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Machining Facilities

As well as preserving our unique industrial and transport heritage, it is important to establish the conditions and facilities that will enable us to conserve what has been saved for the benefit of future generations. In that respect, we are establishing a collection of machine tools and equipment which will enable us to carry out as many repair and remanufacturing tasks as will be necessary to maintain the collection in good, safe operable condition for many years to come.
Essentially, the engineering processes and skills connected with historic steam engine conservation fall into two classes:

(i) boilermaking and repair, and

(ii) machine-shop work.

A further category is:

(iii) welding and fabrication , including heating (eg. for rivets), brazing and gas-cutting.

Also, because we have wooden artefacts like a thrasher, living van, etc.,

(iv) woodmachining facilities are not only useful, but necessary.
It is obvious to us that, because of the size of the equipment required (let alone the area one needs to operate in, and the size and weight of steel plate, dies, etc.), boilermaking is beyond the scope of what we are able to tackle.

Machining Facilities

That said, we do have a selection of pneumatic riveting tools, with which a new smokebox was made and fitted to 33348, the traction engine, a few years ago. However, that item is not part of the pressure-vessel side of things. All the other categories, we can and should be able to do.

Facilities

Machine Shop Engineering

1. Centre lathes: Mitchell (Keighley) 16'' x 60'' With large bore spindle

Harrison 11'' x 24''
Colchester Student (off site)

Boxford

2. Drilling: Archdale. Radial arm 48'' x 27'' bed

Progress No.1. 655 to 5000 rpm

Viceroy. 13mm pillar

3. Shaping: Butler 16'' x 10'' stroke

4. Borer - Horizontal: Kearns. No.1 36 crs.

5. Milling: Cincinnati 210-14 Universal

Bridgeport (off site)

6. Grinding: RJH Bison 8'' x 1'' wheels (2)

Grinder/Polisher Union Jubilee

7. Hacksaws: Wickstead. Hydro-Resistance 12"

Fabricating

8. Welding: Arc: Linear 250/S 250 Amps DC (dia 5 rod)
MIG: Safmig 165C

Oxy Acetylene/Propane welding & cutting

Wood Machining

9. Circular saw: Wadkin 10AEP

10. Bandsaw: Wadkin 20B2B (20'' wide x 12'' high throat)

11. Planer Thicknesser: Cooksley 12'' x 9''

12. Mortiser: Multico

Examples of operations undertaken

Elliot Horizontal mill. (Since replaced by a Cincinnati Universal mill)

Milling components for the bearings.

'Class A' stationary engine No.12787

Elliot Horizontal mill

Milling the new bearing cap for the main bearing .

'Class A' stationary engine

Kearns horizontal boring machine.

Boring out the outrigger bearing housing
' Class A'.

Elliot Horizontal mill.

Milling out the outrigger bearing housing.
'Class A'.

Note the 12" dia. side-and-face milling cutter, which only just cleared the underside of the overarm. Even then the cutter was not quite large enough so the design had to be modified very slightly so that the casting could be machined.

Bridgeport Turret mill.

Drilling the solid bronze connecting-rod big-end bearings

'Class A'.

Cincinnati Universal mill.

Drilling the new eccentric strap (11" dia. sheave)

'Class A'

Cincinnati Universal mill.

Face-milling the eccentric strap

'Class A'

Colchester lathe

Turning the 4-part bearing (note the faces for the wedge-bars, used for adjusting the fit of the sides of the bearing to the 5" dia shaft) .Main bearing.

'Class A'

Colchester lathe

Boring the big-end connecting rod bearing.

Mitchell lathe.

Turning the eccentric strap to size.
As the outside diameter of the strap is 15", a home-made faceplate was used. We can now turn parts up to 22" diameter.

Traction engine. 33348

Manufacture and riveting of a new smokebox.

	As well as preserving our unique industrial and transport heritage, it is important to establish the conditions and facilities that will enable us to conserve what has been saved for the benefit of future generations. In that respect, we are establishing a collection of machine tools and equipment which will enable us to carry out as many repair and remanufacturing tasks as will be necessary to maintain the collection in good, safe operable condition for many years to come. Essentially, the engineering processes and skills connected with historic steam engine conservation fall into two classes: (i) boilermaking and repair, and (ii) machine-shop work. A further category is: (iii) welding and fabrication , including heating (eg. for rivets), brazing and gas-cutting. Also, because we have wooden artefacts like a thrasher, living van, etc., (iv) woodmachining facilities are not only useful, but necessary. It is obvious to us that, because of the size of the equipment required (let alone the area one needs to operate in, and the size and weight of steel plate, dies, etc.), boilermaking is beyond the scope of what we are able to tackle.









Machining Facilities
	That said, we do have a selection of pneumatic riveting tools, with which a new smokebox was made and fitted to 33348, the traction engine, a few years ago. However, that item is not part of the pressure-vessel side of things. All the other categories, we can and should be able to do.
	Facilities
	Machine Shop Engineering
	1. Centre lathes: Mitchell (Keighley) 16'' x 60'' With large bore spindle Harrison 11'' x 24'' Colchester Student (off site) Boxford
	2. Drilling: Archdale. Radial arm 48'' x 27'' bed Progress No.1. 655 to 5000 rpm Viceroy. 13mm pillar
	3. Shaping: Butler 16'' x 10'' stroke
	4. Borer - Horizontal: Kearns. No.1 36 crs.
	5. Milling: Cincinnati 210-14 Universal Bridgeport (off site)
	6. Grinding: RJH Bison 8'' x 1'' wheels (2) Grinder/Polisher Union Jubilee
	7. Hacksaws: Wickstead. Hydro-Resistance 12"
	Fabricating
	8. Welding: Arc: Linear 250/S 250 Amps DC (dia 5 rod) MIG: Safmig 165C Oxy Acetylene/Propane welding & cutting
	Wood Machining
	9. Circular saw: Wadkin 10AEP
	10. Bandsaw: Wadkin 20B2B (20'' wide x 12'' high throat)
	11. Planer Thicknesser: Cooksley 12'' x 9''
	12. Mortiser: Multico
	Examples of operations undertaken
	Elliot Horizontal mill. (Since replaced by a Cincinnati Universal mill) Milling components for the bearings. 'Class A' stationary engine No.12787
	Elliot Horizontal mill Milling the new bearing cap for the main bearing . 'Class A' stationary engine
	Kearns horizontal boring machine. Boring out the outrigger bearing housing ' Class A'.
	Elliot Horizontal mill. Milling out the outrigger bearing housing. 'Class A'. Note the 12" dia. side-and-face milling cutter, which only just cleared the underside of the overarm. Even then the cutter was not quite large enough so the design had to be modified very slightly so that the casting could be machined.
	Bridgeport Turret mill. Drilling the solid bronze connecting-rod big-end bearings 'Class A'.
	Cincinnati Universal mill. Drilling the new eccentric strap (11" dia. sheave) 'Class A'
	Cincinnati Universal mill. Face-milling the eccentric strap 'Class A'
	Colchester lathe Turning the 4-part bearing (note the faces for the wedge-bars, used for adjusting the fit of the sides of the bearing to the 5" dia shaft) .Main bearing. 'Class A'
	Colchester lathe Boring the big-end connecting rod bearing.
	Mitchell lathe. Turning the eccentric strap to size. As the outside diameter of the strap is 15", a home-made faceplate was used. We can now turn parts up to 22" diameter.


	Traction engine. 33348 Manufacture and riveting of a new smokebox.