3" Burrell Traction Engine build.

 Carbide Tips (Part 3) in use in the workshop Above the eccentric sleeve under way and used as a machining demo with a new tool and tip I bought.  Finally the reason for the large diameter bar above, was to start to make the eccentric sleeve. As a way of demonstrating a reasonable cut on a small lathe, with positive rake cutters and slow feed. The Lathe is an Atlas 10F with I believe a 3/4 hp single phase Motor. The eccentrics are to follow after a weekend break in Blackpool !! Eccentrics started just required finishing and a grub screw to lock, the collar just requiring the curvature machining for the governor drive belt. Well a short one this month, and another day off at the end of the week to drive a narrow gauge engine on a pig farm! Next month continuing with these parts and perhaps starting the eccentrics outers made from bronze castings. Until next month stay safe; make swarf; have fun!

  Midlands Model Engineers Exhibition 2023. This year’s Model Engineers Show 2023 was a huge success! All four days of the show were fantastic with exhibitors and visitors alike enjoying plenty of opportunities to purchase items, learn and explore the very latest in machinery tools and model engineering. The 2 exhibition halls were abuzz with vibrancy, excitement and anticipation. I went with a usual shopping list, and a few parts that I had organised from suppliers to take to the show for me for collection and postage saving opportunity. Centre piece if the show for me, a huge amount of work in this engine and the builder, sadly no longer with us, only finished it last year.   A fantastic selection of Loco's on display and also a good number of Traction engines both engines in steam on the parade field, but also a number of static models in side. It appears this year whilst there were still a few suppliers missing, there were a good number of static displays to improve the show in

 Burrell Bearings (Part 3) Hello, following another holiday and time at shows to enjoy the hobby, I am taking the plunge and finishing at least one of the bearings. This has taken some time to come up with this Jig idea to hold the bearing, and its carrier square and true, in order to be able to bore the final hole. A hexagon carrier is perfect for aligning in the 3 Jaw chuck and has sufficient metal to provide stability for the part it is carrying. This method the bearing it self can be removed, checked on the job, and replaced back on the internal datum seating in perfect alignment. Only time will tell if the gear mesh is accurately maintained by this method but we will see in a couple of weeks! (A week later) - Yes it did !!   (Right) both finished. I also made a start on the crankshaft by machining the ends smooth to take a centre drill for mounting. So far its looks ok, and my large drive dog fits nicely over the end of the shaft so that's a bonus.  (can be seen in photo added

 Carbide Tips (Part 2) used in the workshop                                           (a)            (b)            (c)          (d) As promised last month and by way of a change from just Burrell Traction engine parts here is a short discussion of the tooling I use in the workshop. Above are some of the tools I use most often, from left to right they are:-. (a)   -   This is a new tool I purchased, SDJCR1212H07 with a smaller tip than was expected the joys of             shopping after a beer. (b)   -   2nd Most used tool, this insert is able to get under hard cast iron with ease and is good for steel. (c)   -   This tip is actually impregnated with diamond material on the end and gives a good polishing                 finish when   cutting. (d)   -   The round tip is great for creating a curve / profile or any sort of form by trepanning or a super                     smooth finish on most materials because of the gradual cut obtained from a round tip.   A selection of the new t ips I

 Stoke Prior Steam Show Sat 16th - Sun 17th Sep 2023 The show as usual was well attended, and I'm happy to report the paying numbers looked good despite the 10% suggestion of rain from Alexa on Saturday, and Sunday being showers all day. This is in contrast to last year, when we got sun burnt.  😎 The show boasted 737 individual exhibits which included 26 miniatures, and 6 full size engines, along with a huge number of commercials, cars, bikes, military vehicles and stationary engine displays. This time unlike last year also had a miniature railway, which was fascinating to watch, as long as you could keep the coal ash out of your eyes :-) <--(My car displaying the Lotus 907 engine). I attended Saturday with the classic car a Jensen Healey 1973, but was lucky enough to get a drive on a friends 4" scale Foster Traction engine. This was the highlight of the day for me, as its the first time driving a miniature. I have previously only driven a full size Fowler Road Locomotive

 Burrell Bearings. (Part 2) and Carbide Tips Hello  I'm fresh back from another holiday, and back in the workshop to continue with the bearings. Also to refamiliarize myself with the shed again. 😏 At this stage its just roughing off loads of the material to get the basic shape of the two shells.  Accurate fitting in the housings will follow then the boring of the holes out for the crankshaft. A temporary silver steel shaft of the correct size will be used to check the alignment and hence mesh of the gears.     Also as this time of the year we are approaching the Midlands Model Engineers exhibition in Warwick, my attention normally turns to a shopping list of part and tools I might need for the winter.    This leads me into another side feature on tooling and in particular what I use on the lathe. Tipped Tooling A  tipped tool  is any  cutting tool  in which the cutting edge consists of a separate piece of material that is  brazed ,  welded , or clamped onto a body made of another