Chris's Marion 91 Steam Shovel

[crueby]

Don...keep in mind the kinds of elves Chris's mint chocolate chip cookies attract.
Think about it.

Think about it carefully.

If you want helpful and polite elves, you might try a different cookie.
If you can't make your own...Keebler can work in a pinch. Or Rice Krispie treats.

I had some elves...but they were attracted by another shop (T's kitchen).
I don't know her specific trick but I know it works on me too.

 

All I have now is something I haven't been able to see but keeps mumbling things like "Are you sure you want to do that?".

 


Jealousy is a sad thing to see. Just because Zee could not bribe my shop elves to work for him...  My cookies inspire too much loyalty. Zees rice krispies turned his into evil shop gnomes...


 

[zeeprogrammer]

Don...keep in mind the kinds of elves Chris's mint chocolate chip cookies attract.
Think about it.

Think about it carefully.

If you want helpful and polite elves, you might try a different cookie.
If you can't make your own...Keebler can work in a pinch. Or Rice Krispie treats.

I had some elves...but they were attracted by another shop (T's kitchen).
I don't know her specific trick but I know it works on me too.

 

All I have now is something I haven't been able to see but keeps mumbling things like "Are you sure you want to do that?".

 


Jealousy is a sad thing to see. Just because Zee could not bribe my shop elves to work for him...  My cookies inspire too much loyalty. Zees rice krispies turned his into evil shop gnomes...


 

You have it wrong my gnomish friend. They were easily bribed. Too easy. Then I kicked them out for not adhering to simple principles of etiquette and decorum. Nasty! 
Must have been their prior training.

[crueby]

Don...keep in mind the kinds of elves Chris's mint chocolate chip cookies attract.
Think about it.

Think about it carefully.

If you want helpful and polite elves, you might try a different cookie.
If you can't make your own...Keebler can work in a pinch. Or Rice Krispie treats.

I had some elves...but they were attracted by another shop (T's kitchen).
I don't know her specific trick but I know it works on me too.

 

All I have now is something I haven't been able to see but keeps mumbling things like "Are you sure you want to do that?".

 


Jealousy is a sad thing to see. Just because Zee could not bribe my shop elves to work for him...  My cookies inspire too much loyalty. Zees rice krispies turned his into evil shop gnomes...


 

You have it wrong my gnomish friend. They were easily bribed. Too easy. Then I kicked them out for not adhering to simple principles of etiquette and decorum. Nasty! 
Must have been their prior training.

Ah, they always get confused between the pinky and that other finger....

[crueby]

Last night was our latest RC submarine group run at the local Y pool, I took along the sea turtle again, this time with a little friend on his back - the plastic model I used as a carving reference, fitted out with some scuba tanks (too small and young to hold his breath as well as big brother does). Worked quite well!

One of the other guys had his flying sub get in the act, coming up the side of the pool to beg for sardines...

[crueby]

Got a start on the head casting for the A-frame today, between sessions sitting out in the sun and getting in some walks - at last the snow is gone and its up around 70 again! Yay! Too bad it wont last long this week...

Anyway, the head casting is a simple appearing block from the outside, but the inside shape is cut way back to allow the A-frame legs to nest into it. Here is what it looks like:

Section E-E shows the shape on the inside. The angled portions are where the legs nest in, and the two holes to the left are for the pins that hold the tops of the legs. Not an easy shape to do from one chunk, so I am pieceing this up, the center solid piece will have thin plate sides, plus another piece to form the angled area on top where the pivot for the guy struts to the end of the boom attach.
Started with two pieces for the center, had some 1/4" steel flat stock but no 1/2", so I bolted two of the thinner pieces together, with the bolt heads countersunk in, and milled a bit off both faces to get it down to the 0.4375" thickness to match the leg thickness.

Here is a shot showing where the legs will sit in relation to this piece:

Back onto the rotary table to mill the sides to shape. First squared up the base of the part to the mill table, and offset first one direction for one side:

then equal angle to the other side:

Then back to the mill vise, to take the narrow top section down to size:

Part so far:

Next stop is to make up the two plates that will form the front and back of the piece. These will get some other fittings soldered on to them for the different flanges and sheave holders, then will make the top section and join them all up.

[zeeprogrammer]

Whew! Four decimal places.

It's a fascinating project.
One which, I'm sure, many members would love to find a similar 'one off' and do.

[crueby]

Whew! Four decimal places.

It's a fascinating project.
One which, I'm sure, many members would love to find a similar 'one off' and do.

The plans have lots of long decimal place dimensions, since the 3d model was made at full size, then scaled to 1/16th for the model, rather than being designed as a model with stock sizes.


I was very lucky to have a machine like this close by, and to be granted such access to it. Sure that Willy felt same way about his mill engine project.

[zeeprogrammer]

Whew! Four decimal places.

It's a fascinating project.
One which, I'm sure, many members would love to find a similar 'one off' and do.

The plans have lots of long decimal place dimensions, since the 3d model was made at full size, then scaled to 1/16th for the model, rather than being designed as a model with stock sizes.


I was very lucky to have a machine like this close by, and to be granted such access to it. Sure that Willy felt same way about his mill engine project.

Yep. Willy is another I admire for being able to model from the real thing.

[crueby]

Bit more done this morning, got the plates to go on the outside of the A-frame head assembly cut to size and drilled/tapped for screws to hold them on for soldering. Here is a shot with one of the plates off to show how it looks inside:

They thin stock I have is not wide enough for one piece, so the plates were made in two sections. Here is a test fit on the model:

Still have fittings to go on the outside of the plates, will solder up when they are ready.

[crueby]

Started adding the other bits and pieces to the A-frame head assembly:

These are all going to be silver soldered in palce, then will be milled down to final shape, the small pieces get tapered down at one end, the top large piece gets angled over so that the top pivot will be vertical when the A-frame is in its tilted-forward position. Still need to add the holders for the sheave on the front and the stay rod on the back sides.

[Craig DeShong]

Great progress Chris, I'm still following 

[zeeprogrammer]

I wonder if Chris has thought how he's going to get that thing out of the room. 

Well he probably has.

[Steamer5]

Hi Zee,
 Bet the elves have it sorted!.....chainsaw dust & cookie cumbs is all Chris will find...oh & a wider doorway 

OR maybe a steam shovel shaped hole in the wall........

Cheers Kerrin

[zeeprogrammer]

Hi Zee,
 Bet the elves have it sorted!.....chainsaw dust & cookie cumbs is all Chris will find...oh & a wider doorway 

OR maybe a steam shovel shaped hole in the wall........

IF it's the elves. It's a desirable model.

Hmmm. I'm pretty sure I can figure a way to abscond with it and blame his incompetent elves. 
As I'd said before...I got them to come my way but when I saw their capability...I sent them back.

Or did I? Perhaps a little brainwashing was performed before I sent them back?
[Insert maniacal laugh here. And not the kind when I lose it.]

[crueby]

Well, Zee's gnomes would cut the profile of the shovel in the wall next to the door, like Wile E Coyote's outline in the cliff.   


My elves noticed that the shovel is narrow, and will walk it through the door lengthwise!    


The tough part is going to be lifting it, may need a cart, not sure how heavy it will be, but its already over 20 pounds.   


And as far as absconding with it, have to introduce Zee to security by S&W...


Just kidding, would just feed him to the Shark submarine!