Ageless 9 and 18 Radial

[rlo1]

I am starting to build the Ageless 9 and 18 Cyl radial engines. I want to work these in parallel since many of the operations are similar between the two.

 

[rlo1]

Next step - Punch some 2.5" holes in the center of the Round stock.

 

[rlo1]

Turning ODs and IDs on my Slant Pro

 

[rlo1]

Put the 770mx to work making the fron covers for both engines

 

[rlo1]

Finished the Turning work except for a recessed ID that I will have to do Manually

 

[rlo1]

So far so good, now to work on the Gcode/Cam work for the 4th axis work.

 

[stevehuckss396]

A lot of work but probably the best approach. I am also doing 2 at a time but only a pair of 9's.

 

[Richard Hed]

I am starting to build the Ageless 9 and 18 Cyl radial engines. I want to work these in parallel since many of the operations are similar between the two.

View attachment 123486

I am not familiar with Ageless. Is it IC or steam? It's good lookin'

 

[rlo1]

I am not familiar with Ageless. Is it IC or steam? It's good lookin'

Thank you!

Check out Ageless Engines
It has a lot of information on these engines.

 

[rlo1]

Made some progress this weekend and made a video of me running a cycle machining the flats on the crankcase.

https://youtu.be/782qzF6EGlc

Used a test block to dial in the settings for the thread milling. Took about 20 practice runs until the thread felt about right. I wrote a conversational gcode program to do all that machining at once at that 4th axis angle. All I need to do is to run it and rotate the 4th and repeat. Worked pretty well. It took about an hour for the mill to run the program on each cycle. I was not comfortable with editing the conversational gcode to add a "G0 A40" because the machine kept returning to A0 during the practice runs. So just to be safe I am rotating and re-referencing the A axis before each cycle.

 

[rlo1]

Machined the intake manifold ports for the 18 cylinder crankcase. Whoever invented thread milling, thank you.

 

[rlo1]

Cut 29 cylinder blanks (9+18+2 spares). Working on the conversational program for the first operation.

 

[rlo1]

Spent the day setting up and running the 15L machining 30 cylinder blanks. This first op just profiles the lower 1/2 of the cylinder.

 

[xpylonracer]

Made some progress this weekend and made a video of me running a cycle machining the flats on the crankcase.

https://youtu.be/782qzF6EGlc


View attachment 123656
practice runs. So just to be safe I am rotating and re-referencing the A axis before each cycle.

Great looking machine set-up but why don't you use a Face mill to machine the cylinder flat on the crankcase ? get rid of all those cutter marks and more likely leave a flatter surface.

 

[rlo1]

Great feedback, I am planning on brushing the aluminum which should remove any tooling marks. I elected to use the same cutter for the cylinder hole and facing so that there is not a tool change. In retrospec, you are right and I should have loaded up a face mill for the cylinder flats.

 

[Gabe J DiMarino]

Somebody likes jaw breakers...?

 

[rlo1]

Fireballs.....

 

[Gabe J DiMarino]

If I stick anything in mouth that big its a Jaw breaker . Nice work on the radial .What machines do you have?

 

[Larry G.]

Great looking machine set-up but why don't you use a Face mill to machine the cylinder flat on the crankcase ? get rid of all those cutter marks and more likely leave a flatter surface.

A small tramming error in the mill will translate to a large geometric error with a large diameter face mill.
The same error will translate into a potential sealing problem, but without the geometric error when a small diameter cutter is used.
Pick your poison.

 

[rlo1]

If I stick anything in mouth that big its a Jaw breaker . Nice work on the radial .What machines do you have?

LOL, thanks! I own a Tormach 15L and 770MX. I also have Grizzly 12x36 lathe and medium knee mill. I have sherline machines too.