Thread: Whisperings

Originally Posted by PDW

Ours starts on July 1 so I only have 6 weeks or so to wait.....

...... provided people pay their invoices that is.

PDW

I used to find that there was always too much of the year left, at the end of the money.
Kryn

I ran a fine stone over the table of the Cyl grinder and now all that is left is the stain still, it should be ok.
Seeing as I had my machinist level I decided to level it up and with the grinder weighing in at over two tons, a crowbar and block wouldn't look at it.
When setting up a steam engine, it is traditional to use wedges and seeing as I had some left over from the last instal, I grabbed these. They made a hard job easy (first pic).
I also slipped a pic in of where I am up to on the handle to traverse the wheelhead in and out. Many thanks again for the ball Kryn, much appreciated.

Phil
IMG_6643.JPG IMG_6645.JPG IMG_6646.JPG IMG_6649.JPG

Glad to have helped out Phil, paying it forward, like a lot of the other members here.
I have access to nylon type bar offcuts, if anyone is interested, up to about 90 mm diam black and white, 20 - 150 mm lengths vary, as they are offcuts from a CNC engineering shop, here in the bridge. Prices about $1.00 each. plus postage.
Kryn

Just as an aside, the wedge in my previous post is made out of 50mm square but that was because the engine the wedges were for had to line its crankshaft up with the centreline of a winch. This brought the base of the steam engine roughly 2" above its foundation. Nothing special about them, they were cut using a bandsaw in a fairly arbitrary manner. There was a fair weight in the engine and 2 ton in the cylindrical grinder and all that was needed was firm, certainly not heavy, blows with the hammer. No grease was needed between the sliding faces either.
With the engine, and seeing as we were going to put a bed of mortar around it, the wedges were tack welded when the correct level was achieved. With the cylindrical grinder, I placed packers under the machine and removed the wedges.
It was surprisingly quick and easy to do.

Phil
Walker engine re-fit (4).JPG Walker engine.jpg

Hi Phil,
I really like the simple way that you overcome the problems you encounter in your work. That finished machine looks a treat, I am sure it would draw a crowd. Adding the text in the photos is a great idea, helps me a lot.
Bob

Originally Posted by KBs PensNmore

Glad to have helped out Phil, paying it forward, like a lot of the other members here.
I have access to nylon type bar offcuts, if anyone is interested, up to about 90 mm diam black and white, 20 - 150 mm lengths vary, as they are offcuts from a CNC engineering shop, here in the bridge. Prices about $1.00 each. plus postage.
Kryn

I could be tempted Kryn. Would there be a problem with catching up on my way thru to Adelaide next trip? We are expectant grandparents. Less than a month to go. Will probably need to do a trip sometime after that.

Dean

Originally Posted by krisfarm

Hi Phil,
I really like the simple way that you overcome the problems you encounter in your work. That finished machine looks a treat, I am sure it would draw a crowd. Adding the text in the photos is a great idea, helps me a lot.
Bob

Thanks Bob
quite often limited resources means I have to keep it simple yet with all the machine tools we have been given lately my life has become a lot easier .
It is amazing how many arguments me and the other guys have had about that engine with people who swear that we have an electric motor hidden somewhere that's doing all the driving. Even though there are two rather large boilers under full steam situated very close to it, they will still argue. Sometimes it is easier just to agree with them .
I agree with the text in the photos but sometimes it's hard to get all the info in without blocking most of the pic. I can also put the pic back to original at a later date on the computer if need be as a lot of these pics are for provenance on the machinery I work on. Often though the writing is left in as it helps with the provenance.
I love my job

Phil

Originally Posted by Steamwhisperer

It is amazing how many arguments me and the other guys have had about that engine with people who swear that we have an electric motor hidden somewhere that's doing all the driving.
Phil

Come on Phil, fess up, you really have a perpetual motion engine driving it all don't you...

Originally Posted by Steamwhisperer

It is amazing how many arguments me and the other guys have had about that engine with people who swear that we have an electric motor hidden somewhere that's doing all the driving. Even though there are two rather large boilers under full steam situated very close to it, they will still argue. Sometimes it is easier just to agree with them.

In my youth I used to volunteer at a steam railway. Sometimes you'd show someone where the coal went into the firebox, explain about the heat going through the boiler tubes making steam, etc. They'd ask "but where is the motor?" convinced that there must be a diesel engine in there somewhere. Possibly, if there'd been a nice compact triple-expansion unit in sight, they'd have been able to make the connection .

Cheers, Vann.

Originally Posted by Oldneweng

I could be tempted Kryn. Would there be a problem with catching up on my way thru to Adelaide next trip? We are expectant grandparents. Less than a month to go. Will probably need to do a trip sometime after that.

Dean

Hi Dean, not a problem, just let me know what sizes and qty, you'd like and I'll get them for you. I'd like a couple of days notice though please.
Looking forward to meeting you.
Kryn

Originally Posted by .RC.

Come on Phil, fess up, you really have a perpetual motion engine driving it all don't you...

I was hoping to keep that a secret
Speaking of perpetualness you must be the Australia wide distributor of perpetual generousness (if that's a word). Grabbing the slideway grinder is one of the best things I have heard in a long time.
I tell people about what you have done and why and while some are amazed, others just give me a blank stare and bit of a whatever kind of comment. It is these people I have a real urge to slap.
While it may fade from some memories, it wont fade from mine.

Originally Posted by Vann

In my youth I used to volunteer at a steam railway. Sometimes you'd show someone where the coal went into the firebox, explain about the heat going through the boiler tubes making steam, etc. They'd ask "but where is the motor?" convinced that there must be a diesel engine in there somewhere. Possibly, if there'd been a nice compact triple-expansion unit in sight, they'd have been able to make the connection .

Cheers, Vann.

I feel your pain Vann, we have the added advantage of people coming in asking if this is where the gold is melted even though they have just walked under a big sign saying "Boiler House"

Phil

Phil;

I don't think that there is any way to change 'stupid'. How some people manage to live to old age is truly beyond comprehension.

Yes; you can call me cynical (I've been called much worse); but I have an extremely low tolerance level for idiots.

Ken

Almost makes you glad they have the Darwin awards Ken.
I probably shouldn't be too critical as I once got given a bloke to help me refit a boiler so I gave him some spanners to tighten up some flanges. First question he asked was what do you call tight.
This guy had worked in an office and never held a spanner before. I set up a torque wrench and after a short while he didn't need the torque wrench ever again. He even realised that the spanner was shorter than the torque wrench and needed to be pulled a little harder
Sometimes people need to do rather than watch.
He left feeling pretty good about himself, sore across the chest, but still very pleased.

Phil

Originally Posted by Steamwhisperer

Almost makes you glad they have the Darwin awards Ken.
I probably shouldn't be too critical as I once got given a bloke to help me refit a boiler so I gave him some spanners to tighten up some flanges. First question he asked was what do you call tight.

That's actually a perfectly reasonable & sensible question IMO. There really is no such thing as 'tight' in general terms as it depends on the material used.

Giving him a torque wrench let both of you define what 'tight' meant in this context.

Reason I say this is, back in my teens, 'tight' when applied to studs holding down a cast iron cylinder head translated to 'stripped' when applied to studs holding down a motorcycle cylinder head.......

So I bought my first torque wrench.

PDW