Big shock, the girl just did hers on a faceplate. Proves she reads your comments and watches your videos. Unfortunately, she is too inexperienced to know you don't do a part on a faceplate with 4 clamps for the first side.
To anyone that has seen the other video......If you search through the comments in this string, you'll see I mention numerous times, the preferred method for doing this part is a face plate. I support the method. What was presented incorrectly is the 4 points of contact she had on her initial face clamp setup. If the part was warped, which mine was, clamping with 4 clamps will flatten the part and pre-load stress into the flat surface being faced onto the part. When the clamps are released, the part will return to the warped position. Flipping the part and using the same 4 point setup only preserves the distortion. If it looks like the final product exhibits a side wiggle at assembly, this is one of the contributing factors. Done correctly, the first side should have been faced while setup up on 3 shims at 120 degree spacing. This would remove the warp. The second side can then be clamped with as many hold down points as you desire. This is a common mistake among new, or inexperienced operators on both the lathe and mill.
Thank you Joe. Another masterclass. In many ways, the teaching value is increased when things do not go exactly to plan. The expertise lies in the recovery. Lovely work.
I love your setup on the mill vice for deburring the flywheel. I used my bench vice, but it was awkward and didn't hold well on the rough casting. For turning my flywheel, I made a round fixture plate for the flywheel, small enough to rest flat against the spokes with a hole for the flywheel hub. I threaded holes for screws and strap clamps to fix the spokes to the fixture plate. I mounted the fixture to a face plate on my lathe, and clocked the hub to center the flywheel to the lathe axis of rotation. I clocked the edge of the the flywheel rim and adjusted the strap clamps and used packing to ensure that the rim of the flywheel wasn't wobbling as it rotated. It worked well with no chatter.
Initially, there were no flat or planer surfaces for clamping to a plate. Shimmed at 120 degrees maybe. Then again, if I chose to do that, I'd get comments about not everyone having faceplates and large scrap laying around.
Like another one of your followers commented , the flywheel always throws out a challenge. Never had an easy one to do yet. Your video is certainly a big help and boost ones confidence in machining the flywheel. Thank you very much Joe
Thanks. There are many ways to do this, but you all need to be aware of how delicate and fragile it is. Grip the OD first and true up a face to start. Gentle pressure too.
Another example of patience and stepping back when needed to arrive at a suitable solution to problems. Results prove the worth of these practices. Some of my fathers best friends were ten, 20, maybe even 30 years his senior. As a kid I remember hearing over and over these points. Took me many years longer than my dad to accept them as laws of perfection. Good stuff, Joe!
I was disappointed by the lack of style on the flywheel. Core-shift is not a style. I'll admit I would have used the lack of style as an excuse to scrap this part and make a new one. You're a better man than me. Good work dealing with this age-old problem.
Hey Joe, I'm really enjoying this series of videos and I'm learning a lot even though I've made several engines from castings over the years. There seems to be a bit of a trait amongst a few model engine manufacturers to use odd numbers of spokes in their flywheels. This is completely wrong and I've never seen a full size engine with five spokes, there are always six or eight if it's a very big engine. You would never get distortion on the rim if you could clamp on the ends of spokes. Generally speaking you should chuck the raw casting and get the inside rim of the flywheel to run true and work everything else out from that. Regards from the UK.
Hello David I totally agree with your comment regarding making several engines in the past. I too have been making engines from kits and from scratch and still find that Joe's methods are by far the best. He is indeed a master machinist with a great ability to put his lessons across
I appreciate your showing the handwork(filing)as it is just as much of a skill to learn as the machine turning. A friend took a watch repair class and first order of business was learning to file.
I've seen so many out of true flywheels running on the 'tube channel of the guys that do steam engines. It was good to finally see how to take a raw casting that has "problems" and turn it into a centerpiece. Thanks for all the tips Joe! ... can see you're having fun with this. Glad business gives you some free time to enjoy yourself!
They say the plumber faucet always leaks, but I'm making time for this project. Its like therapy. Filming it adds a lot of time and breaks the rhythm of a good project, but its worth it.
@Joe Pieczynski Great progress, and it turned out well. A little shop "gem" of my own that you may want to try. I have had to clean up and polish the OD on castings for hand wheels. Just like yours they are just a casting and hard to work with. I found that once I got my center hub dialed into my liking and the part was running well there is a much easier way to finish and polish the casting, or at least get it cleaned up enough that you could turn it easier. For the most part the OD doesn't need to be anything critical, more cosmetic than anything. Once you have the part chucked up, take an angle grinder with a flap disc on it and lightly work the part with the lathe running. It will clean it up very quickly and you have a great deal of control. It cuts through all the parting lines and rough surface of the casting in no time. I think you would like it. That said, if you see anything wrong with this please let me know. So far I've found it to work very well and safe. But you have a lot of years on me in experience so I would like to hear your thoughts.
