Author Topic: Stuart Beam 'Again' but in the UK!  (Read 14143 times)

simplyloco

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Re: Stuart Beam 'Again' but in the UK!
« Reply #15 on: August 08, 2017, 04:59:39 PM »
Hi John,

Excellent work and great set-ups!

John, everybody seems to want to mount the beam in a chuck and spin it. I was wondering if the whole job could not be done on a mill/drill? Once centre line was established, could not the table be just moved along to bore the holes?

Each boss of the beam and the flanges could also be skimmed while the beam was fastened to the table.

Just wondering...  :thinking:

Yes John, that's how I will finish the beam. The mill head is built on to the back of the bed and I couldn't be bothered to use it as I had the 4 jaw in the spindle!
John

EDIT: I forgot to mention that the main point of doing the centre hole was to have something to bolt through and hold it down on the milling bed!
« Last Edit: August 08, 2017, 07:14:51 PM by simplyloco »

simplyloco

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Drilling, reaming and dressing the Beam
« Reply #16 on: August 11, 2017, 08:32:04 PM »
As suggested by K.L., the beam is set up on the milling table, on the centre line. My miller is attached to the lathe bed, which means I can use the whole bed length, and have power feeds in both directions. The head is 3 phase, run from a clever blue box giving me infinitely variable speeds.

The bed has a sliding stop, which means with the use of gauge blocks - very cheap to buy these days -, which can be seen in the lower left of the picture, I can make hole centres with toolroom accuracy, in this case 7" and 1.75".  I also machined the bosses to nominal 3/8" - actually less as the casting was all over the place!
WP_20170811_18_26_13_Pro by inkaboat, on Flickr

The linisher was used to dress the sides. I had to make a little fixture to accomodate the boss.
WP_20170811_19_16_08_Pro by inkaboat, on Flickr

Finished beam. It is nice enough, but will need the odd spot of filler to make it perfect!
WP_20170811_19_37_35_Pro by inkaboat, on Flickr

Oh, and here's the pedestal to go with it!
WP_20170808_16_03_29_Pro by inkaboat, on Flickr

BTW here's a Stuart Beam engine for sale on evilbay UK for £800: not a good example for that sort of money...
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Live-Steam-Model-Stationary-Stuart-Beam-Engine/263124685747?_trksid=p2485497.m4902.l9144

John
« Last Edit: August 11, 2017, 09:11:35 PM by simplyloco »

simplyloco

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Piston rings versus packing versus PTFE
« Reply #17 on: August 11, 2017, 09:23:01 PM »
Whilst making the 1" piston and toying with the idea of PTFE rings,  I suddenly remembered buying some cast iron piston rings long ago at a show.  I dug them out and found 10 x 1" x 1/8" precision rings, complete with stepped gaps! I think I paid one GBP  each for them. Stuart asks £18 EACH for theirs, so I have a bargain on my hands!
Anyway, my beam engine will have a piston ring, and if I break one, I've got some spares! They spring on without any trouble, so I don't have to make a built up piston to accommodate them. I'm also going to make high hex head stainless bolts everywhere, one or two sizes smaller, as to me they look much nicer!

WP_20170811_14_25_02_Pro by inkaboat, on Flickr



Offline Nick_G

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Re: Stuart Beam 'Again' but in the UK!
« Reply #18 on: August 11, 2017, 10:24:55 PM »
.
Some nice machines you have there. - More importantly it seems you know also how to use them.!  :) :ThumbsUp:

Nick

simplyloco

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Re: Stuart Beam 'Again' but in the UK!
« Reply #19 on: August 11, 2017, 10:52:04 PM »
.
Some nice machines you have there. - More importantly it seems you know also how to use them.!  :) :ThumbsUp:

Nick

Thanks Nick for the compliment. I just want to pass on the knowledge before I pop off!
John

simplyloco

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Entablature Slots
« Reply #20 on: August 12, 2017, 08:34:33 PM »
This afternoon's job was machining the slots for the horizontal beams. To ensure that the slots were parallel to the top I just clamped the column down on the table, the top  pressed against the silver steel bar which was placed against the two dowel pins set into the milling table. Not forgetting the 1/16" shim at the base to compensate for the difference in thickness between top and bottom!
Many people don't like to drill holes in their machines, but it doesn't bother me, and this mod makes setting up very easy. Additionally, my milling vice is machined on the back face parallel to the fixed jaw to take advantage of the pin location. Just whack it onto the table, clamp it down and we are off!

