Making a Crankshaft! Big Steam Engine Build, Part 3

[@chrisj4570g]

That table you added to your bandsaw that was 100% totally your idea with no pressure from the viewers is working out quite nice!

[@Blondihacks]

Definitely. 😉

[@dans_Learning_Curve]

LoL 😂😆

[@tonywilson4713]

@@Blondihacks No problems making a crank that way I have seen others here on various YT channels do similar. It comes back to that simple thing: You can only do the things the tools in your shop allow you to do. Its what I like about your channel (and a few others) you find ways to do things with what you have.

[@devemch7851]

Just FYI. When iron cools in the mold, it can cool fast or slow. If it hits the sand, two three things happen. 1). Any moisture in the sand turns to steam. 2). The iron contours itself to the dry sand walls. 3). A thin skin of iron cools rapidly in contact with the sand. Firstly, if iron cools fast, the graphite soldifies as interstacial carbide. Old timers would dust the molds with a coal dust that reduces the surface effects of the sand. This skin of carbide iron is called white iron. If the graphite cools slowly is produced a laminar layout of strands like worms. If I add manganese and extra fero-silicone JUST before I pour, the graphite solidifies as balls or nodules. This is ductile iron. Using only ferro-silicone yields the wormy pattern which is grey iron. When you machine grey iron, try to climb cut into the edge to prevent edge chip out. Heat treatment of castings reduces internal stress and aneals the white iron up to a point. When I melt down brake rotors which are often a meehanite nodular iron, everything goes back into solution. Like adding surgar to water. Then many or most of the original innoculents will out gad, burn off or float to the top ad dross. So adding a tad of ferro silicone now will allow the iron to solidly as grey iron as opposed to the ductile it once was. The white iron caused by rapid cooling can be useful. A steel ring was added to the mold in train wheels to force white iron to form on the rim. A real pain to machine but improves the life span of a train wheel. When cutting this skin, you need a full carbide tool. Carbide tooling, unlike HSS tooling, does not do well with light cuts or spring cuts. It wants to take a heavier cut. So a finish cut in HSS may require 1 or 3 tho but the same cut in carbide is done at 10 to 15 tho. So adjust your hog accordingly. Really enjoying the build of this motor. I think this engine may have been used by DuPont to make black powder. But don’t quote me.

[@tc5963]

Now this is what a comment section is for

[@fowler123454321]

Worth noting that it is magnesium that acts as a nodulizer for DI and not manganese. Also FeSi itself is not an adequate inoculant for cast iron, it usually includes a rare earth like cerium to act as a heterogeneous nucleation point. Also gray iron flakes are not “laminar/lamellar” it’s more of a randomly oriented sponge structure with interstitial aus/ferrite/pearlite

[@devemch7851]

@@fowler123454321 You are correct. Laminar is not the correct technical term. Spaghettini like is more correct. For DI I use an innoculent made for meehanite style iron. Had to buy a drum the size of 55 gallon drum. Not cheap and will last me more years than I have. As I recall, it has magnesium, some manganese, some calcium and a bunch of ferro silicone and some other stuff. About 20 ingredients. I haven’t read the paperwork on it in a while as I am currently redoing my shop including a new furnace and muller among other things. I have the recipe for Oliver’s “semi-steel” and will experiment when I get back into it. Thanks for clarifying my incorrect use of the word laminar. I can tell you that the metalurgy of DI is not simple but it’s worth while being able to do it.

[@dans_Learning_Curve]

Great comments! More that I ever knew..... which isn't much when it comes to casting. Did a sand casting of aluminum in school.

[@fowler123454321]

@@devemch7851 ah I see. Yeah in that inoculant the calcium will act as your nucleation point while the magnesium acts as your nodulizer. Manganese and other stuff is usually to promote pearlite or whatever while the silicon is of course to encourage graphite development (change temperature of graphite eutectic reaction). All of this to say yea DI metallurgy is no joke! I’m currently writing my masters thesis on it!

[@Uncle-Duncan-Shack]

"Apply vertically and season with Loctite to taste" I like how this was done, good job.

[@bandana_girl6507]

"Cast iron is basically the concrete of metals." How does this make so much sense?

