A "Wallaby" of my own

[steamer]

OK finally I have some pictures.....

This is the front hub being bored before I reamed it with a short D-bit

Here the front hub is mounted on a mini face plate I used before with a 1/8" mandrel down the center. I reamed a hole in the piece of steel in the tailstock to the same size as the HSS mandrel. I then held the other end with this "center" while I fixed the front housing to the mini faceplate with superglue. Worked great and now the OD of the housing is dead concentric with the reamed hole.

Here I applied some heat and removed the housing from the faceplate.

Here I've mounted it in a collet and trimmed the housing to length.

Dave

 

[ProdEng]

Very clever and secure fixture that's gone straight into my notebook I like the glue, the support pin and the tailstock bush, hope I can remember when I need them!

Jan

 

[steamer]

Thanks Jan!

Thank Bill Smith, Master Clockmaker for that one....it helps to read up on all kinds of apsects of machining....not just model engines. He points out that most small holes drift....and to get the OD concentric with the ID, you have to machine it on an arbor to dial it out.

Dave

 

[vcutajar]

Dave

Is this similar to the wax chuck? Or am I confusing things?

Vince

 

[Blogwitch]

Dave,

I'm really enjoying watching you build this engine.

What people don't seem to realise that most of ET's engines were built in the 50's, 60's & 70's, using the technology that was available then, so doing the same thing nowadays, should be a lot more simple. But I do like the way you are going 'old school', using buttons etc.

Nowadays, if it was me, it would just be locked down in the milling vice and all co-ordinate drilled using DRO's.

Are we really doing it the right way using modern equipment, or are we just getting lazy?

Don't get me wrong, I came through it all, having to do things how ET used to do it, and I am grateful for the fact, as I know that when a time comes when I don't have the use of modern aids, I will still be able to achieve the same end result, only a lot slower.


John

 

[Rayanth]

Bogs, it's my belief that the only "right" way is any way that gets the correct end result.

Whether this is the most satisfying way is up to each individual person. If you're in it for the journey, the "old" way may be the "right" way for you. So long as you can get the correct end result, take whatever way feels right.

For most, these days, time is of the essence, and the "right" way is somewhere between the new and the old, where you still have some complicated setups to get the satisfaction of the old, but use some of the newer stuff to save time.

- Ryan

 

[steamer]

Hey Bogs,

If I had DRO's trust me I'd use them. ;D Every machine I own is for the most part old, and for the second part worn out.

The reason I'm using the buttons is because, like you, that's how I learned it originally, and it's the only real way I can with what I have. Furthermore, I still think if your splitting thous with multiple parts like this, they need to be made up "in situ".

It's a bit ironic isn't it though...I've recently designed and built some very high end modern machine tools, but my mill is 60 years old :big:

My "go to" lathe was made in the 70's so it's the youngin in the shop...I think you guys know about my other lathes.

Additionally, as Ryan has stated, I like working this way....it's logical to me.

You don't need a lot of equipment, but you do have to think about it a bit to navigate a path to the other side.
I' guess I'm about 50 years out of touch....equipment wise...but I know I can "twiddle the knobs" on just about anything you throw in front of me.....and I'm not entirely sure a DRO would do these up any better "piece part" wise due to the stack up error between the parts made one at a time.

About 20 years ago I designed and made a punch die for for a medical product made of teflon felt. The die cut the felt into 10 strips and simultaneously pierced the strips with 120 .035 holes. The blank was about the size of a business card. I used a mill with a DRO to drill the 120 holes into a stripper plate to peel the blank off the piercing needles. I had a DRO, and foolishly I zeroed it after every hole....the distance was wierd and would have required a lot of math to keep up with the hole count....
Needless to say by the time I got to the other end of a row of holes....it was completely screwed because of the repeatative .0002" error per zeroing of the DRO....make it again!....make up a position table....DON"T rezero the DRO! :big:

I've heard the definition of Experience is surviving all of your mistakes! :big:

Anyway, thanks for looking in on this thread Ryan and Bogs, and your comments resonate. I'm doing it this way in my shop because that's what I have......I would love a Bridgeport with a 3 axis trac on it though : :anybody? ;D

Dave

 

[steamer]

Dave

Is this similar to the wax chuck? Or am I confusing things?

