Briggs & Stratton 6S - A Beginnig

[b.lindsey]

Couple more pieces of the carb puzzle are done...mainly the riser stud for attaching the air filter and the three pieces which make up the choke mechanism which will attach to the back of the the air filter support as shown in photo 1.

 

[Deanofid]

Somehow I missed three posts in a row, Bill. Sorry about that, chief!
These assemblies are all looking very good. You're really doing some nice work here.

Dean

 

[b.lindsey]

Thanks Dean, you didn't miss much ...small steps on a few small parts...but still plodding forward at least. I had ordered a new hose set for a Smith Little Torch I have had for years but not used for quite a while. Those poor old hoses had gotten so brittle they would just snap anywhere you bent them too much. Will be installing the new hoses today and have also ordered some .031 silver solder from the outfit zee had mentioned a while back in his 0-4-0 thread. Once a few more little bits are done I will attempt to get them all soldered together as well as a few other things like the two halves of the muffler. Meanwhile I am hoping to get some more carving done on the crankcase as well.

Bill

 

[b.lindsey]

Slightly off topic but I did get the new hoses installed on the Little Torch. Relatively easy process too. Now I just need to get an adapter for my acetylene regulator so as to be able to use in on an MC size tank which will be for home use. Hopefully the silver solder will come in in the next day or so as well. Will be back working on other parts for the carburetor this weekend.

 

[b.lindsey]

Nit much to show today...had that pesky grass to cut AGAIN but managed to get the mounting plate for the carb/engine attachment done though I am not totally happy with it yet so may redo it for the third time to improve on the indentions on the three sides as shown. The end result wont be noticably different from the one shown, just better done.

 

[b.lindsey]

Good news, bad news. In addition ro the new hoses on the little torch I have been cleaning up the cart I got from Dad and repainting it. Went by National Welders yesterday after work and got the adapter needed for the regulator to fit on the smaller MC size acetylene tank and full tanks of oxygen and acetylene. Put it all back together this evening to check things out and danged if the oxy tank wasn't empty...must have been a bad valve or something. Another trip tomorrow to exchange it for a really "full" one. Anyway this is what it will look like...didn't take a before shot but it is an impprovement!

 

[b.lindsey]

Update on the empty Oxy tank. Didn't get off work in time to go by yesterday but did today. Met the guy on the loading dock with a long face about how I got the tank on Tuesday (receipt in hand), and a sad story about how anxious I was to try it out only to find it didn't have a breath of oxygen in it. He said they would gladly exchange the tank and even tested the new one for pressure. Meanwhile I told him I needed to go inside to pick up a couple of things like a little wrench for that square valve stem on MC acetylene tanks ($1.00) and a new high pressure gage for my acetylene regulator ($10.93). So I am there checking out and the guy says that'll be $1.18 ???. I said you must have forgot to add in the gage and he kindly replied "we will throw that in for your trouble in having to come back by." I thanked him profusely and said I wasn't looking for a freebie and he said not to worry. Once again there are a few companies out there that still believe in GOOD customer service. In this case it was the local National Welders branch. I gave him a dollar and a quarter, told him not to bother with the $.07 change, bid him and his collegues a pleasant evening and scedaddled out of there before they came to their senses. Anyway its up and running now, but still waiting on that silver solder and flux to arrive....e-mailed them today but no answer yet.

Three cheers for the guys at National Welders though!!!

Bill

 

[Deanofid]

That's a nice sized torch 'n bottle set for a small home shop, Bill. Glad to hear the welding supply
boys treated you right, too. An empty bottle gets by the filling place once in a while. I've had it
happen too.
Sounds like some nice fellows working at your place.

Dean

 

[ChooChooMike]

Bill,

FABULOUS JOB THUS FAR !!! I have Sherline equipment too, but it's not seen much use since I got the lathe & mill over 5 years ago. Now I've got some serious incentive to get busy after seeing all your great work on these desktop machines !! :bow: :bow:

+1 on karma/applaud !!

