Chris's Slew-Crowd Engines

[vtsteam]

I guess on the Thew, if the coring job was good enough, at most they just had to do a little finish work on the valves with hand tools. Other than the facing, which could be milled from above. It's going to be interesting to see how you do the valves when the time comes on the Thew model. Maybe some drilling, etc. before silver soldering together?

I can see why the other two engines will be easier!

[crueby]

This is an interesting project.  How do you keep the different parts set straight, do you have some bins set aside or are you marking them as you go?   

I am both keeping a section of the bench marked out for each engine, and stamping unique marks on each set. Not hard to know which is which now, but later on it will be harder without marks!


 

[crueby]

I guess on the Thew, if the coring job was good enough, at most they just had to do a little finish work on the valves with hand tools. Other than the facing, which could be milled from above. It's going to be interesting to see how you do the valves when the time comes on the Thew model. Maybe some drilling, etc. before silver soldering together?

I can see why the other two engines will be easier!

That one is the trickiest with the cylinder  valves up vertical, current plan is to make that chest in several pieces that overlap and screw together with  gaskets, so I  can do normal milling and lapping on the valve faces. It will take planning!

[cnr6400]

  The beer money safe valve plate jig looks and work great. Nice method!

[crueby]

The beer money safe valve plate jig looks and work great. Nice method!

Quite pleased with how it worked out. I went ahead and drew up sketches for the other cylinders and will get the blanks cut out. In the past I would have probably  used a boring head on the mill, but was worried about doing interrupted  cuts 2 inches deep, my mill is not really rigid enough for that. This method on the lathe made it quick and easy.


 

[crueby]

Not much to show today, spent some time cutting out the blanks for the other steam chests and getting them drilled/tapped for the fixture... Should be something worth showing tomorrow, today's blanks look just like the ones the other day, just a slightly different size.

[cnr6400]

 

[crueby]

Whoops - just realized I forgot to post the pictures from yesterday afternoon!   

But, for some reason the photo host site has fallen off its chair and won't let me upload at the moment, so I've attached the pics to this post instead. They show cutting the larger bore at the ends to go around the cylinder end flanges, testing the fit, and the result off the lathe. It turns out that flipping the jig around and lining it up for the second end was really quick and easy, so no need for the expanding arbor.

[cnr6400]

  again! Parts look great!

[crueby]

again! Parts look great!

Thanks Jeff!

[Michael S.]

Absolutely fantastic creative work 👍.

Michael

[vtsteam]

Those came out really beautifully! That jig is great. 

[crueby]

Thanks guys!   

[Kim]

That is pretty impressive how you did that! 

Kim

[crueby]

Thanks Kim,  it worked out simpler than hoped, I  had thought I would  need another brace plate at the cuck end, but the parts are plenty strong.