My 1910 Mitchell "parts car" project

[JV Puleo]

I steeled myself to the inevitable and clamped the torque tube down to the mill table. I also cleaned the inside as best I could and looked again. I couldn't see any indication that it was made in two pieces.

 

 

 

I then used the clamping slit to hacksaw through the inside piece. I had to do that three times in order to get them out. Fortunately, the piece was made of cast iron (which saws easily) and I had both a good hand hack saw and a new blade. As you can see, it was made in one piece so no amount of trying would have unscrewed it.

 

 

The threads look good. I still don't understand why the inner piece wouldn't thread in but I'll be sure not to push it all the way through again...just in case.

 

 

I also tried clamping the three pieces together to see if I could get an idea what the OD of the piece was...

 

This didn't work all that well but I have no way now of telling what the actual OD of the hole in the center was. It measured a bit over 3". When I took a similar measurement from the inside of the threads I got 2.9. If you add .0625 (1 divided by 16) to 2.9 you get 2.9625 which is fairly close to what you'd expect for the OD of a 3" thread. This is going to be a complicated threading job because I can't use the torque tube to gauge the thread in the lathe. I'm not exactly sure how I'll do it but I may start by making a dummy plug that screws into the tube to get an accurate measurement . The piece itself isn't complicated to make aside from getting the thread right.

 

Edited June 23, 2022 by JV Puleo (see edit history)

[TonyAus]

This may be a little long winded but it may help.

Some time ago you mentioned an inability to find an SAE standard for screw on hubcaps.  I think that there is a standard but it's related to application of screw threads by diameter rather to a specific component.  Your three inch pinion adjuster probably also fits into this category.  According to Machinery's Handbook, SAE standard threads use constant pitches over certain sizes.  In the course series, over one inch uses eight TPI, the fine series over 1/2 inch uses 12 TPI and the extra fine series uses 16 TPI over 3/4 inch.  This would account for the 16 TPI threads commonly used on hubcaps which are generally in the two inch+ range.

Returning to your problem, Machinery's Handbook also has a useful table of dimensions for US standard threads which may save you some guesswork. It states that the depth of a 16 TPI external thread is 0.03834 and the corresponding internal thread is 0.03383.  The under five thou difference in mating threads is obviously the working clearance.  In theory, if you turn up a three inch test plug and thread it with an infeed of 0.038 or a little more it should fit.  Or, if you feel rash, you could skip making the test plug.

[JV Puleo]

Thanks very much. I don't know why I didn't look there because I have two copies of the handbook. The one in the shop is around 1964 and the one I keep at home is 1939. (I bought that one in the UK...it's marked with the name of the original owner and "Bordesly 1939". Bordesly is an area of Birmingham ... a hotbed of industrial activity as WWII was beginning.)

 

I need 3-1/4 bar to do this and It will take two weeks for the new stock to arrive but I have some 3" I can make the test plug from. I'll make it to those specs and we'll see how it works. This is very good information so thanks again.

 

[EDIT] I looked it up in Machinery's Handbook...how did I miss that! In any case, I'll make the test plug and we'll see ow well it works.

Edited June 23, 2022 by JV Puleo (see edit history)

[chistech]

Joe, does the adjuster move by using the spanner holes on the inside of the tube? I’m curious if the piece you’re trying to remove is keyed somehow to the case to prevent turning. The adjuster is tightened or loosened to move this piece in or out as needed. This would prevent the bearings from moving the adjustment by rotation. I know I don’t see any key in the piece but I was curious if you tried turning the adjuster nut out from inside the tube. I am probably completely wrong with my thinking but believe I recall seeing bearing a setup with a sliding plate backed up by an adjusting nut on something I worked on years ago. Just an idea.

 

posted this and the next page didn’t come up. Guess I was wrong as I thought I probably was. How did you cut it it three if it wouldn’t rotate?

Edited June 23, 2022 by chistech (see edit history)

[JV Puleo]

Yes...you put a tommy-bar in the hole most accessible and pull it over to turn the threaded piece.  To keep it from moving once adjusted there is a bolt that passes through the housing (hole is visible above) and clamps the housing tight on the thread.

 

[EDIT] In looking, the hole for the lock bolt is just visible in the first photo, right behind the big flange.

Edited June 23, 2022 by JV Puleo (see edit history)

[JV Puleo]

It rotated but the threads would not engage.

