Author Topic: Steam Tractor 3/4" (Rudy K)  (Read 242072 times)

Offline Kim

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Re: Steam Tractor 3/4" (Rudy K)
« Reply #975 on: December 06, 2017, 12:02:25 AM »
Thanks Roger! :)

Kim

P.S. My tractor build is on a bit of a hiatus right now, sitting in the back, waiting till my shop re-model is complete.  But I'll get on it pretty soon...

Offline Don1966

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Re: Steam Tractor 3/4" (Rudy K)
« Reply #976 on: December 06, 2017, 12:54:14 AM »
All I can say is wow! For an amateur your solding is coming along great. Nice work all around Kim. Best part is knowing when you needed more heat and went for it. Keep up the excellent work buddy!


 :drinking-41:
Don

Offline Kim

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Re: Steam Tractor 3/4" (Rudy K)
« Reply #977 on: December 06, 2017, 05:26:45 AM »
Thanks Don!
I appreciate the kind comments!  You're one of the people who have really helped me get to this point. Thanks to you, and the many other patient people who give me helpful and instructive comments!
Kim

Offline Kim

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Re: Steam Tractor 3/4" (Rudy K)
« Reply #978 on: April 21, 2018, 11:34:28 PM »
I can’t believe its been FIVE months since I had any updates to my steam tractor!  The forum gave me an "Old Thread" warning when I posted this!  I had no idea it was going to be SOO long!

While I haven’t had a ton of shop time, what little I had has been spent making the new mill feel at home, re-organizing my shop, and just generally improving things in my little hide-away.

But, today, FIVE months later (less 3 days) I’m making another progress post to my main project. :)

In my last post (way back in November), I had just completed the copper boiler.  And now, I need to figure out a way to hydro test it.  And to do that, I need a pump.

Dave Otto, hearing of my need for a pump, very kindly sent me this beautiful little pump casting.  He was on the ball and sent it to me four and a half months ago.  NOW, I’m finally getting around to doing something with it.  Thank you, Dave!



The casting will lend itself very well to building the tender water pump found in Kozo’s A3-Pennsy Switcher book.  I have to make a few changes to things, but I’m using Kozo’s plans with only slight changes. Here’s a drawing I made of how I’m going to make it all fit with Dave’s casting.


First, as with all castings, you have to figure out how to hold the thing.  As it turns out, I was able to just clamp it vertically in my vise.  I used a square to make sure it was perpendicular to the spindle.  I was a little worried about it, but it seemed quite secure like this.  Here I’ve just spotted the center of the plunger hole.


Next, I drilled it to 3/8”, 2” deep.


Dave, I assume this is a bronze casting?  It machines like butter!  I love it!  It makes beautiful copper/bronze colored chips and machines like a dream! Thanks again for the casting!

The 3/8" hole is the long horizontal hole you can see in the drawing.  However, you can also see that I need a short 5/32” hole way at the bottom of that hole. The problem is that I don’t have a long enough drill bit to reach all the way down there past the base of the pump cating.  Even a jobber length bit isn’t long enough.  I considered ordering an extended length bit, but instead, I just made an extension for the drill I do have (seen in the bottom part of the picture).


And here I’ve just completed doing a 1/2” deep, 5/32” hole at the bottom of the 3/8” pump ram.


Finally, before undoing this setup, I needed to bore a 1/2" lip to hold an O-ring for the plunger.  This is the first time I’ve gotten to use my R-8 boring head.  Works pretty slick! :)


And here’s the completed O-ring hole.


That’s it for today.  Next, I need to start on the water inlet & outlet ports at the other end of the pump casting.  Oh, yeah, and I need to add a tab to the casting for attaching the pump handle.

Thanks for looking in at my long-ignored build thread!
Kim

Offline 10KPete

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Re: Steam Tractor 3/4" (Rudy K)
« Reply #979 on: April 21, 2018, 11:57:34 PM »
Dude! You're on it! Good to see this moving again. That is a beautiful casting and it would appear that you are doing it justice...

Adding shanks to make drills longer is an old thing and I'm glad you've found the way!!

Your sketches look like my drawings.. :thinking:

Pete
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Retired, finally!
SB 10K lathe, Benchmaster mill. And stuff.