The great model engineer George H Thomas, who wrote for Model Engineer magazine in the UK and wrote 2 amazing books on model machining (based on collections of his articles), swore by a dull #6 swiss cut file, cleaned with a piece of brass and saturated with soluble oil. He achieved finishes similar to grinding. He detested emery cloth - never used it. I guess we all use what works for us. His books are the best I have ever seen on machining in general and making practical tooling. In his day back jn the 60s people didn’t have money for tooling, but in the UK so many if them worked in industry that they had ready access to scrap material, cutoffs etc. So they made all their own tools. His designs were famous and kits are still available from Hemingway in the UK, His books are still available from Tee Publishing. Any of you guys looking to learn the basics I can’t recommend the books enough. Stephane Gotteswinter is also a fan.
Good advice about the safety aspect - put your fingers in that when it's revolving at that speed and it will literally have your whole arm off. No kidding. Take care and stay safe, man Greetings from Cambridgeshire in the UK!
Very well done. Lots of small little tips in this one. I have never worked much with castings they seem to have their own challenges obviously. Thank you for the video training.
This part might have been tedious as you were doing it but, it was fascinating as an observer watching how you handled the different difficulties as they came up and over came them. End result was an exceptional part pleasing to the eye. Mine anyway. Thank you for the ride along. . . again.
hell i never know what you are talking about until im at least .5 way through the video!!! I would have never guessed you could have made that wobbly piece look that true. Thanks again
Everytime my life has taken a shit, I reflect on all the good times I've had since the last time my life took a shit. I can then get strength in knowing better times are coming. They always do. Chin up my friend and keep your face towards the sun. Thanks for watching and I'm glad it distracted you, if even for a short time.
For a rough cast item, I love how the averaging, blending and attention to detail of cast heights made this part look amazing. It is going to look great no matter what color you paint it. I'm sure it's going to run absolutely wonderful as well. Thanks for sharing your knowledge again Joe. I always learn something and enjoy the show. Best Wishes & Blessings. Keith Noneya
Beautiful piece the last two engine flywheels i did i grabbed them inside of the outer rim but they had six spokes five brings some problems. I will be turning mine next week looks like fun thanks for giving us your time Joe.
You did a really really nice job on that flywell. I have machined that same flywheel a few times and it is tedious and it does take a while and you need to be extremely careful on those. I deal with these engines on a daily basis and I know that no matter how well a machine has been built if that flywheel runs out it takes away from everything else on that machine. That's the first thing people notice is run out on the flywheel. So no matter how good of a job you did on the rest that's the first impression that they get.
Same here, I made one with an inexpensive CNC router spindle replacement from Amazon that has an ER 11 collet on the end. All I had to do was make an adapter to fit the tool holder on the lathe. I just turn the lathe by hand at first to knock off the really high spots. But hey - it's always nice to see a pro like Joe do it his way and make it work. He's always teaching me something.
Hi Joe!!!! what a great mix of crude casting and hi precision turning! looks fantastic. i nice when the tool is telling you how it is working.... those interrupted cuts are easy to ear and once you hear a nice long cut....... means you are close! Have a nice weekend !
Thanks Joe. After i saw you put the pencil near the fly wheel and point to the run out I sanded one down to .250 and put it in my mag base to dial in the wheel. This worked awesome and was easy to dial in. Of all things keep it simple **** this will be my new method of dialing in castings and cheap to replace.
Joe, you are doing fine work! I really enjoy watching your videos. I am a retired tool and die maker,and spent the last 25 years of my career instructing lathes, mills etc. One pointer I'd like to share is this: anytime you are doing something by hand on the lathe (a file, emery paper, 600 grit) always run the spindle in reverse!! Better to have it fly away from you if it hits a jaw. I learned the hard way many years ago when I had a file go into the palm of my hand. 🥴
Many would agree with you, but I subscribe to the philosophy of using the technique you are most confident and secure with. For me, its forward rotation and elbow on the headstock. And handles on the files. Just my opinion.
Well that’s what I call a rough casting, I’m lucky I machine investment casting but mostly quality forgings but you’ve done a great job considering how bad that was. I too would have spent some time cleaning that casting up.
Nice work Joe, amazing results. The flywheel seems to be often overlooked on model steam engines. I wish I have your skill and equipment ! Stay safe and healthy.
A couple years ago, I adapted a cast iron handwheel to my horizontal mill x feed. I did almost EXACTLY what you just did with that flywheel, including the large radius brazed carbide tool bit. I really don’t like wobbling wheels. It’s also possible to mount the wheel over the edge of the mill table to drill and tap the 5 degree hole, for those with benchtop mills. Thanks, John
I always enjoy your videos and learn a lot from them. Having machined a number of steam engine flywheels an approach which works for me is to mount the rough flywheel on spacers off a faceplate, clamped by the spokes. I line the inner rim to run as true as I can get it, then tighten down the clamps. I can machine the rim, front face and centre boss from this one setting, then flip the part to machine the other side of the rim and bore the centre hole. Holding by the spokes reduces the risk of chatter and ringing, and allows heavier cuts to break through the scale. Keep making the videos!