[JV Puleo]

Today I made the test plug to verify the dimensions of the pinion adjuster I'll make...a piece of 12L14, 3" in diameter and about 1-1/4" thick.

 

 

I put a 1-1/2" hole in the center for a mandrel.

 

 

And set it up to thread. By threading on centers like this I can take the entire mandrel and piece out of the lathe to try it in the torque tube. If it doesn't fit, I can put it back in the lathe and take a few more thousandths off. This is the only way I know to thread something that has to be fitted to a part that is too big or heavy to handle.

 

 

I cut the threads to a depth of .040. It fit the first try. In fact, it's a tiny bit loose so TonyAus's suggestion of .038 is probably spot on.

 

 

I also managed to find the little bag of parts I took off about 10 years ago, including the pinch bolt. It's a 1/2" bolt and I tried a standard 1/2-13 but it wouldn't go in easily. When I found the original bolt it turns out it's 1/2-12. You have to be careful with 1/2" bolts on pre-WWI cars because 1/2-12, -13 and -14 were all in use. One cylinder Cadillacs use 1/2-12, a lesson I learned a long time ago when I had to make some bolts for a 1905. I also found two more parts. The threaded clamp makes sense but it took me some time to figure out what the other thing did.

 

Edited June 23, 2022 by JV Puleo (see edit history)

[chistech]

If I remember correctly, 29-32 chevy engines used a 1/2-12 head bolt too.

[JV Puleo]

I spent most of today working on my wood chipper...which was running fine for about two hours, then started stalling out. I'm not good with small engines so I'll probably have to come in tomorrow and fiddle with it. I did take the switch plate out of the blacking bath. It isn't perfect and I noticed some pits on the face I'd not seen before. I'm a little torn here because it really does look 100 years old so I can use it if I have to but I'd like to make a better one, if only to satisfy my own ambitions.

 

 

 

With that in mind, I made the alignment tool I'd thought of and tonight I'll try to etch another one.

[JV Puleo]

I spent the day working on my chipper/shredder but I did get some work on the Mitchell done at home this weekend. This is the new ignition switch pate. This time I used blue "press & peel" film, made for printed circuit boards. The instructions call for pressing printing it in a laser printer, then pressing it on the metal at about 300 degrees for 2 to 5 minutes. I tried that and the letters came out broken. This one came out pretty good but I lightly sanded the piece with a 220 grit sanding pad, then pressed it at 300 degrees for 10 minutes (using the T shirt press you see here). I was quite satisfied with the result. The letters were perfect and the small flaws in the solid areas were easily touched up with a black sharpie marker. The blue piece you see is the alignment tool. It's arranged to fit tightly in the center of the brass piece and then the cross hairs are aligned. It still isn't perfect but it's much closer and the misalignment so small as to be inconsequential.

 

 

After touching it up and marking coloring the back with the marker it went in the acid bath. I also discovered the reason for the etching on the edges...you have to "marker" all the edges or the acid eats in from the side.

 

 

I'm wondering if the etchant looses strength when used too much because I left it in the bath a good 3 hours and the etch still wasn't as deep as I'd have liked. It was uniform though and the letters nicely formed so I pulled it out and left it over night in a warm water with some baking soda to neutralize the acid.

 

 

this is the piece just before I dropped it in the blacking solution. That isn't working as well as I'd like either but I'm not in a hurry and if I have to try a different solution I don't think it will make a difference.

 

 

I did not remove the film & laser toner before doing this as I don't see any need to black parts that I'll polish. If this doesn't get me where I want to be, I may resort to paint...if so, the etched surface will provide a good base.

[Terry Harper]

Hello Joe,

It looks great!

 

Yes, you have to protect the edges - otherwise it can undercut and lift the mask and damage the edges. The back can be protected with clear packing tape. The solution will loose strength. You can add more acid if needed. Are you using Muriatic Acid and peroxide? Regardless make sure you gently agitate the echant so the residue doesn't settle on the part.

 

If you have to go the paint route - give the part a very good cleaning and degreasing than hit it all over with the paint. Make sure the paint is fully cured before you sand it. Use 800 grit wet/dry or finer and a nice flat sanding block. I have a piece of aluminum I like to use. Ideally you want the sanding block to span across the whole work piece but leave enough exposed to allow your fingers to hold it in place. Make sure the backside of the work piece is clean rests on a nice, clean flat surface. I have a polished piece of granite tile that I use. Whenever you lift the work piece from the work surface make sure to clean the back of it and work surface before resuming sanding. 

