Chris's Marion 91 Steam Shovel

[steamboatmodel]

Hi Chris, the mental image of the Sherline chuck breaking free and hitting the wall with a solid THUNK per your post pretty much evaporated my 235 HP aux diesel daydream....

Your progress is terrific on the drillage / millage on the cylinder frames. Are you thinking of hanging out a shingle for "LOW COST TOOTH EXTRACTIONS DONE HERE"? Demand may be high given the high cost of dental insurance! 

Likely fewer complaints or yelling from your cylinder frames though..... no anaesthesia needed on them. Wait a minute - The elves may have left some of the Navy rum for human patients..... NAH!

How did your archery session go? Tell, William Chris.                      (sorry re bad pun,  without warning marquee)

(to all that!)
Fortunately I've seen enough episodes of Tool Time to know not to hook a Binford 6100 TurboGenerator with 4.3million volts up to my mill...  (I don't think so, Tim)

I had a tooth extraction (well, the outer half of a molar) this past year, so while I do have a air powered high speed rotary tool that sounds like a dental drill, past experience and flashbacks would keep me out of that business (except for telemarketers, who would get free work done. And done. And redone...).

And I am still looking for where those pesky elves hid the rum!

Archery this week went so-so, my aim and concentration were not at peak form, so had a few off shots. This is with a bare recurve, no sights or release, so any lapse in focus means a bad shot. I also shoot a compound with full sights and release, but it is almost too easy, no where near as much fun as the traditional class. The local shop does a weekly winter 3D league, with foam animal targets of all types out to 30 yards, plus trees, fences, etc in the way. One of the animals is always a mover, on a wheeled trolley that moves across the range. There are 5 stations, sitting, standing, kneeling, tree stand, and ground blind, shoot all targets from all positions during the session. Lots of fun, great group up there.

Oh - and on the William (Tell) front - that reminds me of the running gag at our pistol league - any time the range officer gives the Fire At Will command, someone always asks 'wheres Will?'. Its interesting that we have 3 Mikes, couple of Tims, couple Toms, but we have never had anyone named Will join the group!

If my son Will an I come to visit we will have to remember that. Does your Group do the "Ready on the right, ready on the left, ready on the line, Fire at Will." routine? I found out where that came from.
 It goes back to single shot muzzleloaders,(and Bows before that) and Volley Firing.
Ordinally it was;
1] Make Ready
2] Present : Hold normally
3] Fire : Fire off the desired shot command
Volley Fire : On the command of volley fire the whole company/squad will fire at once, all in unison.
Ripple Fire : When this command is given, whatever side the commanding officer is standing on, one by one down the line you will fire.
Fire at Will : On this command, the whole squad/company will fire at their own accord when they can see a hostile or the line is in danger.

Gerald.

[crueby]

Hi Chris, the mental image of the Sherline chuck breaking free and hitting the wall with a solid THUNK per your post pretty much evaporated my 235 HP aux diesel daydream....

Your progress is terrific on the drillage / millage on the cylinder frames. Are you thinking of hanging out a shingle for "LOW COST TOOTH EXTRACTIONS DONE HERE"? Demand may be high given the high cost of dental insurance! 

Likely fewer complaints or yelling from your cylinder frames though..... no anaesthesia needed on them. Wait a minute - The elves may have left some of the Navy rum for human patients..... NAH!

How did your archery session go? Tell, William Chris.                      (sorry re bad pun,  without warning marquee)

(to all that!)
Fortunately I've seen enough episodes of Tool Time to know not to hook a Binford 6100 TurboGenerator with 4.3million volts up to my mill...  (I don't think so, Tim)

I had a tooth extraction (well, the outer half of a molar) this past year, so while I do have a air powered high speed rotary tool that sounds like a dental drill, past experience and flashbacks would keep me out of that business (except for telemarketers, who would get free work done. And done. And redone...).

And I am still looking for where those pesky elves hid the rum!

Archery this week went so-so, my aim and concentration were not at peak form, so had a few off shots. This is with a bare recurve, no sights or release, so any lapse in focus means a bad shot. I also shoot a compound with full sights and release, but it is almost too easy, no where near as much fun as the traditional class. The local shop does a weekly winter 3D league, with foam animal targets of all types out to 30 yards, plus trees, fences, etc in the way. One of the animals is always a mover, on a wheeled trolley that moves across the range. There are 5 stations, sitting, standing, kneeling, tree stand, and ground blind, shoot all targets from all positions during the session. Lots of fun, great group up there.