[@kensherwin4544]

And Titebond is the Loctite of dead plant carcasses.

[@KarlBunker]

WATCH as "Gunshow" Quinn almost pretzel-ifies a crankshaft by bearing down on her tailstock with Hulk-like strength!

[@sambrose1]

You're really cranking out great videos!

[@Blondihacks]

I see what you did there. 😬

[@brianhamalainen8817]

I'm glad I didn't have my headphones cranked up!

[@Clough42]

Very nice. Your intro had me looking at every detail, trying to find the mistake. Mostly I was just thinking about all the ways I would have screwed it up. :)

[@alextaskov4084]

Your in my head when I'm down in the shed machining and have me openly talking while I do each process. I do a chamfer and say to myself "as is tradition", when parting I call out in an above normal voice "Yahtzee". I think your being channeled through my subconscious.

[@pesterenan]

I may never even get near a lathe, but boy oh boy, it sure feels good watch you making your art while I sip a little coffee in a Saturday afternoon! Awesome work Quinn! For me, it turned out perfectly!

[@OtherWorldExplorers]

@Blondie I can't watch any of my other machining channels without hearing your quote during every facing cut , "take a facing cut, as is tradition" Abom79, Cutting Edge Engineering, This old Tony, AvE, and others all get the mental treatment... When it happens I do the Imperial Fist shake.. wait that is YOU too!?!?!? Gaaaaaa

[@robertoswalt319]

I find myself saying "tappy tap tap" and "Yahtzee" when watching other folks on KZbin

[@kensherwin4544]

Don't forget that important task called 'chamfering'. After all, that's what separa.....

[@dougabrahamsen2952]

Stress proof and ductile should always be the go to!

[@RonCovell]

I think your conservative approach for maintaining the alignment of all pieces makes a lot of sense. Bravo, Quinn!

[@constantinosschinas4503]

nice machining, excellent flow and a tender, soft voice. nothing else to ask for.

[@Sonny_Eclipse]

I used to make a little steam engines. I had a 9 x 36 Southbend lathe, BenchMaster knee mill, and all the cutters, gages, and assorted tools one collects after 40 years. Then in 2013 the Black Forest wild fire destroyed it all. I didn’t have the heart to build another shop but I enjoyed watching you work

[@wayupnort6271]

There’s no wrong way to do anything as long as you end up where you need to be at the end! 6 of one, half a dozen of another when it comes to ways of doing things. Well done lady!

[@keithyinger3326]

That's exactly what I tell people when they ask, why are you doing it that way? Because this is the way that's easiest for me and this is the way I learn to do it, and as long as the end result is the same then how you get there shouldn't really matter.

[@gcl2783]

I was press fit into watching this video. Very little tension. Liked it.

[@jeffreylehn8803]

I have a factory made steam engine with a 5" bore and was built before 1905 and the crank is built up this way ,you will be fine .Nice job I'll be following along .Jeff

[@ron827]

You are a master of problem solving because you approach them as an opportunity. EXCELLENT work as usual. Many many people do not retire for the evening with the same sense of GREAT accomplishment as you do.

[@blahorgaslisk7763]

I was looking for a mistake all through the video, and then when the crank shaft was mounted between centers after the center shaft was cut a flickering and smoking candle lit up. The flexing from the axial pressure was suddenly obvious. Now I wonder how it will fare when the crankshaft gets put under stress. While there won't be axial pressure on the shaft there will be angular forces produced by the cylinder and radial from the load on the engine.

[@generalistgarage]

Thanks, I enjoyed this video. Fun fact, Gravely walk behind tractors used a pressed together crank and it is actually adjusted after assembly by persuading the pieces to move.

[@generalistgarage]

What a coincidence, I watched Paul Brodie’s video he posted yesterday just after your video and he shows this exact process on a motorbike crankshaft.