 

Keep the work piece and the sand paper wet. I also add a bit of dish soap as well. Its very easy to over sand. Don't apply any pressure - just let the weight of the sanding block do the work. Rinse the sand paper and work piece frequently and change the paper often as well. Work the whole piece and avoid the temptation to concentrate on a small area.

 

Once sanded, so the raised areas are bright, give the part a gentle buffing with extra fine (0000#) steel wool to even out the finish. 

[JV Puleo]

I am using the peroxide & muriatic acid. I think this one will come out ok...I certainly hope so because I don't want to make two more of these rings. I use a piece of plate glass to sand on...not wanting to take a chance with my surface plates!

 

I just ordered some commercial brass blackening solution. If this doesn't work all that well, I'll try that first. I had thought of enameling it but as I look into it, you can't use vitreous enamel on brass — or rather, the only brass you can use it on is gilding metal which is only 5% zinc. I don't even know what this brass is but I'm sure it isn't the right stuff.

 

I have a surface ground block...an experiment with the surface grinder that I use as a sanding block.

[JV Puleo]

I find myself waiting for bits for at least two of my projects and I'm very reluctant to start a third. It's confusing enough to do two things at once...I'll really lose track of where I am if I expand on that. In any case, I did get the chipper/shredder put back together but now I can't get it to run. It starts just fine but soon dies. I suspect the carburetor is at fault because it never ran with the choke completely open. This is a 30-year old machine which doesn't look as if it's always had sympathetic use so I ordered a new carb...which may work. If not, I'll end up replacing the engine. But, the day wasn't entirely wasted. I made another one of my centering tools, this one quite a bit larger than the previous one starting with this piece of aluminum bar.

 

 

 

Faced off, drilled and tapped 1/2-20

 

 

In this case I'm using a 1/2" drill arbor with a 1/2-20 thread. These are relatively cheap and easy to work with and for less than 10 dollars, an inexpensive way to get a precise spindle for the tool.

 

 

The idea is to drill and tap the hole, screw in the arbor, and then do all the remaining steps with the arbor in a collet. This way everything is perfectly concentric. The tedious part is turning the 60-degree cone. I'll need this after I've soldered the plate to the ignition switch body.

 

 

And since I still have the etching stuff all over my kitchen I cut two pieces of flat brass to make the dash-mounted serial number plate. The number is on the crankcase and the front cross member but the plate that had been on the dash is missing.

 

Edited June 28, 2022 by JV Puleo (see edit history)

[JV Puleo]

I etched one of the plates last night. It looks good but the etch isn't deep enough so I'll mix up some more etchant tonight, probably with a little more acid and see if I can improve on it. I'm still waiting on several items so I thought today would be a loss. I started by taking a close look at the pinion shaft and the adjuster I cut out.

 

I have a good idea of how this worked but I have a feeling something is missing...notice the bright spot at the base of the threads. This was caused by the thrust bearing "orbiting" around the threads and wearing them. It may have been made that way but it offends my sense of mechanical excellence...I'm giving this more thought before I make the adjuster.

 

 

Looking around for something to do today, I lit on this. It's the "expander" for the internal rear brake. It was made in one piece, as a forging and is worn on both the shaft and the working surfaces. It also isn't an easy piece to replicate and is one of those things I've been thinking about.

 

 

I have, finally, come up with what I think will be a sound repair so I started on that, first cutting two blocks of steel, 1" x 2".

 

 

These need a 5/8" hole in the center of the narrow dimension. Ordinarily, You'd do this in the mill so you can find the edges but I decided to try doing it in the lathe. I put a piece of 2" round bar in and indicated it using only two of the jaws. Then I did the same thing with the other two jaws on a 1" piece.

 

 

It isn't perfect, but there is extra metal here in all directions so I'll be able to adjust it by milling after it is assembled. In any case, I'd have used oversized pieces even if I'd done this in the mill.

 

 

It was faced off, drilled and reamed to 5/8".

 

 

When I checked it, it was only about .020 off center. That's is easily in the machining tolerance and this method probably saved me an hour's work. I made two of them and then cut 2 pieces of 3/4" ground bar, slightly longer than 5"

 

 

I faced the ends off, put in center holes and trimmed them so that they are identical.

