More progress

A special section just for steam engines and boilers, as without these you may as well fit a sail.
User avatar
DetroiTug
Full Steam Ahead
Full Steam Ahead
Posts: 1863
Joined: Fri Nov 27, 2009 5:56 pm
Boat Name: Iron Chief
Location: Northwest Detroit

Re: More progress

Post by DetroiTug » Wed May 02, 2018 8:37 pm

Quote: "I'm not in sympathy with CAD, CAM, and CNC."

I can't imagine going back to manual machining after working with CNC tackle for last 25 years. None of my mills have handwheels on them, I can jog to surface parts, jog to teach the machine simple routines for basic parts. And of course, CNC will do pathing that is simply impossible on a manual mill i.e. countours and 3D surfacing, 4th axis etc. I used to walk the manual mill around radius and shapes and then file it in :), rotary table with all sorts of scary fixtures, no, that is not where I'd want to go back to.

The first CNC machine I ran was a Browne and Sharpe Hydrocut tape reader. There was no CAD or CAM that could be used, it was all manual programming, and it could take a day or better to program a part with editing etc. I can draw and program in a few minutes now, G-codes with 2-300,000 lines/commands. I show people that think it's slow, I can type their name out in CAD, program an engraving path G-code and have it running on the machine in less than a minute.

For making a simple flat bracket. I draw it code it, throw a piece of stock in the mill, drill the holes, run the 2D perimeter multi-pass on Z and leave a few thousandths on the last cut. While it's machining, I can go and do something else, come back when it's done, pop it out of the drop and use it.

The lathe on the other hand, I have both manual and CNC lathes, for big one off parts, a manual lathe is fine. Lathe work is mostly 2D linear moves and rarely interpolated, If i have something that requires an angular cut or radius, then I use the CNC lathe, and of course production lathe parts too on CNC.

You'd like it if you had it and were trained on it, opens up whole new worlds.

-Ron
User avatar
Lopez Mike
Full Steam Ahead
Full Steam Ahead
Posts: 1903
Joined: Wed Dec 07, 2011 6:41 am
Boat Name: S.L. Spiffy
Location: Lopez Island, Washington State, USA

Re: More progress

Post by Lopez Mike » Wed May 02, 2018 9:41 pm

That's such cool stuff. I recognize it and, believe it or not, appreciate it.

But . . .

I have maybe five or ten grand invested in my old Index mill and heavy 10 South Bend lathe and all the rest of the stuff in the shop. I'm supposed to stop everything, drop big bucks on changing over as well as a bunch of time fiddling around figuring it all out? And for what? I'm 75. I rest my case.

My shop is a means to an end. It's there so I can build things and get away from any sort of inside life. Not so I can spend my remaining years having the same troubled relationship I have with this computer! I'll pass.

I spent most of my working life as a process control field engineer. The closest a computer will get to my shop will be in a corner where I can use it to check my email and look silly things up on the web. Oh, yeah. Cat videos.
If you think you are too small to make a difference, try sleeping with a mosquito.
Dalai Lama
Lionel Connell
Full Steam Ahead
Full Steam Ahead
Posts: 149
Joined: Fri May 13, 2016 2:42 am
Boat Name: Alphington
Location: Da Nang City Vietnam

Re: More progress

Post by Lionel Connell » Thu May 03, 2018 2:35 am

Who makes that control?
The control is Fanuc 31i-B5 but with DMG MORI Celios interface and DMG MORI Technology Cycles and conversational programming. The Machine is NTX1000SZ 10 axis. The machine is basically 2 lathes and a 5 axis milling machine in one cabinet. 10 tools left and right on the turning turret and 38 tool chain magazine for the milling head. 6,000 RPM on the turning spindles 12,000 RPM on the milling head and 1000PSI through spindle coolant. All spindles have inbuilt motors, no gears or belts on the machine at all. Even the B axis for tilting the milling head is an enormous inbuilt direct drive servo with hydraulic clamping. All rapids are 40 Mtr/Min. Machine weighs 14 tons not including chip conveyor and coolant system. Definitely not a hobby machine. Certainly capable of simple one off jobs with relatively easy programming, but a manual lathe will generally be quicker for most one off turning jobs if you don't need to remove a lot of metal.

Boring bars. Sandvik anti vibration boring bars are magic. https://www.sandvik.coromant.com/en-us/ ... ls_turning Expensive yes, but the internal dampening has to be seen to be believed and there is a huge assortment of tips available for them. Sandvik boast up to 400% greater overhang than a standard bar and it is true. The maximum cutting depth is reduced at those overhangs naturally but high finish at reasonably high RPMs. The bars are not as strong as solid bars so they are generally not used for short heavy roughing operations.

