Vulcan Beam Engine - AJ Reeves Castings

[Zephyrin]

Great thread with the built of your "Vulcan", a beautiful engine.
one of my first built, from the Reeves castings too. I missed the flywheel, (wobbling !) too large for my lathe in those days !
I steamed it, and was very happy with the result, a elegant runner !

[Emelbe]

Hi Zephyrin

Thanks for your comments.  Just had a look at your videos on google, you do realise you might have got yourself a 'new' best friend looking at your effort with the Vulcan!!!

Cheers

Martin

[Chipswitheverything]

Hi Martin, interested in your build of this engine, and appreciate the detailed write up with your experiences of the various difficulties and pleasures of the work.  Have seen a few Vulcan engines at shows over the years, but they remain one of the more unusual designs for the model engineer.  Nice work on the fettling and improvement of the castings, I know how much time goes into that sort of "hidden" side of the work, but it makes all the difference!    Dave

[Emelbe]

Hi Dave

Thanks for your comments.  I agree with what you say that people don't appreciate the time involved in the fettling etc. I know I didn't at first.  It's definitely well worth the effort.  All I do now is put Netflix on the computer and binge watch while I 'fettle away'.  I've added an image of my last effort, the James Coombes Table Engine, (I think that was most of Season 3 of Breaking Bad!!!)

Cheers

Martin

[Emelbe]

Hi,

The next job to tackle is the Suspension Links for the parallel motion.  At first glance they looked quite daunting, and I spent some time agonising over the best way to make them.  I finally came up with a cunning plan which so far seems to work out OK.  I think it's one of those jobs you definitely need to be in the right frame of mind before you start.

I decided that if I made them from square section it would help with work holding and keeping things square when it came to milling. Turning the blanks is easy if you have a self centring 4 jaw chuck, one of the best investments I have made.  First job was to make a form tool for the 'fancy' bit in the middle out of tool steel using the Dremel to grind the required shape. I did quite a few trial runs on some scrap bar until I got the set up right and the tool cutting properly.  The general idea was to 'extend' the lower part of the link so the two parts of the lower bracket could be made from the same piece. You'll probably get the idea if you look at the images.

Turning the blanks is straightforward although forming the central post is a little nerve racking as there's not a lot of metal left once the shape has been formed (I left that until the last operation to be on the safe side).  On to the milling machine and the first job was to drill the holes, I did this first so I had a good face to measure from.  Next step was bringing the thickness down to size and then the width of the upper part to the correct dimension.  I'll leave it there for now, I've hopefully posted the images in the right chronological sequence if anyone is interested.  The next job will be milling the grooves in the upper half, then drilling the holes in the lower part for the strap.

[Chipswitheverything]

As you say, Martin, these links are not the easiest of bits! Brasses and twiddly bits looking good, your form tool has worked nicely. 
 Just looking at the drawing and your milled out steel bar at the top of the second photo, am I right that the "U" strap component has to be turned and threaded on the lower elements of the "U"? Interested in what your plan will be for that part of the procedure...  Dave

[Emelbe]

Hi Dave

Hmmm,  I did contemplate making the straps in one piece, but the problem being how would I get a die on the threaded bit unless I made it flat and bent it afterwards?  Think I'm going to take the cowards way out and drill the ends of the strap for threaded rod (10BA), I doubt I can tap it because the thickness is 1.5mm where 10BA is 1.8mm o/d.  so I anticipate reducing diameter of the threaded rod at one end and use Loctite to secure it, or alternatively make 'legs' of the strap thicker.  Think the first option is favourite as there shouldn't be too much strain on the joint once the links are assembled (famous last words!!), the second option, I think, will make the assembly look a little bulky.  Really a case of 'suck it and see' at the moment

Cheers

Martin

[Zephyrin]

I'm remembering of a flaw in the design during the installation of the cylinder, and unfolding the blue prints after many years, I saw my notes on the drawing: 
The top opening of the cylinder pedestal is 1 3/8", whereas the fixing bolts of the bottom cylinder cover lay on a 1 1/16 PCD, which is very close and leaves little room for the fixing bolt heads !
As a have seen that these parts are already done, I wonder how did you proceed ?

