Monitor Steam Engine

[Don1966]

Looking good Zee, you should get some good progress now that T is gone........

 
Don

[b.lindsey]

That is some nice progress Zee. Here's to a long productive weekend!!

Bill

[zeeprogrammer]

Thanks guys. Much appreciated.

4 bearings, 2 shafts, and rounding of links. Took most of the day. I don't know if that's real progress or not.
I think about Chris's Monitor and now his Corliss. I suspect he doesn't sleep and uses cookies like speed. 

But it was a good day. Almost every operation is a learning for me. Which is fine. It's more about that than the parts at this point in my hobby.

Got a question...as is usual...the last operation or last part is always when things go awry...I had issues with the last bearing.
I center drilled and then drilled with increasing step changes in drill size (about every second drill size).
But on the last bearing...I had one drill bit stall the lathe. Several times. It was just two sizes bigger than the previous.
It was so bad I eventually went back a size and went at it again. But a later drill bit size did the same thing.
Any thoughts on that? The previous 3 bearings went just fine.

Actually have another question. After drilling I went to the reamer. But gee whiz, as the reamer comes into the part it really messes up the edge of the hole as it tries to center into the hole. Squealing too. Is this normal? Is it crap tools or crap operator?

But this is what I mean about learning and experience. Each time I get better...but once in a while (like here) I have a setback.

Okay...another question. For whatever reason I have the thought that small drills should be run at high speed but as you go to larger drills, a slower speed is called for. Is that right? It sure seems that if I run at slower speeds I tend to have more stalls.

I ought to come and live with a couple of you guys for a while and watch you work...er...play.
Nah. Can't afford the cost. Cookies, crawdads, shrimp...the beer alone would bust my wallet. 

Pizza tonight. Hot pepper. With some hot red pepper added. Wonder if T would really be upset if I grabbed wine.
If you don't hear from me on Tuesday...she was.

[crueby]

Zee, I definitely sleep. Quite well. Zero stress. And lots of time for the shop. Why? Retired!! Hope you can try it some day!  While you were at work today I alternated time in the shop with time outside reading and napping in the sun.  Very nice day!

For the reamer, I get same chatter and squeal, have learned to advanced it so it is just touching the hole, then turn on the power as I advance it into the hole. No chatter that way, well maybe for a turn. Same on withdrawal, turn off the power before it is all the way out of the hole. And make sure to give it some oil before starting too.

On the drill that grabbed, check tip for material galled on. Or any dulling of the lead edge. Once it grabbs, you have a drill shaped big chip at the bottom of the hole, need to advance very slow till you cut that ragged part out.

[zeeprogrammer]

For the reamer, I get same chatter and squeal, have learned to advanced it so it is just touching the hole, then turn on the power as I advance it into the hole. No chatter that way, well maybe for a turn. Same on withdrawal, turn off the power before it is all the way out of the hole. And make sure to give it some oil before starting too.

On the drill that grabbed, check tip for material galled on. Or any dulling of the lead edge. Once it grabbs, you have a drill shaped big chip at the bottom of the hole, need to advance very slow till you cut that ragged part out.

Interesting. I did figure out turning off power when withdrawing the reamer. I'll have to try the idea of having it 'in' the hole when advancing. As for oil...this was brass bearing. I though we don't use lubricant on brass?

As for the drill bit...yes...post-mortem showed some brass stuck on the tip. I should have check for that after the first stall.

Thanks!

[crueby]

Normally I don't bother with oil on 360 brass for turning or drilling. I do use it for reaming and when tapping smaller sizes, 3-48 and below. And backing out to clear chips often is important. Usually with drilling you can see if the chips are flowing out of the hole well. If that stops or the sound changes, back out and clear chips, sometimes they jam in the flutes partway up the hole, sometimes they stick at the tip, especially on smaller drills. Sound and feel tells you a lot about what the tip of the tool is doing.

Hear the drill, be the drill... Woowoo machining!

[b.lindsey]

Zee, generally reamers should go in and come out under power. They should be withdrawn at a faster rate though. The key is to minimize contact with the metal once the reader has done its job going in. It is the rubbing that dulls them. I do agree though as to starting it in the hole before turning the power on. Just barely I mean.

Bill

[b.lindsey]

I like that Chris...." Be the drill" 

Bill

[zeeprogrammer]

Chris...I hear you. 
What got me is that I was barely moving in...I mean slowly...and then stall. I should have checked the drill after the first time.
And yes...with the first drill...I was watching the chips and anytime things got 'different' I pulled out, let the chips clear and went back in.
Had no problem with that. It was later as I was stepping up in drill sizes.

Bill...I was wondering about that. I was coming out under power...and generally faster. Don't know why...just seemed the thing to do.
Does the same hold true for drills? I'd tried stopping the lathe and pulling out but usually found problems with that.

On a completely different note...haven't heard much from a few folks (I don't mean my thread...I have no expectations there. Just generally).

Marv? You around?
Arnold? Still busy?
Jo? Is it gardening time?

[b.lindsey]

I usually do the same with drills...in and out under power. Drills are more forgiving and less expensive. Due to their greater accuracy, reamers have little if any clearance ( by design) so once their job is done, get them out of the hole before they heat up. And DON'T let your mind go astray on that last statement 

Bill

[zeeprogrammer]

And DON'T let your mind go astray on that last statement 

Sure. I see. You're one of those people who have no problem asking for the impossible.

I went astray when I joined this forum.

[bruedney]

Nice one Zee.

I have a lot of catching up to do now. 

Unfortunately I have to be away for work for a few nights next week, we have people coming round for dinner tonight (rosemary and garlis chicken - YUM) and have to go out to a function tomorrow so not a lot of workshop time this coming week.

I am also awaiting the arrival of my new face mill to allow the bits from my scarp bin to be easily resized.

[Jo]

On a completely different note...haven't heard much from a few folks (I don't mean my thread...I have no expectations there. Just generally).

Marv? You around?
Arnold? Still busy?
Jo? Is it gardening time?

I'm still here feeling rather worn down. Yes a bit of gardening might be a good idea. Or a bit of private swarf making without the

Jo

[Nick_G]

.
Impressed.!!! ................. Very. 

Nick

[Jim Nic]

Zee
With regard to drills stalling your machine, I find that drills need to work to work if you see what I mean.  It is certainly good practice to creep up on a large size hole but not in too many steps.  For instance to get to a 1/2 inch hole I would use just 3 drills then the reamer. 
Reamers should always be turning on the way in and on the way out or you risk breaking a land.  What speed are you using to ream?  I have seen advice on a modelling forum that reamers should be run at the same speed as the drill that bored the hole but I recall from my training days (50 years ago) that reamers are best run slow so I run them at about 200 RPM with a little lube appropriate to the base material and give them some work to do (about 15 thou or so) to avoid them just rubbing the workpiece.
I have little technical justification for the above but it all works for me.  I have no doubt others may have different views and practices that work equally well for them.  As I'm sure we know, there are as many ways of tackling a job as there are people you ask how to do it.
Jim