankshafts on model IC engines hardened?

Offline b.lindsey

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Re: Steam Tractor 3/4" (Rudy K)
« Reply #737 on: August 02, 2017, 02:58:58 AM »
Kim, I am just trying to learn here too. Tempering is a part of the full process as you say, a balance between hardness and toughness. My thought was that not being subject to much shock, you would want the buttons as hard as possible, but that is just speculation on my part. I am hoping to learn something myself.

Bill

Offline Kim

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Re: Steam Tractor 3/4" (Rudy K)
« Reply #738 on: August 02, 2017, 04:59:47 AM »
Still following along and enjoying   :wine1: I like the heat treatment methods for the filling buttons  :ThumbsUp:  :ThumbsUp: They would have been a good solution to rounding off the little end of the connecting rod.

Thanks Roger!
Kim

Offline Kim

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Re: Steam Tractor 3/4" (Rudy K)
« Reply #739 on: August 02, 2017, 05:01:18 AM »
I would think that the filing buttons, being so short and just being rubbed on, would not need the tempering, though it won't hurt. For a longer shaft, it's important to prevent cracking. I've hardened the ends of clock pivot shafts so they wear better and don't bend, for them tempering was very important.

Are parts like valves or crankshafts on model IC engines hardened?
Interesting, that you harden the pivot shafts on clocks.  Makes sense, but I had never thought about it.  Do you harden the bearing hole the pivots sit in too?

Can't answer anything about ICs, but I'm sure someone here can! :)
Kim

Offline Kim

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Re: Steam Tractor 3/4" (Rudy K)
« Reply #740 on: August 02, 2017, 05:01:43 AM »
Kim, I am just trying to learn here too. Tempering is a part of the full process as you say, a balance between hardness and toughness. My thought was that not being subject to much shock, you would want the buttons as hard as possible, but that is just speculation on my part. I am hoping to learn something myself.

Bill

Guess we'll learn together, Bill! :)
Kim

Offline Steamer5

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Re: Steam Tractor 3/4" (Rudy K)
« Reply #741 on: August 02, 2017, 07:10:21 AM »
Hi Kim,
 Still following along, you are making great progress, steam up can't be too far away!

On the filing button front, the old guy that I use to go to & use his shop, didn't harden his filing buttons as he didn't want to blunt his files. So I followed that idea, you just let the buttons roll when the file gets to them, yes it means that you have to remake them from time to time but that's no biggy! The only thing I do differently is that I use a spring on the bolt, shaft or what ever you use to hold the buttons to keep them pressed up against the work piece, just make sure you use a nyloc nut (or 2 if you use a shaft) or the shop elves will be whooping for joy at have new things to play with fir d in there direction!

Cheers Kerrin
Get excited and make something!

Offline crueby

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Re: Steam Tractor 3/4" (Rudy K)
« Reply #742 on: August 02, 2017, 12:06:19 PM »
I would think that the filing buttons, being so short and just being rubbed on, would not need the tempering, though it won't hurt. For a longer shaft, it's important to prevent cracking. I've hardened the ends of clock pivot shafts so they wear better and don't bend, for them tempering was very important.

Are parts like valves or crankshafts on model IC engines hardened?
Interesting, that you harden the pivot shafts on clocks.  Makes sense, but I had never thought about it.  Do you harden the bearing hole the pivots sit in too?

Can't answer anything about ICs, but I'm sure someone here can! :)
Kim
The pivot ends on clocks are usually a barrel shape, which reduces the area in contact with the side plates, and also helps hold the oil. They are hardened. The plates are brass, which you can't harden beyond the state they are in when the sheet is manufactured.

Offline Kim

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Re: Steam Tractor 3/4" (Rudy K)
« Reply #743 on: August 06, 2017, 01:22:06 AM »
Hi Kim,
Still following along, you are making great progress, steam up can't be too far away!
Thanks Kerrin!
Well, once I get the engine working, then I actually have to make the boiler!  THEN I should be getting close!  ;D
Kim

Offline Kim

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Re: Steam Tractor 3/4" (Rudy K)
« Reply #744 on: August 06, 2017, 01:23:16 AM »
The pivot ends on clocks are usually a barrel shape, which reduces the area in contact with the side plates, and also helps hold the oil. They are hardened. The plates are brass, which you can't harden beyond the state they are in when the sheet is manufactured.
Interesting Chris.  Someday, I'll make a clock and maybe I'll understand all this better!
Thanks,
Kim

Offline Kim

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Re: Steam Tractor 3/4" (Rudy K)
« Reply #745 on: August 06, 2017, 01:35:40 AM »
The last few weekends have been super busy with family and other obligations, so I didn’t get around to posting an update. Today I hope to catch up.

