Minnie TE Long term project

[R.G.Y.]

 :DAs you have seen Joe I took the soft option, went with rubber tyres.  R.G.Y.     

[Joe d]

RGY

I decided to go with the strakes, can always stick some rubber tyres on top of them if needed,
whereas I know that I would likely never go back and do the strakes if I didn't put them on now

Joe

[R.G.Y.]

My Minnie has come to a halt, having trouble (a lot) with my mill. Unable to proceed with the engine. 

[Joe d]

Well, that would be rather annoying.  Mason seems to have done his milling with a vertical slide on his lathe,
maybe you could get at least some stuff done that way?

Joe

[R.G.Y.]

Yes Joe I have the book. Unfortunately my vertical slide will only fit across the slide. I have two options. Cut the bottom off the v.s. ,or fix it to a .5" plate to raise it up. Then the bit that projects over the edge of the cross slid will clear.GEOFF

[Joe d]

Hi Geoff

Sounds like you're stuck either way.  Hopefully you'll get the mill sorted soon.

Meanwhile, some progress here,
started on the rear spokes, gang milling them:


all done on one side:


and all done on the other side:


so now moving to the strakes, got to trim 2 ends, drill & c'sink two holes each, 70 of them (plus a couple of spares)
should keep me out of trouble long enough for the material for the hubs I've just ordered to arrive

Cheers, Joe

[RobWilson]

Looking good Joe 

Allot of work goes into building wheels for a traction engine .


Rob

[Joe d]

Thanks Rob, I must agree there's a lot to these wheels

But, getting there a bit at a time...

a real lash-up to present the ends of the strakes to the end mill to trim them at the required angle (a lot of very light cuts...)


Mason suggests this gadget in his book for drilling the rivet holes in the strakes


clamp the strake in the jig (or is it a fixture? can never remember which is which) flip it over and drill through
the guide hole in the thing


after doing a bunch of drilling, do a bunch of de-burring, and a bunch of counter-sinking, and next thing you know
you've got a pile of left and right handed strakes!


There's 35 of these per wheel, so there's going to be a very short pause while I cobble together something to let me
index the rims on the lathe to mark out the strake rivet holes, as very conveniently I have a 35 tooth gear in the set
of change gears...

Cheers,  Joe

[vtsteam]

 

[Joe d]

Steve: 

You haven't got time for all those coffees,  you've got a lathe to visualize

Cheers, Joe

[RobWilson]

Steve: 

You haven't got time for all those coffees,  you've got a lathe to visualize

Cheers, Joe

 


Rob

[Joe d]

Well, got some strakes installed!

Since the layout was done, started off with spotting for the rivets for the spokes, once around with a solid carbide
drill bit (really stiff for it's length, so does OK as a spotting drill) and the once around with the actual drill.


pre-drilled some of the rivet holes for the strakes, bash in the rivet on one side, and use the hole in the strake to locate
for drilling on t'other side


Here's the quick and dirty anvil in use


and here's two rims ready for assembly (which will wait, the stock for the hubs still hasn't shown up yet)


I'm really glad this bit is over.... I'm starting to hate my drill-press...

Joe

[RobWilson]

Hi Joe

I like the use of the vee block for radial alignment    ,and  those rims look marvellous 

Rob 

[vtsteam]

Yes, really inspiring! 

[Joe d]

Rob, Steve, Thanks!

Still waiting for Speedy Metals to get a little more speedy... (ordered 3 pieces of stock that I need for the rear
wheels, and an assortment of other stuff for stock... the stuff for stock arrived Monday, the stuff I actually
needed hasn't shown up yet.)

So decided to carry on with the front wheels while in wheel mode.

Finished up the spokes, more of the same stuff as for the rear wheels, drilled the rims for spoke locations,
and then set them up in the mill to cut with the slitting saw to simulate separate pieces of stock as the tire tread


then turned the 3 part hubs, only interesting thing there was using a ball nose mill to form a radius on the inner piece


set up the centre portion of the hubs on the rotary table to mill slots for the spokes


Then made up a jig to hold the rim and the hub in position for fitting the spokes


at that point, gave up for the day, time for a cuppa

Cheers, Joe

[Zadig]

Smashing thread Joe and lovely work. Did you give any thought to machining the strakes in the rear rims like you have done with the tyre bands on the front? Your choice of riveting separate strakes would have been mine also, but I'm curious if you were tempted as I might have been. If you've already mentioned it in your thread and I've missed it - sorry.

[Joe d]

Hi Zadig.  Thanks for looking in.

 I must admit that it never crossed my mind to machine the strakes.

Interesting idea, essentially cutting a 35 start thread, once each of left and right handed....
lots of opportunities to mis-read the threading dial!


Sounds like something that Rob Wilson would do

Cheers, Joe

[Zadig]

I was thinking more along the lines of a rotary table mounted vertically and at an angle, machining small slots for the gap between the strakes. Keeping the same setup you could drill dummy rivet pattern in to keep the inside of the wheel looking authentic.

It was only curiosity and idle chit chat, no criticism on the wonderful work you are doing.

[Joe d]

No criticism felt, I like these intellectual exercises in figuring out alternate ways of doing things.

This would be an awfully boring hobby if there was one and one only way to do things!

Don't be shy to post ideas, (and criticism when warranted!)

Cheers, Joe

[DMIOM]

Smashing thread Joe and lovely work. Did you give any thought to machining the strakes in the rear rims like you have done with the tyre bands on the front? Your choice of riveting separate strakes would have been mine also, but I'm curious if you were tempted as I might have been. If you've already mentioned it in your thread and I've missed it - sorry.

I'm not a model builder - but I would have thought there's quite a big difference between cutting the relatively tiny slit between tread blocks, and machining away maybe 70% of the area between the strakes - the latter would be doable on a CNC mill with a 4th axis but a heck of a job if done manually.....

Dave

[Zadig]

Joe,

I have a similar long term project on the go. It wasn't meant to take so long but distractions have dragged it out a little. If you are interested I've posted a couple of pictures here:


http://www.alloyavenue.com/vb/showthread.php?5847-Burrell-4-quot-Single-Crank-Compound-Agricultural-Engine

[Joe d]

Hi Dave

I think that doing the individual strakes was less strain.  Do enjoy pondering other approaches even if they don't suit
the available machinery or skill!

Zadig:

Now you've done it!   Had a really quick look at your project, will have to spend a few hours reading it.  Looks damn fine
from the quick peek I just took.  Thanks for the link.

Joe
 

[Joe d]

Still rolling along with wheels...

with the spokes held onto the rim with some 0-80 screws, drilled, clearance drilled the spokes, counter sunk the spokes, and
shifted to the pillar tool for tapping (first run for tapping with this, what a pleasure!) to secure the inner end of the spoke to the hub


popped it off the jig, stuck on the external bits of the hub just for a look...


bashed in the rivets to hold the spokes to the rim, and then sweated the hub bits together


trued it up in the 4-jaw and bored the axle hole to size, and here we are after a bit of clean-up


the second one is waiting for clean-up, and then that's it for front wheels!

Joe

[Zadig]

Looking very well Joe.

That tapping stand looks a handy tool.

[mexican jon]

then turned the 3 part hubs, only interesting thing there was using a ball nose mill to form a radius on the inner piece

Now I do like that little idea  Why the hell I have never thought of doing that I really don't know