Monitor Steam Engine

[zeeprogrammer]

Thanks Chris.

Good to know I wasn't far off with the 'lip' idea.

I hadn't thought about the wear issue. Not a problem here. Won't be run long enough. There's more engines to build!

[Jasonb]

Zee the bearings were split for a couple of reasons.

1. It would allow a whole crankshaft complete with eccentrics, flywheel etc to be removed as a complete item rather than stripping each bit off sol it could be slid out. Or on something like Jo's tripple the middle bearings sits between two cranks so can't be slid on and has to be in two parts

2. If wear takes place a little material can be removed from the mating faces and the bearing closed up and scraped to fit again rather than have to make a complete new bearing. This is why bearing caps are often seen with nuts and locknuts as they are just tightened to give the correct running clearance and can be tightened further if needed.

Regarding location, a lip on both sides is common practice. Also to stop bearings rotating in the housing a small pin is let into the base of the housing and the bearing has a matching hole to slip over it.



Best way to make them is soft solder two bits of bronze together, turn & bore then melt them apart

[zeeprogrammer]

Thanks Jason. That helped a lot.

So on this model, if the bearing is to be split, it would be good to either make the bearing with a lip, or provide for a pin.

I will wait to see how things go together. At this point I can't imagine it matters.

[zeeprogrammer]

A little progress...

To do the steam chest glands I made up a fixture with a 5/16 threaded hole. After turning and threading the gland, I inserted into the fixture to turn the other end. Cut the fixture off and took it to the mill to drill the four holes. A couple of boo-boos. First gland didn't seat all the way into the fixture. I realized I needed to either cut a relief at the back of the thread in the gland or in the fixture. I did it to the fixture. 2nd boo-boo, when I started drilling the holes, the gland slipped a tad on the first hole. Made sure things were tight enough and had no more issues.



Here are the steam chest glands in their cover. (I don't have any 3-48 bolts yet.)
I also made the bearings (bushing?) for the piston rod links.



Then pressed them into the links. I don't have an arbor so I used some spare plate and my bench vise. Seems like it went pretty well. I've had problems pressing before. Didn't take a lot of power but I haven't measured the holes to see if they got crushed.

You can see the fixture I'd made to make the steam chest glands. Which reminds me of the 3rd boo-boo. It was too short but I set it up on some parallels and things went well.



Then I made the gland nuts for the steam chest and exhaust glands. Nothing special there other than I was somewhat pleased to see some improvement in my skills. Still a ways to go though.



T made supper last night. Just traditional steak, potato steak fries, salad, and red wine.
She didn't grill me regarding my culinary debauchery while she was gone. Guess she figures there's no point.
Sure was nice to have her home.

I need to see when her next trip is. 

Still under the weather. Off to bed.

[Tennessee Whiskey]

Gee, nice parts and pics    But, here's the deal Phil; you're making parts, eating steak and steak fries, and drinking wine, and then you say you are still sicky and taking a nap, I thinks you is trying to shirt us  I think you may be the true Ferris Bueller of the forum 

Cletus

[bruedney]

Nice Carl

I am going to have to pull finger out to try to catch you.

Regarding the bearings - doesn't the cap and bearing have a lubricator screwed into them? Then will hold the bearing in position.

Cheers
Bruce

[zeeprogrammer]

But, here's the deal Phil; you're making parts, eating steak and steak fries, and drinking wine, and then you say you are still sicky and taking a nap, I thinks you is trying to shirt us

It's one of those hack your lungs out every 15 minutes. I don't feel particularly bad. Just real tired and bummed from coughing and lack of sleep. Today has been good improvement. Hacking every 30 minutes...maybe 45.

Regarding the bearings - doesn't the cap and bearing have a lubricator screwed into them? Then will hold the bearing in position.

Yes. But if the rear bearing is split, the lubricator only holds the top half of the bearing. The lower half would still be 'floating'. There would be some easy ways to take care of it (as Jason mentioned with a pin).

