My A J Reeves Bolton Triple Expansion Engine

[simplyloco]

Having followed you from another forum as I was enjoying the build. The condenser is looking great and plenty of work involved.

I had forgotton that I was already registered here

Glad to see you: the more legal immigrants the better!
They are 'reorganising' the MECH forum but I don't think it will cure the malaise!
John

[simplyloco]

Condensor end caps and dressing the stands

I'm getting the bulky items out of the way so I can sit indoors and play with small fittings indoors on my Cowells lathe where it is warm!
Both end caps machined to size, but the fat one will need more fettling and fitting as I'm going to paint the model. The GM is nice but it's not real!





I was scratching my head as to how to obtain a consistent angle on the face of the stands: then I had this bright idea...

[Admiral_dk]

I was scratching my head as to how to obtain a consistent angle on the face of the stands: then I had this bright idea...

That ought to do the trick     

Per

[simplyloco]

I was scratching my head as to how to obtain a consistent angle on the face of the stands: then I had this bright idea...

That ought to do the trick     

Per

I had a beer and had a better idea. I found an old angle plate with hole pitches to match the ones in the fixture. Much neater and much more robust!

[springcrocus]

Just picking up from over there. First post for me on here, I need to get the hang of things. A bit different to MECH.

Looking good.

Regards, Steve

[simplyloco]

Just picking up from over there. First post for me on here, I need to get the hang of things. A bit different to MECH.

Looking good.

Regards, Steve

Hi Steve, your skills are most welcome!

[TJH1954]

Hi John, I have recently found you on here, having seen this one on the other forum. Had a bit of a catch up. I like these model stationary engines, and your work on this one is superb (of course!). Obvs, I have no skills to offer!!

BTW, I finally took your advice (of some years ago) and yesterday bought myself a Proxxon BFW40, with stand and base etc.  I needed something small and reasonably accurate for some work on a very small scale, largely scratch built chassis for a loco (4mm, tiny!). Who knows, I might even do some proper model engineering soon!

Watching with much interest as ever.

Terry

[simplyloco]

Hi John, I have recently found you on here, having seen this one on the other forum.
SNIP
BTW, I finally took your advice (of some years ago) and yesterday bought myself a Proxxon BFW40, with stand and base etc. 
 SNIP
Terry

Hi Terry, good to se you on here. You won't regret buying the Proxxon. I persuaded my good friend David to buy one, and he told me recently that he blesses me every time he has to drill an accurately spaced row of 1mm holes!
John

[simplyloco]

More on the Stands

Just an hour or so in the workshop today: it's so cold out there! I left you with the picture of the engine on the unfettled stands, and now after a bit of work they look up to the standard required! Here's a few pics.

I machined all four using the new carbide cutter, about one mm was removed to get rid of the dips and bumps. An 8mm cutter was substituted to get into the corners and obtain a realistic looking fillet.



The stands carry three shaft brackets and they should be line reamed after fitting. It helps this process if the stands are in the same plane!



These will sit nicely.



A vast improvement on the original castings methinks, but it is surprising how many engines are out there with lumpy stands!

[cnr6400]

 

[simplyloco]

Drilling the bottom covers and stands

A little more time in the shop today to drill the bottom covers ready to take the stands. It was a bit tricky for me as the M2.5 holes changed from clearance to tapped in places and nearly caught me out! I also had a go at fettling and priming a couple of stands. It looks like I won't be able to avoid spot facing the stand bases, nuts or no nuts!

All the bottom covers have to act as templates for the stand tops, but as they are all the same breadth and width, once the centre co-ords had been found using the waggler then it was a simple matter of setting each one against the jaw stop and knocking them out! This is the HP cover.



Time for the test! There are slip gauges to 1.25" placed between the two stands, held together with a large toolmakers clamp.



Any one of the covers - if they have been made to size- should fit exactly astride the stands... Success!
I'll loctite the covers to their associated stands, make a punch and locate all the holes. Onwards and upwards!

[springcrocus]

 
Regards, Steve

[crueby]

Nice progress!  The care you are taking for alignment should pay off big later on.   

[cnr6400]

Nice to see the gauge blocks in action! I'll bet this engine will be a very smooth runner, with that sort of care in the build.     

[Jo]

Nice 

It looks like a few of those bottom cover screws are over the stand and will need to be held on with countersunk screws. Did they mention that on the drawings   

Jo