[@steveallen8987]

When making the bearings here is a trick from full sized engines that should work on your one as it is large enough. First work out the direction of rotation, drill in the lubricating hole on the inside of the top bearing use a dremel to create a shallow groove that runs with the direction of rotation down to the bearing split point. This will draw oil down to the bearing split. Now in the inside edge of the bottom bearing file a minute chamfer on the inside that runs with the direction of rotation but does not extend to the ends of the bearing so that both ends of the lower bearing are not bevelled. The effect of this is that oil is run down to the small chamfer in the bottom bearing, it runs along to the edges of the chamfer. As the shaft rotates the oil is dragged into the chamfer whose wedge profile squeezes the oil into the bearing surface creating a thin high pressure film of oil between the surfaces. When running at speed this high pressure oil layer extends the full rotation of the shaft and the shaft instead of laying in the bottom bearing brass floats in the middle of the bearings totally supported by oil. This is why the only wear a steam engine shaft bearing gets is during those times running up to and down from working speed. Steve If you want more details I will pop a drawing on my website.

[@johnwiley8417]

8:14 Ah ha! Caught ya! Those are threaded inserts for (Da da dannnn) Woodworking! (Don't ask me how I know.)

[@VKC83]

I watched my Dad turn for years n that lil chuck n tool post trick for recutting a centre was in his arsenal of em neat tricks. Awesome work Quinn👌🏻.

[@r1mein54]

Another fine lesson in metal working

[@dynamiteralph]

That is the way that I have always done crankshafts, Looks good!

[@general5104]

THANK-YOU, QUINN !!! I all-ways, always, Learn something from you ! You're a great machinist.

[@johnsherborne3245]

I recall a colleague spending a whole afternoon setting up a built up crankshaft for a JAP engined vintage Morgan, all he was doing was trueing the taper on a crank pin end to bring the journals into alignment. I think after several hours deliberating he took 1 ½ thou off and was pleased with the result.

[@robertgrosser7279]

I have just subscribed to your channel and I enjoy your videos very much. One of the most amazing things that I learnt from you is that a chamfer is all that separates us from the animals. Next time I see a crazy person I am going to check for a chamfer

[@firebird8600]

Yay!! It's Blondihacks time!!

[@joeslost1255]

What using dividers to mark shoulders? You'll ruin them! Just use your calipers! "Everyone and their dog does it, and frankly I'm just surprised my dog can use machine tools"! 😂😂😂 Awesome work as always Quinn looking forward to seeing the rest of the build!

[@rexmyers991]

This is the FASTEST 28:42 in the known universe. As usual, I am mesmerized. Thanks, Blondihacks, you are a GREAT teacher.

[@MrLukealbanese]

This really is a very high quality channel.

[@joecnc3341]

Your skills continue to improve. You apply your intelligence, combine it with studying, and the results are ever improving skill sets. Well done, Quinn.

[@johnmcclain3887]

I ended up buying one of these engines having looked at them for a couple decade. I just received it yesterday, and am beginning the machine work today, I think I will start with these pieces, it's good to see someone like you choosing to do what you will. Thanks for a bit of inspiration.

[@andrewedgecombe]

One day I won’t carry the sense of impending dread that you create in the intro for the whole video. Today is not that day... very glad that it came good in the end! Looks perfect

[@eddiestafford3313]

Excellent engineering practice, well done. Great problem solving. Thank you for posting.

[@robertabel7776]

Yes, you can press that assembly together. At that point, you have essentially created a mini-Harley Davidson crankshaft. It's worked for them for some time. You can then treat it like a very stiff ball joint, and true it with a deft touch with a hammer.

[@alwaysbearded1]

Well that was a dramatic episode. Glad the crankshaft was not distorted.

[@okbridges]

Very nice work with the built-up crankshaft. I've seen Keith Appleton use this method of building and pinning built-up crankshafts and when you stated early in the video you were going to pin it I knew your finished crankshaft would be straight and true in the end.

[@davidtaylor6124]

Pins and that loctite should be more than enough! It looks beautiful. Those castings really are good quality. We can't get anything close down here in Aus.

[@RoyBlumenthal]

Thanks for all the suffering-for-your-art. Very enjoyable sufferings indeed.

[@jackbonanno8186]

Excellent job. You have an innate ability to overcome one of the most frustrating challenges of machine work, the problem of setup. You always find a great solution. Wonderful thinking.

