Monitor Steam Engine

[kvom]

For me, life is too short to be making nuts, esp. smaller than 1/4".  I buy them from American Model Engineering as they are the proper proportion for models.

Their website shows the proportions of their nuts:  http://www.americanmodeleng.com/id41.html  5-40 nut is 3/16 acress flats and .108" high.

Edit-  I see Stan posted the same time as I.   

[zeeprogrammer]

Jason - yes the word 'usual' was intentional and I expected to get some feedback on that.  Good info.
Jo - thanks. That helps a lot.
Stan and Kurt - thanks for the link.

Back at work today. Sigh. It was a wonderful vacation.

Hopefully the metal comes in today.

[zeeprogrammer]

  Metal has arrived.
  But back to work and less available time.
  And my back is out.

I know it's stress. But from what? Holidays? Going back to work? Eric? I know it's not Jo. 
On the plus side, T did my job tonight...the dishes.

On muscle relaxers...and I know I shouldn't do it...but...liquid relaxer too.

Did some hunting around for Dave Otto's nuts. Haven't found them yet. Will look again later.
But if anyone has a quick link I'd appreciate it...but don't spend time doing my work for me.

Given what Jason and Jo said...I'm still on the page of making my own nuts. We'll see how it goes.

[Tennessee Whiskey]

Anniversary and now back out. Yeah, we're stupid 

Cletus

[Dave Otto]

Hi Zee

I have been keeping my head down here
I think what you are looking for is buried in my Pacific build thread; which by the way I need to post a couple of updates to.

http://www.modelenginemaker.com/index.php/topic,1326.70.html

Starting at post #70

Dave

[Jasonb]

I only tend to make the larger nuts above 2BA, the sizes of the nuts in those links look OK so may as well use those for the small stuff.

[Jo]

I make the nuts I cannot get or if the ones I can get look  horrible.

The advantage of doing your own is that they can all be in 303 Stainless so never again do you have to worry about your nuts (or studs) getting rusty

Jo

[zeeprogrammer]

Anniversary and now back out. Yeah, we're stupid

Oh please don't upset our friends. That's the royal 'we' right? 
But no, the problem started a few weeks ago and flared yesterday. I'm thinking work related.

Dave - thanks very much. It was really worthwhile to revisit that thread!
I'm still confused though on how you put the bevel on. Angle the compound? How do you calculate the distance (or depth of cut)?

Thanks Jason. Good to know if I end up buying. The model uses quite a few (seems to me) 6BA. I believe that's 4-40 in my world. 3/16 (4.76mm) across flats. Small.

Thanks Jo. What material do you use for studs? And, for this model, any reason not to make nuts from brass or aluminum? (I'm favoring brass but want to draw it up and see if the color contrast is pleasing.)

[Jo]

What material do you use for studs? And, for this model, any reason not to make nuts from brass or aluminum? (I'm favoring brass but want to draw it up and see if the color contrast is pleasing.)

I use 303 Stainless.

For material you need to consider if they need tensile strength. The threads in brass big end nuts would quickly be ripped out. I would never choose Ali for nuts or studs

Jo

[sshire]

Zee
FYI. This is what I've been using. Any smaller, I buy the heavy hex.

https://www.onlinemetals.com/merchant.cfm?id=14&step=2&top_cat=1

[zeeprogrammer]

Okay so I'm scared. As simple as this project may be...this is the biggest thing I've attempted. And usually I've had instructions with past projects.
So I'll be asking questions as I go along. If I get answers...fantastic. If I don't...I'll give it a go anyway and take the flak.
(I know I'll get answers...but I'm sorry for people to take their time on what is probably things they no longer have to think about.)

The frames.

1/8" by 3". Two of them are 14" long and the other two are 13" long. Too long for my mill and too tall to lie flat in my vise.
My plan is to stack them.
Somewhere in the slots and near the top within the squares I'll drill some holes that will be removed later.
Make some sleeves to close fit the holes and use bolts through them to make the stack.

Stand the thing in the vise (total thickness is 1/2") and mill the top as my reference.
The bottom will/may not be square but that shouldn't be an issue.
Scribe the outline and have a go at milling.
Do the little holes first so I can use them as additional clamp points.
The bearing hole (the biggie round one) will be bored.

The concern will be the top of one leg relative to the other. Or for that matter, the top of either leg to my reference.

I guess 'Okay?' is my question. 

While I'm here, and because I can't get this project out of my head, the cylinder...
Diameter is 2.25" (57mm), 2.188" (55.6mm) long with a 1" (25.4mm) bore.
I've been reading up on mandrels.
What do you think about using a 1" bar, tapped on one end. and sandwich the cylinder with a screw and large washer?
I think all that's needed is to turn a finish on the cylinder. Small cuts. Everything else is mill work.

Thanks

[vcutajar]

Regarding the frames, I was thinking of having them laser cut and be done with it.  Are you going to make them out of aluminium or steel?

Vince

[zeeprogrammer]

Aluminum.
I've pretty much swapped out all the BMS parts for aluminum.

If it matters any, I don't expect to ever run this on steam. Not ready for that yet. 

Thinking more about the 'legs' or tabs that stick out...the idea is to touch off the milled top as reference.
The trick is probably going to be making sure the top is level. I should be able to do that with an indicator and use shims if necessary.

[vcutajar]

I have not as yet decided on the material choice for the frames but I think my preference would be to do them in steel.  They are longish items and steel would be, I think, stiffer.

Vince

[zeeprogrammer]

Yes the steel would be stiffer.
I still wonder why the imperial plans call out BMS while the metric calls out aluminum.