Winner Yulee Sugar Mill Model

[jumps4]

Thank you Phil
I got into casting and cast most of the aluminum parts (rough cast ) then machined them out, but reaching the temperatures to melt the brass was a lot higher and made me a bit nervous. I did make a mold and tried it with poor results then I found these castings from PM research they were perfect. they even have them pre-machined.
http://www.pmmodelengines.com/product-category/pipe-fittings/unmachined/
the information about when the sugar cane harvest took place came from a state website about the mill and the plantation. There is no sugar cane growing in our area now and I have never seen the actual plant up close. these plantations have disappeared into the swamps again and the only clue of their existence is this old chimney and mill next to a local road.
Thanks for viewing
steve

 

[jumps4]

I soldered the adjusters for the conveyer to the sheet metal today. One of the hardest things for me to learn was how to solder tiny parts together without burning them up or just gooping on the solder. I learned with practice to use tiny dots of solder on one part, flux everything, then clamp together and heat, a quick rubbing with the flux on a brush while hot spreads the solder evenly and very little more is needed. if I do need to add more I put on a tiny dot and spread it out with the brush again. the solder normally flows in the direction of the heat source.
Thanks for viewing
Steve

 

[jumps4]

today I made mounting brackets for the conveyor and pivots for the chutes that go in between the rollers and conveyors. I'm finally seeing an end to this tunnel an far as making mechanical parts. I think I have 2 chain sprockets, 2 flat pulleys and an exhaust mount for the tube under the cylinder then I start on the compressor lines and electrical to operate the engine on a closed systems. the 1/4" exhaust elbows will need to be opened up so they complete the exhaust passage back to the compressor. I'm hoping that using the suction and pressure side of the compressor I can use a much smaller, quieter compressor.
steve

 

[jumps4]

Today I made the sprockets and pulleys for the conveyor and test ran them on rubber bands. I have a local leather shop I'm hoping to get some soft leather flat belts made.
I will be so happy to get this finished!
thanks for viewing
steve

[video=youtube;Bv31PltYodg]

 

[jumps4]

Today I was working in reverse, I had to take the cylinder off to machine a few areas. the 4 mounting pads that stuck out of the cylinder were not level and cocked the nuts when tightened. when I first made the cylinder a lot of people thought it was cast in its shape, I'm not good at mold making. The cylinder was cast and machined ( or in my case, at that time, "carved" ) out of a solid block. The cylinder was bored and an internal grove was cut inside in the center to move the exhaust from the valve on top to the bottom of the motor. A sleeve was then pressed in to make the bore. the piston is made from nylon. I never thought I would be putting exhaust on the engine when I built it and now that I'm going to use a closed loop system to run it I had to machine the exhaust port and install a fitting.
My first photographs of the build were all lost because of a virus the kids got on my pc downloading free games. no one has ever seen the machine work on the cylinder and valve parts and really how inexperienced I was 6 years ago when I started this project. Look close you can see where I turned the handles the wrong way. DUHHHH... So while the cylinder was all apart I took a lot of photographs to add to my build thread. All of the housings look like castings because I milled them free handed, by rotating cutting and rotating again. After machining I hand sanded most of the marks out. I cast and built a rotary table to do this and a crude tail stock.
The original engine had all square nuts And I was not able to find them when I first assembled it. ( I don't believe from what I have found, hex nuts were being used yet in the late 1840's ) Now I have machined some and I'm slowly replacing the hex nuts. I won't be able to replace all of the Allen cap screws, just the 4-40 ones with studs and nuts.
Thanks for viewing
steve

 

[Marco Bernardini]

I think you deserve an exhibition of your photos, not just of the model.
"Common" people would never be able to imagine the complex work there is behind it!

 

[jumps4]

Thanks Marco
maybe I'll do an Album and title it "Obsession".
my shop was originally a drafty shed.
This project started because my son and I were in a museum after visiting the original mill on a trip to Homosassa Florida, and I commented how " It would be nice to show how it originally looked and build a model of it". To which my son replied " Ya, Right Dad !! not in a million years " .
I have cut that time down to 6+ years without knowing how to do anything when I started. I purchased a lathe and small HF mill in 2009 but really never learned to use them, just shafts and spacers as needed. I can honestly say that for the most part this model is responsible for almost everything I have learned about machine work, designing and cnc. and 90 percent of the money I have spent in the last 6 years.
So my new shop, all the thousands of dollars worth of tooling and equipment and having to learn design and build my own CnC machines was just to prove to that "Little Smart As_ " I could do it.
if that's not obsessive behavior what is?
:nuts:

Steve

 

[Marco Bernardini]

if that's not obsessive behavior what is?

At least you learned to make spacers ) and also you worked to preserve an important historical heritage.
Think to the guys who buy something like this, and don't even have the satisfaction of have it made with their own hands!

 

[12bolts]

POTM winner

Let me be the first to say, A BIG CONGRATULATIONS!!

Cheers Phil

 

[jumps4]

thank you Phil
Steve