Offline Dave Otto

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Re: Steam Tractor 3/4" (Rudy K)
« Reply #980 on: April 22, 2018, 12:00:05 AM »
Hi Kim

Good to see you back working on the steam tractor! I'm pretty sure that the water pump casting is bronze, I had it kicking around for so many years I can't remember where I got it from. Maybe someone will recognize the part number? It may have come form Tiny Power or D&M model engineering both long gone.

Nice to see someone putting it to use.

Dave

Offline zeeprogrammer

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Re: Steam Tractor 3/4" (Rudy K)
« Reply #981 on: April 22, 2018, 12:14:07 AM »
I can’t believe its been FIVE months since I had any updates to my steam tractor!  The forum gave me an "Old Thread" warning when I posted this!  I had no idea it was going to be SOO long!

While I haven’t had a ton of shop time, what little I had has been spent making the new mill feel at home, re-organizing my shop, and just generally improving things in my little hide-away.

Excuses excuses.  ;D
Good excuses!
But excuses.  ;D

P.S. I'm not one to talk.

Glad you're back to this.  :ThumbsUp:
Carl (aka Zee) Will sometimes respond to 'hey' but never 'hey you'.
"To work. To work."
Zee-Another Thread Trasher.

Offline Kim

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Re: Steam Tractor 3/4" (Rudy K)
« Reply #982 on: April 22, 2018, 05:25:11 AM »
Thanks Pete!
Adding shanks to make drills longer is an old thing and I'm glad you've found the way!!
Yeah, not original.  I've seen it many times from others.  But its surprising how long it took me to remember that little trick. And it worked quite well!

Your sketches look like my drawings.. :thinking:
Hmm... Maybe those are ones Chris's elves stole from you and moved to my shop when you weren't looking?  :Lol:
Those little guys sure get around!  And I don't even have any cookies!

Kim

Offline Kim

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Re: Steam Tractor 3/4" (Rudy K)
« Reply #983 on: April 22, 2018, 05:26:17 AM »
Good to see you back working on the steam tractor! I'm pretty sure that the water pump casting is bronze, I had it kicking around for so many years I can't remember where I got it from. Maybe someone will recognize the part number? It may have come form Tiny Power or D&M model engineering both long gone.

Nice to see someone putting it to use.

Dave
Thanks again, Dave,
Hope I'm doing it justice.  We'll see how it turns out.  But it's quite a nice little casting for sure!
Kim

Offline Kim

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Re: Steam Tractor 3/4" (Rudy K)
« Reply #984 on: April 22, 2018, 05:27:20 AM »
Excuses excuses.  ;D
Yeah, well, that's all I've got... Excuses.

At least I had photographic evidence of progress today!  :embarassed:

Thanks Zee :)
Kim

Offline b.lindsey

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Re: Steam Tractor 3/4" (Rudy K)
« Reply #985 on: April 22, 2018, 12:10:10 PM »
Good to see you back on this project Kim. Reminds me I need to get it in gear and get back to the little pearl too. Life has just gotten in the way lately.  Very nice start on the pump though!

Bill

Offline Kim

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Re: Steam Tractor 3/4" (Rudy K)
« Reply #986 on: April 22, 2018, 03:02:03 PM »
Thanks Bill!
Looking forward to seeing you continue on with the Little Pearl.  But soon you'll have a lot more time available!  Then, no excuses! :)
Kim

Offline 90LX_Notch

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Re: Steam Tractor 3/4" (Rudy K)
« Reply #987 on: April 22, 2018, 04:19:56 PM »
Good to see you back at it Kim.

-Bob
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Offline Kim

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Re: Steam Tractor 3/4" (Rudy K)
« Reply #988 on: April 22, 2018, 04:22:45 PM »
Thanks Bob, its exciting to get back to it :)

Offline Dave Otto

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Re: Steam Tractor 3/4" (Rudy K)
« Reply #989 on: April 22, 2018, 04:48:08 PM »
Hi Kim

It seems that you could add the handle pivot to that flat boss at the rear of the casting similar to the picture here, and not have to silver solder the one on top as shown in your sketch?  Maybe a machined part that screws on from underneath, just thinking out loud here . If you have a plan I don't want to mess it up. :Lol:

Dave

 

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