[@ezwa29]

You confirm what I have learnt during my amateur machaining: Fixing the work properly takes at least the same amount of time as the machining itself.

[@stephenrose8188]

Hi Quinn, great video as usual. Went through this same process making a very small five piece crankshaft from a kit. Decided to build the same method as you show here and cut out the centre scrap piece right at the end (and file the faces flat) Threw all he original kit parts away after not getting it right (and beyond recovery) and made one from scratch. Your video brought back all the pain, but the end result is a nice one.

[@hypnolobster]

Concrete of metals is a great analogy. I love that.

[@scottmorgan5370]

My grandad said to always make mandrels with center points, lathe dogs and with multiple backstops/sleeves. He said it cuts down on how many mandrels you will ever need to make. Plus he was a metal miser. Anyone who went through the great depression tended to be that way.

[@robbymagen2]

Thank you for such interesting videos, I'm so please to see a lady doing such engineering work as my wife always tell me , of this male world been unjust to woman and she right but when i see such videos like your, I feel better , I myself try to rebuild and modify a motorcycle for long time I appreciate the knowledge of people in different application ,thank you very much Robert , in Australia

[@pedalcarguy]

Lovely! Towards the end of the video I was literally holding my breath and sweating blood, but you absolutely nailed it. So happy for you!

[@toolbox-gua]

This was an awesome video. What I like the most is that You show your difficulties and then the solutions. The way to teach and learn.

[@phoschnizzle826]

"Because chamfers are what separates us from the animals." That never gets old.

[@harmonkardon9260]

Thanks for all the background info and minutia. It seems I learn something new in all your videos

[@metamorphiczeolite]

Another great journey! Thanks for bringing us along.

[@nicholashacking381]

You are *so* patient. I can never be as good as you because I'm not: but I do admire your work.

[@e.a.steutel7874]

Love your explanations and the overall quality of the video’s. So nice that you also show some failures. Finding solutions is better learning material than expecting a perfect word. Thanks for all the fun hours.

[@PDG1956]

For me, the techniques and ideas that you apply to your builds are useful in so many areas of machine work - I may never build a steam engine, but the hints and tips you share are absolutely invaluable to the other projects I will one day get around to!!.

[@randywl8925]

Not a crankshaft, not a crankshaft, crankshaft. That's why we watch. 👍 Can you add a twin screw supercharger to a steam engine? Asking for a friend. 😁

[@eliduttman315]

Facetious or not, the answer to the question is NO.

[@kensherwin4544]

Running the exhaust steam up the smokestack to increase the draw of air to the fire is very nearly a turbocharger. It uses residual exhaust energy to increase performance.

[@eliduttman315]

@@kensherwin4544 You make the key point that performance in steam generation is what matters. A Roots blower in the path to the cylinder(s) will do less than nothing. Super-critical steam turbine installations are HIGHLY efficient.

[@andrewdolinskiatcarpathian]

Thank you for the excellent tip of grinding off the cast iron scale before commencing machine work. 👏👏👍😀

[@cameronmccreary4758]

I would machine this part out of the solid. I hate working scale also. One of these days you might want to think about a floor mill. I used to have a Lagun floor mill when I had a shop when I was a kid. It came with a slotting head which came in handy on alot of specialized parts.

[@titikolomongso4723]

Best worker and getting better brothers.

[@cat637d]

Beautiful work✔

[@henrikstenlund5385]

This is really challenging and a bit complicated as well. I think that the original press fit is better since it will bring a stronger connection between the parts. A pin and Loktite is not the same. This will be strength-tested when you build the final engine. Thanks for sharing.

[@henrikstenlund5385]

@@ellieprice363 Yes they are easier to assemble, no question of that. However, engine industry does not use that method. The crankshaft pins are cooled down and the outer parts are heated and then they are pressed together with a very large force. The fittings are such that the metals are pressed together so that there is absolutely no play. Rather, the metals are like one. The stresses subjected to the crankshaft parts are very high. Any looseness would cause an immediate failure. I am excited to see how this Loctite solution will go through later on.

[@caroleast9636]

This argument could go on forever but both methods are well proven. A press fit tight enough to be good enough is not something that I would try when it’s that close to the edge of cast iron.