 

 

Obviously, there is more to do here but so far this is going better than it has a right to.

Edited June 29, 2022 by JV Puleo (see edit history)

[JV Puleo]

I did a little more on these brake parts today, starting by turning one end down to 5/8" so that the "blocks" slip on.

 

 

 

These are a slip fit because I have to be able to turn them to get the correct orientation of the Woodruff key. I'll glue them on with Locktite to hold them in place and then pin them to the blocks.

 

 

I also used the centering tool I'd made a few days ago to center each block and put a small chamfer on the inside edge. This is because the turning tool has a slight radius and I want the flat on the shaft to but up against the block squarely.

 

 

I then cut the Woodruff key slots...and realized I have to order smaller keys. The ones I have are a bit too wide for the slot in the arm.

 

 

Today's last step was to hone out the arms so they slip on to the shafts. I'll secure them with the Woodruff key and set screws rather than the tapered pin the Mitchell used.

 

 

The fussy part is setting these at just the right angle so I'll give that some thought tonight. I quit early today because my nephew called to say one of his real estate friends was holding an estate sale at a house that had belonged to a retired history professor and that I was free to go an take whatever book I wanted...I came away with 4 large boxes of them an may go back for more.

Edited June 30, 2022 by JV Puleo (see edit history)

[JV Puleo]

I started today with the brake parts...drilling two center holes 180-decrees apart on either side of the Woodruff key. Originally, these were attached with a tapered pin that was a real challenge to remove. I'll tap the holes in the arms and use pointed set screws. The center holes will provide a seat for the screws so the project into the shaft.

 

 

Then I address the problem of locating the shafts in the blocks I made. There is a left and right and they have to be located so that the brake lever is at about a 45-degree angle when the brake is fully relaxed. I don't actually know the correct angle, nor do I have a good way of measuring it so I lined them up by eye using the original one next to the new one. I have to do these one at a time because I need both arms to see the angle. The Locktite is slow setting so I only got one done today...

 

 

The commercial brass blacking solution came in so I went back to the etched parts. It worked, though not as well as I'd hoped. This is the dash plate...which I must say looks better in reality than this photo which is out of focus. The flash also lightens the background so while it isn't perfect, I think it will do.

 

 

I did the same with the etched plate for the switch. that was even less satisfactory but I'v about had it with etching and blacking so I went ahead and soldered it to the switch body. I put a ring of solder between the two pieces and heated the entire thing up until the solder melted. That, at least, worked as planned.

 

 

Then I put it in the lathe to smooth out the outside edge. the ring is very slightly larger than the switch so I can get a perfect surface. When I cleaned it up, virtually all the black came off leaving a copper colored background (from the copper in the solution). It doesn't look as I'd planned but I'm not all that disturbed. Everything can't come out perfect and, at least it looks old and appropriate for a 1910 car. At least the lettering came out well and it is almost perfectly centered.

 

 

with that done, I set it up in the mill to put center holes in for the four screws I'll have to add — two to hold it to the firewall and two to act as stops for the lever.

 

 

Again, it isn't perfect. In checking before I drilled I found one of my circular "bosses" for the screws as 2 degrees out while the other was 1 degree out. I don't think either is critical but I'd like it to look right as well as work. When I drilled, I corrected for this.

 

 

I have to drill these and tap two of the holes but for that I need the drill press and it's set up for the brake levers so I'll let this go until I can get back to it. I may be in tomorrow as I was going to mow but rain is predicted.

Edited July 1, 2022 by JV Puleo (see edit history)

[JV Puleo]

Terry, I did an experiment on the plate I'm not using with gloss black paint using your technique of sanding it. It looks very good. For all my experimenting with different methods, the simplest way was probably the best way.

[JV Puleo]

 

My experiment with black paint. This is what I wanted it to look like so I'll paint the switch plate though I don't think I should do that until I've assembled everything and made sure it actually works.

 

 

I also glued the other brake lever...

 

 

Next I drilled the necessary holes in the switch body. The mounting holes are 1/4"

 

 

While the holes for the stops are threaded 1/4-20.

 

 

The switch can now be assembled for testing but I'm putting that off for the beginning of the week. Today I went on to securing the blocks to the end of the brake expander shafts. To do this I'm putting 3 tapered pins in each with the holes drilled so that they intersect the shaft. This is a good use for tapered pins because in this case we are making a part that was originally one piece. There is no reason for it to ever have to come apart.

