Retlas

[Chipmaster]

This afternoon I made the little end phosphor bronze bearing bush, the gudgeon pin and two anti wear brass pads to protect the cylinder walls from being scored by the gudgeon pin. I would prefer to use two small cap head screws to retain the gudgeon pin but after machining the piston to fit the 3/8" pin there wasn't enough of the bosses left to do that.
Jo will be interested to know that when I put the engine together the connecting rod fouled the cylinder liner protruding beneath the cylinder/yoke casting so I had to remove about 5/16" from the end of the cylinder liner.
Building Retlas 606 by Andy, on Flickr

Now the cylinder liner hardly protrudes.
Building Retlas 607 by Andy, on Flickr
The piston protrudes...
Building Retlas 609 by Andy, on Flickr
Building Retlas 613 by Andy, on Flickr

I was also pleased that the engine turns over without any binding, it's a relief that all the parts have lined up.
Here's a flickr video, I haven't tried adding one of these before.
Retlas piston goes up and down by Andy, on Flickr

In case the flickr video doesn't work here's a YouTube video of the piston going up and down.
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=29KEPzGJoOk" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=29KEPzGJoOk</a>

Next step is to make piston rings.

Andy

[Jasonb]

Looking good and nice & free.

[Jo]

Its only a bunch of model engine nuts who could find a piston going up and down exciting  .

Andy let me know if you want a spare cross slide nut and I will set my supplier on acquiring one for you 

Jo

[Chipmaster]

It's good to be in contact with people who find a piston going up and down exciting  , my wife doesn't understand me .

Jo I am interested in acquiring a spare cross slide nut for my Chipmaster which is imperial.

Andy

[zeeprogrammer]

Its only a bunch of model engine nuts who could find a piston going up and down exciting  .

Uh oh. I wonder what that makes me then. I was watching the video and thinking "that's cool"...then I read Jo's and Andy's posts. 

Still watching. 

[Chipmaster]

At least we're harmless Zee.

[zeeprogrammer]

At least we're harmless Zee.

Only if you don't do what I do. As I've apparently been told. 

[Dave Otto]

Great progress Andy,

I have been quietly following along and enjoying your build; its nice when everything goes round and round and up and down as it should.

Dave

[Chipmaster]

Thanks Dave, when an engine gets to this stage without binding It's a real confidence boost.
I'm also watching your Otto & Langen build which is impressive, the machined surfaces always look immaculate. I strive to get surfaces like that but they often get scratched along the way.

Andy

[Jasonb]

Thanks Dave, when an engine gets to this stage without binding It's a real confidence boost.

Its also a good indication that you have your fits and finishes right, only the other day I was offered a part complete engine to caress, I soon put it down as it was rather tight. This was only the crankshaft in the bearings and would be best sorted out before more parts aremade and added to the engine which will make it harder to trace the source of the binding. Funny enough last weekend I took a video specifically to illustrate this point before you had posted yours, it will be in my Jowitt thread in a week or two.

You know who you are so watch out for it

[Chipmaster]

After corresponding with Jason and Graham about how the big end bearing of the original Gardner vertical engine was lubricated I decided to copy and improvise a drip feed arrangement. A brass cup fitted to the side of the big end cap will catch drops of oil from a sight feed lubricator and sufficient oil will reach the crankpin via a grove milled across the face of the end cap, past a big end bolt finally through a slot filed where the two halves of the bearing shells meet. A static test was successful.

Starting out with a 3/4" square brass bar reduced to the thickness of the con rod (5/8"), a slot was milled to form a scoop.
Building Retlas 618 by Andy, on Flickr
Building Retlas 619 by Andy, on Flickr
Then some more milling what will be the external surfaces of the cup,
Building Retlas 621 by Andy, on Flickr
Then parted off..
Building Retlas 625 by Andy, on Flickr

I milled a slot across the face of the big end cap, wide enough for oil to pass the big end bolt and out through a small slot filed in the edge of the bronze bearing.
Building Retlas 626 by Andy, on Flickr
Building Retlas 627 by Andy, on Flickr

The cup is attached with two 6ba screws
Building Retlas 628 by Andy, on Flickr
With the con rod assembled a few drops of oil were put in the cup, oil soon flowed though to the bearing. I reckon enough oil will reach the bearing and some oil will be thrown out of the cup up into the cylinder - useful.
Building Retlas 629 by Andy, on Flickr
Building Retlas 630 by Andy, on Flickr

[Myrickman]

That's a right pleasing and functional oiler Andy. Have to park that in the old gray matter for future use.  I have a full sized engine with a similar oil cup and oiler which catches drips as they fall. Lots of good tips on this build, thanks for the progress reports. Paul

[Chipmaster]

Cheers Paul, the official method for lubricating the Retlas big end was by forcing in grease with a screw in the big end bearing cap which would probably be awkward. So, I'm very pleased to have been tipped off about this, the full sized vertical Gardner big end lubrication method. There wasn't much space to accommodate the two 6ba screws securing the cup to the end cap and miss the big end bolt. It was a relief to finish the job with the omnipresent risk of a little 6ba tap breaking off and spoiling the con rod.
Andy

[Jasonb]

Looks good and I will let you off using round heads instead of cheese heads

[Chipmaster]

Jason, Blimey give us a chance I only had round head screws in stock, is brass ok? 
Andy