Re: First Engine No Plans.

[steamboat_bruce]

Getting back to my original question, does anyone have experience in rolling 0.375" OD cupro-nickel tubes in brass tube sheets?

 

[crankshafter]

I have them all :lol:

 

[raym 11]

John & Rake 60;

Yup, and usually the defect shows it's ugly self just before my finish cut

My favotite C. I. these days is class 40. It comes with a thin machinable skin due to the centrifical casting process. Excellent machinability,lubricity and takes a very fine polish.(the 'chips' can be seived, mixed with light oil or some liquid carrier and used as a fine abrasive).

The flywheel, piston, wet sleeve and rings on my avatar (t-head) are class 40.

Ray Monahan

 

[Tin Falcon]

Rick:
Looks like you have her trained well. She knows to get the stuff in the red box LOL. I have been fortunate to get good deals on mine.
maybe you need to borrow more tools from work LOL.
Tin

 

[IanN]

Hi, I'm Ian from Wiltshire in England, I've just joined the forum. Here are some pics of my lathe - a Drummond made in approx 1912. The first pic shows the lathe as I got it (after I cleaned it up)

I picked the lathe up a few years ago for just over £60

When I got it the casting where the change wheel banjo attaches was damaged as the pic below shows.

I ground out the damaged area to make things nice and square, then turned up a collar the same as the complete cast nose.

I then cut out part of the collar to fit in the ground out section, welded the new bit in and fettled it up with a file.

I then made a change wheel banjo to fit.

The pic below shows the whole thing in use.

I made a calibrated collar to fit the cross slide handle to make it a little easier to make measured cuts.

And made a four way tool post to replace the original tool clamp.

 

[Philjoe5]

I've started using a continuously cast iron sold as Gray Iron from Enco. I think it is also known as Durabar. It machines nicely...a little less messy than CI and you can polish it to a mirror finish rather easily. I've made a few engine cylinders with it. It seems to hold a thin film of oil pretty well.

 

[IanN]

To help keep taps square to the surface I use simple tapping guides made from bolts.

Take a large diameter bolt and cut to suitable length.
Grip by the threaded part in the lathe chuck.
Face off the head.
Centre drill, then drill right through to the required diameter.
(Ream out if you are really keen!)

Small diameter taps tend to have shanks that are a larger diameter than the actual tap size.
This means you can use the same guide for a number of different size taps.
(For example, all my taps in the range 5BA to 12BA have 0.125 in dia shanks)

Tap in place in the guide

The guide is held firmly on the surface of the part being tapped.

Some points to note:

Make the centre drill cut a larger diameter than the through hole.
This ensures that the burr raised by the tap will not skew the guide.

Stamp the guide size on one of the bolt flats to make identification easy.
(I mark the guide with the tap sizes, not the hole size)

 

[lugnut]

A great little tool that I got in a box of drill bits I bought at a yard sale is one of these little Micro Drill Adaptors

Enco wants $40 for them! I don't think I would pay that much but I'd bet some one else has a cheaper model.
It does work real well and gives you a lot of control.
Mel

 

[IanN]

Hi Ken,

The tap wrench in the pic is one I've had for years - made by a firm called Eclipse- but it is the standard pattern used in the UK. (In the USA I believe that the tap wrench for small sizes is usually a Tee shape with a chuck type fitting to hold the tap).

Drawing for the tap wrench in the pipeline.

For small taps I also use a disk about 50mm in diameter with a square hole in the centre to take the end of the tap - I'll include drawings of that too.

Ian

 

[IanN]

I made a couple of drawings for Ken of the tap wrench in the pics above.

If anyone else wants copies, please e-mail me.

Ian.

 

[Jack]

If this works I'll be amazed, if it doesn't it won't surprize me either.
But if it does it should show the little steam engine that I finished awhile ago.



Maybe I can find a teenager around the neighborhood that can show me how to do this. It can't be as difficult as setting up a piece on a rotary table. :lol:

 

[Jack]

Awhile back I started to make this little engine, it wasn't that difficult to build and it was made entirely out of the scrap box.

<embed width="448" height="361" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" src="http://i201.photobucket.com/player.swf?file=http://vid201.photobucket.com/albums/aa42/JackD_05/opencolumnenginerunning.flv"></embed>

Thanks for looking :mrgreen:

 

[Sprocket]

Gt2ride-

" Are there any SB 10K owners on this site?"

Mine is a 1979 Heavy 10. Picture in an earlier post. Why do you ask?

 

[tattoomike68]

Awhile back I started to make this little engine, it wasn't that difficult to build and it was made entirely out of the scrap box.

<embed width="448" height="361" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" src="http://i201.photobucket.com/player.swf?file=http://vid201.photobucket.com/albums/aa42/JackD_05/opencolumnenginerunning.flv"></embed>

Thanks for looking :mrgreen:

nice, anyone have a print for that one?

 

[RollaJohn]

In some locations ethanol is restricted in who can purchase it. The state of Washington has decided that the general public can't be trusted with this potent brew. If we wish to acquire ethanol, otherwise known as Ever Clear, we have two choices. One,take a trip to Idaho where it is available to the general population or two, do what I do,and purchase from a business that is licensed to buy from the state. My neighbor has a licensed winery and they use it for disinfecting. So I can purchase the small amount I need from them.

 

[lugnut]

Welcome aboard Marv, I think most of the new guys have been making a "entry statment" at the Welcome section, but I think you would be welcomed any place you choose. I've read all your posts on the HSM forum and I know you will like it here and will be most welcome. We need and praise your wisdom.
Mel

 

[Tin Falcon]

Marv:
Welcome to out little corner of cyberspace. I am glad you decided to join our ranks. I know you knowledge ,experience , and enthusiasm for making models wil be a great asset here.
Many of us here inclucing myself have enjoyed and learned from your contributions to the Home Shop Machinist board.
We look forward to you posts here.

BTW looks likeyou found the right place to introduce yourself.
Tin

 

[dparker]

Hello All: I am glad to find this site of and for modelmakers. I have made some models and some tooling for my home shop over the last 30 years. Some of the models are from castings (steam hammer, Stewart 10V, Reeves oscillator) and many are from bar stock as I would rather not spend so much money. Harold Depenbaugh (sp) Hit and Miss farm engine and the 6 cycle from HSM

and a flame licker from castings out of Popular Mechanics 1960's. I have a Craftsman 12" X36" lathe, milldrill, drillpress, Perfecto 7" shaper,gas and wirefeed welders.

I must admit that I am quite computer challenged but like to read homeshop machining forums. If I can figure out how to post pictures I will send in some of my "toys".

The old PRIME and now GEARS shows are a humbling experience but I have missed only one two years ago due to heart surgery the week before. I would be ashamed to take anything of mine to be alongside those fantastic models so I stay just as a spectator. Just a reminder: September 22 &23 is this year's date at the Kliever Armory just west of the Portland OR Airport.
Thank you for giving me some encouragement--------Sorry about the placement of the photos, God among others isn't done with me yet. Don

 

[dicej32]

The Sept/Oct issue of Live Steam and Outdoor Railroad has a cool twin cylinder, single flywheel engine on the front cover. The build article and drawings are complete in this issue so no waiting for multiple parts. It's a unique looking engine and looks fairly straightforward to build.

Jenaro

 

[RollaJohn]

There are several different chemical compounds known as alum. http://www.ochef.com/1080.htm
Also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alum

Probably more than and less than you want to know about alum , as it doesn't answer the question 'which form is being used in this process?'