Author Topic: Pennsylvania A3 Switcher (Kozo)  (Read 327825 times)

Offline jirvin_4505

  • Full Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 23
Re: Pennsylvania A3 Switcher (Kozo)
« Reply #1935 on: October 04, 2022, 11:07:56 PM »
Love the detail in your pictures. Big is good

Offline Dave Otto

  • Full Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 4693
  • Boise, Idaho USA
    • Photo Bucket
Re: Pennsylvania A3 Switcher (Kozo)
« Reply #1936 on: October 05, 2022, 01:30:14 AM »
Hi Kim

I usually do 800x600 because that seems to be the accepted standard for this forum. Sometimes I will break the rules and go up to 1024x768 which I prefer.
I think your photos are great, I do prefer the larger resolution.

Dave

Online Kim

  • Global Moderator
  • Full Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 7863
  • Portland, Oregon, USA
Re: Pennsylvania A3 Switcher (Kozo)
« Reply #1937 on: October 06, 2022, 10:41:08 PM »
Thanks for the feedback everyone.  I guess I'll stick with my 1024x768 size for now.  But if it does cause anyone heartburn, please don't hesitate to mention it, OK?

Thanks!
Kim

Online Kim

  • Global Moderator
  • Full Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 7863
  • Portland, Oregon, USA
Re: Pennsylvania A3 Switcher (Kozo)
« Reply #1938 on: October 06, 2022, 10:56:08 PM »
Chapter 22.2 – Grate Supports

The shop happening this week is the Grate Supports.  A seemingly simple pair of parts, but really, there was a lot of work in these!

But before I started them I decided it was time to tram the mill.  I’ve been meaning to do this for some time and before I started this part seemed like a reasonable time.

So, using my magical retirement gift, I went to work and got it all trammed up.  Yay!  :ThumbsUp:
Then I checked the tram in the reverse direction and realized that I needed to calibrate the tramming tool.  Oh no!  :facepalm2:
So, after calibrating the tool, I re-trammed the mill. And got it pretty close!  Yay.  :cartwheel:


I also trammed it in the Y-direction.  But to do that I had to add a little shim to the column since my mill has no ‘nod’ adjustment. If you look closely, you can see a 0.004” feeler gauge sticking in the back of the mill column.  I was surprised it took this much to tram in the y-direction, but it did.  And it’s pretty good now.


OK, with that excitement behind me, I started on the supports, which were cut from 1/4" x 5/8” 1018 steel.  They were first taken down from 5/8” to the specified 19/32”.  Odd dimension, but that’s what it calls for. Next, I stacked them together and, after trimming the ends to length, I drilled the mounting holes (which will be threaded 3-48) and the pivot hole for the ash pan (the hole on the right).


There is a support on each side – right and left.  So that was about all I could do with the two parts stacked like that since they are mirror images of each other.  I marked them up to help me be sure to keep their orientation straight.

First, I clamped them together, flat-wise in the mill vise, making sure they were in the correct orientation and proceeded to carve out the shelf that the grate will slide into.


And, without moving the parts, I cut a slightly deeper groove all along the top of each of the parts as indicated in the drawings.  Remember, these parts are mirror images, so the top of each part is facing the middle of the vise.


Now to focus on the right support.  It has a few additional features for mounting the latch and spring holder.  I marked those on the part (not for accuracy, but to make sure I was putting them in the right place!) and then drilled the mounting holes.


And cut some 1/4" wide notches for these two parts (grate latch and spring holder).


The leftmost notch is for the latch and it needs some additional room so that the latch can move back and forth.  Kozo shows cutting a 15o angle on that notch.  To do this, I rigged up some angle blocks to hold the part at the specified angle.  Note, the part is upside down in this picture - I was holding it between my 15o angle blocks by the skinny rail along the bottom of the part.


And clamped it in the mill vice. Then after finding the center of the notch, I proceeded to widen it to the 15o angle.


Next, we need to cut a relief in the end where the ashpan will attach.  This needed to be done at a 45o angle.  I used an angle block to set this up but then slid it out of the way after clamping to avoid damaging the angle block.  The angled cut doesn’t go all the way through the part – slightly less than half. It just has to be deep enough to allow the ashpan to pivot.


And finally, to the rounding jig on the sander where I rounded the end and put the specified 25o angle on the part.


And here are the completed grate supports:


In situ on the back of the engine, under where the firebox will eventually be.


