The Workshop Progress Thread 2023

[Martin KyteParticipant @martinkyte99762]

That seems eminently sensible Roderick. I don’t actually remember having any instructions which seems odd as I bought the kit and Hemmingway are pretty good at supplying everything so maybe I didn’t read carefully enough.

I will have another go at some point.
Thanks for pointing me in the right direction anyway.

Best Wishes

Martin

[Jim NicParticipant @jimnic]

Afternoon all

I’ve been diverted from modelling, and posting, for the last year or so by other things but I’m hopefully free of all that for the time being.

My current project is Stew Hart’s 3 cylinder radial, here’s a picture of Stew’s finished original:

My last posting on the subject included this picture of my crankcase and cylinders:

I am now at the stage illustrated by the following:

The crankshaft bearing housing and flywheel parts:

and assembled

The return crank which is driven by the crank shaft, protrudes into the valve chest and turns the valve:

The port face mounted in the crankcase and showing the return crank

The rotary valve

The valve in the valve chest

Valve chest cover on

And finally a cpouple of family shots of where I am today

The engine is, in my humble opinion, looking OK but there are few"innards" in it so next are some pistons and con rods, then the air feed pipe and transfer pipes, crankcase breather, and a stand.

Jim

[Howard LewisParticipant @howardlewis46836]

It still looks pretty good!

As usual, Rod's output looks good .

Howardi

[RooossoneParticipant @rooossone]

Posted by Roderick Jenkins on 05/03/2023 20:33:02:

I've spent the last couple of weeks making the ETW/Hemingway Die filer

I was actually more interested in the jig sawing capabilities

I think it is about time that I considered actually using my carefully hoarded Abrafiles and make an adapter for the filer bow.

Rod

I am adding this high up on my project list. Thank you for that Rod.

[Jim NicParticipant @jimnic]

Afternoon all.

Contrary to my hopes, life got in the way of my modelling efforts again and it is only today that I have completed my Stew Hart Radial engine.

It runs smoothly and quietly but I haven't bothered making a video because, unlike most of my other models, there isn't really anything to see different from the stationary engine.

The interest was in the building, which I found challenging, and the satisfaction of now having single, twin and now 3 cylinder engines in my collection.

Jim

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

Looks Good Jim.

[Ian McVickersParticipant @ianmcvickers56553]

Having put the 3d printer to use I now have some tool holders to tidy up the lathe tool holder storage issue.

Next job is to make some holders for hanging MT tooling off of the front of the extrusion.

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

Someone posted about getting this thread upto the top of the list, all it takes is for members to post what they have been upto.

I know it was the old excuse that it’s too hot in the workshop but surely somebody has done something since 6th August, get it in quick before it becomes too cold. More posts will keep it at the top of the useless list.

Did this pivot bracket for my Denny Improved hot air engine today, just needs a bit of softening up around the edges.

[DiogenesParticipant @diogenes]

Thanks, Jason – I feel better knowing one person read some of it – I did look for the this a few days ago but gave it up as temporarily being MiA..

What have I done during ‘Forumdown’ ?

– carried on with a double-scale vacuum engine to Senft’s design – ‘screwed & glued’ frame from alu. flats, pinned crank, alu. conrod with 7075 big-end (we’ll see how that goes – I’m trying to keep the weight down, the whole thing is getting to be a bit of a chunk), and a 32mm bore steel cylinder which I still need to lap..

..lap permitting – the trouble with 32mm bores is that they grab much harder than the lap’s tapered bore does on it’s mandrel, so I’m ‘done’ with friction and will have to summon up some of my limited reserves of patience & ingenuity and come up with a better system..

 

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

Works continues with the Denny, these laser cut parts arrived in the week from Lasermaster – 2.5mm CR4 steel.

A few more bits of steel were machined up and then it was time to stick them all together. The curved braces to the upper left were Sif brazed on first then the whole thing wired together and done in a single heat with silver solder. I started with the flat vertical flange then worked my way down each leg, feeding the stick of solder into the internal corners and watching as the molten blob followed the heat down the leg, finally did the bottom flange. Then pickled for 40mins

Very pleased with how it came out, almost zero excess solder to clean off the had to get to inside and just a bit of filing to clean up the corner joints followed by blasting.

