Time for a Radial

[kcmillin]

Looking good chuck.

I like your reverse tapping method. Gonna have to remember that one.

Kel

 

[cfellows]

Today I shaped the Connecting Rod Master Spool (is there a proper name for this piece???) I used a 1.25" end mill to cut the curved part. As you can see, I used the crankcase as a fixture to hold and position the spool for cutting.

I'm going to leave the connecting rods alone for now. Next I'll be working on the crankshaft.

Chuck

 

[Foozer]

Curvy, I like curvy, and you make it look so easy :bow:

Robert

 

[krv3000]

HI well i love it all ready can not Waite till its dun bob :bow:

 

[T70MkIII]

Chuck, just backtracking a few posts and a slight thread drift - do you usually run your mini lathe without the gear cover on, and why the handle on the leadscrew? I see you've taken the chuck guard off too - very annoying piece of kit, and I'm thinking of doing the same (wearing safety glasses, of course).

Great looking radial so far!

 

[cfellows]

Chuck, just backtracking a few posts and a slight thread drift - do you usually run your mini lathe without the gear cover on, and why the handle on the leadscrew? I see you've taken the chuck guard off too - very annoying piece of kit, and I'm thinking of doing the same (wearing safety glasses, of course).

Great looking radial so far!

I leave the gear cover off for a couple of reasons. First, I never use the change gears on the minilathe. And, second, so I can use the crank I attached to the lead screw on the left. The crank is used for measured and repeatable movement of the carriage (1/16" per turn). I mounted it on the left so I wouldn't have to modify the leadscrew on the right side.

As far as the chuck guard goes, I've never bothered to attach it. As you say, it just gets in the way.

Chuck

 

[T70MkIII]

All sounds good. Thanks, Chuck.

 

[cfellows]

I hogged out the crankcase today and mostly finished the other two cylinders yesterday. Still have to round off the edges and fins on the cylinders and crop the base flanges down to size. If you like exercises, try centering a six sided piece on 3 opposing sides in a 4 jaw chuck. Had me scratching my head a few times.

You can begin to get an idea of what it's going to look like:

Chuck

 

[Metal Butcher]

HI Chuck, your project its coming along real nice.

Your machined surfaces look great!

I can't wait to see it all together.

-MB

 

[cfellows]

Thanks, MB.

Here's the last post for today. I got a good start on the front part of the crankcase. I still need to do some rounding, drill holes for the attaching screws and taper the nose piece. The crankshaft will be 5/16" running in some small ball races I had on hand. The bearings races are 5/16" ID and 1/2" OD, so they are not very heavy duty. I probably could have gotten by with a 1/4" crank, but 5/16" sounded better. I'm also considering drilling a radial pattern of holes in the front part so the inner workings of the crankshaft will be visible when the engine is running. Does anyone think that's a bit over the top???

Chuck

 

[1hand]

Chuck,

I really like how it flows together, from the crankcase into the cyls.

Nice work!
Matt

 

[compspecial]

Chuck, you are an inspiration, this engine has an elegance like the old Anzanis. I must confess I was absorbed by the pictures and assumed it was going to run on air, but when I read the text more carefully and found its a four stroke WOW its gonna sound great. hope you can find room for the valves in those heads

 

[vascon2196]

Great looking engine Chuck...looking forward to seeing it in action!

Chris

 

[rleete]

Holes in the front, or even a clear cover is recommended. Gotta see the moving bits to make it more interesting! Why go to the work to shape your "master crank thingie" ( <-- technical term) if you're just going to hide it inside?

Hint: use cut up soda/beer cans to protect those cylinders when chucking in the lathe. Much less work than polishing out the jaw marks afterwards. Plain old masking tape works, but limits holding power a little.

 

[cfellows]

Chuck,

I really like how it flows together, from the crankcase into the cyls.

Nice work!
Matt

Thanks, Matt. Unfortunately, the cylinder flanges on the bottom 2 cylinders will be trimmed, so there will be a step there like the top cylinder shows.

Chuck, you are an inspiration, this engine has an elegance like the old Anzanis. I must confess I was absorbed by the pictures and assumed it was going to run on air, but when I read the text more carefully and found its a four stroke WOW its gonna sound great. hope you can find room for the valves in those heads

Thanks, compspecial. The engine will be run on air, but the valving will make it 4 stroke in operation, like the the opposed 4 engine that I built.

http://www.homemodelenginemachinist.com/index.php?topic=11641.30

Great looking engine Chuck...looking forward to seeing it in action!

Chris

Thanks, Chris, you and me both!

Holes in the front, or even a clear cover is recommended. Gotta see the moving bits to make it more interesting! Why go to the work to shape your "master crank thingie" ( <-- technical term) if you're just going to hide it inside?

Hint: use cut up soda/beer cans to protect those cylinders when chucking in the lathe. Much less work than polishing out the jaw marks afterwards. Plain old masking tape works, but limits holding power a little.

Thanks, rleete. I get in a hurry sometimes and wind up making things harder for myself later on. With the amount diet cola I drink there is no shortage of empty soda cans waiting for the recycler!

Chuck

 

[cfellows]

Did a little softening and finishing work today. This first series of pictures shows the radial set of holes being drilled which will hold the front crankcase cover to the main crankcase. I thought the group might like to see the indexing fixture I have built into my drill press. I picked up this round table at a scrap yard a number of years ago. It already had the 24 holes in the sides (well, two holes on opposite sides are missing, but I work around those). I had to turn the spigot down to fit my drill press. Then I bored out the center to fit a 5C collet. Finally, I made an indexing pin and lever from some strap I had on hand.

And here are some pictures of the engine in its current state:

 

[Groomengineering]

Chuck, that indexing fixture is amazing!! I love it!! Makes me wonder what else you have stashed away... :big:

Your engines coming along very nicely. I just love the look and sound of a radial engine.

Cheers

Jeff

 

[SBWHART]

Looking real well Chuck ;D enjoying following your thread.

Stew

 

[Blogwitch]

Sorry I haven't commented before Chuck, I've been rather waylaid by other things.

It is coming along very nicely, just like all your other engines have done, and I am sure you will have everything 'just so' by the end of it.

John

 

[Noitoen]

Nice build ;D. I was looking at your connecting rod assembly and I thought that on a radial engine, one of rods should be solid ???.
On your drill press, if the index pin's arm has 3 holes, you wont miss the 2 on the table