Oh - and on the William (Tell) front - that reminds me of the running gag at our pistol league - any time the range officer gives the Fire At Will command, someone always asks 'wheres Will?'. Its interesting that we have 3 Mikes, couple of Tims, couple Toms, but we have never had anyone named Will join the group!

If my son Will an I come to visit we will have to remember that. Does your Group do the "Ready on the right, ready on the left, ready on the line, Fire at Will." routine? I found out where that came from.
 It goes back to single shot muzzleloaders,(and Bows before that) and Volley Firing.
Ordinally it was;
1] Make Ready
2] Present : Hold normally
3] Fire : Fire off the desired shot command
Volley Fire : On the command of volley fire the whole company/squad will fire at once, all in unison.
Ripple Fire : When this command is given, whatever side the commanding officer is standing on, one by one down the line you will fire.
Fire at Will : On this command, the whole squad/company will fire at their own accord when they can see a hostile or the line is in danger.

Gerald.

Yup, thats our normal routine for competition speed runs:
- Line is going hot (signal to check everyone, including spectators, has eye/ear protection on and no one is downrange of the line)

- shooters make ready (can load/drop slides and check aim)

- ready on left (shooter(s) on left reply when ready to go)

- ready on right (those on right reply)

- stand by

- fire! (or horn, or timer beep, depending on the event)

[Craig DeShong]

Hello Chris,

Man that is a lot of work on these engines, I am plum tuckered out just from following along. However, your work is fantastic as usual.

Have a great day,
Thomas

I don't understand all the accolades directed at Chris.  Chris is in management and just directs the elves in their work.

Well, regardless of who's doing it, it's first class work !    

[crueby]

This evening saw the last of the side sections milled down to size:

And got the setup for doing the arcs up at the front ends of the crosshead guide tubes. Used the same setup with the rotary table and 4-jaw chuck as before, just mounted vertically this time, and using the tailstock mount to do the centering. The tailstock was centered on the rotab first with a rod with a hole in the end held in the 3-jaw, then switched to the 4-jaw with the parts. As before, used the hole in the center of the cap to indicate on.

First did the small arc on the left side of the block - the only part showing of that is right behind the front cap and flange:

Then swapped the part over to the other side, centered on the other hole, and did the arc there, which runs all the way up to the top surface, since this side does not have a bearing block in the way.

Next will be to repeat these steps on the other two blocks, then will be able to finish up the front ends, namely cutting the windows into the crosshead tubes, and drilling for the cap mounting bolts.

[crueby]

Hello Chris,

Man that is a lot of work on these engines, I am plum tuckered out just from following along. However, your work is fantastic as usual.

Have a great day,
Thomas

I don't understand all the accolades directed at Chris.  Chris is in management and just directs the elves in their work.

Well, regardless of who's doing it, it's first class work !    

Management? MANAGEMENT!

Thems fighten words to an engineer!!   

Ick! Ack! Ptui! Need to wash out my mouth with a chocolate chip cookie....  Mmmmm... Cookie... (yes, as easily distracted as a dog seeing a squirrel. Or a treat. Same thing!)
 

Thanks anyway. But I will have to put you on Zee-probationary status.   
 

[Jo]

Management? MANAGEMENT!

Thems fighten words to an engineer!!   

Maybe you need to hold a meeting  .. it might slow them down, you could offer cookies to all attendees

Jo

[crueby]

Management? MANAGEMENT!

Thems fighten words to an engineer!!   

Maybe you need to hold a meeting  .. it might slow them down, you could offer cookies to all attendees

Jo

First management and now meetings....   

[cnr6400]

My two least favourite M words - the bane of my existence much of the time. 

Wheelbarrows of swarf and bits of fresh-machined metals going round and round - the best antidote! Let's resume that sort of stuff ASAP! 

[crueby]

My two least favourite M words - the bane of my existence much of the time. 

Wheelbarrows of swarf and bits of fresh-machined metals going round and round - the best antidote! Let's resume that sort of stuff ASAP! 

At least they didn't use the M*rk*ting word. Ick!


I am going to the shop! Swarf it is!

