Coupling Rods
In the help section of the site I ask for any people who can assist with CNC machining. Surprisingly I find that every now and then someone contacts me with just that most rare of commodities help. In this case Paul Foster of Appleby engineering dropped me an email about his business set up in a picturesque part of Yorkshire not that far from here as it turned out.
Paul had just invested in a new Haas tool room mill and was looking for something to wear out a few tools on. I was looking for someone to do my rods and motion parts so not quite a marriage made in heaven but close. I asked Paul to take me a few snaps of the operation and he kindly obliged. Not doing the job means not much on the description front but interesting non the less for those who have not been involved in CNC work before.
Most of the machining shots are of the main rod although the principals are the same for the rest .
Hass Mill, Paul's weapon of choice.
Program screen Paul enters the information direct from my 2D drawings not that I understand, but it works?
Roughing out the main rod.
starting to take shape.
First side done.
Soft jaws curt to shape to hold the rods for boring and fluting.
Bearing holes done.
Fluting on the side complete.
Fluting of all rods done ready to start on the edges.
Two shots of the fluting of the main rod, the cutter here is following a circular ark quite tricky.
So basically that's the main machining done the rods turned out fine all I need to do is fit the bearings.
Two shots of the main rod showing the fluting.
Piston Rod.
Leading and trailing rods.
Paul is currently taking a break to get his BR class 40 ready for the 2010 Harrogate show. He tells me he will be on the 7&1/4 stand so if you need some work done why not ask him there. He is getting a web site together which I will add when its up and running. As soon as the rest of the motion is done I will add pictures of that as well
May 2011
As promised here are tha balance of the motion components recently delivered by Paul.
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Valve rod
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Cranks, lifting link, leading rod combination rod.
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Eccentric rod