Hello all from Colorado

Sixtysixdeuce · Jun 5, 2014

Hi! Been lurking a bit, checking out some of the awesome builds here, decided I may as well join. Haven't built an engine yet, but I did cut my teeth on my first crankshaft last night. Not for a running engine (especially at only 2" long/.490 diameter with .080" main journals and .154" rod journals), just as proof of concept and as a (not very good) paper weight.

Yes, I did faux oil passages and balance drilling (#68 drill bit did not like the grade 8 bolt steel, either!)

I do, however, want to build a working engine, really wanna see if I can manage 1/8 scale

Don't think my little bench top machines will cut it, but I am working a deal for a Lagun vertical mill and a new lathe.

Anyway, I look forward to learning a bunch here!

Swifty · Jun 5, 2014

Hi Sixty, welcome, I'm sure that you will learn a lot here.

Paul.

gus · Jun 5, 2014

Hi Sixty,
Welcome from faraway Singapore. That was a great multi-throw crankshaft.

ozzie46 · Jun 5, 2014

Welcome. Nice looking crankshaft.

Where are you at in Colorado?
I'm from Pueblo.
Ron

Sixtysixdeuce · Jun 5, 2014

Where are you at in Colorado?

Elizabeth, good bit North of ya.

That was a great multi-throw crankshaft.

Thanks! I thought it came out OK for being so tiny, done on a mediocre lathe with crappy cutters and having not had any plans drawn. Just kinda winged it, mostly it's eyeballed within a few thou. It's a loose copy of a small block Chrysler crank.

I actually can produce pretty tight tolerances on these little Chinese machines, just have to really take my time, stopping a lot to check measurements. Putting the DROs on the mill helped a ton, and I can tighten the bed up on it pretty good (at the cost of less fluid movement), but the tiny carriage on the tiny lathe just wobbles no matter what I've done, the repeatability of the tail stock alignment is way sub par, and so on. I really will need a better lathe to cut a crank for an engine that will actually run, lest I end up scrapping many almost-finished parts on account of the wobbly carriage letting a cutter go just a tad too deep or too far.

My humble machining operation:

Of course, I have the support of my full automotive shop as well (presses, plasma cutter, MIG, TIG/Arc, Oxy-Acetylene, drills, die grinders, various cutting tools, etc, etc.). Stuff you wouldn't ordinarily think of comes in handy. I've accidentally oversized bearing pockets a tad, was able to save the piece by swaging them back down with a socket and the 20 ton hydraulic press, and in general just been able to apply a lot of tools in ways they are never used for auto repair nor considered for small parts fabrication.