MatchFuzee Posted December 25, 2023 Share Posted December 25, 2023 A few ideas in the Yesterday's Tractors Discussion Forums. The Corn Head Grease* is a new product to me. https://www.yesterdaystractors.com/cgi-bin/viewit.cgi?bd=rrtips&th=34559 *Corn Head Grease has superior water tolerance and resists water washout, exhibits good high temperature capabilities and has outstanding mechanical stability by retaining its consistency in hard use. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gordon_M Posted December 25, 2023 Share Posted December 25, 2023 (edited) Corn Head Grease was suggested to replace the oil in the Dodge steering boxes, when those sector shaft output seals wore out Edited December 25, 2023 by Gordon_M Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Bill Posted December 25, 2023 Share Posted December 25, 2023 (edited) That's useful information too. Thanks for your thoughts Chaps. We have found a few hours to have a play. First job was to clear the decks and then put the crossmembers into place to see how they look. Makes it tall and wide! I had forgotten to cut some steel for the rear braces so we started with them. Dad's bandsaw saves an awful lot of graft! Drilled them through and bolted them up. Ready to fit. Under the rear cross-member is the corner gusset and rivets which I had forgotten. A bit of hand work to make it fit properly. Then a trial fit. Notches were then cut to dodge the rivet heads. The brackets were also notched to clear rivet heads and have been clamped into position ready to drill the chassis rails. A job for tomorrow! Steve🙂 Edited December 25, 2023 by Old Bill 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flandersflyer Posted December 26, 2023 Share Posted December 26, 2023 Lard Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Great War truck Posted December 26, 2023 Author Share Posted December 26, 2023 (edited) Well, that's not very kind. I had just had a very big Christmas roast lunch and anyway, those overalls are not very well fitting. Edited December 26, 2023 by Great War truck 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Bill Posted December 29, 2023 Share Posted December 29, 2023 Well, the Christmas break is coming to an end but we have done some more. Progress has been a bit slow but we have made up four pieces of angle to secure the cross-members to the chassis frame. The two at the front use pre-existing 3/4" diameter holes but I had to cut two more for those towards the rear. This is a pain as I have nothing which could drill them so they were a chain-drill and file exercise. Successful in the end and I could then spot through the timber. The rear brace plates were also missing some bolt holes as I had not worked out where they should be. These were drilled and then spotted through. The crossmembers had been left square at the ends to make it easier for me to drill the kerb rail bolt holes. Once these were complete along with their counterbores, I could radius the ends. This was done with a chop saw and glasspaper and was quite satisfactory. The preparation work is now complete and Dad can get on with the painting so we have once again rearranged the chassis into a painting bench. Back on the kerb rails next, cutting the corner joints. Then they can join the painting queue. Cheers! Steve 🙂 10 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mammoth Posted December 31, 2023 Share Posted December 31, 2023 Now that they are affordable broach/core drills are a great way to tackle those larger holes in steel. Get a 2MT holder so they can be used in either pillar drill or magnetic drill. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Bill Posted January 21 Share Posted January 21 (edited) Thanks for that. Unfortunately, I don't have anything capable of turning one in this position. Something for our next investment! We did do some more over Christmas and we haven't stopped although nothing very visible to report. The kerb rails are jointed at the corners so I cut them. Always difficult with a 12' beam supported on plastic trestles! Then it was a case of trying to make some room for Father to carry on with the painting. A board on two trestles was a good start. But the main bench is the back of the lorry which is thoroughly inconvenient! Two primer, two undercoat and two topcoat. The damp weather isn't helping. Making use of every inch of space! I have made up the radiator stay. It will need trimming to length the next time I go down. Two parts of the handbrake pull-rodding were very poorly so I made up some replacements. I felt that having some confidence in the brakes would be a good idea. One ready for paint and the other still requiring some attention with a file They have, of course, left hand threads so I made up a pair of locknuts. I didn't have any hex in stock and had to make that as well! Then the last ball joint from the throttle linkage. That can be assembled soon too. All of the painting represents an awful lot of hours from Father but the photographs are not inspiring, unfortunately. A picture of the second coat of green looks very much like the first! Anyway we are at a point where the first body parts can be permanently attached and we can get set up to paint the undersides of the floor planks. They are always easier to do before fitting them! Steve 🙂 Edited January 21 by Old Bill 15 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Asciidv Posted January 21 Share Posted January 21 These are just lovely! Being able to stop is always an advantage... 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