[@ch34pskate16]

Wow Quinn. You’re pretty smart! Thanks for the escape from stuff!

[@michaelcurl2440]

Excellent approach to machining the part and hitting those close dimensions! 🙂

[@gagasmancave8859]

Morning Quinn, it may be wacky but if it workys its wonderful. Once more enjoying your build

[@Waldbahner]

Hi Quinn, I used the same techinque on the crankshaft of my shay loco. Works well since 10 years. It also gave me the feature to use ball bearings on the enclosed shafts in my case, as I can take the crank shaft appart. Instead of loctite the pins in, I used clamping straps as on the real thing. Keep up your progress. I can still learn a lot of high grate machine work here, mostly better than mine ;-) Gerd

[@joshwelch8288]

This was really cool, i admire your patience, i hope to get to your level one day. In patience, and skill! Thanks for the video!

[@jamesriordan3494]

Always a pleasure to watch your thoughtful approach to machining in scale 👍🏻

[@daniellindholm]

Ah, new video from one of my three top favourite youtube-machinists!

[@PeterWMeek]

If it turns out that you need to, you can still add taper pins. They can be sized so the small end is just bigger than the straight pins you now have. Don't forget that you can get taper pins with a bit of thread on the end to allow pulling them out. (Or you could cross drill the web for a taper pin under the functional pin to drive out the pin the same way a tapered wedge drives out a Morse taper from a drill press spindle.)

[@crackedemerald4930]

the scale is the crunchy outside to the soft yummy cast iron inside

[@outsidescrewball]

Enjoyed…nice discussion on the various setups and very clean build

[@wbradburn8871]

Great alternate method. It is a woodworker thing; but the brass impromptu jack components are called threaded inserts :). Very clever employment of them for your set-up. Love your work and videos. Thanks for all your work.

[@ALAPINO]

Hasco style plugs. Typically for terminating/diverting water/air lines after gun drilling.

[@leslieaustin151]

Thank you, Quinn, another good video and very instructive. Paul Brodie is on crankshaft truing, Quinn is on crankshaft truing. It must be Crankshaft Saturday in Canada... Les in UK

[@paulthomas3782]

Your crankshaft sure did turn out nice, I'm with you on your approach to this part of the build Cheers.

[@braccali]

Thanks for the bit on the leaving the collar on the shaft and not tightening against the lathe chuck! I probably would have made that mistake for sure.

[@haramanggapuja]

Whew! You had me there at the run out test. Glad that worked out like it did.

[@paulmorrey733]

Thanks Quinn

[@mjlagrone]

Every video I learn something new. Usually several something new!

[@richp8813]

Shop manuals for some 2 stroke motorcycles had instructions for assembling and aligning crankshafts. It generally involved surface plates, vee blocks, indicators, and mallets.

[@carlwilson1772]

That was very good. Liked the ingenuity in the set ups. I believe a small jack is often placed between the crank discs, opposite the crank pin, when turning a crankshaft like this to prevent bending and run out. An old engineering lecturer of mine used to come up with alternative humourous technical definitions. Crankshaft became "lunatic coal mine".

[@g.tucker8682]

Great *practical* applied knowledge, once again. Thanks

[@bulletproofpepper2]

Thanks for sharing!

[@petersgrayson]

I always learn something watching these videos. Talking about large end mills, would love another mill series +1 episode on end mills specifically. When do you is a ball nose? What diameter end mill? 1/2 inch is more rigid, but does the extra tool pressure make DOC an issue with small mills? Does 1/2 have better life than say 1/4? Does 3/8 work well as roughing mill and 1/4 as finishing? Etc. Basically what works well with small mills from your experience?

[@KennyEaton603]

Cast iron scale can be brutal! I tried to turn the OD and ID of some 3” cast iron pipe, as I wanted to see how stable it was after machining. It wiped the cutting edge off a ceramic insert in seconds, much as it did carbide and HSS. My “solution” was to chuck it in my wood lathe (not a huge deal to get it dirty) and go at it with a 7” angle grinder. It worked, but wow did it make a mess! 🤣 As always, you continue to impress with your skill and ingenuity! Keep up the awesome work!

