Minnie TE Long term project

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vtsteam:
Just catching up Joe --- you're such an inspiration. You make it all look easy, and it just keeps coming, part after part, little bits of art. I love watching this project. :beer:

Joe d:
Thanks, Steve. That's how I've been regarding your lathe project.... time for some updates there, my friend!

Started work on the steering gear, turning the drum for the steering chains. I have a bolt-on chuck,
so I can run the lathe in reverse to use the ball-end mill "upside down" to make the curve on the right end of the stock

Once the other end was done, parted it off and moved to the taig lathe to finish it off, the steady on the big lathe is way too big for this job

Moved to the mill to cross-drill for the chain bolts, and milled a flat for the nuts, you can see one of the mounting brackets, straitforward
drilling and filing, with a bronze bushing soldered in, and the worm with it's shaft which will be locked in place by the eyebolt

here it is with the chains rigged

and here with the steering shaft installed

Sad to say that the worm and wheel which are some of the very few parts I've bought ready made, do not in fact mesh...seems to be a slight difference in pitch. So, will have to replace them, or learn to cut my own....

Cheers, Joe

Joe d:
Finishing off the steering business, need a steering wheel...

Some faceplate turning:

off the faceplate, cut out the bits that don't look like spokes, soldered in a small piece of round stock
to act as the boss for a handle

Hacksawed off the greater part of the excess on the outside of the rim, mounted the wheel on a little stub of rod threaded to
fit, into a collet on the taig lathe and a lot of very small cuts to true it up

a quick little bit of turning and threading for the handle, and here it is

Moved on to the blower valve, turned a bit of bronze to size, threaded the outside for the bonnet, drilled and tapped it for the spindle,
and moved to the mill to cross-drill for the inlet and outlet while still on the parent material

Cut it off, and put it in a collet to trim to size and drill it out for the insert with the various passages required

Having neglected to take any pictures of the inserted bit, here it is with the insert and the inlet/outlet pipes (simple turnings, threaded
and through drilled) silver soldered in place, and the bonnet nut, the spindle turned from some stainless, and the handwheel & nut

Those of you familiar with the "words and music" as written by Mason will recognize that I'm really going back and forth with
regards to the order of construction here, simply a question that I tended to skip ahead when missing the material for various bits.
I've now received what should be the LAST order of material for the project, so am catching up... will now go to the valve & piston rods, a piston, and then we'll be in the happy position of running the first test on air!

Joe

Joe d:
made up the rod for the valve ... just a question of threading it on each end with a lock nut

and installed it

and then 2 pieces for the regulator

fitted up the crosshead guide bars, simply some flat stock with a threaded bit on one end to fit into the flange on the cylinder head

Turned the piston from cast iron, I've grooved it for some piston rings as somehow I neglected to get the correct size
of O ring (can always go back and redo if I don't like how it works with the rings)

turned and parted off some rings

The piston rod is just a bit of Stainless threaded on both ends, here's the family shot:

and where it belongs:

Chasing down a little binding with the crosshead, once I've got that sorted out, have to make up a temporary inlet fitting and fire up the compressor !

cheers, Joe

Joe d:
:update: :update: We have a RUNNER!

After a fair bit of mucking around with valve settings and leaking gaskets,
it works... :D :D

It's all downhill from here... once I stop grinning enough to get back to work.

Cheers, Joe

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