10FM68 Posted January 21 Share Posted January 21 "...but the photographs are not inspiring, unfortunately." I think you'll find that they are! The whole project is inspiring. 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Bill Posted January 23 Share Posted January 23 Back on pattern making now! Something we don't have is a fan drive pulley. We took the opportunity to measure the diameter of the Bovington example and with this photo, I could make a pattern. However, we also had a photo of the Banfield one. I rather liked the curved spokes so I though I would try to replicate it. MDF is my normal material of choice but this time I opted for a hardwood plywood. It consists of a flat centre with two rings glued onto it. I am very fortunate to have a wood turning lathe. I don't use it often enough so I am not very good at it but I felt that it would be the tool for the job. I managed to produce a nice clean outside diameter and a radius from the ring to the centre. When I did the Dennis radiator pattern, I acquired a scroll saw to cut out the badge. This was just the ticket to cut between the spokes. The pieces I cut out, I used to make a backing board to help the moulder. They just needed a bit of filler in the holes. A couple of coats of Bondaprime with some wire wool to polish them and we are ready for a trip to the foundry. This shows how I think the backing board will work. The idea is that it provides a centre line for the mould so it doesn't have to be hand cut in the sand. Another outing for Father! Steve 🙂 12 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gordon_M Posted January 23 Share Posted January 23 It may have been covered before, but ... Straight spokes tend to crack where they meet the rim on cooling / contraction, depending on relative masses and sections. Curved spokes tend to straighten very slightly - unwind, you could say - so no stress raisers where spokes meet rim. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dgrev Posted January 23 Share Posted January 23 Gordon. Thanks for the explanation, now we know why theirs is broken yet the one in the Banfield one isn't. Regards Doug (Australia). 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gordon_M Posted January 24 Share Posted January 24 The Bovington pulley is a classic of poor design. A rim of relatively thin cross section, surrounding a large even number of straight spokes ( six? ) and a chunky hub which will cool much slower than the rim. It probably came out of the mould pre-cracked. It would have been fine if they had made it with three heavier spokes so that there was nothing contracting directly across. The Banfield pulley is a much better design. Although it has an even number of spokes they are curved so no direct contraction conflict, and note how the curved spokes flow into the rim with no sudden section changes, near prefect. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dgrev Posted January 24 Share Posted January 24 Thanks Gordon. Learning goes on, never know when some stray fact (such as the details you give above) will come in useful. Regards Doug 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rootes75 Posted January 24 Share Posted January 24 Superb work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andypugh Posted January 24 Share Posted January 24 Are the starting handle dogs incorporated into the pulley on the Bovington example? It's hard to be sure. In any case, I feel that having them as a separate part, in steel, is probably a better idea. They are actually a bit of a game to machine, as ideally the included angle < 90 degrees between the drive flank and the ramp. I have a setup that can do it, if you want to decline the challenge 😉 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Bill Posted January 24 Share Posted January 24 Thanks for the curved spoke comments. I had forgotten that but a lot of early traction engines had curved spokes. I just fancied the challenge! The starting handle teeth are machined in a sleeve on the end of the crankshaft and we have that. In the outside of the sleeve is a keyway to locate the fan pulley. I have managed to make the fan with the centre line of its pulley further forward than the original so I have put an extra long boss on the drive pulley to allow it to be mounted forwards as well. It may mean that the starting dog begins to enter the bore of the fan but we will find out shortly. There are so many details to get right! I have found today that my new paint is sticking the backing board to the spokes so I shall have to ease them now. Oh well. Steve 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Bill Posted February 2 Share Posted February 2 A bit more pattern making. These should be the last but time will tell. The Peerless has cast floor panels around the base of the steering column and we are fortunate to have most of one of them. Along with a photo showing the other half, I have enough information to make the patterns. I turned and bored a bit of oak for the column radii. Then put some flat strip through the thicknesser. That was a good investment. I don't use it often but makes some jobs very easy. I cut and glued the strips into place. A trim up with the Dremel and the job was well on the way. The original piece showed some strips around the borders so these were soon cut and glued. The Dremel soon made short work of trimming them up. I then went all round with the sanding drum to put a taper on the flanges. Not very much but, hopefully, enough to allow them to be drawn from the sand. A couple of coats of Bondaprime and we are ready to go! Dad delivered them to the foundry this week. Steve 🙂 10 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
super6 Posted February 3 Share Posted February 3 @Old Bill Do you allow for contraction when making your patters or is this more dependant on size of item? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Bill Posted February 3 Share Posted February 3 Hi there! Generally, I don't trouble. My woodworking skills are not accurate enough to notice the difference! I usually add generous machining allowances which is fine for one-offs. In a production environment, the foundry wants to give the customer as little metal as possible and the machinist wants to remove as little as possible. The only place I have really noticed is with the Dennis radiator tanks as they are 30" wide. I did leave myself short there and the ends show signs of the rough casting. I'm blacksmithing today but with little success. I'll report later and ask for some advice! Steve🙂 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Bill Posted February 4 Share Posted February 4 (edited) You may remember that we have had a pair of front wings made. We have two LH wings with brackets so I have salvaged the brackets. Not quite sure how we ended up with LH wings but they must have come from different vehicles and have different types of bracket. We have decided to use them as they are original parts and we don't think anyone will notice. Dad has done a great job of cleaning them up but they do show some corrosion damage. And at the point just next to the chassis rail. I cut some new mounting plates. And then trimmed out the wastage. Then made a fill-in piece. All of the bits were welded in by a pal. I had a couple of happy hours with the angle grinder tidying them up. I couldn't resist a trial