WP_20170812_15_48_12_Pro by inkaboat, on Flickr

Spot on at 0.375"!
WP_20170812_16_10_24_Pro by inkaboat, on Flickr

Now that's what I call a good fit! However, I can't leave those beams looking plain and just awful! Watch this space...

DSC00003 by inkaboat, on Flickr




« Last Edit: August 12, 2017, 09:05:55 PM by simplyloco »

Offline b.lindsey

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Re: Stuart Beam 'Again' but in the UK!
« Reply #21 on: August 12, 2017, 11:57:18 PM »
Making some good progress since I last checked in. The pictures are great too for showing the set-ups.  :popcorn:

Bill

simplyloco

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Re: Stuart Beam 'Again' but in the UK!
« Reply #22 on: August 22, 2017, 10:46:40 PM »
Making some good progress since I last checked in. The pictures are great too for showing the set-ups.  :popcorn:

Bill

Talking of progress!

Bearings bored and ready for shaping in the mill.
WP_20170822_17_06_22_Pro by inkaboat, on Flickr

Flywheel was fixed to the faceplate but the clamping wasn't secure enough to support turning the OD. The faceplate was removed and setup was modified to include some packing under the wheel spokes and lifted the perimeter just off the faceplate to facilitate machining the thing tomorrow!

WP_20170822_19_22_09_Pro by inkaboat, on Flickr

« Last Edit: August 22, 2017, 11:17:13 PM by simplyloco »

Online Jasonb

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Re: Stuart Beam 'Again' but in the UK!
« Reply #23 on: August 23, 2017, 08:12:19 AM »
Nice to see you have one of the old flywheels without those nasty lugs that the current ones have where the spoke joins the rim.

J

simplyloco

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Re: Stuart Beam 'Again' but in the UK!
« Reply #24 on: August 23, 2017, 08:35:00 AM »
Nice to see you have one of the old flywheels without those nasty lugs that the current ones have where the spoke joins the rim.

J

Agreed. I bought the casting set recently from a retired model engineer who bought them in 1993 and who never got around to opening the box!
John

simplyloco

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Taking Shape
« Reply #25 on: August 24, 2017, 05:45:05 PM »
It's starting to look the part. A friend machined up the oak baseboard today. That's the boiler cap and chimney  sitting there ready for the as yet unmade gas fired boiler that will be underneath it!
I just have a small tray of castings to machine and a couple of sticks of mild steel to make conrods and I'm there!

Or so he thinks, ha ha!... :mischief:

DSC00083 by inkaboat, on Flickr

DSC00085 by inkaboat, on Flickr
« Last Edit: August 24, 2017, 05:48:52 PM by simplyloco »

simplyloco

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Some 'Minor' improvements to the original!
« Reply #26 on: August 28, 2017, 05:31:52 PM »
Following along with John I decided to attempt to pretty up the basic machine. I didn't like the plain conrod very much, so I made a three piece rod in the style of the 'Major' as shown below. The paint is hammer finish and I'll try it out on the whole machine. The big end was also 'improved' with a couple of raised bosses and one size smaller bolt heads. The head bearings will have round cotter pins through the brass rings instead of those positively ghastly nuts!
I'm not happy with the beam casting as the bosses do not line up! I've centred the holes on one side and the other side is a disaster...
Nothing is assembled yet or finally polished but I'm making good progress!
John

DSC00020 by inkaboat, on Flickr

DSC00018 by inkaboat, on Flickr

DSC00009 by inkaboat, on Flickr
« Last Edit: August 28, 2017, 05:48:25 PM by simplyloco »

Offline Ye-Ole Steam Dude

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Re: Stuart Beam 'Again' but in the UK!
« Reply #27 on: August 28, 2017, 08:33:06 PM »

John that looks really good.

Thomas
Thomas

Offline wagnmkr

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Re: Stuart Beam 'Again' but in the UK!
« Reply #28 on: August 28, 2017, 10:58:59 PM »
Yup, that adds a wee bit of snap to it John.

Tom
I was cut out to be rich ... but ... I was sewn up all wrong!

Offline b.lindsey

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Re: Stuart Beam 'Again' but in the UK!
« Reply #29 on: August 28, 2017, 11:46:19 PM »
Looking great John, and you are making rapid progress!!

Bill

 

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