 

 

I put one pin in from one side and two more from the opposite side. I hammer them in and the ends will be milled off when I finish the blocks. You probably won't even be able to see them.

 

 

And...I keep all the photos for this thread on my computer, each day's in a separate file. This is the 1000th file and there are about 5500 photos!

Edited July 2, 2022 by JV Puleo (see edit history)

[edinmass]

i’ll be in Rhode Island in early October. I’m hoping to get a ride in your car then! 👍

 

 

[weathered1]

Joe, your switch plate looks Great!

[Terry Harper]

41 minutes ago, JV Puleo said:

My experiment with black paint. This is what I wanted it to look like so I'll paint the switch plate though I don't think I should do that until I've assembled everything and made sure it actually works.

 

Well done Joe! Looks great!

 

Terry

[chistech]

7 hours ago, edinmass said:

i’ll be in Rhode Island in early October. I’m hoping to get a ride in your car then! 👍

 

 

Now that you said that Ed, joe is going to make a bouncing and vibrating mechanism like the old coin operated kid car rides found outside of stores to put what he has finished so far on his car so you can take a ride!!🤣 If anybody, joe would be the guy to do it!

[JV Puleo]

RR had such a machine. I forget what it was called but it was intended to simulate traveling over bad roads. Chassis were mounted on it and it was run for (I think) days at a stretch. The idea was that if the chassis could survive that, it could survive just about anything.

Edited July 3, 2022 by JV Puleo (see edit history)

[Terry Harper]

Joe asked me to post this for him so folks won't think he has fallen off the edge of the earth, etc.

 

At the moment,

Joe is unable to post to the forum or answer PM's due to technical difficulties since the forum was upgraded yesterday (7-5-22)

Please be patient and be assured that this amazing thread and adventure will continue.

[F&J]

1 hour ago, Terry Harper said:

Joe asked me to post this for him so folks won't think he has fallen off the edge of the earth, etc.

 

At the moment,

Joe is unable to post to the forum or answer PM's due to technical difficulties since the forum was upgraded yesterday (7-5-22)

Please be patient and be assured that this amazing thread and adventure will continue.

I just found out that I could not reply to any thread today.  I could NOT even "sign out" to try to see if signing back in would help.  I could not PM anybody.  The only thing that still worked as a member, was that i could add a "like", nothing else worked.  

 

Joe, I have no cell to get onto the web, just a laptop with two different browsers installed.  The problems are with my older browser that I've always used for this site, so I just signed in for the first time on my newer browser, and now I can make everything work. 

 

Every damn AACA  "upgrade" has always caused me problems of some sort, but the staffmember just has to keep constantly screwing with things to make it "better".  For example, I've lost count of how many times I had to relearn how to post a picture on here.   Maybe it's time to stop fixing what ain't broke. Of course they will blame our issues on US, as they know they are always the smartest person on earth, OCD is more like it.

 

My newer browser is "Brave".  It was not hard to install as I recall, and I also believe it's a "lightweight program" which means it does not use up too much memory or space in an older PC or laptop. .  One great thing is that it blocks all ads and pop-ups on any site including here (so, screw the AACA ads as payback for their meddling!!), and Brave blocks all of the incessant, annoying ads on Youtube too.

 

Joe, I'd bet you are not a happy camper by now needing to spend time to figure out how to "fix" your device due to an "upgrade" ("downgrade" is much more appropriate); I know the feeling well.

[JV Puleo]

I did it...I don't know how long it will hold but, for the moment it works.

More later...

[JV Puleo]

I struggled with the computer problem until 2AM. Frank's post regarding the browser was the key to solving the problem although I was not able to use the same one he did. My computer at home is a Mac with a 32-bit processor. It has been updated to the latest operating system it can use. Virtually all of the current versions of the Mac system require a 64-bit processor but I was able to find (after hours of searching through pages of mindless computer jargon designed to keep people like me out) a "legacy" version of Firefox...a later version modified to work on a machine as old as mine. It is not particularly convenient to use and I still cannot post on this site from home but at leas I can update my thread.

