Another First Steam Engine

[dneisler]

Well I am going to attempt to make a steam engine. I found a post here on the zone of what appears to be a simple one for me to learn on. The Jingle Bell engine.

So far all I have done is draw the flywheen in Alibre and make it a little different so I can say it is my own. :-)



For my full build details see here

[dneisler]

For my full build details see here

[balsaman]

Nice. What sort of machine tools do you have?

[dneisler]

Not near enough :-)
I got a CNC'ed sherline mill, and looking to pick up a sherline lathe soon. I had to sell my last one, but still have most of the tooling that came with it.

Also working on a MechMate Router.

[nick.gilling]

Hello, did you get any further with this one mate. I must have missed this post!

I am using Alibre too, the free version. I find it's excellent but there are annoying limitations with the free version like the number of parts you can assemble and save. I made sub assemblies with max no. of parts then just have 1 or 2 mating conditions to add to get the final assembly. Problem is, you can't do a general assembly drawing as the assembly has to be saved!

I am also making a wobbler or osciallating engine. I have done a few parts, will post up some details over the weekend.

[dneisler]

No I havn't got any further. Got hit with a ton of Honey doo's....
Hope to get back soon.

[bogstandard]

Hi Donald,
I was looking at your web page and couldn't help noticing your problems with your flycutting. Who told you that you should only be taking cuts of 1 or 2 thou. I regularly take cuts (ok I have a bigger milling machine) of 100 thou, but normally it is between 30 and 40 thou per cut (on non ferrous work) and that is using the flycutter in the drill chuck, if I go above this I mount it into a collet.
I think your problem may be with the cutter shape, it should be round nosed like a lathe profiling tool.
A fly cutter will also show up any discrepancies in how much out of vertical your column is, you might get a good cut in one direction but a secondary cut in the opposite direction, use this to good advantage, go for the direction of the secondary cut for your finishing cut, if you have the feed right you will get a mirror finish.
Here are a few pictures to help explain.

John

[dneisler]

I have finally got to start a little back on this. I now have some 3/8" alum in that I needed, and I have learned a ton on one of my honey-doo's I have to make for the wife. I will working this more soon.

For full up to date details visit my blog @ www.donald-neisler.com