Looks pretty grate, doesn’t it, CNR and Chris!  (See, I can do it too!)  :ROFL:

Thanks for looking in,
Kim

Offline crueby

  • Full Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 18559
  • Rochester NY
Re: Pennsylvania A3 Switcher (Kozo)
« Reply #1939 on: October 06, 2022, 11:36:31 PM »
Groovy!   ;D




Bout time you got out the tramming tool. Got mine last year, I think, and have used it several times, they work great.  Tools to adjust tools to make better parts with, oh boy!

Offline cnr6400

  • Full Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 2731
Re: Pennsylvania A3 Switcher (Kozo)
« Reply #1940 on: October 06, 2022, 11:59:54 PM »
Yoo betcha Kim! It does look grate! Bar ring any clinker issues, that thing should burn coal hot, which will be cool!  :ThumbsUp: :ThumbsUp: :ThumbsUp: :popcorn: :popcorn: :popcorn:  :cheers:
"I've cut that stock three times, and it's still too short!"

Online Kim

  • Global Moderator
  • Full Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 7863
  • Portland, Oregon, USA
Re: Pennsylvania A3 Switcher (Kozo)
« Reply #1941 on: October 07, 2022, 12:06:01 AM »
Groovy!   ;D

Bout time you got out the tramming tool. Got mine last year, I think, and have used it several times, they work great.  Tools to adjust tools to make better parts with, oh boy!
Yeah, I've used it before, but it was HIGH time to use it again.  This is, however, the first time I trammed in the Y direction. Silly me...

Kim

Online Kim

  • Global Moderator
  • Full Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 7863
  • Portland, Oregon, USA
Re: Pennsylvania A3 Switcher (Kozo)
« Reply #1942 on: October 07, 2022, 12:06:34 AM »
Yoo betcha Kim! It does look grate! Bar ring any clinker issues, that thing should burn coal hot, which will be cool!  :ThumbsUp: :ThumbsUp: :ThumbsUp: :popcorn: :popcorn: :popcorn:  :cheers:

That's the plan!  :Lol:
Kim

Offline john mills

  • Full Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 417
Re: Pennsylvania A3 Switcher (Kozo)
« Reply #1943 on: October 07, 2022, 08:40:00 AM »
the grate looks nice   will you be game to lite a fire on it ?
i programmed a old  cnc machine a vertical spindle were the head could move as well as the quill but it was .25mm out over 65mm on y axis 
but there was nowhere to adjust   but it still did a lot of good work.it was a heavy machine but it would have taken some major work to alter.

john

Online Kim

  • Global Moderator
  • Full Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 7863
  • Portland, Oregon, USA
Re: Pennsylvania A3 Switcher (Kozo)
« Reply #1944 on: October 07, 2022, 05:33:06 PM »
the grate looks nice   will you be game to lite a fire on it ?
That's  a good question!  I kinda THINK I'll fire it up at least once and get it to run on steam... but then again, I have yet to fire up my steam tractor.  It's run on air many times, but I have yet to steam it up - and I completed that four years ago!  :-X

i programmed a old  cnc machine a vertical spindle were the head could move as well as the quill but it was .25mm out over 65mm on y axis 
but there was nowhere to adjust but it still did a lot of good work.it was a heavy machine but it would have taken some major work to alter.

john

Sounds like I got off easy on the trimming front with just a little shim :)

Kim

Offline cnr6400

  • Full Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 2731
Re: Pennsylvania A3 Switcher (Kozo)
« Reply #1945 on: October 07, 2022, 08:54:46 PM »
When I bought my old Rong Fu clone 9 x 20" mill in early 2000's I paid a significantly reduced price vs other similar mills I looked at because the previous owner said it was "all wonky" and would not cut straight in any axis. Well sure enough, it didn't, but with some checking and shimming and rechecking, it's very useable now, within .002" of square along the 20" travel and less than .001" along the 9" axis. Quill now moves true in the Z axis with no measurable out of square. There was as I recall .035" of shims required at the front left of the column base and .022" at the back ! Totally out of whack right from the factory! apart from that issue the machine is a champ, with a very powerful motor and heavy cast iron tubular column. The column is bolted to the base with 4 hex head bolts 16 mm dia - extra heavy duty, and very rigid. It has served me well since. The good news is that even wonky new or older mills can often be made to do excellent work , with a little fussin. Glad to hear you've got yours all trammed up.
"I've cut that stock three times, and it's still too short!"

