Kearsarge Windlass Engines

[crueby]

Wow!  A lot of work on that fluting, but it will certainly be worthwhile in looks! 

Kim

Thanks Kim!  One of those little details from the original that draws the eye (away from other mistakes?  )

[crueby]

Wow i just Discovered this now ! Just simply amazing work !

Thanks Pirmin!  Happy to have you along for the journey!   

[crueby]

More time turning the crank with the boring bar has the first cylinder block bored out to size. I stopped near the final size to check the straightness of the bore with the dial bore indicator, made a minor tweak to the headstock to get it lined up better, and finished it off.

One down, one to go!



Then started in on the second block. Partway through I noticed that the shop elves are practicing their form for the Swarf Diving event at the summer Olympics...

After fishing him out and sending him off to get his passport renewed, back to the boring work. Second one is close to final size, time to stop and check with the bore indicator to check that nothing on the headstock has moved:


Good place to take a break, will finish off the bore after lunch...

[Kim]

Very cool bore indicator, Chris!  When'd you pick that up?

Oh, and nice work on the cylinders too! 

Kim

[crueby]

Very cool bore indicator, Chris!  When'd you pick that up?

Oh, and nice work on the cylinders too! 

Kim

Got that one a year or so ago. During the Ohio engine as I recall? The instructions for it stunk, so it took a while to work out all the accessory bits for different size bores. This one has parts to measure from 0.7" to 6", using different length arms for the various diameters. For the Sherline its a must, since any time the headstock is removed for riser blocks, etc, the alignment can change. They have a keyway, but that just gets it close. For the mill I have one of those two-dial units to set the tram.

[cnr6400]

  Cylinders look great Chris!

Olympic swarf diving, eh? that may explain why my shop gnomes have a 6 foot high diving board tower made of 1/2" conduit and rusty baling wire in the back yard. It sits over a foot deep mould of Delrin swarf...

[crueby]

Cylinders look great Chris!

Olympic swarf diving, eh? that may explain why my shop gnomes have a 6 foot high diving board tower made of 1/2" conduit and rusty baling wire in the back yard. It sits over a foot deep mould of Delrin swarf...

Ah! So your elves will be representing Canada at the next Games. Hmmm, yours seem to have a better training facility than mine do (a 5 gallon bucket full of brass and steel swarf, below a high shelf in the corner of the shop).   

[crueby]

After getting the cylinders bored out yesterday, next task was to get the top plate bored to match. That was done with the plate screwed to the faceplate just like the cylinders were, but the opening was done on the rotary table with an end mill, since I didn't want the other end of the plate zinging around on the lathe.

Bolted up to check the fit...

Then on to the bottom plate. It is not bored through like the top one is, the original engine used a blind bored cylinder block with just the piston rod gland at the bottom. Here is the bottom plate ready to drill the mounting holes for the gland, plus the 'kit' for the gland - a short length of brass round bar.

After some turning and drilling/tapping, the glands were bolted up (no gaskets yet between the gland and the plate). The seal is with a Viton o-ring inside the gland set.

Almost done with the cylinder blocks, right?  Um, wrong! Long way to go on them. Still to be done:  steam chests/lids, ports/passages, vertical/angled columns and their bases, exhaust flanges/pipes, gaskets, ...

[Kim]

So, uh, almost done then 

Kim

[crueby]

So, uh, almost done then 

Kim

Uh, yeah!   

[crueby]

Things re-assembled and the cylinders clamped on top of the frame to measure/lay out the vertical columns that go on the other side of the crankshaft up to the cylinders. These columns will also hold the reverse link control rods.

[cnr6400]

 

[Kim]

That coming along nicely, Chris! 

And I think the clamp really adds to the overall look.  Maybe you should keep it there?  I mean, they jury-rigged things all the time when out at sea.  The clamp gives it added realism! 

Kim

[crueby]

That coming along nicely, Chris! 

And I think the clamp really adds to the overall look.  Maybe you should keep it there?  I mean, they jury-rigged things all the time when out at sea.  The clamp gives it added realism! 

Kim

At scale that would be about a two foot parallel  clamp! If they had a sailor who could put that in place, they could just let him raise the anchor!   

[cnr6400]

  Pretty sure it says "Pop Eye, S.M. 1st" on the other side of the clamp...