 

I assembled the switch. It looked fine and the lever turns with the right amount of resistance but I found that I'd made an error in fixing the posts that the wires connect to. They have to align with the rotating plate underneath so that in the "B" position the coil is connected to the battery and in the "O" position the mag is connected to ground. I was at a loss to think of a way to fix it since you can't see the lower plate when the upper one is in place.

 

 

I decided to make a "see through" dummy plate out of plexiglass. I've never turned plexi so I had no idea if it was possible but I started by cutting four pieces and drilling the center.

 

 

Then used the fixture I'd made for the phenolic discs to turn them to size. It actually worked quite well.

 

 

I put the plexi piece in to mark the position of the studs for each of the position of the switch.

 

 

 

And discovered that I'd gotten the relationship between the studs correct. I'd just put it in the switch the wrong way round. As a result, I didn't have to remake the upper disc.

 

 

In this position all the connections worked correctly but I'm not happy with the quality of the connection. It is much fussier to adjust than I'd anticipated so I have further work to do here. I have two ideas, one of which will require making a new disc. I started on that today but there are things I'll need to finish it. I'll go as far as I can and then go back to the rear axle job until the pieces come in. Fortunately, the piece of steel I need for that arrived a day or so ago. The switch does look good...

 

 

I also fitted the plate that will go on the inside of the firewall. I'm not completely thrilled with this but I have another. One of the brass inserts I used cracked the phenolic. It won't make any difference to it working but after all this effort I want it to be as near perfect as it can be.

 

 

I also applied paint to the etching...gloss black engine paint. It's been baking on and off all day and I may be able to sand it tomorrow.

[JV Puleo]

I didn't have a particularly successful day today. I sanded the paint on the switch managing to go a bit too far in two places so I decided to touch it up but I used the wrong paint...I thought perhaps because spray paint is thinner I'd have less to sand. Well, the spray paint was lacquer and the paint I'd used was an enamel. I got the predictable result...it ruined the job so I'll have to start over. It's only a matter of cleaning the paint off so it's not the end of the world. I also designed a new connection between the two internal plates. This one will use a spring loaded copper pin to bear against the inner plate. They will be fussy to make but I ordered the stuff I need last night and it should be here early next week.

 

Here's the switch before I ruined it. I have to think of a way to eliminate the glare caused by the flash on the camera...perhaps when this is done I'll photograph it with my good camera.

 

 

 

[JV Puleo]

I came in today to send Peter G some screen shots of the site (see the Forum Questions & Answers sub-forum) but couldn't resist the chance to see if I'd finally gotten the switch right. I started by sanding the paint using a ground lathe tool blank as a sanding block. As you can see, I still have some flaws. In retrospect, the etch should have been deeper and the blacking solution, which didn't work, left a copper layer on the plate that is probably a few microns thick. There are also some marks that must have been pin holes in the masking film. I'm going to live with it. Doing the entire plate over is far too much work for such a small cosmetic flaw and, after all, the car is 110 years old and I am not striving for the "new" look (much less "better than new"). It's not going to Pebble Beach. Actually, my goal is to create a slightly worn look...as if the car was well maintained but is obviously old with, perhaps, a 1960s paint job. I've even thought of using 2nd hand leather to do the seats so it looks a bit worn.

 

 

[Terry Harper]

Joe,

 

That looks fine! When installed and viewed as part of the whole any flaws will be invisible. As Frederick Law Olmsted advised: "Subordinate details to the whole".

[JV Puleo]

You are right. In the context of the entire dash, which will be in a shadow because I intend to have a short cowel over the dashboard, it will look fine. I hate to think what I've spent on this job but, in the end, it's what I wanted. Or, as the RR advertisements said, "the quality remains long after the price is forgotten."

 

Besides, it's all part of the learning process. The mistakes I made this time I won't make again.

Edited July 9, 2022 by JV Puleo (see edit history)

[JV Puleo]

I've been struggling to get my chipper/shredder to run well...actually, it barely runs and I confess to being almost clueless working with small engines. I think I've figured out what to do but I've little faith in my ability to get it right. So...I took a break from that and did a little more on the ignition switch, starting the two phenolic plates I'll need for the improvement I've designed. These are 2-3/4" and 4-1/4" in diameter and they need four 3/8" holes that are perfectly in line with each other. The obvious answer its to make them together so here it is set up. centered in the mill.

 

 

The center is moved over .6875 which should put the center of the hole in the center of the brass inserts in the lower plate. I drilled center holes...