Online Kim

  • Global Moderator
  • Full Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 7863
  • Portland, Oregon, USA
Re: Pennsylvania A3 Switcher (Kozo)
« Reply #1946 on: October 07, 2022, 10:41:24 PM »
Thanks CNR!  Yeah, I can tell it is cutting much more squarely than it used to.  Before my re-tram would find a 2-3 difference between the ends of a long cut.  Now it's much better!  It's coming out within a half thou from one side to the other of a 6-8 inch run.  And that's about within my tolerance of measurement, so I'm pleased :)

I hadn't thought about tramming the quill.  Not sure how to even go abut that one...

Kim

Offline cnr6400

  • Full Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 2731
Re: Pennsylvania A3 Switcher (Kozo)
« Reply #1947 on: October 08, 2022, 12:46:33 AM »
With my mill I first concentrated on getting the ways all square. Afterward I checked the quill and found it had not been bored square to the Z axis (angled backward toward the bottom, and sideways to the left) and the quill bore was bellmouthed at the top, making the quill and pulley kinda floppy. :cussing: :cussing: :cussing: Took the whole thing apart, a friend and I young and foolishly lifted the gigantic head casting up the stairs, and trucked the casting to a shop I worked with who had a jig borer big enough. This shop had several machinists that specialized in machine rebuilds. :ThumbsUp: :ThumbsUp: :ThumbsUp: I went in after hours and worked with one of these machinists to line it up with the column holes, bolt it down, and rebore the quill hole for a liner. The liner was turned and milled from cored cast iron hollow bar on my old South Bend 9"  lathe in the home shop and now everything's squarer than Rex Murphy (ex CBC news) and operates smoothly. I looked like Al Jolson for about a month with all that work in cast iron, but you do what you gotta do.  :Lol:  :cheers:
"I've cut that stock three times, and it's still too short!"

Online Kim

  • Global Moderator
  • Full Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 7863
  • Portland, Oregon, USA
Re: Pennsylvania A3 Switcher (Kozo)
« Reply #1948 on: October 08, 2022, 02:09:26 AM »
That's quite the story!  I don't think I'll be doing that any time soon...

It's good to have friends with skills, eh? :)

And access to a place with BIG tools!

Kim

Online Kim

  • Global Moderator
  • Full Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 7863
  • Portland, Oregon, USA
Re: Pennsylvania A3 Switcher (Kozo)
« Reply #1949 on: October 11, 2022, 10:49:21 PM »
Chapter 22.3 – Ashpan

The ashpan is up next.  I made this part from sheet steel, the main part from 0.040” sheet, and the end of the ashpan from 0.080” sheet. To cut the main part, I drew it on a piece of paper, cut it out, and used spray adhesive to put it on the sheet.  Then I cut it out on the band saw and used the belt sander to approximate the shape.


I used Dykem and laid out the part on the steel itself.  This pic also shows the 0.080” steel that will become the end of the ashpan.


Next, I bent the sides of the ashpan and squared up the end piece on the mill and cut it to size.


As always happens when I bend sheet metal, nothing maintains its location once bent. So I used a height gauge to mark the actual top edge of the sides and laid out the shape for the upper pivots.  You can see my new scribe lines on the front and the old scribe lines on the inside of the back.  The steel stretched almost an eighth of an inch!  I know part of it is because the corner isn't truly square, it has a little radius to it. But I still think the metal stretches when bent too.


Using the belt sander I finished profiling the ashpan to the new scribed lines.


Now to attach the back.  I will be silver-soldering it in place. But to help hold it there during soldering I decided to do the old brass screw method.  So I drilled and tapped a few holes to keep the end in place.  In this picture, you can see a small piece of scrap sheet steel clamped over the end to hold the end piece in alignment against the edge of the ashpan during the operation.


Here’s right after I did the silver soldering.  The process went pretty well, I think.


After a pickle and cleanup, it was time to locate and drill the pivot holes.


And here’s the mostly completed ashpan.  It still needs the latch pin to be added but I’ve chosen to wait till I get the latch complete, then I can mark where to place the latch pin.  So it’s all I can do for now on the ashpan.


Thanks for looking in on me!
Kim

 

SimplePortal 2.3.5 © 2008-2012, SimplePortal