[Emelbe]

Hi Zephyrin,

Looking at the drawings the PCD is 1 3/16" which is OK, possibly a later amendment.  For my last couple of engines I have completely re-drawn the plans in AutoCad, I find it helps me understand the engine and also I can make any design/dimension changes as necessary.  Once all the components are drawn I pre-build the engine on paper first.  I have found that I can then copy the drawings  and take off constructional dimensions to work with. I've added an image to show you what I mean.

cheers

Martin

[Chipswitheverything]

Hi Martin, like the CAD G.A, no doubt a big help in sorting out snags. 
 These straps are even smaller in section than I had supposed, and I dare say the Loctite solution will get by.  Just wondered about slitting the lower ends of the flat part of the "U" strap, say 6 or 8 mm deep, and making up the turned and threaded sections in the lathe from small section flat bar, silver soldering them into the slots in the straps and cleaning up?  Not saying that I greatly fancy doing it, but it would be strong....!
Dave

[Emelbe]

Hi Dave

I did think of going down the soldering route, but to be honest my soldering's not the best in the world, I'd probably spend as much time cleaning it up as I would have making it!!!  I've had some decent results with both Loctite and also Epoxy in the past, so if I make the rod a decent fit into the drilled hole I'm thinking it should do the trick.  Looking at the mechanics of it, the Piston and the inertia of the flywheel are doing all the real work so the stress should be minimal.

Cheers

Martin

[Chipswitheverything]

Just looking back to your opening comment on this log, Martin, I wonder if , when you are taking some photos, you might include a snap or two of your Stuart 10V ?  I'm mucking about with two examples of that little engine right now, finishing off ( maybe! ) some long neglected previous work, I'd be pleased to get a bit of inspiration from your engine...    Dave

[Emelbe]

Hi Dave

I've attached an image of my 10V.  I've actually got some video of it running and my James Coombes as well but I can't figure out how to get the size down so it will upload.  If you want to see the videos I'm actually in the process of making a blog where I've posted them, you can find it at:

modelengineer.blog

Don't know how to set it up as a link either!!!

Cheers

Martin

[Chipswitheverything]

Hi Martin, Thanks for the 10 photo, that looks very neat, I like the blue paintwork!  Finished nicely like that, they do look like a proper little steam engine.  Dave

[Emelbe]

At last the suspension links are finished! On my last post I think I was at the stage where I had turned the blanks and were ready for drilling. The holes need to be pretty accurate but with a bit of care it's not too difficult, to make sure they were vertical I left the opposite faced end of the blank on as a stand, and for the hole positioning I set everything up with the edge finder on the milling machine.  Once drilled it was a case of chopping the other end of the original square section off and square up the end to half diameter of the drilled hole. 

I had already milled the slot for the straps, and once let on the link centre and cut to the correct length it was decision time on how to fit the threaded rod.  If you have read the conversations I have had with Dave (Chipswitheverything), I was more or less settled on drilling a hole in the end of the strap and loctiting the rod in. Theres a saying about 'best laid plans of mice and men' or something like that, but after the drill wandered and broke through the edge of the strap it was obvious that my idea wasn't going to work!  Dave suggested cutting a slot and soldering the threaded rod in position and, seeing that the strap I had attempted to drill was either scrap, or could maybe be salvaged by going down the soldering route I thought I'd give it a go.  If theres a good reason to join a forum this one of them, in truth soldering had never occurred to me but as it happens it was definitely the best way to go.  The slots were formed using my Dremel with a thin cutting disc, the threaded rod was pressed into the gap with pliers, and then it was just a matter of heating it up and running the solder - 'easy- peasy'.  So thank you Dave, I owe you one!

To finish off I cut out the lump between the lower holes and squared the ends off at half hole.  At the end of the day it was a fiddly job, but I'm quite happy with the end result.  Next job the cross shafts.