Author Topic: Monitor Steam Engine  (Read 222045 times)

Offline zeeprogrammer

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Re: Monitor Steam Engine
« Reply #1005 on: April 18, 2016, 02:11:43 PM »
You're talking about cleaning up a slot, right?
Not using a file to cut (file) a slot 3/4" long and 1/2" deep?

I have a couple of sets of small files. I like them.
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Online crueby

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Re: Monitor Steam Engine
« Reply #1006 on: April 18, 2016, 02:29:35 PM »
You're talking about cleaning up a slot, right?
Not using a file to cut (file) a slot 3/4" long and 1/2" deep?

I have a couple of sets of small files. I like them.
For a long one like that, make cut with hacksaw and clean up with the files. I like using a fine jewelers saw to cut down each side of a narrow slot an across bottom then use files to clean it up.

Offline bruedney

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Re: Monitor Steam Engine
« Reply #1007 on: April 19, 2016, 11:08:41 AM »
Hey Carl

Can you please provide me with some details on the slitting saws you use and also what sort of rpm you use them at?

Thanks
‘Results! Why man, I have gotten a lot of results. I know several thousand things that won’t work.’ — Thomas Alva Edison

Offline zeeprogrammer

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Re: Monitor Steam Engine
« Reply #1008 on: April 19, 2016, 01:01:35 PM »
Hi Bruce,

All I have are some cheap 3" saws. 1/32, a couple of 1/16, and a 3/32. I think I got 3 of them as a set from LMS. The other 1/16 could have been Enco or Grizzly.

They are too small in diameter for some of the slots.

And while I could make multiple passes for 'wide' slots, I'd like to get a 1/8" (although some slots would still need multiple passes). I've only used the slitting saw to split bearings, cut off parts, make screw slots, or in one case make the 'slide?' on the horizontal mill.

I like them but they scare me. And there was the case where I had the saw upside down  :Lol: Wear good protection. I saw a picture once of someones saw that broke apart. Not pretty.

As for revs...I don't have an rpm indicator but it's fairly slow. Seems easy enough to 'hear' when it's right. Slightly over stall speed if that makes sense.
If parting off, drop the speed as you get close to finishing so the part doesn't fly away.

Keep in mind I'm new at this (on the forum a long time but few parts under my belt).
Any advice and thoughts from others are always welcome.

Apologies if I've said anything you already know (which is likely).
Carl (aka Zee) Will sometimes respond to 'hey' but never 'hey you'.
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Offline sshire

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Re: Monitor Steam Engine
« Reply #1009 on: April 19, 2016, 02:14:23 PM »
I was roughly calculating the speeds and feeds for the .125 slot in part 28 (steam chest outrigger.)
I have a 5" .125 thickness slitting saw. Been getting my slitting saws directly from Malco Saw in Rhode Island. Cheaper than the usual suspects (Enco, MSC, Etc)

Using 80 SFM with the mild steel, the rpm is 60.
The saw is a 40 tooth and I'm calculating with a chip load of .002 per tooth. Works out to approx. 4.9 ipm. I generally pay no attention to the ipm and go by feel on the hand wheel. Malco recommended flood coolant. Since I don't have that, I just crank up the flow rate on the Micro drop. A squeeze bottle would work just as well.

If I'm completely wrong, please correct me.
Best,
Stan

Offline 10KPete

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Re: Monitor Steam Engine
« Reply #1010 on: April 19, 2016, 03:08:37 PM »
Thanks for the tip on Malco, Stan. Looks like a much better source than others.

Pete
Craftsman, Tinkerer, Curious Person.
Retired, finally!
SB 10K lathe, Benchmaster mill. And stuff.

Offline bruedney

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Re: Monitor Steam Engine
« Reply #1011 on: April 19, 2016, 08:01:36 PM »
Thanks Carl

I was spinning mine way too fast in that case

I need to get some coarser and thicker ones too.

Are you going to split the rear bearing or just the housing?

Regards
‘Results! Why man, I have gotten a lot of results. I know several thousand things that won’t work.’ — Thomas Alva Edison

Offline zeeprogrammer

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Re: Monitor Steam Engine
« Reply #1012 on: April 19, 2016, 08:19:22 PM »
Are you going to split the rear bearing or just the housing?

