Deckel FP1 (1946 model) in scale 1:10

[MuellerNick]

Hi!

In an other thread, I have been asked to show my Deckel FP1 model.
I know it is not a engine, and it even doesn't run. But it is a model and is made out of castings.

What you have to know ...
That model started more as an annoyance than my own will.
We are making casting sessions here at my place and a bunch of people comes by, has a beer or two, some BBQ and makes his moulds etc.
"My" forum (cnc-ecke.de) had his 10th anniversary this summer. One of the organizers came to one of our casting parties and asked me to make a casting demonstration at the birthday party. I was NOT happy. Because of all the stuff to take with (furnace, mine weights above 200 kg; sand, ...).
But he organized the weighty equipment at place and I no longer could say no.

Only problem left was what to cast!?
I didn't want to cast 50 pieces of useless crap that gets thrown away already at the way home. So I decided to cast only for the mods and admins. Still not knowing what. Ashtrays for the non-smokers? Not really brilliant.
After a day, I came up with the idea to cast a Deckel FP1. Every machinist here knows them.
To reduce the work of pattern making, I tried to make the model out of as few as possible parts. I have broken it up into 4 castings (now changed to 5).

OK, here it is:

Raw castings out of the mould:

Motor with pulley cover and motor mount.


Table with X-axis. That block on the table is a feeder/runner/gate all in one. Has to be milled off.


Base.


Frame.


Detail of the frame (speed change levers) after spray painting.

Finished (sort of):








I didn't mill the slots in the table, had no small enough milling bit. Now I have one, but didn't have the time to actually do it.
Yesterday, I have cast a new variant of the table and an additional part. I had to leave out the body where the lever for X and Z feed goes onto. Now it does have that detail.

I took off the dimensions of my Deckel, hacked them into CAD and milled the patterns. Took about 40 hours overall.
I'm planning to add handwheels and cranks and a few other details as spinn castings. But as the model is is now, it's good enough to sit on the office desk.


I even tried how scraping in scale would look like.

Nick

 

[ProdEng]

There is something truly beautiful about the look of a well made casting, thanks for sharing your work.

 

[MuellerNick]

They had a night-shift today at the Deckel foundry (AFAIK, Deckle didn't have a foundry):


Furnace.


One tree with all parts, from the bottom …


… and the top.


Storage, where the castings have to age for half a year.


Nick

 

[petertha]

What is your plan for the motor & (I assume belt cover) casting? Will you hide an actual motor within & functionally drive, or is this more just to preserve scale & for show?

 

[MuellerNick]

This model never was meant to be a working one. Just as static display. A paper weight for Deckel fans like me.

After I have seen my result, I thought about making a full-blown version. All accessories, all parts as cast as the original, hollow castings etc. Swiveling table, slotting head, high speed head, dividing table, spiral milling attachment, ... But designing the patterns and cores and milling them and getting them to work would take at least two months (full workdays).
So I will leave it the way it is, but add a few details.

If someone is really nuts (is that me?), he could make a working one out of two or three sets. Plus a LOT of work.

A friend of mine couldn't resist to mill real T-slots.


Nick

 

[abby]

I admire your castings Nick , I think they are possibly the best sand castings I have seen.
I too love realism and I am sure as a German you will recognise this.

I did this in lost-wax which is somewhat easier than sand , but you still need patterns.
I am hoping to make a working version at some time.
regards from UK.

 

[MuellerNick]

and I am sure as a German you will recognise this.

No, I'm sorry. I have no clue. Except that I should know it.
Some kind of pump?


Nick

 

[MuellerNick]

Maybe it is a siren?

Gentlemen, I forgot to show the patterns:

The frame, a simple split pattern.


The table. The stick is the gate, it also helps to keep that half in the sand. Shallow parts tend to fall out when splitting the mold.
That pattern fell down and a part broke off. Quite delicate! I should have used the more durable variant of pattern material.

I had to mill that in 4 layers. Mill one layer, stick next layer on top (without unclamping), mill, next layer, ...
Mill is 1.5 mm in diameter, 10 mm long.


Table. Those repairs are the result of a modification. There is no draft.


Don't break it when ramming the sand!


Motor and pulley cover. Note the pocket on the right half, right below the box on the motor. Always comes out nice and complete.


Feeds thingy body. With patterns that small, I add the gate to the model. Less pain than hand-carving it.
My mill weights 3 tons and has 700 mm travel in X.


And that thingy as cast.

Forgot to make a picture of the base. But it is a simple pattern and the cat is sitting on my lap ...


Nick

 

[abby]

Nick it's the turbine generator as fitted to many German railway steam locomotives.

 

[MuellerNick]

Slightly improved version, still lacking T-slots ...





Nick

 

[MuellerNick]

The next stage of this project is nearing completion: Add details.
As a second thought, I decided that adding more fine details would make the model more attractive. These add-ons will be cast in pewter. I do have the equipment, but no experience. Thankfully, a friend offered to help me out. He has a lot of experience with the most smallest parts. So I "just" had to make the patterns.


Three are missing (the scales). They require some extremely fine engraving (hope that works) and that friend will do it for me.

Parts are (left to right, top to bottom):
crank X-axis (two)
Motor switch
Add-on for casting of the X-way
Two levers for gearbox

Wheel for Z-axis
Wheel for Y-axis
drum scales for X, Y, and Z
Wheel for turning the spindle (for gear shifting etc.)
Coolant-line clamps (two)
Grip for lid to the gear box
Spring housing for the quill

Lever for X and Z feed
Match

The grid is 5 mm, not an inch!

So there will be 20 additional castings. Will get them back in 2…3 weeks and fit them to the few finished models I do have.


Nick

 

[MuellerNick]

I could not resist!
Having shipped the patterns to the caster, I got the idea that I should add two more parts.
A quick "STOP" sent to him and ...

I wanted to add the two disks with the filter that go into the coolant sump in the mill''s base.
I measure the holes to be 2 mm, so I would need a 0.2 mm drill. Called the dealer, but I would have had to order 10 of them. 'Bout 75 € wasn't worth it.
I ground a single lip cutter with 0.2 mm (that are 0.00079") and let it spin with 24000 RPM. Spacing between holes is 0.35 mm (0.0138"):

From the back (yes, I see these burrs) and the front. About 300 blind holes per disk.


Tried to make a picture through a lens. Can't do that better.

Nick

 

[starnovice]

Thank God for CNC!!

Pat

 

[MuellerNick]

Thank God for CNC!!

I scribed the lines, center punched them and drilled. Then I deburred the holes.

Just kidding!
I wrote a program with LinuxCNC's extensions that calculated a square with where the holes should go. All holes within a certain radius were drilled, the other ones were skipped. About 15 minutes per disk. I was very conservative with the feeds.


Nick

 

[Rivergypsy]

Hi Nick,

I'm just tried to PM you, but it wouldn't go through

I've only just found this project, and I love it - very, very nice work. One question, but would you be willing to sell a set of the castings, please?

Many thanks
Dave

 

[Tin Falcon]

Nick decided to move on from here almost a year ago. You may find him on Model Engine maker.
Tin