07/15/06 - 07/16/06
In the first photo I have sliced off an unused portion of the brass valve housing in the bandsaw.
Photo #2 shows the valve housing all deburred...
The final and last part to make for the check valve is a one piece flapper / gate. Photo #1 shows
cutting a piece of stock in the power hacksaw. Photo #2 shows indicating the vise in on the vertical
mill. Photo #3 shows taking a cut squaring the block up...
Photo #1 shows laying out some lines on the flapper valve. Photos #2 & #3 show milling the side of
the valve that will seat against the seat in the brass housing...
Here in photo #1 the hole for the pivot pin is laid out. Photo #2 shows center drilling the pivot pin
hole. Photo #3 shows drilling the pivot pin hole...
Photo #1 shows the (2) side cut outs laid out. Photos #2 & #3 show milling the side notches in
the valve. Photo #4 shows doing some final material removal in the bandsaw. Next will be to do some
finishing by hand...
Photo #1 shows the flapper valve completed. Photo #2 shows the flapper valve assembled into the
brass housing...
These (3) photos show the check valve assembled into the 3" 90 deg. elbow. The check valve assembly
is complete and ready for use...
07/22/06 - 07-23-06
My friend Ron Polle stopped over the shop with some spare lumber he had to make a skid for his 4 HP
Myrick Eclipse vertical. After getting the dimensions figured out and laid out we started cutting the
wood to size and drilling holes. The following (4) photos show the work on the bottom skid rails...
Next we cut to length (8) pieces of 5/8 threaded rod and welded nuts on one end. A washer was also
put on this end of the threaded rod which will be inserted into the bottom of the skid rail, in the
counter bored hole. These (3) photos show the welding of the threaded rod and nuts...
Here in photo #1 we're starting to work on the cross pieces. Photo #2 shows drilling the holes for
the 5/8 threaded rod to go through. Photo #3 shows the first cross piece mounted to the skid tie-in
things together...
This photo shows the proud owner, Ron, of his new skid. Next we will position the engine on the skid
and transfer the mounting holes...
08/12/06 - 08-19-06
Here in these next few photos you can see I have picked up a Bridgeport mill. These first (3) photos
show the Bridgeport squeezed into the shop and I have begun cleaning it up...
This photo shows my oldest Son Joseph rewiring both the main spindle motor and power feed motor to
low voltage 3 phase. Boy am I glad there is an electrician in the family...
This photo shows the old style Bridgeport power feed. Not as nice as the variable speed units but
is in real nice shape and works great...
After running the mill for a while and checking things out it was time to make some chips. These (2)
photos show a couple of passes being taken...
This photo shows the first real job done on the mill. I had (4) of these stainless milking machine
parts to refurbish...
The handle that moves the ram in and out on the Bridgeport was broke so after removing the broken
piece with an easy out, I made a new handle. Photo #1 shows threading a piece of 3/8 diameter stock.
Photo #2 shows the completed thread...
After cutting the handle to length a 3/8 thread was cut on the other end. Photo #1 shows the
completed handle. Photo #2 shows the handle installed on the mill...
08/20/06 - 08-22-06
After getting the Bridgeport home, wired up, setup, and leveled, I decided to mount a DRO on the mill.
I had done a lot of shopping around for used DRO's but soon decided to go for a new one. A few of my
friends have a DRO made by Shooting Star Technology and
after some more investigation into the company, I purchased a (2) axis DRO unit from them. The unit
seems very well made (quality) and they stand behind their product. These photos below show the
installation as it's progressing. Photo #1 shows drilling and counterboring (2) mounting holes to
mount the encoder. Photo #2 shows the plate mounted to the encoder...
These (2) photos show using the "Y" axis scale to get a "Z" dimension off the machine table that will
position the encoder. The "Y" axis scale was used because it's a lot easier to handle then the "X" axis
scale...
Next the (2) mounting holes were transfered to the carriage and drilled and tapped...
Now to setup the "X" axis scale. Using C-clamps and indicators the scale was put into position and
measurements taken so shims / standoffs can be made. Photo #1 shows the "X" scale in location.
Photo #2 is of the DRO unit powered up and hooked up to the "X" axis scale for testing. Everything
seems to be working great...
08/25/06 - 08/31/06
Here in Photo #1 you can see (2) spacers / standoffs I made to shim the "X" axis rack off the table.
Photo #2 shows drilling and tapping the screw holes for mounting the "X" axis rack...
Photos #1 & #2 show the "X" axis rack and encoder all mounted in position and working great.
Photo #3 shows how I mounted the DRO unit on a simple angle. In the future I would like to mount
the DRO unit on an extendable arm of some type. For now the angle will work...
For mounting the "Y" axis there were (3) spot faced holes with a 3/8-16 thread in the center. After
some measuring, the (2) spot faces I wanted to use are in line and parallel to the ways of the "Y"
axis. Photo #1 shows one of the spot face areas. Photo #2 shows the (2) 1/4-20 tapped holes on the
carriage that will be used to mount the encoder. Photo #3 shows the plate made to mount the encoder
to the carriage...
With the encoder mounted and more measurements taken (2) stand offs had to be made to mount the "Y"
axis rack. Photo #1 shows turning a piece of hex stock down to put a 3/8-16 thread on one end. Photo #2
shows the 3/8-16 thread put on the stand off. Photo #3 shows the (2) stand offs with the threads
completed...
Next the stand offs were cut to length in the vertical mill. Photo #1 shows this. Photos #2, #3
& #4 show center drilling, drilling, and tapping a 10-32 thread that will mount the rack...
Photo #1 shows the "Y" rack all mounted and working great. You can see how the stand offs screw into
the knee of the vertical mill and then the rack mounts to the stand offs. Photo #2 shows the racks,
encoders, and DRO unit all mounted on the Bridgeport. Now I need to dress all the DRO wires to clean
things up...
09/01/06 - 09/04/06
Here I started working on some timing gears for a 6 - 8 HP Associated engine. Photo #1 shows starting
to face off the back side. Photo #2 shows the back side all faced to the proper dimension...
In this photo here the timing gear is rotated / flipped around and the other side faced...
The next step is to drill the center hole through the timing gear. Photo #1 shows the center drilling
of the hole. Photos #2 & #3 show drilling the hole...
This photo shows the end by the cam all faced to the proper dimension. The gear is starting to take
shape...
09/21/06
Work has started on the 6 HP International Famous cylinder. These first (3) photos show what the bore
looks like...
In this photo I am using a flex hone to clean up the bore so I can get accurate measurements of
the existing bore...
After cleaning the bore up you can see in these (2) photos the shape it's in. There are a couple of
bad gouges at about 4 o'clock and 7 o'clock. These (2) photos were taken from the crankshaft end
of the cylinder...
These (2) photos were taken from the head end of the cylinder...
I decided to remove the head mounting studs. This will make the setup and boring of the cylinder
easier. This photo shows (2) of the (4) studs removed...