Unsatisfied !?

[Tug40]

When you have a Lowbed idling at the loading ramp waiting on a boom, bucket, pin boss, or some part you are machining, you have to strive for what’ll work in the real world, not perfection.
And you must know the difference.

 

[Rocket Man]

My time is getting very short so I don't waste much of it doing unnecessary machining work. I hope I have a work shop and a bicycle in the next life.

 

[Lloyd-ss]

If I were able to choose, I would prefer going while working in my shop on a new part for a crazy new project that is just starting to actually work, but I am afraid it might be while swinging a mattock in one of my wife's many gardens. Just make it quick and it will be fine, LOL.

 

[vederstein]

I don't care if they win the ugly contest

Intentionally ugly can sometimes be something cool to look at.

 

[minh-thanh]

, you have to strive for what’ll work in the real world, not perfection.
And you must know the difference.

Yes I know that
As you can see , the topic title is : " Unsatisfied "
I know perfection is impossible
Here is the proof

​

I can say: my cylinder is 100% straight, yes I can say that and no one can check but me, but that's a lie
And I know it's good enough to pressurize the injectors, and I'm not worried about it
It's just that I sometimes have a part or two that I know are still usable, it's just that the surface isn't pretty or the bore is a bit off....
If I choose perfection then I will definitely never be able to make any engine
If I choose : " it 's fine , it doesn't matter ..." , again and again ...again.. then my machining experience , skills ... it will die
It's like the crankshaft and a few other parts..., there are some members of the forum who make it very nice, if I give it a rating , theirs would be 10 and mine would probably be 4.5.
The goal is that I have to try to get a 6, 7 or 8 and I will probably never get a 10. But I don't like 6, 7 or 8

 

[Rocket Man]

Intentionally ugly can sometimes be something cool to look at.

This is intentionally ugly. Beauty does not make it fun better.

 

[Lloyd-ss]

Rocket man,
Just like the instruction label on my can of contact cement, "aggressively tacky".
I love them!
At one speed I could envision a steam powered vibratory sander, LOL. Just glue some sandpaper to the base, ha ha.

 

[Steamchick]

Rocket Man, I think these are great! - I would be proud to have made them.
But a bit of dynamic balancing would be an improvement, perhaps?
And I hope you are suitable insulated and earthed in case of something unplanned happening to the 120V!
Like steam, 120V can be deadly stuff. (stay below 24V as that won't bite!). More than 50V can stop your heart... (Don't try it, just in case....) DC locks muscles, but AC oscillates them. Neither is good for the heart.
Do you ever light a fire beneath the boiler? - Good to see a steam engine "in steam" occasionally.
Well done anyway!
K2

 

[Rocket Man]

This is intentionally ugly. Beauty does not make it fun better.

It is no longer possible to fix the typo. That sucks. fun = run

 

[stanstocker]

It is no longer possible to fix the typo. That sucks. fun = run

I sort of liked the "beauty doesn't make it fun better" phrase! A bit stilted perhaps, but the sort of thing that you read, pause, then smile.

Well done,
Stan

 

[H. K. Barrows]

I have just started a v8. for good luck I bought 2 pcs to make the crank. Darn I just might get lucky. The Best for all.H.K. Barrows

 

[minh-thanh]

I have just started a v8. for good luck I bought 2 pcs to make the crank. Darn I just might get lucky. The Best for all.H.K. Barrows

I do not think so .
That proves you have more experience in machining, careful and meticulous ... than me

 

[Steamchick]

Hi Minh-Than, it's not "more experience" that Mr Barrows is showing, just "good planning" - and optimism! One piece to practice, and find the settings for the best job, the second to make the mistakes on, so he only needs to order 2 more pieces of metal when he has learned what will go wrong.... (If he is like me!). Then he'll end up with 1 crank, experience, and 1 spare lump of metal - IF HE IS LUCKY!
I was taught by 2 good expert machinists "Been There" and "Dunnit", so now I buy stock material "by the foot" instead of the inch, and sometimes get it right first time! My success is measured by the spare stock I hold, Lots of pieces just too short to make any more mistakes... It focusses my mind when I am on the last piece!

GOOD LUCK Mr. Barrows!
K2

 

[minh-thanh]

Hi K2!

Hi Minh-Than, it's not "more experience" that Mr Barrows is showing, just "good planning" - and optimism! One piece to practice, and find the settings for the best job, the second to make the mistakes on, so he only needs to order 2 more pieces of metal when he has learned what will go wrong.... (If he is like me!). Then he'll end up with 1 crank, experience, and 1 spare lump of metal - IF HE IS LUCKY!

Maybe ...
But he must have experience ( Must have a lot of experience in machining ) that helps him know make a "good planning" , where to start , what to do next ? and the next step ....... and plus the calculation , careful , meticulous ... determines the success .
Inexperience + Careless machining + luck : I think it will go to the trash

I was taught by 2 good expert machinists "Been There" and "Dunnit", so now I buy stock material "by the foot" instead of the inch, and sometimes get it right first time! My success is measured by the spare stock I hold, Lots of pieces just too short to make any more mistakes... It focusses my mind when I am on the last piece!

That's my way too .

 

[Lloyd-ss]

We talk a lot about our mistakes and how we improvise and fix them.

But how about the times when we are making a critical and difficult cut, and we measure it and it is perfect, and a big smile comes over our face as we stand back for a second and give ourselves a big pat on the back and say: "Darn, sometimes I am pretty darn good."

That really recharges the batteries.
Lloyd

 

[Steamchick]

Thanks for that Lloyd.Fair point.
Maybe authors of their builds should explain how they got it right as well as how they fixed the wrong-uns? That would be a great help to us all, but from the readers' perspective it is allg good, whatever the experts write.
Thanks, success makes us all smile.
K2

 

[Rocket Man]

Rocket Man, I think these are great! - I would be proud to have made them.
But a bit of dynamic balancing would be an improvement, perhaps?
And I hope you are suitable insulated and earthed in case of something unplanned happening to the 120V!
Like steam, 120V can be deadly stuff. (stay below 24V as that won't bite!). More than 50V can stop your heart... (Don't try it, just in case....) DC locks muscles, but AC oscillates them. Neither is good for the heart.
Do you ever light a fire beneath the boiler? - Good to see a steam engine "in steam" occasionally.
Well done anyway!
K2

I did have a factory 4x4 steam engine and boiler 22 years ago. I sold the 4x4 to the man that owns the Memphis Queen steam boat. If your every on the Memphis Queen you might see my old steam engine. I don't remember who I sold the boiler too. I did have pictures once but every time my computer crashes I loose pictures. Never trust a comp
uter.

 

[Richard Hed]

I did have a factory 4x4 steam engine and boiler 22 years ago. I sold the 4x4 to the man that owns the Memphis Queen steam boat. If your every on the Memphis Queen you might see my old steam engine. I don't remember who I sold the boiler too. I did have pictures once but every time my computer crashes I loose pictures. Never trust a comp
uter.

That's why I have 4 backup drives.

 

[L98fiero]

That's why I have 4 backup drives.

That's technology for you, we can still read 4-5,000 year old cuneiform tablets and Egyptian hieroglyphs but can't read a 20 year old floppy disc.

 

[timo_gross]

I have just started a v8. for good luck I bought 2 pcs to make the crank. Darn I just might get lucky. The Best for all.H.K. Barrows

Rule: If you buy two pieces of stock, you will need one. If you buy one piece you will need two .