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jim:

--- Quote from: spuddevans on March 04, 2010, 09:04:24 AM ---
--- Quote from: NickG on March 04, 2010, 07:19:48 AM --- This project is taking me ages,

--- End quote ---

Dont lose heart, this is more about the journey than the destination. If all we were interested in was just the end result we'd just go out and buy the completed model. But by taking however long as the project needs, and our own personal circumstances allow, we get the satisfaction from beating poor defensless bits of metal crafting and sculpting raw stock into working parts of a project.

So what's the rush, you know you are just going to start on another project as soon as you finish this one, so just enjoy the journey with the rest of us :thumbup:

Tim

--- End quote ---

very true!
my own poppin has been on hold for 2 months, its going to b another month before i get chance to carry on with it!

NickG:
Jim, I know the feeling, it's frustrating. I was hoping to get this done by the end of March but I don't want to end up rushing and spoiling them though so will have to take my time I think. I keep jumping around to different parts to keep interest too. There doesn't seem to be any particular order you have to make things in for this engine which is good.

Nick

NickG:
Started on the frames tonight, or standard as the designer calls it. I bought a length of 1" x 2" aluminium for this. The idea is supposed to be to machine the profile on the end of the bar sticking out of the vice, but my vice doesn't grip when at it's maximum opening - I remembered having problems with my cylinder for the last flame gulper.

So I had to flycut the material down a bit first:

First time I’d really flycut anything and it went well, or at least I thought it had but when I measured it, the bar was about 20 thou different end to end. The milling machine is cutting on a taper – which means either the vice is not made properly, or the milling machine is not made properly – I’m guessing the milling machine. When I got my machine 2 of us bought the same one to get a discount, I know the other guy had a problem with his table being tapered. Will have to check mine now.

I could now remove the jaws from the vice to get a bit better grip (faulty vice) and grip to mill end square:

Next I milled the bit off the end leaving a radius, this took a while, I was taking cuts of around 3/32 – 1/8”:

I then decided to mark the thing up as it was a pain trying to use the graduated dials – and I know they are not that accurate, really need some sort of DRO setup:

I then started milling the other section out to leave the 2 rads, but this is as far as I got:

When I went to mill along, the metal moved in the vice again – no damage done but just no grip.
Whipped the end plate off the vice and found this:

The casting has cracked at some point leaving only half a nut for the screw to screw into – hence at wide openings if you try to get a decent tightness, there is enough play in the bearing to let the screw ride up on the threads and jump out of mesh. Don’t think this will be particularly easy to fix but will have to have a look. I don’t think it’s something that’s just happened as the broken bit is nowhere to be seen. Probably always been like this, I’ve just been getting away with it for small openings as the nut is engaged closer to the bearing, hence there isn’t enough play to let it ride up and jump out of mesh with the screw.

So probably on the look out for a new vice now as not too hopeful of being able to repair this one – shame as it is, or at least was a good vice – Elliot.

Nick

sbwhart:
Nice work Nick

You could repair the vice by completely drilling out the damaged thread and fitting a screwed bush, my home made vice is made this way with a brass bush, I'll post you a pic later.

The taper you're getting could be down to the vice as well, as you tighten up the moving jaw could be flexing up.

Try running a clock down the table then grip a bar you know is parallel in the vice and run a clock down that as well.

Hope this helps

Stew

jim:
thats bad, but, it could have been worse!

another project to fix the vice!

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