Vince

:big: Yes absolutely the same thing...just different sticky stuff!.....Tony bird uses those a lot! I use crazy glue because it's convenient.

Another Bill Smith tip for small parts.....super glue chucks.....Hanging on otherwise would require it held between centers (ET's suggestion) I think as there is not much to hang on too....even if you leave stock on the large face for chucking. It's kind of a awkward part

But one of the premises of this thread to to talk about other ways of doing it.....how would you do it ?

Dave

 

[Tin Falcon]

repeatative .0002" error per zeroing of the DRO....make it again!....make up a position table....DON"T rezero the DRO!
I too do not have DROs in my shop. Some of the shops I worked at did have them.
When I whenrt to USAF teck scool the machines did not have dros.
I personaly feel it sacriligious to put a DRO on my 1937 souith bend lathe. It is a piece of history.
And for the price of DRO s for the mini lathe I decided cnc was a better option.

as far as rounding errors I found out about those with alibre cad. I tried using 1/16 .0625 grid pattern when you get to the end of a 6" block you do not have 6".
Tin

 

[steamer]

I personaly feel it sacriligious to put a DRO on my 1937 souith bend lathe. It is a piece of history."


Well yes and no........

If Nat Herreshoff...the "Wizard of Bristol" a very famous boat builder who always pushed his designs to the limit of strength and weight 100 years ago had carbon fiber and epoxy...he'd a used it. :big:

If Lindeburg had jet engines.....he probably had used them to cross the Atlantic......

Though I am very much in touch with the history of industry, and a great proponent of it's preservation, if your doing it as a job....the new ways are certainly far easier!....

At the end of the day...it's the gray matter between the ears that gets the job done.

Dave

 

[Maryak]

as far as rounding errors I found out about those with alibre cad. I tried using 1/16 .0625 grid pattern when you get to the end of a 6" block you do not have 6".
Tin

Tin,

If that is the case then your CAD program is not set up properly. The size of an item is determined by the level of accuracy to which the program and drawing are set. Most are capable of 0.00000000000001" so look in the setup and set not only the size which can be anything from 1 unit to the previously stated fraction but also the level of accuracy used to determine the size. Some programs require 2 complete and separate installations depending on whether your trying to draw in imperial or metric.

Hope this helps and apologies to Dave for the hijack.

Best Regards
Bob

 

[steamer]

No worries Mate!.....Like I said ...different ways of doing it...

Dave

 

[chucketn]

Dave, are you going to show Rollies faceplate setup fixture? To me that is the whole secret to using a face plate.

Though I may never build a "Wallaby" I am very much enjoying this thread.I learn so much from these builds and thank you Steamer for taking the time to document it. Great job.
Started from the begining of the thread this morning and ended up ordering my own copy of Howard Hall's "Workshop Projects".
Where can I find more info on Rollie's faceplate balancing setup? Google only brings up this thread and one reference to the NEMEs newsletter that mentions it.

Chuck

 

[steamer]

I think Harold Hall's book has a set of plans that describe the fixture appropriately. I don't think Rollie ever made plans...he just built one with the stuff he had.

Dave

 

[Don1966]

Hi Dave, still following along here in the shadows. I love the mini face plate such a ingenuous idea and a simple one. I believe I would have a lot of trouble making the oil pump, but I like your method.
I don't believe I would have to much trouble converting my old lathe to DRO. A piece of history is fine if you want it just to look at. But using it I would really like to do my job better if possible. There are people that build things the old way and with old tools, just to make it the way our forefathers did. But this is a hobby and simplifying things make it more enjoyable to me.

Don

 

[steamer]

What ever it takes Don.

Dave

 

[vcutajar]

Hey Dave

Re-found this thread and subscribed to it again.

Vince

 

[Don1966]

Hi Dave are we still working on the wallaby been missing you pal.

Don

 

[idahoan]

The pictures are gone; did Steamer bail too?

Oh well things will get better.

Dave

 

[steamer]

I will be continueing this thread elsewhere!

Dave

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