[@SethKotta]

Man, you really... cranked... that one out. Eyyyy! *finger-guns*

[@steveallen8987]

I keep waiting for someone to pin something like this the same way they use pins on full size steam engines. In stead of the pin being positioned at 90degrees to the shaft axis they pinned parallel to the shafts. A hole for the pin is drilled with the centre at the junction between the shaft and the crank so that half the diameter of the hole is in each part and drilled to the length of the shaft/crank intersection. This way the full length of the pin prevents the crank rotating on the shaft. Rather than just the diameter. I have a similar sized Stuart turner No5 crankshaft to do at some stage and will probably give it a go. Nice job. Steve

[@peteb2]

Your work & skillset simply blows me away. What you have created is just fantastic. I have viewed the YTs of a UK model engine builder who critiques & sometimes repairs old kitset builds & talks of the need to be so accurate & exercise extra care when working with small scale components on the project or the slight errors accumulate into one big failure. I have a kit for a twin-cylinder & it sits gathering dust unopened simply because i just don't think i have the kind of care you're showing us here.

[@erok268]

Next time! If you'd like to try to drill the holes, put like .002 shrink respectively to the shaft. Throw that casting in your oven at temp (425) for 3 er 4 hours, (if your worried take shafts put in a bag and put in the fridge too) measure to make sure there's like 5 or more clearance just slide them in with a flat and level block stopper on the other side. If you're worried about it not being perpendicular just get some tube that's like half the length of the shaft and fits through just enough, face 1 end flat. When you assemble line up the shaft with hole like normal but make sure the other tube is in the upper half simultaneously, when it drops in do not hesitate at all and slide that tube to the bottom watching for gaps and give a firm tap to your shaft with a deadblow.. I'm not sure if working on this small of things would make it more difficult to do. At work I do this almost every day but with shafts usually around 2.5-5.5" in dia. And bigger ovens and torches and no fridge usually buckets of liquid nitrogen. (Wart remover from the store works for at home 1 off small parts)

[@christtophek9487]

so cool ! amazing work. bravo une fois de plus , c'est une vidéo géniale. keep machining.

[@matopezuta2050]

Glad to see you go with pinning the shafts. Even with good tight press fits the crank pin can walk on the throws. Just look at all the problems Harley has had with the Twin Cam motors. Running impulses will make the crank scissor causing all sorts of run-out, this usually ends up with the motor apart and re-truing the crank then welding the pins in place. Keep up the good work.

[@Siskiyous6]

Very nice work.

[@kevinlassure6214]

Saw "big steam engine build" in random KZbin things. I insta subscribed and start to look at the videos so far 🤣

[@lesotwell3561]

That should be plenty strong. Great work!

[@peterhiggins3329]

Yep, I had the same issue when checking after setting the centre shaft out. I didn't have a collet then but .... I did mine a little differently to save on the cutting centre shaft. I only drilled and loctited the crank pin (with the centre shaft right through then withdrew the shaft, machined the two halves an loctited in place

[@andyZ3500s]

I don't recall seeing this type of crankshaft before. I just watched Paul Brodie showing how to set one of these up off of a old Triumph Tiger Cub. When I started this video I was definitely surprised.

[@deanehill9730]

Some clever ideas that made for a neat result. Thanks for the video.

[@RichardLightburn]

A thing of beauty!!!

[@darrellbriggs6674]

great work mate. from Australia

[@brucematthews6417]

"..runout went away. PHEW!". I wondered half way through that if the tailstock was the issue too. And it was. I said PHEW along with you! .... I've done enough heavy load joints with my 608 that I've come to trust it almost as much as I trust silver soldering when used on slip fit joints with good surface area like you used. It's amazing stuff and I'm sure your crankshaft will be more than strong enough. Loved the coverage of the development of the fixture setups too. You're right, there's much to be learned by showing what DOESN'T work as well as what does.

[@Colonel_Overkill]

For forge scale like that I find using ceramic flap discs or something similar works best. They are similar to obsidian and have a higher melting point that steel usually so it can be a nightmare to remove.