Search found 107 matches

by reubenT
Fri Jan 17, 2020 10:41 am
Forum: Casting & Foundry Work
Topic: YouTube casting versus the real world
Replies: 9
Views: 22899

Re: YouTube casting versus the real world

While melting iron in a crucible works, and may be the best way if only occasional very small amounts are needed. I'd go with a small cupola furnace for iron. Fairly easy an cheap to build, easy to use, just have to experiment with one a few times to get it's characteristics worked out. I found Stew...
by reubenT
Fri Jan 17, 2020 10:21 am
Forum: Live Steam
Topic: Never seize in lieu of pipe dope
Replies: 32
Views: 19847

Re: Never seize in lieu of pipe dope

Neighbor used to be a mechanic, long ago he experimented with silicone used for auto exhaust system gasket sealer, everything would harden and break up except the super high temp copper. So I end up using that for sealing gaskets and pipe joints, seems to work fine on steam pipe joints as well. And ...
by reubenT
Tue Dec 10, 2019 10:37 pm
Forum: Lathes
Topic: 3 jaw chuck
Replies: 29
Views: 21917

Re: 3 jaw chuck

When I got my ancient FE Reed lathe it had a cracked and very inaccurate 3 jaw scroll chuck. (and of course the 4 jaw independent and face plate and a bunch of tooling.) But I needed accurate scroll chuck, so I found in the grizzly catalog an 8" universal bolt on 6 jaw scroll chuck with reversi...
by reubenT
Tue Dec 10, 2019 10:18 pm
Forum: Casting & Foundry Work
Topic: it comes in handy
Replies: 1
Views: 11794

it comes in handy

this foundry thing that is. Even little repair problems can be solved very cheap. Working on an old car engine from a buick skylark, pulling it out and adapting it to fit a track loader. Transmission and all. But it had this little issue with a rock and the oil pan. The last move the car made was dr...
by reubenT
Thu Dec 05, 2019 8:07 pm
Forum: I.C. Engines
Topic: spark plug manufacture
Replies: 11
Views: 29313

Re: spark plug manufacture

That's OK, It's still on the agenda to do but the doing of it gets delayed. It's an experiment I need to run with custom plugs and a really high energy ignition system, I'm thinking I will modify a cylinder head of a small engine and make an extra large plug hole for a custom plug. I will consider a...
by reubenT
Thu Dec 05, 2019 7:54 pm
Forum: Live Steam
Topic: Cylinder Borning
Replies: 20
Views: 14012

Re: Cylinder Borning

Not hard to bore single steam cylinders on an ordinary metal lathe. As long as there's not a lot of bulk of extra metal on the casting in the way of mounting them on the bed. There's a couple ways of doing it. One of them would do quite large cylinders for the size of lathe.
by reubenT
Thu Nov 28, 2019 9:39 pm
Forum: General Discussion
Topic: Made a shop press
Replies: 28
Views: 13907

Re: Made a shop press

I made one years ago to press dozer pins and bushings with a 50 ton hand jack. Just a section of heavy H beam with a few things welded to it. It sits in the shop and gets used occasionally. Then I got a 3 ton arbor press from grizzly for doing keyways in bores with a broach set. It sees more use tha...
by reubenT
Tue Nov 26, 2019 8:23 pm
Forum: Casting & Foundry Work
Topic: The slow evoltuion of a long term plan
Replies: 16
Views: 38723

Re: The slow evoltuion of a long term plan

I got kinda the same thing going on in my own way. A slow evolution taking some years to develop. But the need for doing an engine swap in my old track loader inspired me to get the overhead lift installed. I have a 30x60' pole barn shop with dirt floor, the lathes and milling machines occupy the fa...
by reubenT
Tue Nov 26, 2019 7:19 pm
Forum: General Discussion
Topic: press fit lube?
Replies: 21
Views: 13942

Re: press fit lube?

Just thought I'd comment even if it doesn't help the current job, about 15 years ago I used a spray lube named kano aerokroil to assemble all the pins and bushings in a set of caterpillar track chains. It worked significantly better than WD40. I was using a hand pump 50 ton bottle jack, some of them...
by reubenT
Sun Nov 17, 2019 11:37 pm
Forum: Casting & Foundry Work
Topic: Casting and foundry work
Replies: 1
Views: 13329

Re: Casting and foundry work

It's dirty work. But I like dirty work, the dirtier it is the funner it gets. Well. I just do it because of what it will create. I have this wired urge to go bigger with it. Up to maybe a capacity of several hundred lb iron castings. I don't think it'd be hard to do. Just takes a bit larger furnace ...
by reubenT
Sun Nov 17, 2019 11:19 pm
Forum: General Discussion
Topic: combination engine
Replies: 11
Views: 7009

Re: combination engine

Looks like I'm gonna have to do a V twin steam engine first. After moving my steam truck again I decided the westinghouse engine really isn't suitable for it. So I need a replacement engine better suited to driving the truck without dumping oil with a little end tilt. The old engine needs to run sta...
by reubenT
Wed Nov 06, 2019 11:42 pm
Forum: General Discussion
Topic: combination engine
Replies: 11
Views: 7009

Re: combination engine

I hope my vessels are in decent shape, I wouldn't want to blow one. It gets dark early nowdays, I come in and don't have anything better to do than kill time on the puter. Been watching youtube iron foundry videos. At least I got the roof on the shop addition today. next gotta move things around and...