Lubricator

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Lubricator

This topic has 15 replies, 7 voices, and was last updated 26 February 2022 at 18:44 by Bill Dawes.

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13 February 2022 at 19:33 #585332
Bill Dawes
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@billdawes
Hi guys.

I am attempting to finish my 5" gauge Emma Victoria but on the point of admitting defeat on the mechanical lubricator.

Made all the bits but finding it challenging to get the accuracy required, tiny pawls, springs, ratchet wheel, very fiddly,

Got it all assembled but the pawls don't engage with the ratchet wheel properly, suspect I didn't mill the teeth deep enough and/or not got the correct tooth angle.

So my question is, do you make your own or buy a proprietary one.

Bill D.
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13 February 2022 at 19:33 #11119
Bill Dawes
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@billdawes
13 February 2022 at 19:58 #585334
Former Member
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@formermember12892
[This posting has been removed]
13 February 2022 at 21:35 #585343
Paul Lousick
Participant
@paullousick59116
Made all parts for my lubricator.
13 February 2022 at 22:19 #585344
duncan webster 1
Participant
@duncanwebster1
If the pumpy bits work, you could get a pair of sprag clutches and ditch the ratchet/pawls
14 February 2022 at 05:24 #585356
Paul Lousick
Participant
@paullousick59116
Where do you get miniature sprag clutches ?
14 February 2022 at 05:51 #585357
Paul Lousick
Participant
@paullousick59116
The ratchet wheel was machined much longer than required and a slice cut off to length (spares for next project or if it wears out). A dovetail milling cutter used to make the teeth.
14 February 2022 at 08:58 #585361
Nigel Bennett
Participant
@nigelbennett69913
Arc Euro sell non-return clutches; a type of needle-roller bearing.
14 February 2022 at 10:15 #585373
Chris Gunn
Participant
@chrisgunn36534
Paul, the Bearing Boys sell them as well, 6mm bore about £8 each. I used them on my 4" and 6" Garrett lubricators I made, they work OK, but over time the thick steam oil gets in between sprags, and fills up the gap so they do not engage. A bit of a squirt with maintenance spray and a jiggle about gets them going again. I used them on a silver steel shaft, unhardened, and after 6 years no signs of wear.

Chris Gunn
14 February 2022 at 11:07 #585386
Paul Lousick
Participant
@paullousick59116
Thanks. I have a use for them on another project

Paul
14 February 2022 at 11:27 #585392
Bill Dawes
Participant
@billdawes
Looks a nice job Paul, from pics appears to be a bit more substantial than mine which is bordering on swiss watch size components.

Thanks for info guys, I will leave it a few days to get my head round whether to remake the bits or buy one.

Hate giving up anything I am trying to make/do but we all have our limits I suppose.

Regards

Bill D.
23 February 2022 at 18:55 #586952
Bill Dawes
Participant
@billdawes
Having pondered for a suitable length of time, I decided I wasn't going to give up and buy one but to have another go.

When I made the ratchet wheel I tried an experiment (well it is model and experimental engineering after all) I did not have a suitable milling cutter so tried making the wheel with a small slot mill set off centre, it did the job after a fashion but obviously not good enough, now have a dovetail cutter to try.

I am also going to try to make wire springs for the pawls, I could not not get the flat brass shim springs specified to position properly to exert enough force onto the pawls.

Onward and hopefully upward.

Bill D.
23 February 2022 at 19:34 #586959
Clive Brown 1
Participant
@clivebrown1
I've made my small lubricator ratchet wheels in the lathe. The process requires a means of indexing the chuck using, say, a change-wheel attached to the back-end of the mandrel and a plunger detent.

Turn the end of a piece of silver steel to the required diameter. Drill and partially part off. With the silver steel still in the chuck set up a suitably ground HSS tool at centre height in the tool-post and cut the ratchet teeth by traversing the lathe carriage as with a shaper and indexing for each tooth. Works very well giving accurate, well formed teeth for wheels of a range of diameters.

Finally part off and file or broach square centre hole then harden.

Didn't W. Hughes suggest this method for the Allchin?
23 February 2022 at 21:06 #586971
duncan webster 1
Participant
@duncanwebster1
If you're making ratchet by dovetail cutter and some kind of indexing device, make a long length. It won't take any longer, and you can then part off as many as you like for your next project
23 February 2022 at 21:23 #586974
Clive Brown 1
Participant
@clivebrown1
Here's a ratchet wheel made as I described above. It's 7/16" dia.
26 February 2022 at 18:44 #587353
Bill Dawes
Participant
@billdawes
Yes got a length ready for making several wheels.

Bill D.
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