I too would be a bit dubious about trying to bend one of those. I don't know if it is a casting or a stamping, but either way it does not seem likely to be the sort of material that would bend nicely without suddenly breaking. Also ideally the centre to centre distance of the two eccentric rods should be the same…how do you ensure this if you bend after machining?

I made a set of rods for a double ten where both had the fork offset by the same amount, so that the expansion link ends up aligned with the inside edge of the two eccentrics. This made a tidy job, but those rods were fabricated, eg separate strap, rod, and fork ends. However, given that you already have the two one piece rods, the same sort of thing could be done by machining a flat on the existing fork end and silver soldering an extra piece on one side. The equivalent amount could then be machined off the other side and the fork machined with the correct offset.

John

Gun metal is quite soft and will bend that far without a problem. Worse that can happen is the rod will snap which will give you teh oppertunity to make a more prototypical steel one to fit to the strap.

I would machine the straps, bend and then do the forked end to make sure you get teh hole and slot in exactly the same place.

You must bend before machining, unless you could work out the bend allowance to very close limits. Just think if you do all that machining and then break it !

Thanks Mick, good to have it confirmed that tehy will bend, I like to use an old F shaped adjustable spanner to bend things like this.

Another option to the round rods is to make them from flat, but you won't get the adjustment of a threaded one, something like this

Hi Michael,

Just remembered; item 4 of the reversing gear obscures one of the 7ba tapped holes that should retain the cladding. I didn't spot this and have had to re-drill. Not a big deal but worth pointing out.

Cheers,

Mick

I'm glad I didn't respond immediately to your question about whether or not heat would be required since someone has kindly experimented for you. Not knowing the precise material, it would be a concern that some yellow metals can go hot short, eg break easily when heated.

I was trying to remember how my Number 1 was done..it is in storage at the moment while I prepare to move so I couldn't just look at it. JasonB's picture jogged my memory, it is like that except the fork on mine is the other way around. By doing that with the correct offset the two eccentrics are close to each other and the expansion link is lined up with the gap between them.

The double 10 valve gear came with the screwed rods one being bent with the offset and the other straight. I must admit I did not much like the idea, too many threads to come loose, so made my own, which as was commented earlier means you can make them out of more authentic steel, The connecting rods for that engine are also steel as are the expansion links so I had quite a few Stuart parts left over. Still…my triple only came with the bedplate, (not directly from Stuarts) so all the other parts have been made from scratch.

John

Looks like you are making good progress.

J

Edited By JasonB on 13/05/2015 07:22:16

Nice

Indeed. I always prefer to see then running slow.

Neil