first attempt at casting and machining a part.

[reubenT]

I'm out in the woods on a mtn farm, built a shop, (still has a dirt floor, some will remain that way, dry dirt is much safer than cement when dealing with molten metal) a little over a year ago i bought off ebay an F.E. Reed lineshaft lathe with aftermarket electric adaption. 3 jaw scroll chuck, 4 jaw independant and faceplate, with a bunch of tooling. $400. has power carrage feed and change gear threading screw. I've used it for a bunch of little things, the main purpose will be working up castings as I find time to get the home foundry working. I plan on making some machines and parts that can't be bought. or are too expensive to buy. I know nothing about F.E. Reed, it's not a real precision machine, partly due to age and wear, but I think I can make it work for most things. Just takes some fiddling to get things strait. it has about a 13.5" swing. I have a few old books, looks like it's only a matter of the right jigs and fixtures to do a virtually infinate variety of turning and milling operations. I cast and machined a small engine piston rod clamping it to the faceplate to bore the holes.

just fer general interest the 2 rods for the 2 cyl engine, one from the factory and one I remanufactured from the broken parts, the engine is on a portable AC/DC welder/generator I got for $400 with the smashed up rod. Been using it a lot sence fixing it. Looked like the nuts came off the rod bolts causing the breakage, I put them on with locktite.

[Jose Rivera]

Hey, nice work!

I am planning to melt some brass from a bunch of chips that I have been collecting one these days.

As for the dirt floor, it brings memories to my mind about my lovely grandmother house.

She would never live without her dirt floor kitchen.

It is very interesting at how hard and clean a dirt floor can be.
Care must be take of keeping it moist.

Once it is compacted and kept wet, it behaves like a hard surface.
Hard to explain with words.

Hummm!! ... I can just smell the coffee being roasted on top of the kerosene stove in a special roasting pan with a built-in rotating handle that keep the bean rotating and turning.
They did grow their own coffee, chickens, vegetable, etc.

Ahhhhh!! ... the good old days. I would really love to be of that age again and re-live those experiences.

[Harold_V]

You have a wonderful soul, Jose.

Harold

[GlennW]

reuben,

Did you melt the original rod and re-pour it so the alloy would be the same?

I imagine you would have needed more aluminum than it would yield to complete the pour so what did you add to it or use for the new rod.

Very interresting project and looks very nice!!

[Wildhorsemfg]

hey you said you have a reed lathe.
Here is a link to a web site of mine i was making
http://www.wildhorsemfg.4t.com/cgi-bin/ ... lbum/94860
is you lathe like mine? probly not mine had a internal (underneath) motor

cody

Ps: good job on the rods

[reubenT]

I prefer small simple living quarters, spend all my time outside anyway, don't need much space inside. Somwhat primitive is my way of life. wood fire cooking and not much for indoor plumbing is fine by me. Convenience dosn't create happyness. My life is happiest spent between the barn the shop and the garden. I love horses, making things, and growing good food.

It was made of the original pieces + another broke small engine rod, I was thinking about the alloy specially sence there's no seperate bearing, just the aluminum to steel crank.
My neighbor is an ex subaru mechanic. He told me in the subaru mechanics classes they demonstrated the toughness of the aluminum transaxle cases by cranking a bearing roller through the ring and pinion gears, it'd chip the gears but not crack the case. I figgered I'd use it when I have need for some tough aluminum parts, have several laying around. Got rid of a bunch of them.


My reed lathe looks quite a bit older, has lunkenhimer brass/glass oilers on the main bearings, overhead flatbelt pully driven, manual change gears on the end, back gear that gives it very slow speed. I'll get a picture tomorrow if I don't forget.

[steamin10]

Hey Rueben. sounds like home to me. When I was younger and raisin the Kids we used a parlor stove and I worked outside more than in. I live on the other corner of my property now, and am totally hooked to the 21st century. Except that I am older, I could step back that hundred years and not miss TV, computers and all that Cellphone Blather. Id rather be pettin my dog, talkin to my cats, and makin chips than anything.

I love being a renaissance Man.