My last update was completing the Valve Rocker.  So, next, was the Valve Rocker Support.  This is a little sheet metal bracket.  And while the bracket itself is not difficult, mounting it in the correct place was challenging.

I started by drawing out the bracket on sheet metal and drilling the main hole (before I cut it to a weird shape that would be difficult to hold.


Then after completing the bracket (no pictures), there were hours of fussing around to determine the correct location.  Part of the problem is that the Valve Rod Eye hit the bracket.  I had to modify the shape of the bracket some to get any kind of equal movement back and forth on the rocker.

When things were lined up to my satisfaction, I used some double sided sticky tape to hold it in place, and drilled the holes for the rivets.


Here it is after riveting in place on the support between the Horn Plates.


And the next pictures show the culmination of several shop sessions where I spent a lot of time adjusting things to make them align better; I re-positioned the Cross Head Guides by re-flowing the solder (they were a little crooked, now that's been fixed!), re-did the Valve Rod Eye (so it has threads) and then re-did it again so that I had a little more length to it to make things line up better.  And even after all that, I’m only marginally pleased.  The valve rocker seems to stick a little when pushing the valve rod too the right.  So, I will likely need to work on that more.

Still, its getting close. Here you can see the valve at one end of travel (valve cover off):


And at the other extreme:


Next I’ll tackle the Eccentric Rod.  Today I made the eye to connect to the top of the Valve Rocker, and the Eccentric Ring.  No pictures of making the eye, since it was exactly like the Valve Rod Eye.

The Eccentric Ring was made from 1” Bronze.  First I turned it to 1”, then drilled a 1/2” hole.


Then bored it out to 5/8” to fit over the eccentric.


And finally parted it off.


By this time, it was way too hot in my shop and I decided it was time to go in.  But here’s the pieces of the Eccentric Rod so far:


Thanks for stopping by and taking a look!
Kim

Offline b.lindsey

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Re: Steam Tractor 3/4" (Rudy K)
« Reply #746 on: August 06, 2017, 01:45:49 AM »
The little details and finicky parts are often time consuming, but the results are looking great Kim.  Has your heat wave subsided yet??

Bill

Offline Kim

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Re: Steam Tractor 3/4" (Rudy K)
« Reply #747 on: August 06, 2017, 05:09:33 AM »
The little details and finicky parts are often time consuming
Thanks Bill, and isn't that so true?!

Has your heat wave subsided yet??
Well, they say it has.  Its been in the tripple digits this week, which is pretty unusual for us.  Today they claim it was below 90, but I don't believe them.  Tomorrow and all next week they're predicting 97-98 degrees every day. Yuck...  Though I'm sure not as bad as you, or much of the country.  I'm just a wimp when it comes to heat!

Kim

Offline b.lindsey

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Re: Steam Tractor 3/4" (Rudy K)
« Reply #748 on: August 06, 2017, 12:07:34 PM »
We have only been in the 80's this past week with night time lows in the upper 60's, quite a nice break for us though there is still the humidity to endure. So looking forward to Fall!!!

Bill

Offline steam guy willy

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Re: Steam Tractor 3/4" (Rudy K)
« Reply #749 on: August 06, 2017, 12:34:36 PM »
Hi Kim,
 Still following along, you are making great progress, steam up can't be too far away!

On the filing button front, the old guy that I use to go to & use his shop, didn't harden his filing buttons as he didn't want to blunt his files. So I followed that idea, you just let the buttons roll when the file gets to them, yes it means that you have to remake them from time to time but that's no biggy! The only thing I do differently is that I use a spring on the bolt, shaft or what ever you use to hold the buttons to keep them pressed up against the work piece, just make sure you use a nyloc nut (or 2 if you use a shaft) or the shop elves will be whooping for joy at have new things to play with fir d in there direction!

Hi, if the filing buttons are hardened won't the file just glide over them ? i always harden mine ,but don't bother to temper them ?? Good work going on here
Willbert

 

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