Kearsarge Windlass Engines

[wagnmkr]

Note to self ... Next project will have no tapping!

Oh I forgot, you enjoy tapping!

 

[crueby]

Out with friends yesterday so no shop time, back in shop this morning to start in on the valve ports on the cylinders. Laid out the outlines in pen as a mistake-preventer, then drilled starter holes and milled the ports using a 5/64" end mill. Started with the center ones, and cut the others in relation to them. Lots of measuring and sneaking up on the dimensions. I like to cut the ports first and the sliders later, just in case there is any mistake and a minor correction on the slider will adjust for it. These came out good!    They were cut 0.2" deep, about as deep as this cutter will go.


Then on to the passages. First drilled the exhaust pipe holes from the side of the blocks through into the center hole, then started in on the angled passages from the cylinder ends to the outside ports. Found a piece of square bar the right size to use to tilt the block in the vise, spot drilled into the end, and drilled through into the port. There are two passages on each end, straddling the cover screw.

After drilling, the holes were connected to the end of the bore with a shallow flat milled in and the sharp corner cleaned up with a file. Couple more to drill...

[cnr6400]

 

[crueby]

Got the last, I  think,  holes drilled and tapped in the steam chests, so the cylinder block stack o parts is ready for some nickel plating!  Have started that process, should have some grayer looking parts ready to show sometime tomorrow...

[steam guy willy]

Hi , Looking good and there is always still lots to do   cheers "W"

[crueby]

Hi , Looking good and there is always still lots to do   cheers "W"

Thanks Willy!

Getting to work plating the cylinders makes me think its within days of being done, but looking at the plans there is still lots to make, as you say!
 

[crueby]

After the nickel plating yesterday, the cylinder parts are looking a bit grey. The bores and valve faces were taped over with some vinyl tape to keep them unplated. Here they are test assembled with the steam chests and set on top of the frames:


Really looking like an engine now!

Today got started on the final angle brackets for under the cylinders...

[Kim]

Looking good, Chris! The flutes on those cylinders certainly add a lot of detail. 

So were the angle brackets milled, rather than bent? (The corners look very crisp!)

Kim

[crueby]

Looking good, Chris! The flutes on those cylinders certainly add a lot of detail. 

So were the angle brackets milled, rather than bent? (The corners look very crisp!)

Kim

Yup. Tried a few times to bend but didn't  like the results, so changed to milling from square bar.

[cnr6400]

 

[gbritnell]

Great mechanical looking engine and apparatus.  Years ago I built a small metal brake. When I have to bend some small pieces I start with a long piece so I have a good clamping surface. I clamp and bend what I need then stick it in my mill vise and cut it off with a slitting saw. There used to be a company out of New Jersey called Precision Engineering or something like that.  They sold angle brass with heavier walls than the K&S stock. The real heavy pieces were actually milled from solid. I've tried milling angle stock o few times. Short pieces come out good but longer pieces tend to warp like CRS.

[crueby]

Great mechanical looking engine and apparatus.  Years ago I built a small metal brake. When I have to bend some small pieces I start with a long piece so I have a good clamping surface. I clamp and bend what I need then stick it in my mill vise and cut it off with a slitting saw. There used to be a company out of New Jersey called Precision Engineering or something like that.  They sold angle brass with heavier walls than the K&S stock. The real heavy pieces were actually milled from solid. I've tried milling angle stock o few times. Short pieces come out good but longer pieces tend to warp like CRS.

The tricky part on these braces was that I was trying to make them from some roundbar, with the ends flattened and bent to the angles to make it fit in the space between the column and the cylinder bottom. Was able to do that (torch, hammer, anvil, repeat as needed) but couldn't get the length/angles to come out just right. A brake like that would have helped - flatten, anneal again, then bend on the brake.

 

[Charles Lamont]

Looking good, Chris! The flutes on those cylinders certainly add a lot of detail. 

Curiously, fluted cylinder lagging sheets seem to have been fashionable in the US but more or less unknown in the UK. Can anyone explain?

[crueby]

Looking good, Chris! The flutes on those cylinders certainly add a lot of detail. 

Curiously, fluted cylinder lagging sheets seem to have been fashionable in the US but more or less unknown in the UK. Can anyone explain?

I don't know for sure, the only thing I could think of was that the fluted shape stamped in might keep the panels from bending when moving/handling them when off the engine? Or, just a style thing!

[crueby]

Yesterday we were out with the RC boats again, this morning back in the shop getting started on the pistons. The rods are stepped at each end, top to hold the piston head, bottom to seat against the crosshead. The bottom ends also got slots for the wedges to hold them in the crossheads:

Some filing on short lengths of tool steel flat bar to make the wedges, and the piston rods are test fit:

So, next time will move on to the piston heads themselves...