Author Topic: Chris's Build of Steering Engine  (Read 52190 times)

Offline Michael S.

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Re: Chris's Build of Steering Engine
« Reply #165 on: October 06, 2022, 10:04:07 PM »
Unfortunately, I only have information on how the chain is arranged in the rear part of the ship.
I don't know what it looks like under the wheelhouse.
I'll find out.

Michael

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Re: Chris's Build of Steering Engine
« Reply #166 on: October 06, 2022, 10:38:22 PM »
Very interesting mechanism! I have not seen that type of yoke/slot setup on a rudder before, usually I see a quadrant arc with the chain going around the wheel directly on the rudder post. Thanks!

Offline Admiral_dk

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Re: Chris's Build of Steering Engine
« Reply #167 on: October 06, 2022, 10:49:10 PM »
Thank you for showing - not only the Very Nice Gears, but also the Nifty Tool to measure the optimal distance  :praise2:

I better get more  :popcorn: and   :cheers:

Per

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Re: Chris's Build of Steering Engine
« Reply #168 on: October 06, 2022, 10:51:17 PM »
Thank you for showing - not only the Very Nice Gears, but also the Nifty Tool to measure the optimal distance  :praise2:

I better get more  :popcorn: and   :cheers:

Per
That explains the popcorn boxes and spilled kernels on the lawn outside the workshop window!   :lolb:

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Re: Chris's Build of Steering Engine
« Reply #169 on: October 07, 2022, 12:27:14 AM »
Been doing some paint testing this week. As anyone who has painted brass knows, the finish is fragile, and the paint easily scraped off. As Michael recommended to me, I tried some primer first. Lots of types to choose from, I found a self etching primer from the same line of paint I have been using.




Took a piece of scrap brass, painted on the color direct on the brass in one spot, next to it the primer first. At one end, another set over an area that was nickel plated first, since I want portions plated to look like steel next to painted areas. I had read that nickel plating also didn't take paint well




After time to cure, gave it some scrape tests with a high tech fingernail.   ::)   Results are consistent, areas directly painted on the brass and nickel scrape off under fair pressure. The areas of both surfaces primed first are much tougher, paint and primer stuck on hard.  The paint I'm using is the Duplicolor Engine Enamel With Ceramic, which is a high temperature spray paint that dries quick, goes on thin, needs no oven cure. Used thier self etching spray on primer.


So, that test gives a good path forward to get the forest green panels and black gears, with the steel look where appropriate.


 :DrinkPint:

Offline Don1966

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Re: Chris's Build of Steering Engine
« Reply #170 on: October 07, 2022, 04:29:42 PM »
Excellent damn Dog you make me proud of you. Love the gears and the measuring attachment is a plus….. :Love:    oh and did I say ……I……………likeeeeeee…. :drinking-41:


Don

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Re: Chris's Build of Steering Engine
« Reply #171 on: October 07, 2022, 05:15:09 PM »
You can use tool makers buttons as well.
"Mister M'Andrew, don't you think steam spoils romance at sea?"
Damned ijjit!

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Re: Chris's Build of Steering Engine
« Reply #172 on: October 07, 2022, 05:17:11 PM »
You can use tool makers buttons as well.
Tool makers buttons??  What are they? (other than what holds the front of their shirt together?)

Online crueby

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Re: Chris's Build of Steering Engine
« Reply #173 on: October 07, 2022, 05:24:01 PM »
Thanks Don!!   :cheers:

Last bit of milling on the engine bed before doing some plating on it - with the rotary table and arbor set up, was a perfect time to round off the bases for the uprights at the front of the engine cylinders. I had left them square till now.


Here they are all done

I have the worm wheel in the plating tank now, going back and turning it once in a while since the plating tends to work first in line-of-sight between the nickel donor rod and the part. I'll get both gears plated, then start on the engine bed.

While they are perking away, I've started laying out the material for the upright walls. They are starting with some 3/8" thick flat bar, will cut the outer profile first, then I think do the holes for the shafts and cross bars. Both walls are different, just the main shaft holes in the same places on each. Both need to get some extensions added for the 'feet' at the bottom corners, extensions for the bearings, and the front one gets a flange for the clutch plus the two engine mounts stick out. All those parts need to be made, notched for, and silver soldered in place. To enable clamping to the mill table for shaping, I am going to do as much shaping as possible before soldering on those extra parts.

