Chris's Build of Battleship Ohio Engine

[Admiral_dk]

I/We really should be used to it by now - when we follow one of your Major Builds Chris ...!!!...
... But this one takes the 'Cake' (or what ever you prefer to put here) .... I can't think of Any Build with so many details, just in the 'Foundation'        

As for the Etching Primer - I used some AMAZING stuff from the USofA more than 40 years ago - BUT Anything remotely resembling that kind of stuff will throw you in Jail here in the EU for the last 30 years (or so). This has me always paying attention when there is a reference to somebody using Etching Primer - but it always turns out to be 'Not available' here .... or not produced anymore ...!

Ok - I will move myself back to the rest of the Peanuts  -  -  -          

Per

[crueby]

I/We really should be used to it by now - when we follow one of your Major Builds Chris ...!!!...
... But this one takes the 'Cake' (or what ever you prefer to put here) .... I can't think of Any Build with so many details, just in the 'Foundation'        

As for the Etching Primer - I used some AMAZING stuff from the USofA more than 40 years ago - BUT Anything remotely resembling that kind of stuff will throw you in Jail here in the EU for the last 30 years (or so). This has me always paying attention when there is a reference to somebody using Etching Primer - but it always turns out to be 'Not available' here .... or not produced anymore ...!

Ok - I will move myself back to the rest of the Peanuts  -  -  -          

Per

Same thing here in the US, all the paint formulas had to change some years back to reduce solvents and other nasty ingredients.

[cnr6400]

 

The gussets make s big difference to the appearance of the bed assembly. Fantastic! Re primers for brass- do you know any airframe mechanics or maintainers? I've had some odd partly used pint tins of zinc chromate primer, a few ounces each,  over the years from a friend who used to maintain and repair aircraft. It was nasty smelling strange green stuff but stuck like dung to an army blanket on alum and brass. I no longer have any and my source has retired. There was no brand name on the tins. Maybe an aircraft finish supplier could put you in touch with a retailer close by. 

[crueby]

The gussets make s big difference to the appearance of the bed assembly. Fantastic! Re primers for brass- do you know any airframe mechanics or maintainers? I've had some odd partly used pint tins of zinc chromate primer, a few ounces each,  over the years from a friend who used to maintain and repair aircraft. It was nasty smelling strange green stuff but stuck like dung to an army blanket on alum and brass. I no longer have any and my source has retired. There was no brand name on the tins. Maybe an aircraft finish supplier could put you in touch with a retailer close by. 

Not sure I'd want nasty green dung smelling  stuff in the house, it would  remind me  too much of having a boss nearby!        The one plane builder buddy I had passed away last year  unfortunately too.


The lacquer  route is looking good  so far!

[cnr6400]

  re the lacquer!

[crueby]

The bearings have been shaped on the outside, using a combination of parting tool and left/right turning tools, to fit the bearing holders:

Accumulating a herd of them on the bar to be used for the crankshaft:

The bearing ID's are a little on the snug side, but that is fine since they will be lapped to the crankshaft after it is completed. They do make a good looking chorus line though.


And then the real test - does everything line up on the engine bed and still turn?  YES!

I started with the holders on the bed frame, and was able to slide in the shaft from one end, adjusting the holders slightly front/back as needed. The up/down direction was all fine as is, the front/back on a couple of them needed a tiny fraction of movement to get them to line up. I can still rotate the shaft by hand though it will get a lot freer once they are lapped, but that won't be done till the actual crankshaft is made.
A major milestone!   

[cnr6400]

 

[Don1966]

Your craftsmanship is unbelievable Dog. Just the amount of setups making the bearing blocks amazes me not counting the frame work. You have that down to an art. Excellent work and …..You know …….I…………..likeeeeeee…….


 
Don

[Twizseven]

Chris,
That is looking amazing, and that's only the bottom of this engine.  When complete it will be HUUUUUGE .

Colin

[Kim]

Wonderfully done, Chris!  Great to have that shaft turning in all those bearings bolted to the base. This is a pretty big milestone! 

Kim

[Michael S.]

Just great!!!
And in the background, flanges for crankshaft connections have already been delivered.

[Prowler901]

Awesome work, Chris!  That looks so cool!

Todd

[crueby]

Thanks guys!  Its great to have it up to this point, where its starting to show its purpose.

Michael, those bars in the background are for the crank pins themselves, same diameter as the crank shaft on this engine. The smaller discs in the background are the discs for the outboard column bases, much smaller than the crank flanges. The flanges to bolt the shaft sections together will be much larger diameter, 1.34" OD, they are still hiding inside a piece of round bar over in the bar stock rack. The webs will be cut down out of some 5/8" x 1" rectangular bar. This crankshaft is the biggest one I've done so far, almost double the size of the one in the Ward pumping engine model. The offset of the crankpins from the shaft will be 1.2", for a total piston travel of 2.4".


Right now I am getting the bearings split into halves, then need to drill for and install the pins to keep the halves from rotating in the holders. Then it will be time to start on the crankshafts themselves. There are four sections, all identical, that bolt together to make up the overall crankshaft:

[crueby]

I was in doing those last steps on the bearings, and realized that the crankshaft is not quite next - I need to install the straight sided gusset plates under the bearing blocks, and make up the studs for the bearing caps (up till now I've been using screws to hold them down for machining). The round column bases need to go back on as well, and also do some filler work on the tops of the countersunk screws used to hold the rails in place for soldering.  So, crankshaft is another day or two out, but close to starting on it!

[cnr6400]

So only 548 more gussets to make, then ?   

(hopefully you haven't run out of the shop screaming)