Lionel
User avatar
DetroiTug
Full Steam Ahead
Full Steam Ahead
Posts: 1863
Joined: Fri Nov 27, 2009 5:56 pm
Boat Name: Iron Chief
Location: Northwest Detroit

Re: More progress

Post by DetroiTug » Thu May 03, 2018 1:46 pm

Lionel,

Impressive stuff. Sounds like one of those "hit the button and run like hell" :lol: Kidding. The big Brown and Sharpe Hydrocut I used to run would pull a two inch drill in mild steel, when it was peck-drilling it would shake the bus stop sign out in front of the shop. Thing was a beast and no pleasure on a hot day, it was all hydraulically controlled and had a radiator that was about 3 foot by 6 foot blowing hot air all the time. There was no toolpath or error checking in the code, it was literally hit the button and stand back, if it hit an incremental G02 or G03 I or J that was incorrect, it would just stop (hopefully) :)

For boring bars (that I can afford), I use the diamond insert Kennemetal types, 1" etc. They do a good job as long as the tip radius is kept small.

-Ron
Lionel Connell
Full Steam Ahead
Full Steam Ahead
Posts: 149
Joined: Fri May 13, 2016 2:42 am
Boat Name: Alphington
Location: Da Nang City Vietnam

Re: More progress

Post by Lionel Connell » Sun May 06, 2018 5:44 am

Ron,
Sounds like one of those "hit the button and run like hell
Fortunately for me the NTX has extremely good collision avoidance, so long as you load the correct 3D models for the tools and correctly enter the stock sizes or 3D stock models. The turret can machine a part in the left hand turning spindle while simultaneously the milling head can turn or mill a part in the right hand spindle. Very good test of the nerves.

Lionel
User avatar
cyberbadger
Full Steam Ahead
Full Steam Ahead
Posts: 1123
Joined: Thu Nov 07, 2013 9:16 pm
Boat Name: SL Nyitra
Location: Northeast Ohio, USA

Re: More progress

Post by cyberbadger » Wed May 16, 2018 1:08 pm

Lopez Mike wrote:I'm supposed to stop everything, drop big bucks on changing over as well as a bunch of time fiddling around figuring it all out? And for what? I'm 75. I rest my case.
Being old is not a valid reason. I know of a guy who started skateboarding in his 70s.

Now not wanting to spend the bucks and the changing and time fiddling is understandable.

-CB
User avatar
marinesteam
Full Steam Ahead
Full Steam Ahead
Posts: 309
Joined: Thu Nov 19, 2009 2:51 am
Boat Name: TBD
Location: Colorado USA

Re: More progress

Post by marinesteam » Sun Aug 12, 2018 5:32 pm

Set up for line boring the crankshaft journals. Had to remove the lathe cross slide in order to be able to get the bedplate on centerline. It was 3/8" too tall.
IMG_2702.jpg
IMG_2702.jpg (18.33 KiB) Viewed 6862 times
Ken
User avatar
marinesteam
Full Steam Ahead
Full Steam Ahead
Posts: 309
Joined: Thu Nov 19, 2009 2:51 am
Boat Name: TBD
Location: Colorado USA

Re: More progress

Post by marinesteam » Thu May 14, 2020 3:38 am

I guess it's been awhile since posting progress updates on the York. Not that none is being made, just a bit here and there and not thinking about taking pics. So here is the most recent work.

The eccentrics have been redone to better fit the crankshaft which came out a few though' undersized after grinding. The eccentrics and straps were fit using some timesaver lapping compound and then I couldn't resist doing a test fit up to see how all works together, The video shows the engine being turned over by hand.

Cheers

https://youtu.be/mdg3NslKc-w
User avatar
PeteThePen1
Full Steam Ahead
Full Steam Ahead
Posts: 553
Joined: Thu Nov 19, 2009 11:53 pm
Location: Aberystwyth, Wales, Europe
Contact:

Re: More progress

Post by PeteThePen1 » Thu May 14, 2020 2:52 pm

What a lovely video! There is something mesmerising about the movement of the eccentric rods when tun at that speed.

The engine will be a beaut when finished.
User avatar
marinesteam
Full Steam Ahead
Full Steam Ahead
Posts: 309
Joined: Thu Nov 19, 2009 2:51 am
Boat Name: TBD
Location: Colorado USA

Re: More progress

Post by marinesteam » Sat May 30, 2020 12:47 am

Thanks Pete,

Now their is even more to be mesmerized by.

It's alive!!!!!

I'm pretty chuffed as my UK friends would say.

Video of the first run of the HP end on compressed air. Needs a bit of tweaking as it's not reversing well yet but it's a start.

https://youtu.be/nQgz0PHzQ-U

Yeah!
Post Reply