Author Topic: Tug's Corliss Tandem Compound Project  (Read 92446 times)

Offline Bertie_Bassett

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Re: Tug's Corliss Tandem Compound Project
« Reply #180 on: February 14, 2018, 08:20:19 PM »
still looks like a lot of progress to me Tug, even disassembled you can see a lot of work has gone into each part.

cant say i envy you the task of painting it all though, i can never get a good finish on anything - something to do with a lack of patience i think  :headscratch:

and yes it is a bit nippy out in the my workshop, have mostly been focusing on clearing it all up as i was struggling to find any workspace.  Also been trying to get a new wall built outside so i can rebuild the thing when the weather gets warmer.

ohh and now the roofs found a new place to leak  :ShakeHead:
one day ill finish a project before starting another!
suffolk - uk

Offline Bertie_Bassett

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Re: Tug's Corliss Tandem Compound Project
« Reply #181 on: February 14, 2018, 08:41:05 PM »
oh and i forgot to say that traveling steady modification looked quite handy.

just thinking out loud, if you had to run down different sized stock regularly,  could the finger? be replaced with a piece of brass with multiple holes? could just be slid down to center up the correct sized hole ?

not sure it would be worth the hassle but just an idea that popped into my head
one day ill finish a project before starting another!
suffolk - uk

Offline Ramon Wilson

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Re: Tug's Corliss Tandem Compound Project
« Reply #182 on: February 15, 2018, 03:40:00 PM »
Hi  Zee, Jason, thanks for looking in  :ThumbsUp: It's nice to hear from you.

It'll be a while before it's back on the base Jason but red ? now where on earth did you ever get a thought like that from  :Lol: I did think about red (yeh) but have set my mind on a pale 'Reed Green' - haven't quite made my mind up about the plinth colour as yet though. Must admit that link you gave elsewhere for Craftsman' paint came a day after I bought the paint for this - that looks to me to be traditional and high quality 'stuff'. Which particular range from them do you use?

Hi Bertie - a bit warmer today. Just been down to Bury to pick up a nice piece of cast iron but turned out the Post Code given was for most of the industrial estate and not the specific address - bugger. Didn't think I'd need any other details  ::), first company had no idea what I was talking about but were really helpful in trying to track down where I perhaps needed to go. Tried three others to no avail - still, had a really nice lunch out with Sue to make up for it.

Re the travelling steady idea. When I first dragged it out that was my first thought - to mill a slot in a piece of steel and bore that in situ to take removable inserts of differing size holes. I don't like adulterating kit but I think this has sat under the bench since my ML7 days and it's been along time since seeing the light of day. Drilling a hole through seemed to be the most expedient way of getting the job under way and to hell with the adultery  ;D

Yours has been the only response on it so have no idea how others see it but using the steady either as I have, or as you suggest, seems to me to be an advantage over having to make a dedicated tool as this way the tool point is controlled by both top and cross slide movements independent of the material guide. Whatever, yer pays yer money etc. Unless there's a lot of material to change size (I don't see that for myself) I feel this was/is a quick (and successful) way to overcome the need- even if you have to commit adultery  :o

I don't mind the painting but it does take time as well as the masking so it's not something that can be rushed - I do have loads of other bits that can be tackled though - 'while paint dries'  ;)

Good luck with the workshop - my small shed at the back of the workshop has sprung a bad roof leak that needs fixing too - just haven't had the weather have we.

Regards - Tug
« Last Edit: February 15, 2018, 03:46:03 PM by Ramon »
"I ain't here for the long time but I am here for a good time"
(a very apt phrase - thanks to a well meaning MEM friend)

Offline Ramon Wilson

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Re: Tug's Corliss Tandem Compound Project
« Reply #183 on: February 21, 2018, 10:55:28 AM »
Hi guys,

With so little feed back it's hard to know where to start and end on posting - so many look in but say nothing its hard to judge what it is you look for - I mean, you did ask me to post after all but, to coin a phrase by Brian Ruppnow on the same issue, at times it seems like one is talking in to a vacuum,  :-\ - Whatever, just to put you in the picture the work beneath the base is now complete  :).

First up was to make some means of connection to the top piping that would be removable and align itself without the need for bolted flanges. Two fittings were machined from a hard brass, the first to take the air inlet pipe...


...the second to take the exhaust pipe from the HP cylinder




On the top side the connection is picked up by the inlet pipes to each cylinder using 'O'rings for sealing.


