My little engine (continued)

[Steve WithnellParticipant @stevewithnell34426]

I 've given up hardening my filing buttons (effort v benefit failure), but you do have to be careful the button is rotating and not getting filed down…

[GarryCParticipant @garryc]

Ah ok I'd be better doing the same then by the sounds of it, thanks for some more good advice everyone.

Jason, thats a great photo, I like the look of that method – the combination with the diagrams you posted makes it much clearer now how its done with the boring bar, very useful to see. I've no practice at all with boring heads yet, only have the very cheap and as yet unused ones that have the tool steel at an angle, haven't looked at how easy it is to set an accurate diameter or if you can with those. Been intending to see if you can buy the more expensive type with the accurate dial adjustments but with maybe a straight shank that can be held in a collet to save removing my MT collect chuck from the mill each time, don't know if thats possible ( or if its good idea yet – maybe the collect chuck comes out easily I don't know…) I thought i came across a straight shank one somewhere a while ago but can't remember where..

Looks like my torch will have to stay on the shelf for a while longer..

Thanks to all..

Garry

[Les Jones 1Participant @lesjones1]

Hi Jason,
Looking at you picture it looks like you are using the boring tool in a novel way. Am I correct in assuming that the mill is rotating in the normal direction and the tool is cutting with the edge of the carbide is behaving as the top face of the tool ?

Les.

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

Les, Yes its turning the normal direction, tends to unscrew from the MT shank otherwise. The actual edge that is doing the cutting is facing away from the viewer, the visible bit is the side of the tool.

Garry, your collet chuck should come out OK, only downside of useing a straight one in a collet chuck is that the length all starts to add up so you loose head room and rigidity. I think Chronos do one with several shanks in te same set.

[Les Jones 1Participant @lesjones1]

Hi Jason,
I had never thought of using one of these boring bars that way. I had only thought of making a left handed boring bar if I needed to machine the outside of a cylinder. I will remember it for future use.

Les.

[GarryCParticipant @garryc]

Hi Jason

Thanks, yes I've just checked the Chronos site and they do one as a set with various shanks etc (inc. straight) and MT2 tapped M10 which fits my Mill – its gone to no.1 on my Christmas list – if I can wait that long..

**LINK**

Garry

[GarryCParticipant @garryc]

Still waiting for a reamer to do the Gland..

Below is just a photo taken while sorting the Filing Buttons and taking advantage for some more practice (obviously things don't need to be spot on for the buttons). I've had a problem from day 1 turning small diameters on short parts – often not enough room to use a centre / steady etc for support, so always ended up with a taper no matter how many passes on the same setting I tried, I've just been putting it down to it being a small lathe, no room, can't do anything about it thing. However after some bedtime reading yesterday and at the risk of being seen as the only one in the world not to know this – I now know you can use two centres and have plenty of room! I don't quite know why it works as it's obviously not as rigid as one centre but when tightened up it all seemed surprisingly solid. Still needed a few passes on the same setting to get things parallel but it works, I simply could not have done this before on my little lathes. Even with such a short bar as in the photo I would have had some kind of taper ( often a big one) and always a very poor or no finish at all due to the bar deflecting without support, I've had to avoid turning at these sizes and try to buy to size – in the pic there is way less than 1 thou difference end to end and with a few more passes it would have come out spot on I think – well chuffed at this new discovery! and the tool I reground myself on my now fixed little grinder (the wheel had just come loose..!).. Happy days!

Hope someone finds interesting.

Cheers.

Garry

It does look very flimsy in the photo but does work!

[Les Jones 1Participant @lesjones1]

Hi Garry,
I don't think that method will give much support to the work piece. I think you would be better off with the tail stock barrel wound out to avoid using the extra centre.

Les.

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

Gary you could try adding one of the extended toolholder to your xmas list, these let you get in quite close even with a live ctr.

Turning a 4mm dia

Other alternatives are a half centre or extended live ctr

Edited By JasonB on 17/05/2015 17:01:56

[GarryCParticipant @garryc]

Hi Les and Jason

Apologies I should have done some more checks before posting, I see now this lathe is better set up than my old one – think I just jumped in and wanted to try it!

I had no idea about the extended tool holder – I've just checked Warco's site and yes looks very handy to have..

Maybe this lathe is more solid than my old SC4 (i think it is) – I definitely wouldn't have been able to turn the above on that without support.

Thanks both of you.

Cheers

Garry

[GarryCParticipant @garryc]

Just waiting on the reamer now – below is a few more photos taken doing the Gland..

My small boring bar needs at least 8.5mm so I've had to drill leaving just a bit for the reamer to take – being very careful as I remember how the Gun Metal can 'grab'.. I've drilled to 7.5mm, I suspect I should have bought a drill in between that and the reamer size as well…Hope it will be ok though.

Setting up the Piston Rod Gland casting. It almost looked as if it had been faced already when spinning, have this sussed now!

Checking the size with the bottom Cylinder Cover – managed an easy close fit.

Checking the length of the Spigot. I wish I had bought a left handed calliper as well, the one I have often seems to be back to front when using it..