Aw crap! I hadn't noticed the rear bearing was split too. I'd only done the housing.
Hm. Gotta think on this. Double hm. I don't know how to go about it.

I still don't know.  :help:

How? Why is it split? How necessary is it?
Carl (aka Zee) Will sometimes respond to 'hey' but never 'hey you'.
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Offline zeeprogrammer

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Re: Monitor Steam Engine
« Reply #1013 on: April 19, 2016, 09:02:36 PM »
Are you going to split the rear bearing or just the housing?

Aw crap! I hadn't noticed the rear bearing was split too. I'd only done the housing.
Hm. Gotta think on this. Double hm. I don't know how to go about it.

I still don't know.  :help:

How? Why is it split? How necessary is it?

Is it split all the way through or just along one edge?
Carl (aka Zee) Will sometimes respond to 'hey' but never 'hey you'.
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Offline bruedney

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Re: Monitor Steam Engine
« Reply #1014 on: April 19, 2016, 09:55:14 PM »
Are you going to split the rear bearing or just the housing?

Aw crap! I hadn't noticed the rear bearing was split too. I'd only done the housing.
Hm. Gotta think on this. Double hm. I don't know how to go about it.

I still don't know.  :help:

How? Why is it split? How necessary is it?

Is it split all the way through or just along one edge?

 :lolb: I am thinking it doesn't need to be split. Not sure the housing does either.

I was thinking of a press or loctite fit would suffice.

One advantage to spliting the housing is I might have the stock in my box of bits to make the separate items but I would have to purchase stock to make the complete housings.

Cheers

Bruce
‘Results! Why man, I have gotten a lot of results. I know several thousand things that won’t work.’ — Thomas Alva Edison

Offline zeeprogrammer

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Re: Monitor Steam Engine
« Reply #1015 on: April 19, 2016, 09:58:50 PM »
I'm with you on that Bruce.

But I'd still like to know how it would be done...and why. Hopefully someone will pop in.
Carl (aka Zee) Will sometimes respond to 'hey' but never 'hey you'.
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Offline bruedney

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Re: Monitor Steam Engine
« Reply #1016 on: April 19, 2016, 10:07:59 PM »
I was thinking of slitting an oversized piece of bronze and then soft soldering the pieces back together.

Then set it up in the 4 jaw and turn and bore to the required size and then separate.

Seem like a lot of work for no apparent need.

I think I will be trying the non split bearing first but it won't be until the weekend as I have to travel to Auckland for the rest of the week.  :ShakeHead: Work just gets in the way of machine time  :rant:

Cheers
Bruce
‘Results! Why man, I have gotten a lot of results. I know several thousand things that won’t work.’ — Thomas Alva Edison

Offline kvom

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Re: Monitor Steam Engine
« Reply #1017 on: April 19, 2016, 10:16:26 PM »
WRT small end mills, I almost always get the double ended ones below 1/4", unless I need a long flute.  Each end tends to have a short life.   :'(

Offline zeeprogrammer

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Re: Monitor Steam Engine
« Reply #1018 on: April 20, 2016, 03:08:43 PM »
I was thinking of slitting an oversized piece of bronze and then soft soldering the pieces back together.
Then set it up in the 4 jaw and turn and bore to the required size and then separate.

Thanks. I see what you're saying.

I was giving it more thought this morning and the thing that troubles me is the lower half of the split bearing. Unless it's 'glued' in, there seems nothing to keep it in place. Now I don't know much about the old days...but they didn't have Loctite or something similar did they? Although I'm sure they wouldn't have built it that way in the first place. Probably had a 'collar' i.e. where the very ends have a larger diameter allowing the housing to capture it.

I'm still curious as to why the bearing is split in the first place. And, why all the way through rather than just one side.

Have a good trip.

kvom...yes it's about having a longer flute. I have a set of double-ended miniature end mills.
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Online crueby

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Re: Monitor Steam Engine
« Reply #1019 on: April 20, 2016, 03:25:27 PM »
Typically the bearing would have a lip on either end to keep it from sliding out the side. If you go check steamguywillys current build, the bearings there had a hex shape or tabs to keep them from turning. The shape in models may well be simplified from the original.

As for why - if the bearing is two halves that don't quite meet, the outer shell could be tightened up to react to wear in the bearing over time. Also, allows for assembly of a crankshaft with multiple webs, where you can't slide it in from the end.

 

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