Fire Wood Processor

[f350ca]

Anyone who heats with wood appreciates the amount of energy that goes into getting the tree to stove wood. For those not familiar with wood processors, its a machine that reduces logs that are fed into it with a loader, to split firewood.
This is what I cut up each year.

We're getting too old for that much work. So its time to mechanize the operation.
Today I dug one of my old Wisconsin engines out to see whether we can get a power source.
Here it is with the ducting off the head and cylinder.




There was no compression at all. Both exhaust valves were stuck open.
There's bad scoring in both cylinders, think I'll grab another one tomorrow and see if its any beter.



If not guess we can bore it out and go oversize on the pistons.

[rleete]

I've honed and re-ringed engines worse than that.

[f350ca]

The bore guage says those scores are 1 1/2 thou deep and the cylinder about 6 thou over spec. Tore down the second one, the cylinders looked better but one cylinder has 13 thou taper and the other 14 . Have one more I could tear down but expect its just as worn. Think I'll price a set of pistons and try boring it out.
I've never tried this before. The bores are deeper than the stroke of the quill, do you use the quill stroke then raise the knee for the rest of the travel or do it all with the knee travel?
How much under your desired size do you bore to leave material to hone?
The original bore is 3.250, for a 20 thou over piston do you go 3.270?

[rleete]

Not sure, but I'd think leaving at least half a thou (.0005) for honing would be good. I've never bored anything that large.

[Hopefuldave]

Rleete has the right idea re a honing allowance, I think.

If I were doing the boring I would use the knee elevation todo it all, the quill is likely to deflect more than the knee will over the length of the bore - or if the mill head can tilt over to 90* you *could* use a boring bar with a bushing in a 'tailstock' (or lathe fixed steady /rest) supporting the far end bolted to the mill table, and use the table X-traverse to pass the cylinders over the cutter - guarantees a cylindrical bore and gives you some extra capacity? If you have power feed on the axis, you'll get a more consistent finish by using it, too

Interesting project, how many hp are those engines?

Just my ha'pennorth,
Dave H. (the other one)

[stevec]

Greg, do those cylinders separate from the crankcase? If so with your big summit lathe I'd make up a jig to hold them on the cross slide and bore'em with a bar between headstock and tailstock. Using the knee lift on the mill would require a lot of cranking and it would be hard to keep the feed steady. Does your power knee lift go slow enough for a "feed"?
I hesitate to suggest this but would a shop equipped with Sunnen (or the like boring equipment) charge an arm and a leg?
I know, shudap Steve, Greg can do it better than a commercial shop.

[f350ca]

Dave, I like the idea of rotating the head, but would end up doing the same thing Steve just suggested on the lathe, where we already have the tailstock to support the bar. Both suggestions necessitate building a boring bar though.
No power feed on the knee Steve, good old armstrong power feed. Don't believe there are any shops left around here that do engine work, and like you said what fun is that, beter I screw it up.
The cylinder section comes off the block (will get a photo)
Oh ya they' rated at 18 hp but continuous duty Dave.

[stevec]

(03-17-2013, 10:05 AM)f350ca Wrote: The cylinder section comes off the block (will get a photo)

OH YA! I'd seriously consider boring them on your lathe! Maybe a jig for your faceplate/chuck/whatever and a stout boring bar in the QCTP or whatever. The power feed is gonna give a much prettier finish and easier on your arms (ya, I know, If I had your arms I'd throw away mine!)

[f350ca]

Advice taken Steve, even if I read your last post after the fact. Bolted up to the four jaw body,




The photo doesn't do the setup justice. They're 3 1/3 bores about a 2 inch boring bar and an 18 inch chuck, just cleared the saddle. Ran it at 100 rpm and .004 thou/rev feed. Not a great surface but should hone out fine. We're .0185 over now. Bore spec is 3.250 - 3.249 so we have .0015 to play with while honing, shooting for .0005 with the hone.

[stevec]

Greg, I knew you'd be ahead of me but I just had to try!