And Now for the Twin

A special section just for steam engines and boilers, as without these you may as well fit a sail.
Mike Rometer
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Re: And Now for the Twin

Post by Mike Rometer » Wed Mar 10, 2021 9:36 am

With the crank pin pressed in (no 'keyed'), I returned it to the lathe for checking and correcting.

Crankshaft (31) (600 x 450).jpg
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Crankshaft (32) (600 x 450).jpg
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I then discovered that it was too close to the main shaft to clear the drill chuck. :roll:

Crankshaft (34) (600 x 450).jpg
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Some guys say Loctite is sufficient for drill extending, I use soft solder. Either way the drill is recoverable.
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A BODGE : - A Bit Of Damn Good Engineering.
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Re: And Now for the Twin

Post by Mike Rometer » Wed Mar 10, 2021 9:57 am

The next section main shaft was checked before final assembly in the lathe gripping the web in the outside jaws. Over the whole exercise I changed jaws back and forth so often that I resorted to the De-walt battery drill - and flattened the battery! :?

Crankshaft (35) (600 x 450).jpg
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Aligned with the DTI at this stage, assisted by a soft hammer, then keyed of course.

The end of the centre main pin and the next web were cross-marked with the lathe tool to get the right-angle for the crank throws. Here I failed to take sufficient photos to show the whole process.

The crank-pin was pressed in, checked for true (as before), keyed and the unit pressed on. The last section was then pressed on and clocked this time by reversing the whole assembly in the chuck so as not to stress the first sections. Keyed again with the use of the extended drill. The result wasn't perfect probably due to errors being cumulative, but within a few thou. I wouldn't want to do a V8! :o

Crankshaft (40) (600 x 450).jpg
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Fitted to the bed it rotates freely and the weights are sufficient to make it return to base.

Crankshaft (41) (600 x 450).jpg
Crankshaft (41) (600 x 450).jpg (54.02 KiB) Viewed 14379 times
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DetroiTug
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Re: And Now for the Twin

Post by DetroiTug » Wed Mar 10, 2021 3:30 pm

Looks really good Mike. Going to be a fine engine.

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Re: And Now for the Twin

Post by RNoe » Wed Mar 10, 2021 4:49 pm

Mike:
I am enjoying seeing your processes and progress.

You are spurring me on to build a light (2 H.P.?) twin I have: Reeves Commander.
I was GIVEN (!!) a complete set of castings and plans and more, which are waiting for me in my shop.
And my Friend in Seattle built a version modified to make it actually operable, so I have those notes and photos too.

You are inspiring me.
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Re: And Now for the Twin

Post by Mike Rometer » Wed Mar 10, 2021 7:06 pm

Thanks guys!

I'm constantly amazed by the interest this is generating, the number of hits far outweighs the membership of this forum. Hopefully it might set one or two more on the right (steam) path. It would certainly be nice to think so.
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Re: And Now for the Twin

Post by TahoeSteam » Thu Mar 11, 2021 6:00 pm

You're doing some great work and I love how you're documenting all of it. These procedures are the daunting ones that may scare many away for fear of not knowing what they don't know.

I'm curious mike would turning between centers have helped eliminate some of the run-out experienced with the 3+jaw?

Maybe I'm missing something. Trying to play on forum between harpooning people's arms...
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Re: And Now for the Twin

Post by Mike Rometer » Thu Mar 11, 2021 7:43 pm

Wesley, I hear you about between centres, and if any further machining had been required at that stage that would have been the way to go, but it would have made adjustment difficult with nothing to push against (chuck). Doing it between chuck and centre, pushing a centre into the end of the hanging shaft could have given (I feel) a false reading, by pulling that end of the shaft out of it's natural line. The way I did it was the way we used to do the motor cycle ones (nearly sixty year ago!). The only recourse that one has is to rotate the web on it's crank pin and bring the two parts of the main shaft onto the same centreline, hence having to monitor the run-out of the chuck before making the adjustment and hope to repeat it. if for any reason the centres of the crank-pin holes aren't exactly the same from the main centre, then there will certainly be a discrepency, and over several, it could accumulate. In my case they were all bored on the same jig at the same setting so 'should' have been exact apart from any tool flex or miss-setting by yours truly of the boring head. One is also of course, at the mercy of the machine manufacturer, but I have no beef on that score. By the end there was a small amount of error, but acceptable and it cant be felt in the bearings. Talking of bearings, the eccentric ones arrived today.

I do hope some folk will feel encouraged, fear of the unknown can be very real, but we none of us know what we can do till we try, and the man that never made a mistake, never made anything. You just have to learn from them and vow to try again, better.
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Re: And Now for the Twin

Post by Steam Captain » Fri Mar 12, 2021 9:47 am

Well, literally everything on this forum is encouraging and inspirational, it's a delight. It reminds me of building my second lathe after moving to the Wadden Sea.
Your engine will be amazing to look at, that's already a safe bet.
the arduino version steam engine indicator: https://app.box.com/s/b2i0z3gw6ny3rcfdet5xjg8ubrfu799i - app version coming soon
Excuse my occasional long response time. It's caused by the side effects from ptsd.
Mike Rometer
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Re: And Now for the Twin

Post by Mike Rometer » Fri Mar 12, 2021 7:26 pm

Steam Captain wrote:
Fri Mar 12, 2021 9:47 am
Well, literally everything on this forum is encouraging and inspirational, it's a delight. It reminds me of building my second lathe after moving to the Wadden Sea.
Your engine will be amazing to look at, that's already a safe bet.
Just hope I can get the v/gear right so it runs as well! :lol:
Retirement is about doing what floats your boat!

A BODGE : - A Bit Of Damn Good Engineering.
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Re: And Now for the Twin

Post by Steam Captain » Sat Mar 13, 2021 9:53 am

I'm sure ;)
the arduino version steam engine indicator: https://app.box.com/s/b2i0z3gw6ny3rcfdet5xjg8ubrfu799i - app version coming soon
Excuse my occasional long response time. It's caused by the side effects from ptsd.
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