The Gland so far – my camera always seems to have trouble with shiny surfaces making them look worse than they are – its nice and shiny to the eye really…

Sorry I'm sure no one wants to see my filing buttons! Bar is probably too short, but I had a short bit that was easy to do…

Cheers.

Garry.

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

If you don't have a small boring bar then a two flute milling cutter can also be used as a boring bar. use a size smaller than the hole so 1/4" would be OK here, set one cutting edge on ctr height and angle the back end away from you slightly and away you go.

If your callipers have a metal strip that pokes out the other end then that can be used as a depth gauge

Rod looks the right length but buttons could be a bit thinner, not that it matters unless you were goingf to use a 12" file!

J

[GarryCParticipant @garryc]

There are some really good tips there again thanks Jason. I'll definitely remember the boring bar one, I've got quite a good selection of small 2 flute cutters that came in a set – think that's going to be very useful. Something new learned again today!

I do have one or two small files, trouble is they tend to wave about a bit when its me on the handle! (need to get a good set and soon)

Cheers

Garry

[Ian S CParticipant @iansc]

You can use Jason's method with an ordenary twist drill, tried it a week or so ago. A broken one works even better.

Ian S C

[GarryCParticipant @garryc]

Thanks Ian, wish I had known that when I started, I seemed to be breaking a lot of them then (or getting them stuck in things) and I could have hung on to a few!

I'll have to think about making a few little 'adaptors' to allow holding the small round shanks in my square tool holders…

Cheers.

Garry

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

How effective do you find the new 'graphite tipped tooling'?

[GarryCParticipant @garryc]

Hi Neil

Best tool I have by far and it was free!

You wouldn't believe how long I used to take to do this…and even then with not anything like as good results.

I took a little video of it spinning after setting it but thought that would probably be too much to post!

Cheers.

Garry

reamer arriving tomorrow…

[Gas_mantle.Participant @gas_mantle]

Hi Garry,

I've been following this thread for a few weeks now, it's good to see your engine is nicely taking shape

Peter.

[GarryCParticipant @garryc]

Thanks Peter, good to hear you are following along. Its a very enjoyable engine to build and proving to have been a good choice to continue learning the basics..

Hope to see your 1st build on here soon, I'll be following if you do!

Cheers

Garry

[GarryCParticipant @garryc]

Some more time with the Piston Rod Gland this morning.

Aplogies for the photos, having trouble with the shiny Gun Metal. The camera likes to focus on everything but the gland it seems..

Reaming to 5/16".

Next was to have a go at my first attempt at a chamfer. I almost messed up not releasing just how far the tool would need to get into the small hole. So not having a tool small enough and remembering Jason's tip I thought to try a two flute milling cutter. I first set it up like below than realised that was probably wrong and so

set it up with the flutes horizontal on centre height. Fortunately I realised before trying the first setup. Not sure if its clear in the photo but the flutes are lying horizontally.. I assume this is correct as it worked beautifully..

Starting the Chamfer. I did wonder if the round tool would hold ok but with very light cuts it was fine. Cutter was a 3mm.

The chamfer finished. The compound slide was set to 60 degrees to give the 120 degree angle..

Then it was reversed in the chuck, set to run true and marked, centre punched and drilled. Then the filing buttons used…

The holes are 4BA tapping size at the moment – to be spotted through to the Bottom Cylinder Cover before being opened out to clearance size.

I'm a bit surprised as when I tried to test fit again in the cover, the nice easy close fit I had when I tried on the lathe a few days ago will now barely get into the hole – I assume and am hoping its just because its warmed up in my hands while filing etc and will fit again when its cooled later… May have to skim it again if not – it was a nice fit before..

Its not looking too bad so far I think..

Hope someone finds it interesting..

Cheers.

Garry

[Clive HartlandParticipant @clivehartland94829]

You are learning hand over fist Garry, things that will stay with you always, you will look at jobs and the tools and methods will all fall into place as you see in your minds eye what to do.

Excellent work so far.

Clive

[steve de24Participant @stevede2433577]

Hi Gary,

I'm also following this thread and your progress. As a fellow newcomer I'm learning a lot from the help you are receiving from the more experienced on the site – thanks guys, much appreciated.

Steve

[GarryCParticipant @garryc]

Thanks very much for the encouragement Clive, its nice to hear you say that!

I'm following Jason's guide which is so useful to have – for such a small part it has quite a few new (for me) techniques to take on board and can be used again I'm sure..

Hi Steve – this is a great place to get started, hope you continue to follow..

Cheers.

Garry

Edited By Gary on 21/05/2015 16:02:39

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

Yes flutes horizontal so the edge you are using is just like a little boring bar.

As Gun metal is quite soft you can find that reaming or even boring can stretch the metal a bit eg pushes it out rather than cuts which is the likely reason the gland has become tight.

[GarryCParticipant @garryc]

Ah ok thats interesting to know about the Gunmetal, thanks Jason, I have checked again since last post and it definitely doesn't fit the Cylinder Cover now – so I'll skim it again tomorrow..

It's a little job that's providing some nice lessons!

Edited By Gary on 21/05/2015 17:30:47

Edited By Gary on 21/05/2015 17:31:54

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