1/6 scale P&W R1830

[Bill Gruby]

I have finally begun this project. I have the rear gearbox bores (17 of them) completed and the geared oil pump almost complete. About 110 hrs so far.

"Billy G"

 

[Bill Gruby]

More pix

 

[Bill Gruby]

There is no real order to the pix, I took them randomly. Sorry, I will restore order with the next post and new pix. The end is 2500+ hrs away. LOL

 

[lazylathe]

Hi Bill,

Looks amazing, even though i will have to google to see what you are building! ;D

What is the machine you are using in the second to last picture??
Looks to be quite a contraption!

Andrew


Ps i found a pic!!
Looks very complicated to my untrained eye!
But the picture is a cool one, so i will share!!

 

[Herbiev]

Hi Bill. Looking great so far. I will be following along with grea interest :bow:

 

[Bill Gruby]

Sorry about the jumping around. I have taken many pictures so far. Andy that ia a 1947 Fellows Gear Shaping Machine. Those tiny blanks in my hand above had their teeth cut with it.

This will be my second Radial. The first was a Hodgesons 18 cylinder. Close to 3000 hrs went into that one. Wish I had kept it.

"Billy G"

 

[metalmad]

Hi Bill
ill be following along for sure
do you have any pics of the Hodgson?
Round motors rock ;D
Pete

 

[Bill Gruby]

Unfortunately Pete, I don't. I built it for a friend back in the early 90s. I didn't have a computer then. I really wish I had taken them. That was some build. There will be plenty for this build though. This is a pic of the finished pump gears.

"Billy G"

 

[b.lindsey]

Looking good so far Bill. Definitely one to watch and I admire you for undertaking such an ambitious project. Its nice to see the first chips flying!!

Bill

 

[Bill Gruby]

Thank you all for the kind words. Now, there are 6 / 2-56 holes .375 deep at the bottom of one of the counterbores in the gear case. The c/bore is over 2 inches deep. A normal tap wrench would not do the job, Not enough room to get it in there. I fabricated this tapping tool and guide to do the job, not real pretty but it will work. The #50 tap drill uses the same technique.

"Billy G"

 

[Bill Gruby]

The oil pump is installed. Those 2-56 threaded holes were a bear. LOL Next will be the crankshaft. Everything will start linking together once that is done.

"Billy G"

 

[Bill Gruby]

The pump is installed and was tested dry at 2500 RPM for 5 consecutive minutes. We used a rubber air nozzle asd a friction driver against the face of the gear. Relatively low noise for unlubricated steel gears (4140). Very smooth operation. So far so good, on the crankshaft.

"Billy G"

 

[Teza]

Great work so far Bill Thm:
I've set aside the next 2500 hours, hitched up my trailer and coming along for the ride ;D

Terry

 

[Bill Gruby]

May take a little longer, LOL. The crankcase is three pieces, The split is centered on each cylinder row. Started it today. The blank on top of the lathe weighs 27 ozs. The almost finished rear section weighs 8.5 ozs. Quite a reduction. 173 total hrs. so far.

"Billy G"

 

[Bill Gruby]

Crankcase Blanks ready for milling.

"Billy G"

 

[Bill Gruby]

OK, let's add one more piece, the "Defuser Housing. This part pushed the capacity of my Jet 9X20 to it's limit. Chuck jaws missed the ways by less than 1/4 inch.

Tomorrow I drill, tap, and bolt together what I have so far. All 4-40 this time.

"Billy G"

 

[napoleonb]

Love your work, do you work by bought plans or did you make the drawings yourself?
Would love to see the plans for this one.

Napoleon

 

[Bill Gruby]

The prints for this engine were done by Bob Roach out of Australia. They are not Cad. They are hand drawn. Sorry,I cannot show them here as they are copyrighted. Thank you for the kind words.

You can access more info on this engine from the Vernal Engineering site. Just google Vernal Engineering.

"Billy G"

 

[Bill Gruby]

Boy -- You sure get bounced around in here. This is one busy boarg. Congratulations to all you builders. Some nice work out there.

OK 14 cylinders are up next. 4140 pre stressed. 14 plus one set-up piece. Also need to make a special mandrel for machining these. Bores will be done in the 3 w and changing to my ER 40 to hold the mandrel. If I pull this off in 120 hrs or less I will have beaten the odds. LOL

"Billy G"

 

[steamer]

4140 ht stock it tough stuff....is it needed?

That will be a b)$)*# to machine ....lots of people use 12L14 for cylinders with no issues.....

Dave