 

 

Then moved over to the drill press to drill and ream the holes.

 

 

Some of the bits I'll need have come in but I still need a piece of 3/8" brass rod.

 

 

Also, these came in. They are the timing gears I made about 3 years ago and sent out to have the teeth cut. At the time, I couldn't make them. The friend I sent them to simply hasn't gotten to it. He's a good guy and remains a friend and (because he's a life-long machinist) someone I don't hesitate to call when I need an idea. In any case, I can cut helical gears now so I had him send them back.

 

Edited July 12, 2022 by JV Puleo (see edit history)

[chistech]

4 hours ago, JV Puleo said:

I've been struggling to get my chipper/shredder to run well...actually, it barely runs and I confess to being almost clueless working with small engines. I think I've figured out what to do but I've little faith in my ability to get it right. So...I took a break from that and did a little more on the ignition switch, starting the two phenolic plates I'll need for the improvement I've designed. These are 2-3/4" and 4-1/4" in diameter and they need four 3/8" holes that are perfectly in line with each other. The obvious answer its to make them together so here it is set up. centered in the mill.

 

 

The center is moved over .6875 which should put the center of the hole in the center of the brass inserts in the lower plate. I drilled center holes...

 

 

Then moved over to the drill press to drill and ream the holes.

 

 

Some of the bits I'll need have come in but I still need a piece of 3/8" brass rod.

 

 

Also, these came in. They are the timing gears I made about 3 years ago and sent out to have the teeth cut. At the time, I couldn't make them. The friend I sent them to simply hasn't gotten to it. He's a good guy and remains a friend and (because he's a life-long machinist) someone I don't hesitate to call when I need an idea. In any case, I can cut helical gears now so I had him send them back.

 

your story about your friend with the gears reminds of an old joke. A young man gets drafted and before he leaves to go to war, he drops off a pair of shoes at the cobbler. He is overseas for 3-4 years and returns stateside. One day he puts on a jacket and in a pocket he finds the ticket from four years earlier for the shoes he dropped off. Thinking that there's no way the cobbler still has the shoes, he goes by the cobbler's shop anyway to see.  When he gives the ticket to the cobbler the cobbler complains that the ticket is four years old and that he should have come earlier or had someone else pick them up. He goes in the back and comes back to the counter then says, "I found your shoes..........they'll be ready Tuesday!"

[JV Puleo]

Today I made a few more switch parts. These are 10-32 brass studs about 1-1/2" long. for the "improved" version of the switch they need to be 7/8" long. It isn't all that easy to trim something this small...especially if you have a specific dimension in mind. I used a piece of 1/2" aluminum rod, drilled and tapped to 10-32 and trimmed to 7/8" less the thickness of a 10-32 nut.

 

 

I put that in the lathe and cut it down so it was flush with the nut using a stop in the collet and another on the bed of the lathe. That way, when I got the first one right, the others would be easy.

 

 

It worked pretty well. They are actually about .010 long but at least they are uniform. It's sometimes astonishing how little things like this, that you wouldn't give any thought to, can be a problem.

 

 

I still need the 3/8" brass rod these screw into so I went on to the brake expanders, setting one up in the mill.

 

 

I've decided to finish these by grinding the surfaces so my goal is to get them about .030 bigger than the finished size. I also trimmed the end to length.

 

 

 

And while the lathe was set up, trimmed the other one. I'll mill that one tomorrow.

 

[JV Puleo]

I struggled most of the day with these...four little copper contacts that will be part of the switch. My first effort was a failure...but I did finally come up with a way of making them. They are .350 long, 4mm in diameter and have one flat end and one rounded end. I'm really not equipped to do tiny work so, while this might be a breeze for someone with the right machines, it's a PIA to do with mine. I put the quarter in the picture so you could see how small they are.

 

 

Then I replaced the coil on the chipper that's been the cause of much angst...and had enough time left to mill one side of the second brake expander.

 

[Luv2Wrench]

Slightly off topic... is the vertical head on your mill fixed, ie; is it fixed in Z direction?   If so, how do you find moving the knee works for that?  Having never done this myself it seems like it would be a big pain.  I ask because I'm considering adding a vertical head to my Hendey horizontal and I'm wondering if it would be worth the considerable extra effort to have it have a Z axis capability.  My guess is that using the knee for vertical operations becomes second nature and isn't a big deal.

