Chris's Build of Steering Engine

[Michael S.]

Yes, the copper plumbing is going to be a problem. And I think it doesn't matter what scale the model is built in. You can already see how the fitters must have cursed themselves with the original engine when they connected the cylinders.
But time comes advice.

Michael

[cnr6400]

Just remember the piping route mantra "o-rings and velcro , o-rings and velcro"....

Side-entry flanges and all open holes in the flanges, with nuts (no tapped holes in flanges) might be the plan du jour, along with close cropped elbows soldered to flange faces. 

[crueby]

Just remember the piping route mantra "o-rings and velcro , o-rings and velcro"....

Side-entry flanges and all open holes in the flanges, with nuts (no tapped holes in flanges) might be the plan du jour, along with close cropped elbows soldered to flange faces. 

If it was Duct Tape And Zipties, it would be a Roadkill episode. Or a Red Green episode for those that remember that.




I do have the small cast tees and elbows from the last couple builds, which will help. Side entrance flanges may be good for the sides of the valve body, with studs on the valve. Also have some small Regner compression fittings, have to see if they are small enough.


 

[crueby]

Yes, the copper plumbing is going to be a problem. And I think it doesn't matter what scale the model is built in. You can already see how the fitters must have cursed themselves with the original engine when they connected the cylinders.
But time comes advice.

Michael

The piping on the engine you showed on the ship, which is routed around the sides of the walls, will be how I want to do it. Still a close fit, but the bends are not as tight a radius. The position of the valve and its linkages makes it like working on the radiator and water pump on a car, down between many other parts. Still, its a fun design!

[crueby]

The excavations into the vertical plates has begun! Started on the rear wall plate first. Am taking out the bulk of the material with a square end cutter first, then will come back later and trim the flanges to thickness with a radiused end cutter to leave the arc on the inside corners.


When I get to the corner areas, the hold down clamp on that corner has to be removed to give room for the cutter. This brass was stress relieved in the oven back when I made the engine bed, so it is staying flat during this process. If it was not stress relieved, it would have started warping more as each section was cut out.

Continued on to the lower quadrants...



Here is the plate so far, set in place on the engine bed. The window openings will be cut after the flanges are trimmed to thickness.

Now starting in on the front plate. These recesses are different than the ones on the rear wall plate, since this one will get openings for the engine mounts and the control valve.

Lots of cranking handwheels left!

[cnr6400]

 

Glad to hear that after the stress relief the plates aren't turning into bananium ! 

If the swarf / chips get out of hand, I could send you the Wisconsin V-4 powered conveyor belt. It is still advanced about 5 degrees too far and has no muffler, but it's still popular with the neighbours....

[crueby]

Glad to hear that after the stress relief the plates aren't turning into bananium ! 

If the swarf / chips get out of hand, I could send you the Wisconsin V-4 powered conveyor belt. It is still advanced about 5 degrees too far and has no muffler, but it's still popular with the neighbours....

Send it - I'll fire it up when the neighbors kids are outside and making lots of noise! Be sure to add in the squealing-bearing option!   

[cnr6400]

Oh there's squealin bearings all right.... except the one that was greased in 1972 - it's dead quiet. Unit's on its' way! 

[Kim]

Great progress on the upright plates, Chris.

Question:  When you're hogging out those recesses, do you do full-depth passes?  If so, how much do you take of in each pass?  Or do you do wider passes and do them at multiple depths to get the full depth of the recess?  I always struggle with the best approach for something like this and am curious how you do it.

Kim

[crueby]

Hi Kim,


Fir these I am taking full depth passes, .295 if I recall, first taking one pass down the side of the recess. Then am moving over .125 for each subsequent pass. That seems to work well for speed of cut while keeping chatter down. Since the cutter will flex slightly I always do the initial passes away from the final dimensions and making a final trim pass around .020 to get it to size.


That works great for brass. On 303 stainless steel with a narrow cutter I would do the initial slot in shallower passes, maybe .050, then the rest of the passes at around .125 deep and wide. With a wider cutter could do wider but still shallow passes. Which is part of why I love brass, much easier to cut, less wear on tools, just nice to work.


 

[Michael S.]

Thanks Chris for the explanation. I was also interested in how you do it.

Here we see what else Chris has to process with the milling machine. The workshop elves will bring lots of brass shavings to the local scrap metal dealer. And secretly buy beer with the money.

best regards Michael

[crueby]

Great picture Michael, shows where I am going quite well. On the other side of the panel it also gets this extension/gussets around the shaft hole, plus the blocks for the engine mount and crosshead guides. Lots still to go, those elves are going to be rolling in beer money!

[crueby]

More trimming of the recesses in the wall panels, this time with the radius-end cutter

finished with the angled side walls. Still to do on this one are the arcs around the shaft holes, that will be done on the rotary table after the other wall panel is up to this stage...

[crueby]

Both wall plates are now trimmed around the flanges, next step will be to set up on the rotary table to do the bits around the shafts. Thats enough cranking for today though!

I was able to sneak into the shop elves garage (why is THEIRS air conditioned and carpeted?     ) and steal some roller chain off their motorcycle:

Smallest I've seen, it has a pitch of .1475", should work great fort the steering engine output. The cost of sprockets for this stuff is crazy high, but I was able to find the CAD files for some and will copy those dimensions. It will need drilling a circle of holes on the right center distance then trimming around the tips of the teeth.

[Michael S.]

very good 👍

What did you install in the motorcycle for the two of them instead of the roller chain?
A rubber band?