Hi,
I'm building a model beam engine (Stuart Major) and am starting on th
connecting rod. This is a fairly faithful copy of full sized practic
with bearing shells that are held by straps onto the end of the rod. Th
straps are held in place by cotters that have to pass through
rectangular hole 3/32 x 11/32 (about 2.5 x 9mm) which passes righ
through the end of the rod which is 5/8 thick. (tried to attach pictur
of drawing) The question is how do I accurately cut these holes ? It a
to be fairly square with parallel sides. Milling with a slot drill woul
be tricky as even long series slot drills in this size are not lon
enough. I could drill a series of holes and then try to open this ou
with needle files but it would be really difficult to do this neatly
Has anyone got any ideas
+-------------------------------------------------------------------
|Filename: Connecting rod.gif
|Download: http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=1879929
+-------------------------------------------------------------------
--
lfogg
Don Young - 22 May 2008 03:45 GMT
> Hi,
> I'm building a model beam engine (Stuart Major) and am starting on the
[quoted text clipped - 15 lines]
> http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=1879929 |
> +-------------------------------------------------------------------+
Seems to me that a combination of drilling holes, milling with an end
mill/slot drill from both sides, and filing might do it. A custom made
broach would be nice but probably too expensive.
Don Young
Alabama, USA
Richard Edwards - 22 May 2008 05:48 GMT
>Hi,
>I'm building a model beam engine (Stuart Major) and am starting on the
[quoted text clipped - 14 lines]
>|Download: http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=1879929 |
>+-------------------------------------------------------------------+
And you have two more problems with the slots on the other end that
are 5/64ths wide!
Options without pondering as much as you probably have already <G>
1 Chain Drill then open to slot with "abrafile" type blade in your saw
frame. Make a "hard" jig that fits around the end, to ensure that your
filing is flat and square.
2 Have it wire cut
3 Come in from the end with a slitting saw then pin a slug in to fill
the end.
Whatever option you finally choose, I would test out on a bit of scrap
first!
Good luck!
--
Richard
Email address is valid but remove burrs before sending!
jasonballamy - 22 May 2008 08:04 GMT
I would also tackle it by making the slot from the end with a slitting
saw and then pin/silver solder a strip in to close the end.
Jason

Signature
jasonballamy
lfoggy - 22 May 2008 09:21 GMT
Thanks for all the suggestions,
As I was writing the post the solution of using a slitting saw from th
end then filling the gap with a plug occurred to me and I think this i
the only practical solution to get a neat result. The Stuart supplie
casting for this component seems to be made of cast iron so I don'
think I can silver solder the plug in. I think I will have to pin i
with some 2mm silver steel rivitted over. Hopefully this will work !
Thanks again and I hope to contibute more to the forum in the future
--
lfogg
Chris Edwards - 22 May 2008 10:32 GMT
>Thanks for all the suggestions,
>As I was writing the post the solution of using a slitting saw from the
[quoted text clipped - 4 lines]
>with some 2mm silver steel rivitted over. Hopefully this will work !
>Thanks again and I hope to contibute more to the forum in the future.
Having done this job on a similar model in the not too distant
past, may I suggest you drill it from both sides as accurately as you can
and then finish off with a sharp miniature file in order to square the ends
of the slot. Little of this work will be seen as it's completely concealed
by the strap, is it not? It really doesn't warrant too much worry!
If you do make a major pigs' of it, you can always saw off the leg
below the fluted casting, drill the casting and make a new leg to be fitted
with Loctite 603, or even instant glue with a little cross pin for added
security if you choose.
--
Chris Edwards (in deepest Dorset) "....there *must* be an easier way!"
rsss - 22 May 2008 10:13 GMT
lfoggy Wrote:
> Hi,
> I'm building a model beam engine (Stuart Major) and am starting on th
[quoted text clipped - 9 lines]
> with needle files but it would be really difficult to do this neatly
> Has anyone got any ideas ?
use a square electrode and die sink it.
Take it to your nearest tech college if you don't have one yourself
--
rss
Trevor Jones - 22 May 2008 13:59 GMT
> Hi,
> I'm building a model beam engine (Stuart Major) and am starting on the
[quoted text clipped - 14 lines]
> |Download: http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=1879929 |
> +-------------------------------------------------------------------+
Me, I'd drill away as much as possible and take a couple strokes with
a needle file, or shave it out a bit at a time with an end cutting tool.
Possibly hold the tool in the lathe chuck, with the work on a Milling
slide and use the lathe as a shaper or planer, or, if you have one, use
a slide table set-up and hold the tool in a drill press and broach out
the slot after drilling (or milling) most of it away.
Milling cutters as small as this are readilly available with a long
enough reach, and you can make a single lip milling cutter from either a
broken HSS drill shank or a bit of silver steel if you don't mind
working slowly.
Once the slot is milled out, it's a cake-walk to square up the corners!
No need to hack off the end of the casting!
Cheers
Trevor Jones