Chris's Holly Pumping Engine Build

[Don1966]

Awesome ……..


 
Don

[Kim]

The flywheels really look great after painting and all mounted up!  Well done, Chris!
Kim

[cnr6400]

Looks superb Chris! 

[crueby]

Thanks guys!   The ratchet handle build (on another thread) is complete, so I can get back to the Holly model. Next steps are either to make the catwalk brackets and floor, or move on to the engine frames. Either way will work, but in looking at things it seems like skipping the catwalk for now may be the better choice, it will make getting at the engine beds harder if the catwalk is in place. It can be added later no problem, all the bolt holes for the brackets are on the vertical faces around the engine beds so easy to get at. That means some time spent in Fusion 360 to get the engine frame drawings generated from the 3D model (3D model is all complete, but I am generating the plan sheets from it as I go). Then I need to figure out how I will fabricate the engine frames, they are a complex set of beams and braces, including the crosshead guides. Here are some screen grab from the CAD model:
First the overall engine, showing how the catwalks sit around the engine:

And a shot of just the frames:

The lay shaft shows on this view as well, plus the drive gear case that I already fitted to the crankshaft. There are K-shaped braces between the sets of frames, and each frame pair is connected top and middle, with the crosshead guide running vertically in the center, plus all the little brackets. The original plan was to fabricate the frames from square bar stock. Now I just need to decide the details of how to actually do that for six sets of frames. Going to need some time out on the porch rocker to think about it.... zzzzzzzzZZZZzzzzz....

[steam guy willy]

Hi Chris ..love this build.....amazing workmanship and skill...Looks Wonderfull

Willy

[Kim]

Wow!  This is like a high-rise engine and you've just finished the main level - now you've got several more stories to go!

It's already impressive now, I can't imagine what it will look like completed!

Amaizing work, Chris!
Kim

[crueby]

Thanks guys. Kim, you are right, this is about where a lot of engine builds would be after a short time, been many months so far! Only about another foot of height to go!

[crueby]

This afternoon I've been in playing on the computer in the CAD app, and have worked out most of a fixture plate that will let me mill/drill the pieces for the engine frames. Here is what I have so far:

The blocks will hold pieces for shaping and assembly. They will be loctited and bolted to the plate. There are two long plates off the back, one visible at the right side, angled to match the opposite frame side. This will allow the plate to be bolted to the t-slot on the side of the mill table, to stand it up on edge but with the opposite frame level to the mill. Those plates will be removeable to let it sit flat on the table. Still need to draw up the fixtures to make the T-shaped pieces for the cross slide guides. Those will be mortise/tenon'ed into the frame rails. Lots more to figure out before any metal gets cut, like making the pad feet and the other bracketry that hangs off the frame rails.

[cnr6400]

Hi Chris, on the left side of the frame in your pic there is a plate shown with 3 holes at top and 3 at the bottom. What was that for on the original engine? I was just thinking that if the casting had much of a cavity in it behind this plate, it would be a structural weak spot. Just curious. That plate and blocks setup will be some involved fixturing!

 

[crueby]

Hi Chris, on the left side of the frame in your pic there is a plate shown with 3 holes at top and 3 at the bottom. What was that for on the original engine? I was just thinking that if the casting had much of a cavity in it behind this plate, it would be a structural weak spot. Just curious. That plate and blocks setup will be some involved fixturing!

 

The engine frames have a bunch of plates like that, for mounting catwalks, the lay shaft brackets, and the K-shaped brackets. The original had the frames hollow, but where the plates stuck out like that the insides were continuous in the hollow box shape, not rising up at the plates so no extra inside corners there. 

This picture shows a bunch of the stuff that hangs off - the smaller blocks sticking out in the middle and top are for the catwalks, the larger round and rectangular-ish ones are for the lay shafts.  I am going to make the frames at first without the extra bumped out plates, and add blocks for those afterwards - that will let me start with 1/2" x 1/2" bar stock like with the lower pump frames.

I was just making some mods to the fixture plate design, putting in some spacer blocks to allow the drill chuck to come in on the side, and changing a little of the layout to make it easier to make. The plate and supports will be aluminum, adding some clamp bars of steel across the blocks. Going to be mortise/tenon joints on the rails, with pins to hold the joints together. Should be a lot of fun - if machining is fun (it is for me!)

 

[cnr6400]

 

[crueby]

The logging museum up in Maine had thier Heavy Metal summer event this past weekend - here is a video that Herb at the museum posted. I was not able to make it up there for this event, but I am planning on going in the fall for their two-day event.
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZBnUEsBduLg" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZBnUEsBduLg</a>

As for the Holly build, today am getting more worked out on the frame jig and parts.

[crueby]

Got the plans for the engine frame jig finalized and plans generated for it. Now can start cutting stock for the jig as well as for the frame rails. Would have gotten to this point this morning but the power went out for a few hours. So, had to go hold down the rocker on the porch!

[Dreeves]

Great work Chris. I was disappointed you did not make chug noises when turning the flywheel over 

Dave

[crueby]

Great work Chris. I was disappointed you did not make chug noises when turning the flywheel over 

Dave

I was too busy grinning!