Hoglet build thread sort of..

[Jamie Barton]

Hi all,
I'm still a newbie to hmem but though whilst I'm part way through Id start a build thread on my attempt at the hoglet. I'll apologise in advance for the messy workshop, and stages skipped from photographs, Ive not taken many of the setups used and machining. My lathe is definitely too small to build this comfortably with cast iron cylinders but it can be done.. Whether it will run is another matter.

 

[Jamie Barton]

So as mentioned with many stages not photographed lets start with crank webs..

 

[Jamie Barton]

A pair of round offcuts were purchased on ebay, they had been water jet cut out of someone else's job. I faced them down to size, drilled and reamed center hole and con rod pin hole & clamped the pair with two pins lining the pairs of holes up before turning down to diameter. I was a bit unsure how to cut out the sections from the crank webs as I dont have a boring head or rigid enough mill to carve big interrupted cuts through thick steel, so I held them in pairs to allow the use of a hole saw, I was quite surprised this worked. For the two flat sections I stood the webs vertically in the mill and used my tiny slitting saw.

 

[Jamie Barton]

The tiny slitting saw was also uses to slice between the two holes to allow the webs to clamp down onto the shafts. I had to cut in from both sides to get right through but it didn't take long, that slitting saw really makes light work for its size

 

[Jamie Barton]

Next up conrods. I rushed too much at first, made numerous daft errors including using the wrong size stock and not not noticing until I found the little end of one didnt need thinning as it was already under size, and my vice losing grip and spitting the work out - made a bad noise

 

[Jamie Barton]

I had to take a quick break from the hoglet when my two year old came into the workshop and instructed me to make him a train, bottom of the most recent pictures.

 

[Jamie Barton]

Crankshaft and con rods almost done, to be polished up nearer completion..
The camshaft tunnel I started in the lathe with a full round oversized lump, drilled and bored centre, bored out for timing gear then setup on the rotary table to drill & ream the push rod holes, this took me ages just to figure out the table position for each hole. I wrote it all down first and checked many times. Once the holes were in I cut the lump in half and tidied up on the mill. I should've left spare length on which couldve been parted off to create the camshaft cover but instead I had to make that separate.

 

[Jamie Barton]

Many pictures missed.. All of a sudden I had a camshaft, valve guides, keepers, valves and rockers and the frame. All that rushing did me no good. One side piece of te frame has a tap snapped off in it..

 

[Jamie Barton]

And as of today both cylinders are bored but not honed / lapped yet, one is finned and has the four holding down bolt holes. To cut the fins on a little lathe I had to use tailstock center with a plug made for the bore, and a very tiny parting too

 

[Jamie Barton]

just had another trip to workshop and got the first cylinder turned down at the bottom and tried it on for a sneak peak. I'm not going to pretend it was fun on the Chester hobby badged C3 lathe but it got the job done. If I do anything this big again it will be aluminum!

 

[Cogsy]

Looking great so far - this one is on my (very long) to-do list as well. It might be a little late for you now, but if I could make one suggestion it would be to get most of the polishing work done as you go, at least it works better for me. Otherwise, I get to the end of the build with a running engine and then I have to pull it all down and begin the enormous fettling/polishing job on every single part and I just run out of enthusiasm and rush it, or worse. Of course my rough parts generally look rougher than your so maybe it won't be such an issue for you.

 

[e.picler]

Hi Jamie!
Your building is very nice, congratulations.
This engine runs very nicely with a great low idle. Keep the Photos coming.

One suggestion on posting pictures to show directly on the post instead appearing as attachment. Go on Upload a File buttom then choose the picture and open that after click on full size.

Looking forward to see it running.

Which version of the Hoglet are you building? I found on the web a couple of different versions.
I plan to add the Hoglet on my list of project.

Edi

 

[Jamie Barton]

Hi Jamie!
Your building is very nice, congratulations.
This engine runs very nicely with a great low idle. Keep the Photos coming.

One suggestion on posting pictures to show directly on the post instead appearing as attachment. Go on Upload a File buttom then choose the picture and open that after click on full size.

Looking forward to see it running.

Which version of the Hoglet are you building? I found on the web a couple of different versions.
I plan to add the Hoglet on my list of project.

Edi

hi Edi, I wasn't aware there are other versions of the hoglet? I'm curious now.. Mine will have some slight changes, some sizes have been rounded to nearest metric size to suit my reamers etc. I might also opt for external flywheel as I cant think up a way to turn 3.5 id 4inch od rims for the crank shaft with only a 3" chuck.

 

[Jamie Barton]

I also have another dilemma. My cylinders are cast iron and after struggling with that size I dont know if it might be better to make the heads aluminum with press in valve seats. I'm not sure if Id be happy looking at the miss match materials or if it would give nice contrast.

 

[Jamie Barton]

I've just about got a cylinder head. I made a block with a 30 degree angle when used alone or 21 degree when two square bars are clamped between the block and angle plate, it kept the head steady enough for the boring jobs. I also made a fixture for cutting the cooling fins by sandwiching the part between two alu discs. This allows my to give some support with the tail stock.

 

[Jamie Barton]

I only made one head just to see if my machines could hack cast iron that size. I wish Id done the pair at the same time now to save on setup time.

 

[johnmcc69]

Looking great jamie! I especially like that train, what a great heirloom.

Keep up the good work,
John