fit. The rh one, I put in the vice and twisted a bit to bring it into line but after that they aligned quite well. They will shortly be heading for the paint shop, the next time Dad gets the primer brush out. Steve 🙂 Edited February 4 by Old Bill 13 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Bill Posted February 11 Share Posted February 11 Still making some progress albeit slowly. Dad went to the foundry this week to pick up the latest castings. The castings are fine but foundries are notoriously brutal with patterns. Ours is usually OK but this time they were a bit heavy handed. Not quite sure what happened here.... Last time we got together, Dad had cleaned up the radiator stay so we fitted that and then did a trial fit of the rod. That was trimmed to length and is now being painted. It is time we had some brakes so I laid out a set of rigging for the hand brake. It was all a bit beaten up but generally salvageable. The two adjuster clevises were past it and I have made some new ones as detailed earlier. Dad painted them hung between centres on the lathe! I had a nice set of parts ready to assemble. The cam lever is right back as the new linings are much thicker than the worn originals. There is a carrier casting in the middle, held down with 5/16" UNS nuts. Fortunately, Dad had made some a while back. When I got to the front, I could only connect the adjuster on the very last thread. If you look at the thread on the LH rod, you can see that it is very short and I suspect that it has been cut back when the linings got thin rather than replace the linings! As the axle will move backwards when I tighten the chains and I will need even more length, this is no good at all and I had to set to and make a new pair of rods. The rods have an eye forged on the end. They would have been done with a set of dies. I don't have those but thought that I might be able to upset the end enough by hand to fashion them. I lit up my fire pot for the first time in several years and had a go. Sadly, with remarkably little success! It is much harder than it looks and I could really have done with an expert to show me how. Oh well. I have to fabricate them. I am a little concerned about this as they are for part of the brakes. However, the original rods were actually tubes and a 7/16" UNF thread has a core area larger than the section of the tubes. I resorted the screwing them together and silver soldering with a good fillet. The solder ran through the thread so I am confident they will be OK. It is essential that the thread on the other end be straight with the correct pitch as it screws into the turnbuckle which has quite a long thread. To make sure that it came out OK, I screw cut the rods to most of the required depth and then just ran the die over the top to take the last few thou off and give it some form. All is well and we have brake rods. Must break out the primer tin this week. Steve🙂 12 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gordon_M Posted February 11 Share Posted February 11 (edited) Quote Not quite sure what happened here.... The moulder had to tap the patterns a lot side to side to get them to withdraw, which exceeded the strength limit of the joints. Could have been avoided by having more taper on the external faces or a stronger joint. If they were going to run a lot of these castings the normal practice would be to make the wooden pattern way oversize with 'double contraction' and then use that to make an aluminium working pattern. Edited February 11 by Gordon_M 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Bill Posted February 25 Share Posted February 25 (edited) Thanks for the explanation Gordon. It is a bit disheartening to have one's patterns totally destroyed. Anyway, onwards. Father has been exercising the paintbrush with wing brackets, wings and lots of bits of wood. The task is never-ending at this point in the project. I have been focusing on the drive chains. Not too difficult but a lot of repetition involved. I took all of the links apart and went over all of the components with a wire brush. Then it was time for reasssembly. Somehow, all of the links had developed a major interference with the pins so I had to dress them out just a touch. I greased every pin and reassembled the bits, finally inserting new split pins. I did this in small sections as it is a horrible thing to handle. The first chain went quite well but the second had a number of links with broken rollers and was short of links as well. I found another chain of the same pattern but the rollers on that one were very poorly. After another look, I found another chain of a different pattern but with slightly better rollers so I stripped both down to mix and match rollers and links and give me a full chain length. A tedious job! At long last, I had two serviceable chains and a few spare links for the toolbox. We have had much discussion about chain lubricant for which many thanks. In the end, I opted for a spray-on chain lube. I understand that this is a very thin solution which penetrates all of the joints before the solvent evaporates leaving the grease behind. I must say that it actually seems to work. Mind you, the solvent is banana scented so the whole shed smells of bananas at the moment! I put the chains in a drip tray and sprayed them all over. It left them rather sticky with grease. Coupled with the lethality of all of the split pins, I made sure to handle them in thick gloves. The gloves are now sticky as well but I managed to avoid slicing my fingers. We wrapped a bit of rope between the links and Dad pulled up the ends whilst I inserted the last link and pinned it. The chain has a tensioning arrangement whereby the axle is jacked backwards using a large spanner. The locknut is then tightened using an even larger spanner and that is secured by a ring which is bolted to the top surface. Once that is done, there is a pinch bolt to grip the thread. They were certainly determined that it wouldn't work loose! My problem then was to decide how tight the chains should be. I settled on a vertical movement in the slack side of 2" as it looks about right. No doubt time will tell. I celebrated by turning the handle at the front and watching the wheels move at the back. Very satisfying. Now we can make it go, we need to be able to stop it so brakes next! Steve 🙂 Edited February 25 by Old Bill 12 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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