I’ll now treat it as a casting and machine where required, all critical surfaces have a machining allowance built in.

[DiogenesParticipant @diogenes]

What burner / torch set up did you use for that? (how tall is it ?about 150 -180? mm?)

Pretty sure it would have looked a bit ‘saggier’ if I’d done it..

 

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

Sievert with the standard 28mm burner which is about 7Kw

It is just enough to do the Sif but copes easily enough with the silver solder. It is usually brass and bronze that you have to be careful of a sthey can distort particularly if you are using clamps etc to hold things together while soldering.

220mm tall.

[DiogenesParticipant @diogenes]

Thanks, that’s helpful to know – S/S isn’t something I do regularly enough to be a dab-hand at; I need to practice more.

[DiogenesParticipant @diogenes]

I have finally finished lapping the cylinder and piston for my Big Poppin’ engine – that was a learning curve too – I thought I was a dab-hand at smaller ones but a good shape and finish on a 33mm x 75mm cylinder doesn’t come quite so easily; still, that’s the worst part of the build out of the way, the rest will be a doddle, I’m sure…

Imagine a picture here..

 

 

[DiogenesParticipant @diogenes]

..not much progress on the engine ‘cos the workshop has been running wet for the last couple of weeks and there’s no way I’m mounting up the freshly lapped cylinder & piston whilst I mess around with conrod lengths, at present things are rusting overnight..

I did manage to turn up 2 pairs of solid flanges to mount a new set of wheels on the bench grinder – I acquired  them so long ago I can’t even remember how or where from – but they should be just the job for tool grinding, with a couple of ‘Ian Bradley’ type toolrests..

[jaCK HobsonParticipant @jackhobson50760]

My ‘workshop progress’ is progressing my workshop. 2023 has added Electronic Leadscrew to my S7, an induction forge, mini salt pot (melting furnace), and now a Christmas project of getting the Eagle 5W surface grinder from the end of the drive into the workshop  

 

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

Aha !

… I thought that was a grey-haired lady on a mobility scooter !!

MichaelG.

[jaCK HobsonParticipant @jackhobson50760]

I’m making a pointy stick. It bit me.

[DiogenesParticipant @diogenes]

Slow progress, but progress nonetheless..

[Ian PParticipant @ianp]

Do we really need a new ‘Workshop Progress’ thread for 2024?

I have just looked through the 2023 thread and for the first time have seen that it contains examples of fantastic workmanship, interesting projects and lots of information. It is not a thread I would have subscribed to because its title did not interest or attract me.

Nearly every one of the posts is of interest to me, but more importantly in my opinion most of the posts are worthy of having their own thread. What is the reason or the purpose of putting the posts all in one bundle?

Ian P

 

 

[DiogenesParticipant @diogenes]

To answer for myself, Ian, it’s useful because it allows me to post progress on projects as and when I can – in an ideal world, it’d be great to discuss design, materials, methods etc. as a more complete ‘build log’ but my workshop (and ‘posting’) time is pretty limited & never enough to produce an acceptably continuous or coherent narrative..

..believe me, I wish it were otherwise..

I post here in the hope that both members and ‘passing traffic’ see something that might spark a flicker of interest (and help keep forum traffic up), and occasionally someone will be interested enough to comment or message and we can have a more specific discussion on the hows/whys/wherefores..

I wish more people would post here, even if it’s just a quick snap – one of the things I really miss about the new forum is the opportunity to just browse through other people’s albums, which were a constant source of inspiration and ideas…

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

Indeed that was the reason I started this and the “what did you do” threads. They were to encourage people to show what they actually get upto even if they don’t want to do a full build thread or start a new post. We do tend to get some of the workshop progress in the what did thread so it can look a bit thin at times.

The big version looks good.

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

And now it’s my turn to show what I’ve been upto over the last week or so.

Started with some bits cut from 180 x 8 S275 structural steel flat, which were silver soldered together before shaping

Chopped up some old basin tap parts and drilled & reamed a few holes before further shaping.

Threw in some pivots turned from 6 & 8mm leaded steel and how my Denny has a few arms and links even if they are  abit out of focus

[Author]

Posts