Monitor Steam Engine

[zeeprogrammer]

If you take my place at the Saturday night dinner,

No way. I don't know who your enemies are. And I suspect some of your friends are, shall we say, questionable? 

Forum members excepted of course. 
Although......

P.S. A Saturday night dinner is not a requirement for a Sunday hangover. 

[crueby]

Thanks crueby. If I have you right, it seems you're talking about my second picture. I just didn't show the clamping. Right? (P.S. I did 6 axis robot controllers for a while. Now I design banknote validators. Yep...if any of you go to a casino or use kiosks...I could be the one taking your money.  )

So you are the one to talk to about getting them to take my fake bills.... Screech!  Uh-oh, the secret service just pulled up out front....   

[zeeprogrammer]

(P.S. I did 6 axis robot controllers for a while. Now I design banknote validators. Yep...if any of you go to a casino or use kiosks...I could be the one taking your money.  )

So you are the one to talk to about getting them to take my fake bills....

If I could, or would, would I still be working? Using cheap crap drill bits? Or crap calipers? Or talking to you? 

Even better...I wouldn't have to figure out a way to get to the UK and visit Jo for some curry and wine. 

Jiminy Cricket - my hero.

[zeeprogrammer]

So far so good.
I squared the outriggers in the vise but didn't want to side mill the ends to length. I need better skills/end mills.
Knowing that I would need to drill/tap the ends I went ahead and fixed up a clamp system to hold the parts on end.
Milled to length.
The clamp job, I don't think, is as good as it should be. Particularly on the right side. But it worked.



Not shown is the drilling and tapping of both ends of both outriggers. Four 4-40s each.
I had to drill all four of an end first before tapping because there wasn't enough room to get the chuck out.

Then I went to vise and drilled/tapped the 3 holes on top. And a couple of 8-32 on the bottom so I count mount the engine later.



Now it gets fun. I had originally intended to mill the slots with an 1/8" end mill. But mine aren't long enough.
So I reset the vertical clamping. Squared the angle blocks using a test indicator. And started sawing.

I used a 3/32 saw and went at it .01 at a time to get to 1/2" deep.
I need to drop another 1/32 and then do the other 3 slots.



Seems like it's going well.

There's some brass stock behind the part for the c-clamps to avoid marring.
I'd like to have gotten a clamp on that 1-2-3 on the right but the saw would hit.
I may be off a thou or two (or three..) but I think it'll work.

[EDIT:] After posting this I'm thinking it would have been better to put the one angle block on the far side. I only did [EDIT] climb conventional cuts and all the force is towards the back.

[vcutajar]

 

As somebody once said:

"Necessity is the mother of all inventions"

We have to either work with what we have or buy new tools.  You seem to be doing well with what you have.

Vince

[sco]

[EDIT:] After posting this I'm thinking it would have been better to put the one angle block on the far side. I only did climb cuts and all the force is towards the back.

Zee you need to be super careful doing climb cuts with slitting saws - it usually ends in tears.  I think I'm right in saying you should really only do conventional cuts with slitting saws particularly if your mill has any backlash in the feed screws.

Simon.

[zeeprogrammer]

[EDIT:] After posting this I'm thinking it would have been better to put the one angle block on the far side. I only did climb cuts and all the force is towards the back.

Zee you need to be super careful doing climb cuts with slitting saws - it usually ends in tears.  I think I'm right in saying you should really only do conventional cuts with slitting saws particularly if your mill has any backlash in the feed screws.

Simon.

Oops. My mistake. I ONLY DID CONVENTIONAL cuts. I meant to say I was avoiding climb cuts.
I will edit my post.

Yeah...climb cutting is very grabby.

BTW The picture shows a conventional cut at which point I stopped and took a picture.
My procedure was move Y (.01) then X to make the (conventional cut) then -X to come back. Repeat.

Thanks Simon.

And thanks Vince.

[kettrinboy]

Hi Zee
I think you got everything covered clamping wise there, that thing aint going nowhere  , but as sco said on conventional milling machines i would use upcut milling only with slitting saws if i tried downcutting with a saw on my mill with its 030" of backlash it would be a bust saw and risking a scrapped part,just saying but i noticed the two clamps on the left of the pic are clamped with the studs nearest the packing , usually they should be nearest the workpiece or no further than halfway along the slot or it clamps the packing more than the workpiece, following this build along with interest should be a very nice engine when its done.
regards Geoff

[zeeprogrammer]

Thanks Geoff.

And thanks for the advice on the clamping.

As I mentioned, I did do conventional milling. It was a brain fart in my post mentioning climb milling.
But reminders are always welcome.

I was especially aware with the slitting saw.

Some of you may remember my launch engine...had the saw upside down.  It did the job. But ick. 
I was pre-newbie then. 

[zeeprogrammer]

Can't get this tune out of my head.
Cletus is a music dude...he'll get it.
For those who don't...Tennessee Ernie Ford

You drill 16 holes, and then you tap
Another one busted and deeper in crap
...something something something...
I owe my skill to the great forum MEM

 

Still working on it.

[mklotz]

Your Google-fu is weak...

http://www.cowboylyrics.com/lyrics/classic-country/sixteen-tons---tennessee-ernie-ford-14930.html

I can't help wondering what Verdi (or, better yet, Wagner) could have done with those corn-saturated lyrics.

[zeeprogrammer]

I can't help wondering what Verdi (or, better yet, Wagner) could have done with those corn-saturated lyrics.

Enjoy them of course. 
On some level.

What? You never ate corn-flakes?

If you're stuck on fruits and nuts...try..."put a lime in a coconut". 

[Tennessee Whiskey]

Ok,
"Sister Jo don't call me,
 'Cause I can't go,
 I owe my skill to tha forum store,".

I think the original was done by Tennessee Ernie Ford

Cletus

[10KPete]

One of my favorite singers and one of my favorite songs!!

Pete

[zeeprogrammer]

Merle Travis was the writer and first recorder. Tennessee made it famous.
Travis' brother did some of the lines.
I didn't know this.

Just doing a google-fuing.