Lane and Bodley 400hp Corliss

[vcutajar]

Still following along in the background, admiring your patience.

Vince

[sco]

Thanks Vince.  The cross-head is in - it slides smoothly but stickily if that makes any sense - hoping once it's guided by the piston and connecting rods it will bed in and loosen up.

Simon.

[Ramon Wilson]

Hi Simon, Great result

I know it's tempting but I'd not be too keen to run that back and forth now to free things a little until you get the cylinder bolted on and the piston rod connected up. That way you can tweak any minor misalignment and allow it to all bed in together. Looking good though - you'll have that turning over at Forncett at this rate

Tug

[sco]

Thanks Tug - I have resisted the urge to move the cross-head back and forth, but in the meantime I had a different urge to make the steam valve hand wheel.

I didn't really like the wheel as drawn in the plans so decided to freestyle it and try and make something a bit closer to the real item, I started with a commercial stainless steel ring which I held in the dividing head and drilled 6 radial holes.  This was repeated with some bar for the central boss and the spokes were simply end drilled and the end profiled to match the rim.

I used a syringe to inject some quick set epoxy into the centre of the boss to lock the spokes in and used the lathe to make sure the rim was square whilst the glue set.  The radial locating pins were left over long to position the spokes into the rim - they will be trimmed sub flush and then bonded in next.

Simon.

[Ramon Wilson]

It's good to have a change of pace Simon - looks good.

I like the epoxy injection - not tried that method before, did you heat the epoxy to make it more fluid or did it work ok as mixed from the tube?

Had a little change of pace myself in doing a couple of diesel cylinders but back on the air pump now 

Tug

[sco]

Tug,

I purposely wanted the epoxy on the thick side - that way when I injected it it forced the spokes outwards against the rim.  We use this epoxy injection technique a lot at work to repair composite components that have disbonded or delaminated but for that we want the glue very thin so that it tracks right through the defect.

Simon.

[Ramon Wilson]

Ah - so you mean you positioned them hydraulically - nice one 

When you thin the epoxy at work as you describe is that by using a 'thinner' or by heating to improve the viscosity?

T

[steam guy willy]

Looking good but how did the SS change to brass and then back to SS ?!!! or is it just a yellow reflexion ? !!! some lovely work going on here ..somethibg to aspire to...

[sco]

Tug,

We don't use a thinner - the epoxy is naturally thinner than Araldite and I think they also gently heat it.

Willy,

No brass involved so must be dodgy camera work 

Simon.

[sco]

Here's the finished hand wheel and I've made a start on the steam valve.

Simon.

[sco]

More work on the steam valve - used a small boring tool and run the lathe in reverse to clean up the flanges, then bore the inside for the valve recess and used a 60 degree countersink to cut the valve seats.  Then it was just drill and tap the flanges for the mounting studs.

Simon.

[Ramon Wilson]

Steady progress eh Simon, another step along the way 

Tug

[Dave Otto]

Lots of work in that little guy Simon, its coming along nicely!

Dave

[sco]

Finally finished the steam valve - only a couple of photos. one of the bits and one of the assembly.

Simon.

[Ramon Wilson]

SNAP

Love the casting and that shaft housing Simon - really looks the part

Hope you can find some better workshop time in coming weeks - what's planned next?

Tug