A small steam engine

[NickG]

Rich,

Funnily enough in the past I've always threaded the pivot pins and hole in cylinder but I've always had problems, so on my last build a few months ago I used the same method you did and got much better results and without using a jig. I must have just been lucky, I went for a tight fit and then soft soldered, so I suppose there was less chance of distorting. I don't think it'd get hot enough to melt the soft solder.

I think it's easier to maintain the perpendicularity with a plain location diameter rather than a thread. Even if you get the hole perpendicular you might not tap it straight and likewise with the male thread, unless you screw cut it. You could of course have both a thread and accurate location dia., however, with our designs there isn't much meat in the cylinder, so the other danger for us is bottoming out the tap and stripping the thread. Done that before!

Good work, you've got the hard bit done, the pin and getting the ports to line up.

Nick

 

[firebird]

Hi Nick

Thats a mouthful of a word perpendicularity but I like it. As with most things practise makes perfect I suppose. This is my first wobbler so its not going to bad so far.

Cheers

Rich

 

[Noitoen]

:idea: You could make a pin with a little "ball like" feature just outside the joint in the cylinder. That way even if was a little out of "perpendicularity", it would center itself. :hDe:

 

[firebird]

Hi Noitoen

That sounds like a good idea, have you got a photo or a sketch of it. ??? ??? ???

Made the crankshaft today. I started with a piece of brass in the lathe and turned to size.

Drill out.

Transfer to the mill and rotary table and centre the whole assembly with a centre in the quill then clamp the table to the mill.

Drill for the crank pin. I used a No. 31 drill. The crankpin is a press fit in the hole.

Mill the webs with a 1/4 inch end mill.

Return to the lathe and part off.

The crank shaft is turned to a press fit size in the web. The crank pin is also a press fit. I used a bit of loctite on assembly.

Cheers

Rich

 

[firebird]

Hi

I also built the flywhel today. The plans I have show a 1 inch dia x 1/2 wide steel flywheel. Very plain looking and not to my taste. It seems to me that flywheels are a very personal thing. I have always fancied having a go at a spoked flywheel so this seemed like the perfect opportunity to try.

A piece of scrap thick walled ally tube in the lathe. Turned and bored to clean it up.

Transferred to the rotary table on the mill. Good thing about Myford chucks they screw off the lathe and can be screwed onto an adapter in the rotary table. The finished flywheel will be a 1/4 inch wide. Centre drill for 5 spokes.

After drilling and reaming 1/8 test some 1/8 stainless steel in the holes.

The centre boss is made from 1/2 inch brass. Held in a collet, clean up the outside then drill and ream 3/16.

The centre boss will be 1/2 inch wide. Transfer to the rotary table in the mill. Centre drill for 5 spokes. Drill out tapping size for 1/8 x 40 then tap.

I have some 3mm grub screws. Drill and tap a hole in between 2 spokes for the grub screw.

Return to the lathe and shape with a round profile cutter. Part off.

The spokes are 1/8 stainless steel slightly over long at the moment. Thread one end for 1/8 x 40 for 3/32.

A trial fit of the spokes.

Back in the lathe the centre hub is supported on a piece of 3/16 rod in the tail stock. the spokes are screwed in and tightened with pliers. A drop of loctite on the thread and in the outer rim.

Saw off the excess spoke.

Turn the outer rim and spoke ends.

Part off.

A trial fit.

Cheers

Rich

 

[Noitoen]

Don't laugh :hDe:

 

[jthulin]

Don't laugh :hDe:

Why laugh at a good idea? To further the thought, why not locate the "ball" at the joint between the cylinder piece and the base piece depicted in your drawing. This could allow a ball nose end mill or something to mill the pocket on each side, then assemble... could be tricky with a soldered/ brazed joint though... scratch.gif

The flywheel looks great Rich Thm:

 

[RobWilson]

Great job Rich
love the fly wheel :bow: :bow: :bow:
Rob

 

[bearcar1]

Nicely done Rich, BRAVO! I appreciate the 'fluted' hub ends, they add a bit of elan as well as some depth. I agree, a "plain jane" round disc would have been rather boring at its finest. Bravo! for a job well executed Thm:


BC1

 

[Maryak]

Nice

wheel Rich, :bow: :bow: :bow:

Best Regards
Bob

 

[Brian Rupnow]

Very nice flywheel.---Brian

 

[NickG]

Rich,

Don't know if it's even a word but you knew what I meant!

Like your crank, I have never made a crank with the bits machined away to balance it, never felt it necessary but I now admit it does look better!

That is one smart flywheel too, far too complicated for me!

Nick

 

[firebird]

Hi

Thankyou gentlemen for the kind words. The flywheel only came about because I took an extra days holiday on the bank holiday and managed to swing most of the day in my workshop, a rare treat. That gave me time to try a few things that I hadn't tried ( or had the time ) before. I was worried that I wouldn't be able to get it to spin true but when screwing the spokes in it sort of self aligns. I have to make a mandrel now so I can spin it in the lathe to give a final cut especially on the side where it was parted off. I think now I could confidently build a flywheel of 6 or 7 ich dia using this method.

Cheers

Rich

 

[firebird]

Hi

Made up a mandrel today to finish the flywheel and gave it a polish while I could spin it in the lathe.

I then set to and cleaned up the engine parts and gave them a polish too. I fixed the frame onto a scrap of wood and then assembled the engine. Connected it up to the compressor and away it went.

Heres a video of its test run. Sorry about the sound,some ***** had his finger over the microphone. : : :



Cheers

Rich

 

[Noitoen]

Cool. :big: :big:

 

[DavesWimshurst]

Rich,
That's one sweet running engine! :bow: :bow:
Dave

 

[zeeprogrammer]

Very nice Rich.

I always like peeking into your shop. Very sunny. I live in the basement. Someday I hope to have windows...any downsides to that?

Thanks.

 

[firebird]

Hi

Thanks for the support. This is my first engine so it was especially rewarding to see it run.
Hi Carl. There are down sides to everything I suppose. Its a little colder in the winter, not much cos the windows are double glazed sealed units. It can get a little warm in the summer but nothing a fan can't cure. Taking photos with sunlight streaming in is hard. Overall though you can't beat natural daylight.

Cheers

Rich

 

[Maryak]

Rich,

Congratulations, that's a lovely 1st engine, smooth as silk.

Best Regards
Bob

 

[rake60]

Congrats Rich!

Nice runner! Thm:

Rick