The pipework will be permanently fixed to the connectors and through to the top flanges eventually but I'm sure you can see the idea. The recesses are for pipe supports as yet to be made.



I finished it off with a nice brass plate (every model should have a nice brass plate eh) where the air will inlet, and yes I did put the slots in line but it didn't look right so changed em to 45  ;D


I've been catching up doing some brass bits for my diesels and hoping this weather will break soon so I can begin painting - in the meantime - looking well ahead (should I live long enough of course  ::)) I picked this lovely piece of Meehanite up from eBay for the princely some of £18.00 - 320 diameter by 55 mm thick hopefully theres the making of my next  :o Corliss engine in there somewhere.


That's it for today - just about to exchange the old comfort zone for another - lunch out with three other model engineers and our wives  :) - can't be bad

Regards 'frum tha ol shid' - Tug
"I ain't here for the long time but I am here for a good time"
(a very apt phrase - thanks to a well meaning MEM friend)

Offline MJM460

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Re: Tug's Corliss Tandem Compound Project
« Reply #184 on: February 21, 2018, 11:17:04 AM »
Hi Ramon,

I must apologise for being one of those who reads in silence,  I never miss one of your posts, there is so much to learn in each of them.  Similarly Brian's, Chris's and others.  Just amazing work all around.  A real priveledge to be able to look over your shoulder as you work.

Thank you for taking the trouble to post.

MJM460


The more I learn, the more I find that I still have to learn!

Online sco

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Re: Tug's Corliss Tandem Compound Project
« Reply #185 on: February 21, 2018, 12:57:29 PM »
Hi Tug,

I like your air piping - very business like!  Not come across Meehanite before, quick google search suggests it's a high grade of cast iron - so you've bought a large lump with the intention of cutting blocks out of it for individual parts?

Best wishes,

Simon.
Ars longa, vita brevis.

Offline Jasonb

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Re: Tug's Corliss Tandem Compound Project
« Reply #186 on: February 21, 2018, 01:20:04 PM »
Ramon, although it may seem as if you are "talking into a Vacuum" I'm sure I am not the only one sucking up all the useful info in your posts.

That slab should make a nice cylinder cover assuming your next project is 1:1 ;)

Offline tangler

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Re: Tug's Corliss Tandem Compound Project
« Reply #187 on: February 21, 2018, 01:32:46 PM »
Reading and enjoying every word Tug.

Cheers,
Rod

Offline Tennessee Whiskey

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Re: Tug's Corliss Tandem Compound Project
« Reply #188 on: February 21, 2018, 02:02:12 PM »
Tug, the piping is the work of a true craftsman; almost to the point of being artistic. I have not seen the barbed type fittings for copper tubing: how do like them? Every attention to detail is amazing. Shoot, most of us would have left the slots wherever the screw tightened up :lolb:. Keep your cords up off the floor and watch for tripping hazards now ya hear. Y'all come see us.

Whiskey

Offline steam guy willy

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Re: Tug's Corliss Tandem Compound Project
« Reply #189 on: February 21, 2018, 03:36:12 PM »
Hi Tug, looking at your chunk of Meehanite,,,,,,Have some old large diameter chunks of cast iron weights that were used to push petrol vapour through pipes to illuminate an old cottage  they have slots in them to mount on a spindle that was hoisted up the side of the house !!....anyway how can you determine what sort of cast iron you have without doing too much damage ?? angle grinding sparks ? filing ? colour  etc etc  Also where can one find drawings for "main steam valves" with perhaps a governor attachment ??  Love your work also  ....8 months to go !!
Willbert

Offline b.lindsey

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Re: Tug's Corliss Tandem Compound Project
« Reply #190 on: February 21, 2018, 03:49:32 PM »
Tug, I am still following along as well and your attention to detail is both excellent and inspiring!  Post whatever you feel like, there is something to be learned in all of it as far as I am concerned.

Bill

Offline Ramon Wilson

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Re: Tug's Corliss Tandem Compound Project
« Reply #191 on: February 22, 2018, 09:16:24 AM »
'Morning guys - thanks for looking in  :ThumbsUp:

I confess at one time I used to feel a mite miffed that no one could be bothered to say anything but now I guess it's one of being mildly perplexed :-\. That said MJM 460, there's absolutely no requirement for apologies for not doing so - absolutely none whatsoever and especially so when I can see the amount of time that goes into your posting. I look in at times but confess I don't read much because it's not my forte and well beyond my old grey cells capability. I can appreciate what your input is however.

