[PROJECT] Bar Stock Steam Engine

[Highpower]

I'm just glad to see that at least somebody has been able to get some work done lately because I sure haven't.

[TomG]

Good progress, Trevor!

Tom

[Cross Slide]

The next part on this project was the Crank. This part could have easily been machined out of a piece of 2” round cold roll. But I didn’t want to have the cold roll finish on the outside of the part. I wanted to have a nice machined finish. So I started out with a piece of 3” cold roll. This gave me the opportunity to use my rotary table for the first time. 

Started out by facing the material to the proper thickness.
   
   

Then I drilled and taped the hole for the set screw.
   

I them put it back in the lathe and drilled and reamed the centre hole to .500
   

Once that was done I set up the rotary table and set the part up to cut the two notches out.
   
   
   

Then the struggle to figure out a good clamping method was on. I did have the part move on me a couple times. Luckily it moved away from the cutter. But I was able to come up with a secure way of holding the part to the rotary table. This allowed me to cut the 2” OD.
   
   
   

Once that was all done I was left with the general shape of the crank. I just needed to round off the corners at this point.
   

To round off the corners I was planning on doing it with the rotary table, but decided after talking with Tom G, that was a lot of set up for such a small part. So I decided to pick myself up a 1/4” corner rounding end mill.
   
   
   

Trevor

[Cross Slide]

I did some more work on my steam engine build. This is the first part on this build out of brass. Also my first time machining brass. I’m very happy with how the piston turned out. The plans didn’t say anything about how much much of a slip fit was required between the piston and the cylinder. So I turned the piston down until it just slide into the cylinder. 

Trevor 

   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

[rleete]

You should add a couple of very fine grooves around the piston, to act as oil channels. Also, I would add a drop of Loctite to that piston rod.

It looks great so far.

[Cross Slide]

The next part of the Steam Engine build is the Slide this is the part that the piston rod bolts to and fits over the rails on the backside of the cylinder. Them the connecting rod attaches to the other side with a pin. 

   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

Trevor

[Cross Slide]

More photos of the Slide.

   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

Trevor

[Cross Slide]

Now i’m finally able to see some of the parts get connected with each other. I’m very happy with how the parts fit. Everything fits together perfectly with no excessive play. The slide is a perfect match to the rails. I use a smaller cutter to make the groove. Then moved out + and - .031 on my DRO to get the finished size. 

   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

Trevor

[TomG]

It's fun when you can start assembling the parts. Looks like you are making good progress! 

Tom

[vtsteam]

Looks like you've been doing a really nice job throughout this project.