[wagnmkr]

OK, so we know a bit of machining is going on, and rather wonderful it is in all, but the steak and the steak fries? Really ... you know the rules ... no pics, it didn't happen (can't find the proper smiley).

I think the forum should approach a TV company ... "Iron Chef's Of The World and Model Engineering" . The "chef's have to create a weekly dining masterpiece, and beside their cooker they have a small machine shop where they have 6 weeks to turn out a metal masterpiece.

Methinks it would be a hit! Oh Ya ... the prize ... 1 week in Jo's garden, to sort out what she doesn't have time for, and the winner would get to fondle all the machines and the casting kits.

Just Sayin

Tom

[zeeprogrammer]

OK, so we know a bit of machining is going on, and rather wonderful it is in all, but the steak and the steak fries? Really ... you know the rules ... no pics, it didn't happen (can't find the proper smiley).
I think the forum should approach a TV company ... "Iron Chef's Of The World and Model Engineering" . The "chef's have to create a weekly dining masterpiece, and beside their cooker they have a small machine shop where they have 6 weeks to turn out a metal masterpiece.
Methinks it would be a hit! Oh Ya ... the prize ... 1 week in Jo's garden, to sort out what she doesn't have time for, and the winner would get to fondle all the machines and the casting kits.

I like it. But 6 weeks to turn out a metal masterpiece dooms me. I'm lucky to hit a part a week.

Slight change in title..."Iron Chef's of the Model Engineering World". Hope you don't mind.

I especially like the prize. Now we're talking motivation. 

Slight change in prize...'all oil included'. 

[wagnmkr]

All changes duly recorded and accepted! Particularly the "The all oils included" part.

Tom

[philjoe5]

Good progress being made here.  I'll be interested in how the bearings stood up to the press fit.  They look mighty fra-jill-ee

3-48 bolts, seriously?  They're on my Little Machine Shop Threading chart, but I'll be darned if I ever saw any at my usual haunts.  I haven't spent much time in the section of my drill index where the #47 pilot drill lives.  If I saw that on a set of plans, I'd tell myself that a 2x scale build would be perfect

Cheers,
Phil

[zeeprogrammer]

If I saw that on a set of plans, I'd tell myself that a 2x scale build would be perfect

Thanks Phil. 2x scale? You mean twice the size? Man...that would be over 29" long.

I think a number of bolts could have been replaced with other sizes. I think I did one. I might have gone 4-40 on this. But I don't have enough experience to know what the nut size would do. Not a problem. I have the die to make a 3-48 bolt.

I think I do. Guess I'd better check.

[crueby]

I usually go no smaller than 2-56, once in a while 1-72. I think that's about as big as George goes on his tiny engines! After a while with the smaller threads, bolts on the car seem like monsters.

[zeeprogrammer]

I did a lot of 2-56 on Spinster. I just thought it odd that these bolts are the only 3-48 on the model. I'm not concerned.

On another note...poo...I took the slitting saw to one of the parts to make a slot. Operation went well. The link fits nicely. But gosh darn it...the slot is off center. I check and check on those things because I've always struggled with the mill's z-azis and finding 'center'. Looks like I'm off by 1/32. Which would make sense that it's a 'magic' number.

Ah well...it doesn't look good but shouldn't be a problem. Maybe when I do the next identical part I'll see where I went wrong.

Pics when I get the other one done. It's somewhat embarrassing though. Not the order of operations one should have taken.

Hacking less. Which means I'm going to work tomorrow. 

Tonight was some kind of egg dish. A quiche you might call it. Filled with cauliflower, broccoli, and red pepper. Delicious.
But not filling.  Must find additional sustenance.

I like a good quiche. Get over it. 

[Dave Otto]

I can tolerate the the Broccoli but the Cauliflower defiantly is not going to happen.

Touch off the bottom of your cutter on your work piece; then drop 1/2 the cutter thickness and then 1/2 the diameter of your part. But you knew this, right? 1/32"is a big number, maybe you were busy coughing up a lung. 

I wish you were going to be at the show this weekend.

Dave