I've said it before, no doubt will again at some stage, that because I choose not to be in an active ME club I very much see this as my club and like to think that when I post I'm actually talking to someone. To sit and take an hour or more to compile a post with pics etc then and  look in the next day to find that maybe there's been a hundred plus visits without a single comment leaves me wondering at those times if I'm going wrong somewhere ::)

Said this before too - this is not about seeking praise - as I said at the start there is little benefit gained from taking the time out of a day to post other than to communicate and share with others of a direct similar interest so to hear from someone when they do respond is a real bonus. When someone says - why did you.......? or what is the reason .....? that makes posting all worthwhile to me.

 On that note ,

Simon, yes that's the intention. Meehanite is lovely material to machine and I'm hoping to get that initially into three manageable pieces with absolute minimal waste involved as it's bloody heavy as it is for sure. I have to confess at being rather chuffed at securing it for the cost  :D

Whiskey - The connectors are not barbed as in airline fittings but have just had a 45 degree tool plunged in to engage a bit more of the JB weld. Screw heads? well you jest can't win on that one ::) When I did the Wide a Wake I put some in line and was accused (in the nicest possible way) of being a 'pissy bastard' (Suffolk phrase, can be used in two contexts ;)) so when I did the rubbing strake I left them at random. "I would have thought you would have lined these slots up" came from another critical eyed but differently contexted P-B ::)

Willy - You never fail to amaze me with your tales - An old cottage - petrol vapour - sounds like a good combination for disaster

Cast iron in any form of 'old weights' is usually a very unknown quantity. It could and probably is filled with all sorts but on the other hand may not be. The only real way of finding out is to machine a bit though I'd not set to to make a part from it before trying it first to see how well it machines.

I have somewhere some info on steam valves that I can get to you but nothing with a governor attached. However the Rocking Engine that Todd was describing on here has one - I have that downloaded if that helps. Let me know

Bill - thanks as usual for you support - as they say in these parts - ''I'll jest keep on a troshin' bor''

That's it guys - now I'm orf to tha shid for a bit a fettlin' and dig out that valve info Willy

Ol Tug


"I ain't here for the long time but I am here for a good time"
(a very apt phrase - thanks to a well meaning MEM friend)

Offline Ramon Wilson

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Re: Tug's Corliss Tandem Compound Project
« Reply #192 on: February 23, 2018, 06:30:21 PM »
Hi Willy - Here's some info for you on valves.

All in Model Engineer mag.

Making Small Stop Valves by B Lundberg - June 1995

Globe Valves Made Easy by CR Fenn - Sept 1995

Steam Stop Valves by GP Quayle - Dec 1995

Seems 1995 was the year of the stop valve  ;) All these articles have drawings and dimensions

Tubal Cain did a series on Pickering Governors - 6 April 1990 onwards. Several of these feature  incorporated stop valves so might be worth investigating.

I'll bet you have the entire collection of ME squirrelled away but just in case you haven't don't forget Bill Starling at Forncett is always trying to get rid of theirs ;)
 
Hope that's useful - Tug
"I ain't here for the long time but I am here for a good time"
(a very apt phrase - thanks to a well meaning MEM friend)

Offline Tennessee Whiskey

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Re: Tug's Corliss Tandem Compound Project
« Reply #193 on: February 23, 2018, 08:18:22 PM »
Boy if’n a feller could part that big ol’ round of Meehanite in two , one half sure would make a sweet lapping plate all gound up and everything  :lolb:. I was really surprised to see you use the JB Weld from the blister paks like the rest of us. I would have suspected, as a major stockholder, y’all got special tins or such  :lolb: :lolb: :lolb:. Well, you said you didn’t want praise; so you got some Whiskey on payday  :lolb: :mischief:.  How long is this paint job gonna take anyhow? 8). BTW, I showed Lou the “finger whacking video” and she said: “Bless his heart” I said what the BH , you would have told me: “see, I told you “  :thinking:


Offline steam guy willy

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Re: Tug's Corliss Tandem Compound Project
« Reply #194 on: February 23, 2018, 09:08:13 PM »
Thanks tug, I have just bought 33 volumes from No1 from the estate of mr Spanswick in east Carlton  actually and i have all the ones i did not have from Bill.....Here is the big chunk of cast iron i was talking about  14' round and 1 1/2" deep if you want it !! the petrol vapour lamp system was at Wheatfen when i lived with Ted Ellis and family !!!
« Last Edit: February 23, 2018, 09:11:21 PM by steam guy willy »

 

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