Benson's Vertical Steam Engine

[J.L.]

Point taken.
 

But you must realize Jason, that gluing down a pattern is just the first step. Scribing lines into the blued metal below the pattern establish the critical distances.
I think my error was in the final seating of the bearings.

[J.L.]

The crosshead began its life as a piece of 3/8" square brass bar. The cap screw boss was machined on the rotary table (Photo 1)

A 5C collet held the remaining 1/4" square section in the lathe so that it could be drilled, collared and shouldered on each end. The boss and the end holes were threaded #3-48 (Photo 2).

Anthony Mount did his research on the bolt that is used in the boss. It would be so easy to screw in a hardened socket head grub set screw here. Nothing seems to draw in as nicely as with gentle pressure from a hex wrench.  But they did not have them in the 1800's. On page 440 of Chas A. Strelinger & Co. 1895 catalog out of Detroit Michigan, clear plates of set and cap screws are shown. They could be square or hex, but I think the square was preferred. If you think of the set screw on top of the tool post on an engine lathe of the time, they were square. And more often than not, catalogues show a square wrench sitting near the lathe.

A standard hex headed soft steel bolt was squared to give this look (Photos 3 & 4).

[Flyboy Jim]

The crosshead began its life as a piece of 3/8" square brass bar. The cap screw boss was machined on the rotary table (Photo 1)

A 5C collet held the remaining 1/4" square section in the lathe so that it could be drilled, collared and shouldered on each end. The boss and the end holes were threaded #3-48 (Photo 2).

Anthony Mount did his research on the bolt that is used in the boss. It would be so easy to screw in a hardened socket head grub set screw here. Nothing seems to draw in as nicely as with gentle pressure from a hex wrench.  But they did not have them in the 1800's. On page 440 of Chas A. Strelinger & Co. 1895 catalog out of Detroit Michigan, clear plates of set and cap screws are shown. They could be square or hex, but I think the square was preferred. If you think of the set screw on top of the tool post on an engine lathe of the time, they were square. And more often than not, catalogues show a square wrench sitting near the lathe.

A standard hex headed soft steel bolt was squared to give this look (Photos 3 & 4).

That a nice bit of work and research John. Certainly will add a lot to the model. It also got me to thinking of how involved it must of been in 1895 to print a catalog with that many pages!

Jim

[steam guy willy]

Hi, Are those square socket headed countersunk screws you used to hold the brass blanks together ?? as i have not seen these before unlike the hex type ? and where are they from please....thanks    more good work going on there''''''''''Willbert
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[AOG]

Those look like Robertson screws. They are a Canada thing.

Tony

[b.lindsey]

I am still following along John, just more quietly of late. Things are looking very nice I must say!!

Bill

[steam guy willy]

Those look like Robertson screws. They are a Canada thing.

Tony

 Thanks Tony yes you are  right, no wonder i never have the right screwdriver !!

[J.L.]

Thanks Bill.

Hi Jim.  Thank you. Yes, the catalog is available at PM Research Inc. I highly recommend it. Perhaps the best book of tools, machinery and supplies of the 1800's around. It's reprinted by Lindsay Publications Inc.

Thanks for the comment and the question Wilbert. Tony is right. Those are #2 Robertson bolts. Robertson attempted to enter the United States market with the Ford Motor Company. From the early years of the Milton plant Ford Windsor accounted for a substantial part of Robertson's production. But when the Detroit bosses saw that they were saving money on every car by using socket head screws, , they wanted them produced in the States. Henry Ford tried to control how that would happen and Robertson walked away, letting go of a vast potential in the U.S. market.

In my opinion they are far superior to the Phillips screw head.

[Jasonb]

I have that book too, its a good read.

If you do still want the practicality of hex socket grub screws and less likelyhood of rounding over a home made small square headed one then you can always make caps to fit the hex ones.

[10KPete]

That's so darn clever! Another really neat detail to file away..

Thanks Jason!

Pete

[J.L.]

Jason!
That's brilliant!!!
John
 

[b.lindsey]

What a great idea, also filing that one away for future reference !!!  Thanks Jason.

Bill

[J.L.]

Now for the crosshead pivots...

[zeeprogrammer]

Cool information in this thread! 

[J.L.]

I agree Carl. It is so nice to have a forum where information can be freely shared. Lots of learning for everyone.

The crosshead is complete. We are nearing the moment of truth when this connecting rod will be lifting and lowering that piston rod.

I see from these photos, that I have the edges of the shoulder pin heads a bit sharp. I will soften them.