I'm watching all your work with great interest

Mike

 

[b.lindsey]

Thanks Mike, I have enjoyed my Sherline equipment for many years now and find it perfect for many smaller jobs and some bigger jobs as well. I was hoping to get some soldering done this weekend but STILL no silver solder yet. I called them this afternoon...said it was shipped on 9/7 from MA via UPS ground...should have been here by the 10th...its now the 17th. They tried tracking it but somehow it didn't show up in "big browns" database. Hmmmmmm....its either really really lost or never got shipped. They promised to let me know something on Monday....we'll see what happens. Guess I will just keep plugging along on other parts for the carb over the weekend. Thanks for checking in...now get that lathe and mill dusted off and make some chips :big:

Bill

 

[b.lindsey]

A few more little bits and pieces for the carb and a remake of the mounting flange (third time was the charm). The needle valve is just a 2-56 SS SHCS modified on the pointed end. The other parts are all part of that sub-assembly except for the mixing vane which was a part of the prototype. I wasn't going to make that but had a piece of 1/4" wide by ,032" thick brass and figured What the heck....two adjustable wrenches and a 180 degree twist and it worked just fine. It slid right into the larger end of the carb body which is also 1/4" dia. A little tacking with some silver solder and it should be there to stay. Now on to the main butterfly valve and the mounting plate and it should be nearly done and reacy to be soldered together...and the bigger test...to see it there is any chance it will work ???

 

[b.lindsey]

Just a final picture of how the vane was twisted.

 

[GailInNM]

Bill,
You sure are making a lot of fine looking little bits. I am sure enjoying following along.
Gail in NM

 

[b.lindsey]

Thanks Gail, it seems like the more little bits I get done, the more there are. Like so many of the other parts, the prototype carb was a potmetal casting pretty much in one or just a few pieces with little machining to do. Sure makes a difference trying to build it up in pieces but the challenge is fun all the same.

Bill

 

[arnoldb]

You're making some beautiful progress Bill :bow:
Not far to go now Thm:

Kind regards, Arnold

 

[b.lindsey]

Thanks Arnold...I think I should give you the prize for optimism today though. Some progress yes, but a long way yet to go. Just in the few parts I made over the weekend I changed several things so that will require updating the drawings to reflect those changes. Now theres the crankcase to finish, valves and cams to make, crankshaft...oh and the internal gears too.If I only had more time

Thanks for checking in and for the encouragement though. It does help.

Bill

 

[Deanofid]

You're doing a fine job on the carb, Bill. Not only the parts on the outside, but making things
for the inside that others won't know are there. Great modeling work!

Dean

 

[b.lindsey]

Thanks Dean. I did hear from the silver solder source yesterday via a UPS tracking notice. Apparently they had never shipped it back on Sept 7th for whatever reason. Scheduled to arrive tomorrow finally. I did fire up the LIttle Torch last evening with one of the finer tips (one of the ones with a synthetic ruby insert and a hole dia. of .011"). I am hoping the pinpoint flame will work well on some of the small joints that will be required in sticking all the little pieces together. If I need more widespread heat then I have larger tips for that too, just dont' want to be soldering in the middle and have the previously soldered end fall off but we'll see how it goes. I am thinking the .031 dia. silver solder should make that easier too.

Thanks for checking in.

Bill

 

[b.lindsey]

Today I finally got some silver soldering done, I started on the bigger (relatively speaking) muffler by soldering the central pipe to one of the outer body halves. Then the joint where the two body halves mate was soldered making a nice solid assembly. A little scotchbrite while turning the muffler in the lathe chuck cleaned it up nicely too. The results are shown in the three photos below.

 

[b.lindsey]

Then it was on to the carb parts. First the slide for the choke plate was attached to the air filter support with a short piece of brass drilled and screwed to both parts to hold them aligned and level. This is shown in photo 1. After that the air filter support was soldered to the carb body and the vertical center tube (for the butterfly valve was soldered to the body also. Then came the horizontal piece for the needle valve, followed by the mounting plate and the mixer vane inside the body. I didn't take pics of these but by the end the whole thing looked pretty nasty with flux and discoloration. I didn't have any picklimg solution but after an initial scrubbing with a toothbrush, hot water and soap I dunked the assembly in some bottle lemon juice which worked pretty well actually adter some additional scrubbing. Finally I buffed the whole thing on the little Foredom buffer...see pictures 2 & 3.