 

[JV Puleo]

I confess that I've never used, or mastered the business of XYZ for directions..to me it's up & down, transverse and in & out. However, yes, the head is fixed and you have to raise or lower the table to drill a hole or move the work piece up to the cutter. It does become second nature but a vertical mill with a moveable quill would be easier to use. One of the reasons I bought the Kerney & Trecker vertical I have is that I would like to leave the B&S as a dedicated horizontal. But, the K&T needs some work and I just haven't gotten to it. I will have to get it going to make the connecting rods so probably in the next year or so. Switching from vertical to horizontal is a bit of a PIA...I do it as little as I can though if I did it more, perhaps I'd be more comfortable doing it. If you have, or can get a vertical that will be an advantage. Just about anything you can do on a vertical can be done on a horizontal but it often requires some creative setups. I also have a slotting attachment for the mill and a compound vertical head — neither of which I've used yet but if I could move all the vertical milling to the K&T, it would be conducive to using those attachments.

 

I am still fussing with the chipper...it worked for about two hours today and then quit. I'm going to call in a friend who has a lot more experience with small engines as I've about exhausted my ideas. I did finish milling the brake expanders and then put them in the lathe to trim the width down to the finished size. Unfortunately, the radius isn't correct. That will have to be done with a concave cutter in the mill set up horizontal and I'm putting that step off until the next time I have it switched over. I do have a pile of gears to cut so I'll try to do everything at the same time.

 

 

 

I should add that getting perfect vertical alignment with the vertical head can be difficult. I'm not really sure I've ever gotten it dead nuts. It really makes no difference with 99% of my work but the K&T has a fixed head with a quill so it should be much easier to use.

Edited July 15, 2022 by JV Puleo (see edit history)

[JV Puleo]

My friend John is coming by tomorrow morning to help me sort out the chipper...and it rained today so it wasn't ideal to work on the grounds, leaving me with an entire day in the shop. I started by making a 1/4" aluminum spacer. This simulates the firewall because the lip on the back of the switch is slightly less than 1/4" and the spacing between the phenolic discs is critical.

 

 

 

Then I went on to what will be the spring-loaded contacts. These are made from 3/8" brass rod.

 

 

Trimmed to exactly .880.

 

 

And then drilled and reamed with a #21 reamer. This is the thread size for 10-32 and it also allows a few thousandths clearance for the 4mm copper contacts I made last week.

 

 

[JV Puleo]

I tried posting last night but the site wasn't responding. Between yesterday and today I've just about finished the switch.

The brass contacts were threaded 10-32 about 1/4" deep. Brass studs were screwed in and locked in place with a nut.

 

 

I inserted a tiny spring and the copper contact. The idea is that they protrude just a small amount and that the spring puts a small amount of pressure on them.

 

 

After that, I made stops for the lever. These are pieces of brass rod threaded to match the screw and soldered on.

 

 

then they were turned to 1/2" in diameter and, using the 1/2" "head" to hold them the screw trimmed off so it will screw into the switch but not keep it from fitting flush up against the firewall.

 

 

Toward the end of the day I glued the contacts into the rear switch plate. I used Locktite 380...called "black max" — Ive used this stuff before and it's fantastic for gluing metal to plastic.

 

 

Today's first job was to enlarge the holes in the plate that fits on the engine side of the firewall. I tried reaming them a few thousandths larger...they still were too tight so I drilled them abut .011 larger than 3/8.

 

 

That worked fine...

 

 

After fussing with the switch to make sure I had the two internal plates aligned properly, I located and reamed 3/8" holes in the outer edge. These align with the mounting holes in the switch.

 

 

And made two brass inserts. These were drilled & tapped to 1/4-20 before I glued them in.

 

 

With that done, I assembled the switch...

 

 

I also drilled the cap... the switch will be held by the through screws to the plate on the other side of the firewall which also keeps the rear plate in the switch from turning. The cap will be held on with two acorn nuts...

 

 

Then I took it apart and did a final assembly, putting the studs, springs and copper contacts in. At every stage I have tested it to make sure that it is actually making a proper connection in each position and it looks as if I've succeeded. Tomorrow I'll take some better pictures...I left a few steps out and I expect there will be more tweaking but it's largely complete now.

[edinmass]

Be sure to set the timing of all the screws the same…….otherwise you will get a deduction at Pebble! 😏