Had a couple of good days machining on the eccentrics and relevant parts but more on that later.
From the outset I had planned to paint and erect the engine has I go but so far I haven't managed that - painting that is.
Before any assembly could begin however the base required reworking due to the change to all Corliss and the differing associated pipe run.
Two 25mm box section bars were bolted to the mill to support the base and the areas around the holes milled to accept aluminium chequered plate from Southworth engines. The hole for the steam inlet into the LP side valve layout will have to be a 'dummy access' cover as will the hole cut for the originally planned floor mounted stop valve.
The Fywheel pit was lined with 3mm thick MDF sheet scribed to represent block work The top had a rebate milled all round to accommodate edging bricks which again will be made from MDF as done on the Waller engine.
Incidentally the 'snap-lok' coolant hose was set up as an extractor in conjunction with a vacuum cleaner, mainly to cope with the cast iron dust but worked just as well here too.
The sub bases or plinths were also cut from MDF and treated with Sanding Sealer before screwing down to the main base. The engine could then be set out and the holes for the 3 BA foundation bolts drilled. Each bolt was fitted as each hole was drilled to ensure alignment. One of the situations I wanted to avoid on this build was the 'break down and rebuild' syndrome where parts find a difficulty to re-align themselves! There are a lot of mating surfaces on this set up so care would be taken at every stage to ensure good alignment and free movement of parts as each were fitted.
A closer view, the rod is for aligning the squareness and longitudinal position of the pedestal. I particularly wanted to get this right because the Waller engine had a very slight vertical mis-alignment which created a wringing movement of the crank which in turn induced one of those 'mystery knocks'. Vertical alignment here was done by careful measuring and taking a whisper off one of the bearing blocks to bring them in line.
The two bed plates were joined and the whole set on the mill to establish the centreline and drill and tap for the cylinder mounting bolts.
With this done the cylinders could be bolted in place and the cylinder covers finished off with their respective glands - 'pseudo metallic packing' as it says on the drawing. The glands and covers were drilled and reamed and turned to fit their bores in one hanging to ensure concentricity. Pistons were turned from gunmetal bar 0.05 down on diameter and a groove turned in to accept the much favoured PTFE filled packing.
The piston rod is a composite - three reducing diameters each locating on a long spigot in a reamed hole in the larger rod. Each spigot has a 6BA screw set in the end to pull each rod up home.
It would be nice to say it all fitted perfectly but once bolted down the very slight error on the height of the LP cylinder was obvious. Shims were inserted under the HP cylinder to establish what the difference was (0.1mm) and the LP cylinder was removed, set on a mandrel through the bore as before and the amount skimmed off.
Bolted back in place on the piston rod and pistons moved with ease through both cylinders without any tight spots so I was well pleased
Now that flywheel could be fitted but first a crank shaft is required.
As usual hope that's of interest - any questions, thoughts or comments, good or bad do say
I'm off out for my second plastic clubs Xmas bash tonight - change of hat for the evening but I'll be back at the lathe in the morning
'Rest easy' guys - Ole Tug