The Workshop Progress thread 2018

[mechman48Participant @mechman48]

Decided to do a bit of decorative machining on the entablature of my VS Cross, thanks to an idea from Jim Nic…

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/TFkARL-oAAM&quot; frameborder="0" allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen></iframe>

George.

[mechman48Participant @mechman48]

Had trouble embedding video in above mail so 2nd try…

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

Is it set to public?

[Jim NicParticipant @jimnic]

That looks good George (but then, I would say that wouldn't I?)

How is it running now?

Jim

[mechman48Participant @mechman48]

Thanks Jim; it was running not too bad on trials ( see video ) have a couple of air leaks top & bottom cylinder covers, can be sorted with paper joints. Have started stripping it down for titivating here & there, cylinder cladding to do, looking at combining exhausts into single manifold ( similar to yours ) plus other bits 'n' pieces, as one does so…

George

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

Just managed to get the Otto cylinder onto the mill table without too much hanging off each end to mill the 24 flutes. Bit of a difficult one to set he as the section to be fluted is tapered and the depth of the cut needs to decrease as it goes up the column to get classic Ionic column proportions. Its good enough but could have done with being about 0.2mm higher at the left hand end.

I used the Rotary Table from ARC as it is 72:1 which makes it easy to do 24 divisions as it is just 3 turns of the handle. Quite like using this one and it did not even give me an odd spacing on the last flute

 

Edited By JasonB on 29/05/2018 15:15:12

[mechman48Participant @mechman48]

Nice one Jason, superb bit of machining, must put set up into memory banks for future ref… if I can find where they are .

George.

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

NBice work Jason, a bit more ambitious than my fluted pillars…

[richardandtracyParticipant @richardandtracy]

What, preparing early for this year's candlestick challenge?

Regards,

Richard

[Jim NicParticipant @jimnic]

George

You may have to do a bit of head scratching to combine the exhaust ports on your Vertical Cross because looking back I see you have done them to plan and put them on the side of the valve chest. I had planned to combine them from the off and so put mine in the face of the chest so that a simple cover plate and some longer studs made it easy.

The additional cover plate has a shallow groove in the back covering the 2 ports and then a hole through from the groove to the front with a connector flange silver soldered in.

Jim

[mechman48Participant @mechman48]

Noted already Jim thanks, churning the grey matter over as to which way to go also considering that it would be awkward to fit cladding banding on as well… ho hum, never mind, there's always an answer somewhere, just arriving at it takes a fair bit longer these days… … thanks again for your help along the way.

George.

[NigeParticipant @nige81730]

With the delivery and installation of the Sieg SC4-510 lathe and the SX2.7 Hi Torque Mill the workshop tooling is mostly complete. I am just tidying up a bit and getting things sorted out so here is a quick tour round

[Jim NicParticipant @jimnic]

Plumbing done on the Rocking Valve engine:

And, hopefully, a bit of video of the first run:

https://youtu.be/wc0bhx2L9lo

Jim

 

Edited By Jim Nic on 06/06/2018 17:05:52

Edited By JasonB on 06/06/2018 17:07:21

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

Looks good, I've not done an engine with a rocking valve but do have one drawn up ready to make.

[Jim NicParticipant @jimnic]

Thanks for sorting out the link Jason.

The engine was straightforward to make and the valve operation was simple to work out as I could see it through the air inlet. The only puzzle for me was when I came to the first run, it didn't. The air just leaked right through the engine and out of the exhaust. After a bit of head scratching I fixed it by fitting the piston O ring which I had left off for the trial run.

Jim

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

Nice work Jim, an interesting design.

[geoff walker 1Participant @geoffwalker1]

Yes, agree with Neil. Really nice work, caught my eye this engine, unusual. Well done Jim.

[Mark RandParticipant @markrand96270]

Long, boring ramble about a couple of week's shed time. ->

I've got a job that the plasma cutter function of the welder would be handy for but…

The first time I used the plasma cutter thingy on the welding set the fumes blocked up the filters on the shed's computer cupboard and A/C-heater (lungs, what lungs). Made a better filter for the computer cupboard, but wanted something to get the crud out of the shed's air. My old dust extractor vibrated so much that it had worn through the casing of the motor's run capacitor and blown it up along with some of the motor's wires.

I have some 2hp 3ph flange mount motors that I'd been given, so turned down the shaft of one and put a new keyseat in it, fitted it to the dust extractor where the clapped out 1/2 hp single phase motor had gone and got a VFD for it. It doesn't need 2hp, but I have some ideas for variable speed where a howling gale isn't needed.

Wired it all up and tried it out. Then came across the balance problem that had eaten the original motor. Hmm, it needs balancing…

Made a four wheel, single plane, static balancing rig. Tested it by balancing all my surface grinder wheels and then went on to the dust extractor's fan. Worked out where to TIG weld a washer onto the fan to balance it, then discovered that the little plastic lever that works the TIG welder's torch switch has gone walkies. Came in at that point tonight. I'll mill a replacement out of a bit of ally tomorrow.

Curiously, a grinding wheel that had been giving less than perfect surface finish turned out to have a lousy balance, whereas one that had produced good results appeared to have been close to perfectly balanced.

Balancer with grinding wheel:-

Balancer with fan and balance-weight washer:-

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

Following the advice of Graham Corry I turned up a new hot tube for the Robinson X-Type with a smaller outside diameter, in this case 7/32" rather than the previous 1/4" from a bit of 303 Stainless and drilled an 1/8" hole up it 2.25" long. Seems to have done the trick as the tube now glows red with just the small burner and does not need additional heating. Can't show a nice finish on it as the heat nucked that up.

Will fine tune it once painted as it is missing the odd beat.

J

[mechman48Participant @mechman48]

Well done that man…

George.

[Mark RandParticipant @markrand96270]

Time for a scale model rock crusher (Blackpool rock??) or chaff cutter. etc.

[Mark RandParticipant @markrand96270]

The workshop gods smiled on me today! I'd just cut off a bit of aluminium stock on the bandsaw and was deburring it in the vice prior to milling a replacement TIG torch switch lever. I was thinking to myself that, once I'd spent a couple of hours making the replacement, that the original was bound to turn up. That's when I looked down by the side of the vice…

Welded 'balance weight' washer on to dust extractor fan and put it all back together again. Ran the VFD up from 0 to a bit over 3000 rpm and there was no significant vibration. .

Time to do some retail therapy and sort out ductwork.

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

Posted by Mark Rand on 09/06/2018 19:09:09:

Time for a scale model rock crusher (Blackpool rock??) or chaff cutter. etc.

Oh No, the X-type was commonly know as the "chippy" engine as Robinsons supplied a lot to the catering industry, this engine would most likely have been seen driving a chip chopper down the local chippy as shown here

[Mark RandParticipant @markrand96270]

I guess that these days, it'd be run from bio diesel made from the frying oil. Did dripping work as a fuel for a full size hot-tube engine? Expired minds want to know…

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

Just for all you doubters who think I never make anything – I've been in the workshop, working as fast as Jason all weekend!

I finally finished all the parts for my Crayford focuser, although it still needs come fine tuning and a bit of cosmetic finishing. The scary bit is going to be anodising it.

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