Mill-only engine

[Sshire]

My mill arrived yesterday (accompanied by much cheering)
Further accompaniment was the grunting getting it down to the basement and on to it's stand.
The lathe will not arrive for 6 weeks.
In any case, I disassembled, cleaned, tightened, lubed and trammed.
After making 6 t-slot threaded blocks I'm wondering if there is an engine that could be made on the mill without a lathe.
I have this desire to do something other than more t- slot blocks for the next 6 weeks.

Any ideas?

Thanks
Stan

 

[milotrain]

I think that the piston is really your limiting factor here. A boring head will do most of the work you need and other parts don't necessarily need to be round (like counterweights and bellcranks). Without a boring head I don't think building a working engine is possible on a mill. Additionally I think there are easily 6 weeks of "tooling projects" that you can do on the mill that will really get you setup to do great work.

Some tooling you'll want to build:
1. Toss away V-blocks. I'd build maybe three sets of V blocks, two in steel and one in aluminum. No super accuracy needed but it'll help with any roundstock work.
2. 10° ramp block. I'd build a 10° block with a little lip at the bottom to hold stock in the vice so that you can ramp into pockets with an endmill.
3. 1" Threading die holder. I just build a 1" threading die holder which lets me chuck the work into the mill and thread it with the quill and a wrench. Super useful!
4. Clamps for your screwless vice.
5. A screwless vice (if you haven't bought one)
6. Various sizes of angle plates tapped for whatever your tslot bolts are threaded in. Again, accuracy is good but not 100% necessary, you can buy better blocks than you can make and you will eventually but having something you can mill into by accident is good.
7. A tooling plate. This is my next project.
8. An indicator holder that doubles as a quill depth gauge when a dial indicator is attached.

http://www.micro-machine-shop.com/

 

[metalmad]

Hi Stan
If u really want to start an engine and I do know the feeling.
depending on your experence, the list is endless and most have many weeks of Mill work that can be done before a lathe is turned on.
In my current build it will be some time before I need the lathe.
regardless Stay safe Stan
Pete

 

[crab]

If you have the experience Stan you can build a wobbler with nothing but a drill press and hand tools.As long as the ports are right and you shoot enough air to it, it will run ;D.Do a serch for key stock engines,you should find something you can build .

Crab

 

[Sshire]

Milotrain: good ideas. I will make a bunch of the stuff I don't have.
I did score a beautiful Criterion DBL-202 on eBay. I think a lot of folks didn't bid because it said "for Bridgeport" I called Criterion and was told that it is a standard DBL202 with an R8 shank (my mill is R8)
Won that one for cheap.

Pete: that is a 'Duh' on my part. Of course I can start on the milling parts for an engine and leave the lathe parts for later. Thanks for the dope slap

Crab: I'll look at keystock engines. Hadn't heard of those. Thanks for the tip.

Best
Stan

 

[aheg1220]

You could use drill rod in a reamed hole for the piston.

 

[metalmad]

No disrespect intended Stan
Pete

 

[Sshire]

Pete
Not at all. I'm new at this stuff and I truly appreciate all of the suggestions and help. There are times when the obvious is not obvious and having another viewpoint is great!
Thanks
Stan

 

[seagar]

Have a look at the JINGLE BELL ENGINE,I built it totally (including the flywheel) es an excersize il learning to use my new mill.The piston is only a piece of brass bar.
Good luck,
Ian (seagar)

 

[Tin Falcon]

Well stan a lot of it comes down to motivation and imagination. The round parts can made on a mill just may take a bit more thinking.
I tend to be a lathe guy and go to the lathe first if I can.
Making a piston is doable IMHO. clamp a lathe tool in the vise and put a piece of round stock in a collet in the spindle and face and turn.
the piston can be made with a drill and reamer. the fly wheel made with a rotary table or a boring bar if you are talking Elmer's engine sized fly wheels.
Like others have said you could do just start the mil parts and do the lathe parts later. depends on how soon you want an engine.
Tin