[crueby]

Some good time in the shop this morning, got the rest of the arcs cut behind the front flanges, and also cut the windows in the sides of the crosshead guides:

Now its time to decide how to cut the recesses between the windows and the crankshaft bay. We've been discussing this, once again here is where the recess is - it is sketched in blue pen in this picture, and extends back to the crankshaft bay. It is to give clearance room for the eccentric rods and the clevis at the front end.

Tricky spot to get to, we've talked about using the boring head, lollipop cutters, key seat cutters, that sort of thing. The problem with those is reaching the area, since its an inch away from either end, and about 5/8" long. If no better method comes up, I will mill through from the outside and put a patch panel over the opening on the outside.

[ddmckee54]

I vote we contact GE and have the parts 3D printed in metal.  They do it with jet engine parts, and you've already got the files.  Maybe your elves can work with their elves?

I agree with you, the 3M's are the bane of an engineer's life:
Management
Meetings
M*rk*ting
(Although the order sometimes varies.)

Don

[crueby]

I vote we contact GE and have the parts 3D printed in metal.  They do it with jet engine parts, and you've already got the files.  Maybe your elves can work with their elves?

Love the idea, but only if we can send someone else the bill!      And NO free sample jets for the elves, I don't want them strafing the mall again, it was bad enough when they were riding reindeer!

I agree with you, the 3M's are the bane of an engineer's life:
Management
Meetings
M*rk*ting
(Although the order sometimes varies.)

Don

Please don't swear like that! Only four letter words, no M words!   

 

[crueby]

I think I have something that will work out, along the lines of the lollipop cutter idea from Simon. I did some rummaging around in my carving shop looking at all the rotary tool burrs, and found a cylindrical cutter, double cut tooth pattern, solid carbide (made by WoodCraft of all places for a metal project) that has a 1/4" shank and a 3/8" head. I is long enough to reach all the way through the area to be cut from the back of the part, as long as I widen the hole I made to cut the counterbore. Here it is in action:

The head is just wide enough to reach past the side wall, but not so wide that it takes away too much of the bore. The crosshead itself only uses the top and bottom of the bore, so its okay to cut away part of the side wall. Here it is retracted to show the cut and tool better:

Now, obviously it cannot do the square inside corners, but the size worked out so that I could cut the recess wider past where the corners would be, so at least the eccentric arms will have the clearance they need, which is the point of all this. Here are a couple more views along the bore:



If need be, to get clearance, I can always nibble that front corner with a ball end tool in the rotary handpiece, but I think it will all clear as is.

So, going to go with that method for the recess, can always revisit it later on once the eccentric linkages are made. Thanks to all for your suggestions!!!   

[cnr6400]

Hi Chris, more great progress! 

Looking at your latest pic it occurs to me that at this stage you could get a special homemade broach tool in there to do the final cleanup of the recesses WITH square corners. Think of a regular style broach guide bush, a cylinder with a square slot. You could make one like that to fit one crosshead bore but on an end plate with a second cylinder to enter the other bore to line the broach up.   A similar guide could be rigged at the opposite end. This way the broach would be well supported and lined up all the way from top to bottom. The slots in these guides are both facing outward away from the centre of the cyl frame.  The broach drive bar would be a square bar that can pass through the bores with small clearance, resting on the square slot in the broach guides. Here's the trick - the cutter block part of the broach is inserted in the hole first, then broach bar is fitted behind it. The cutter block sits on a wedge on the broach bar. Broach bar has dowels that drive the cutter block and locate it, but allow the wedge to raise the cutter block into the work after successive cuts. The wedge is advanced after the cutter does a cut. Cutter block is moved outward with the wedge and more cuts are made to clean the recess up. Wedge could be pulled to raise the cutter by a stud and nut in the broach guide bush end plate. The whole rig could be set vertical in a heavy drill press and the rack of the press used to provide the broaching force. Cutter teeth would be a few thou higher each tooth along the block, max. , with maybe 6 teeth.

Elaborate yes, and some small tool work, but would provide nice square corners. Recess could also be done with EDM as we discussed but the broaching would be a process that the Marion shop machinists at the time the original was built would be familiar with. They might do this op with a slotter too, that's basically a vertical shaper, or maybe a shaper if the deflection of a long thin tool was not too much.

[crueby]

How would the cutter block be held into the drive bar? If the cutter block is short, wouldn't it tend to rock back when pushed? Or would the cutter block have long tails to slot into the drive bar?  I think I need a sketch.  Sounds like an interesting plan. The bars would need to be hardened to cut, right? I have never used a broach, but have read some about them.