Onward, ever onward

[tel]

Thankee, we are as ready as we can be if it comes this way. Whatever will be, will be, as Doris Day once said. Meanwhile, there's an engine to build.

Flanges are needed for the cylinder, so a couple of disks were cut from 3mm brass and set up on the 3" faceplate for boring


..boring ....


... bored.


The cylinder components thus far


A dry run...


... on the engine


The dreaded port blocks are next.

 

[4156df]

Tel,
Looking good. I really like your cylinder style. Thanks for posting.
Dennis

 

[hitandmissman]

Great build. I also like the way you are doing the cylinder. Very nice.

 

[arnoldb]

Very nice Tel!

I like that small face plate for the Myford as well, looks really handy.

Regards, Arnold

 

[tel]

Thanks blokes.

Yes Arnold, it is very handy indeed. I made it from an offcut of 3" CI bar a few years back, and it's just the duck's guts for doing small stuff. Don't know about others, but I find having the 9" faceplate flogging around in your face while working on little items quite intimidating.

 

[arnoldb]

Thanks Tel - and darn... now I have another tuit : !

Kind Regards, Arnold

 

[Deanofid]

Looking good, Tel!
I'm never brave enough to paint any of my parts until I have the whole thing done.
Afraid I might have to machine the paint away due to some prior goof!

Keep on.

Dean

 

[tel]

;D

not a huge amount of time on it today, but I did get the port block machined to size, the port face made flat and the ports cut. Still have to cut the curved seat where it butts up to the cylinder body. Hopefully I'll get set up to do that tonight.

Here's another dry fit - you can start to see a cylinder emerging now.

 

[ozzie46]

Great stuff Tel. Now all those plans I have that show cast cyls. seem doable.

Thanks

Ron

 

[tel]

Yeah Ron, just about anything is doable if you are prepared to put the time in.

The cylinder is almost ready to be silver soldered.

First I set the boring head with the aid of a sacrificial bit of aluminium and a gauge piece, then set up the port block in the vise and cut the seat.



Yet another dry fit. I just have to put a couple of 1/16" brass pins in to hold things together for the silver soldering operation now. Sadly, it might be the weekend before I get back to it tho'.

 

[ksouers]

This is great stuff, Tel.

I've been wondering how to build of a cylinder. I've worked out the operations in my head, but it's interesting to watch someone actually do it.

Thanks for sharing your technique.

 

[tel]

Thanks Kev, once you've done one it's easy enough. A bit time consuming tho'.

Got a bit of unexpected time this afternoon, so the cylinder has been pinned and silver soldered. Clean up and final machining next.

 

[thayer]

Hi Tel,

Thanks for all the inspiration. You've got a wonderful project going here.

A couple quick questions from a rank newbie. How much extra do you leave on the cylinder bore for the final cleanup? I'm just trying to get a sense on how much you expect the metal might move as you solder it.

Also, Is there any merit in milling the steam ports in the block before you solder? It seems it might be easier to at least rough it in before you have the entire assembly to hold.

Thayer

 

[tel]

Opion is divided on the matter of how much to leave in the bore. Personally I take it right out to size and just clean up with a brake cylinder hone after the soldering - I've never had a bore distort, the secret is in the even heating of the entire workpiece - usually I use the outer flame of an oxy/acet cutting torch for this, just keep the torch well back.

This is the first time I've cut the ports before soldering the assembly and I believe it is the better way. The exhaust port was cut right through and I think that this helped the penetration of the solder under the block.

There is really only the ends left to machine - I'll mount the cylinder on a wring fit mandrel and turn those down to true 'em up. Then it's only hone the bore and clean up.

 

[thayer]

Thanks Tel,

This sounds like a case of make an extra part or two and see what works well for me. I've just started to cut metal with any precision, and recently finished my first project, one of Elmer's simpler engines.

It helps to know what works for you and I will see if I can get close to your skills someday.

Sincerely,

Thayer

 

[tel]

 

[thayer]

Tel,

That really looks very nice!

Thayer

 

[tel]

Thanks Thayer, I'm pleased enough with it. The photo's a bit murky tho'. I'll try to get a better one later.

 

[thayer]

Tel,

I understand you faced the ends, but I'm new enough that I have no idea how you would have cleaned the rest of that up.

Some sort of etching solution? buffing wheel? bead blasting? files? burying it out back behind the shed for a week? tossing it in Sydney Harbour? A ride a rock tumbler with large gravel?

Thayer

 

[tel]

Mostly just persistence with odd bits of wet n dry paper, then a run over with the air eraser to get the more stubborn marks off, then a final go with flogged out w&d. I masked the port face and ends with duct tape before doing all that, however.