Offline mklotz

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Re: Chris's Build of Steering Engine
« Reply #174 on: October 07, 2022, 06:10:32 PM »
For those who want to pursue Chris' gear spacing tool further, watchmakers call it a "depthing tool".  There are other mechanical designs but they all work with the same principle - fine adjustment of the gear mesh and then the shafts on which the gears ride can be used directly, vis sharply pointed ends, to mark the location of the axle holes on the bedplate.

Steamer needs to provide a bit more explanation.  Toolmaker's buttons can be used to precisely position one hole relative to another but how do you determine the right mesh dimension ?  Are the gears mounted to the buttons somehow ?
Regards, Marv
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Offline Michael S.

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Re: Chris's Build of Steering Engine
« Reply #175 on: October 07, 2022, 06:39:37 PM »
Hi Chris, a question about your post on the experiment with color. There are paragraphs in the text. Should there be pictures?
Unfortunately I don't see any pictures of your scratch attempt.

You did a good job with the curves on the machine base.

Michael

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Re: Chris's Build of Steering Engine
« Reply #176 on: October 07, 2022, 06:44:53 PM »
Hi Michael, no pictures in that post. I know where under the paint was plated and/or primed, but a picture of the end result wouldn't mean much to anyone else, other than you can see paint scraped off in some places.




Marv is correct, depthing tool is the correct name. If you google that term you'll see lots of variation on the theme, all do the same job. They've been around for the last century or two. Easy to make, very useful for laying out gear trains.

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Re: Chris's Build of Steering Engine
« Reply #177 on: October 07, 2022, 07:48:29 PM »
Two things in progress at the same time today - started on the vertical wall plates, and also have started on the nickel plating of the parts made so far. I started with the worm wheel since it has the tightest spaces between the gear teeth, and I wanted to make sure the plating would work there. Here it is after a few hours, turning and repositioning the gear and the nickel donor rod to get around all the angles:

Pretty happy with how that worked out, good coverage all round. I was not that concerned about the inside corners on the spokes, since everything inside that little decorative ring just outside the spokes will be painted black on the gears. That hole opposite the keyway was there to help hold it during milling, it will be filled in with some epoxy before painting. Quite a difference in appearance from the raw brass, now it looks more like the proper steel gear.   :wine1:

Also, got the blanks for the wall plates rough cut from a larger piece of flat bar stock (stress relieved in the oven back when I did the other blocks). They are cut a little oversize so they can be trimmed to match the design and each other. Both have the same outline size/shape, but will have different cutouts and some holes different sizes. The two blanks were clamped together to drill/tap some 5-40 holes to hold them together for the shaping and drilling. These holes are in places where there will be window cutouts.

And the two plates screwed together, ready for shaping the outside. I'll start with the bottom edge, and use that as a reference point for all that follows.


Offline cnr6400

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Re: Chris's Build of Steering Engine
« Reply #178 on: October 07, 2022, 08:33:25 PM »
 :ThumbsUp: :ThumbsUp: :ThumbsUp: :popcorn: :popcorn: :popcorn:

How many 45 gallon drums of brass chips and swarf have the shop elves shifted so far this build?  :Lol:

Happy Thanksgiving to you Chris, and to everyone else on the forum. 
"I've cut that stock three times, and it's still too short!"

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Re: Chris's Build of Steering Engine
« Reply #179 on: October 07, 2022, 08:44:02 PM »
:ThumbsUp: :ThumbsUp: :ThumbsUp: :popcorn: :popcorn: :popcorn:

How many 45 gallon drums of brass chips and swarf have the shop elves shifted so far this build?  :Lol:

Happy Thanksgiving to you Chris, and to everyone else on the forum.
Well, they have FILLED a few, but shift them? Nope! They leave that to me!   :Lol:

Ah, I'd forgotten it was Thanksgiving up in Canada! Enjoy!  Ours is near the end of November.    :cheers:

 

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