I conditionally agree with you, but the flywheel would have to be up on only 3 shims to assure it comes out flat for the first side operation. This casting had a warp to it and clamping on the spokes while resting on the face would have been a disaster.
@@joepie221 The important thing is the plane of the spokes. Everything else (the rim, the hub, the bore) must be true to that, otherwise it looks terrible when the engine is running. If the spokes are not all in one plane they must be forcibly re-aligned (risky with cast iron), or the casting thrown away and a replacement found.
It looks like a 5 spoke Invader wheel is all. But a train wheel sure would keep me rolling at speed up the steepest of hills! Not sure I have the brakes for that kind of inertia. Lol
Joe, another great video, I was taught as an apprentice to use a block of lead, about a pound, hold it against the rim when it's ringing/singing. It will usually help to reduce the noise.
Nicely done Joe. I did not even consider choosing the inside radius of the outer flywheel as my first datum. Makes perfect sense after watching this video. I’ve been filing the casting parting lines a little on mine but now have a much better idea on where to focus. Thanks much for sharing this approach.
Great job, Joe. I had to modify a 1/4 scale R/C clutch bell once. It was 4" in diameter. We wanted to lighten the whole unit up on the inside and outside. As you would expect, it rang really bad. When I cut the OD, I stuffed the bell with a piece of towel. That helped a lot. On the inside, the surface finish was not important. It needed to be slightly rough for the clutch shoes, so I simply put on ear protection and cranked AC/DC until it was finished :)
An old fashion way of dialing in a casting like that is to use a stick of chalk in a tool holder and put the work in a four jaw chuck; do as you would with a dial indicator. Once you can draw a continuous line you're good enough. This method is written about in the 1935 Craftsman/Atlas "Operation of a manual lathe" book. Great job.
I am so glad that I am not the only one with issues when machining flywheels. They certainly a challenge with vibration. and yes there are many ways to eliminate or reduce or hide them
Joe I have watched a few of your videos now, and have noticed that after giving an explanation of a process you always say “ I hope that is clear” or something to that effect.I just want to assure you that your explanations are very clear and concise. I am very rarely left wondering what you are trying to say,and the couple of times that there was some question the actual process cleared them up completely. Since I am complete novice with very little knowledge about machine work your explanations are very much appreciated. As far as I am concerned your talent as a machinist may be overshadowed by your ability to teach.
I had a flywheel casting once that was badly out of round even on the outer spoke diameter. I had to set it up on a rotary table to machine the outer spoke diameter round. I then made a wooden fixture to hold the flywheel on the face plate clamped on the outer parts of the spokes. I could then machine the outer diameter and one side of the rim. Like you I trued the inner edge of the rim also. I think doing this helps with balance also.
Joe I usually start on a face plate , the problem of looking correct is Evan worse on loco drivers ,ever person and there dogs notices . But as you often say there are many ways to do it it is machine/equipment /skill and experience that get the job done , Be safe and stay safe
Great video Joe, I would like to add back in high school My instructor told me to lay a rag on the bed-ways when I used abrasives on my work to protect the ways from abrasive dust working into them.
Joe, ill say it now. the sand used for those castings is/was not fine enough! the full size engine didnt use gravel instead of sand!! dont you think that a finer surface would be MORE in line with 'scale'?? poppy's workshop says HI
Standoffs on the chuck with rubber pads,(then he shows standoffs) for ruffing. Used to do a lot of this type of work. We would clamp the part to a faceplate with shims. Rock solid and no chatter. PS: I should watch the whole video before commenting. Good work Joe.
There was an intermittent distortion to this casting. A low spot. If you clamp a part to a slave plate or faceplate, use shims at 120 degree intervals for the first side, or your final product will have a wave in it too.
@@joepie221 we would map out the castings then clamp them in that same orientation. It was a tedious process, but by not inducing stress by clamping we had a very stable part when finished.
Hi Joe, When you filed the flat on the spokes of the flywheel and then blended them it reminded me of leveling and crowning the frets of a guitar neck.
Hey Joe! Enjoying this series of vlogs. Those test files work really well when you're trying to keep from marring another surface when filing! keep up the good work Joe.
Really nice file work. Those are the details that will really stand out when it’s done. Lipton will be all over this! Aren’t you worried about that gnarly cast iron dust on your mill and lathe? You really got it to run very close to true. It makes a huge difference. Truing up the inside of the rim not only looks better but you have much better chances to have a balanced wheel. The real steam engine flywheels from back in the day were not perfectly uniform since they were cast. .
WOW! I would have broke that one and ordered another casting...😆 🤣 😂 !!! Awesome job cleaning up the rough areas. Your experience allows you to see the overall product and future cuts, or grinds, before you ever start. Very impressive! Thanks for sharing your wisdom.
Patience, skill, and experience -- way to go Joe - quite a setting up (painstaking) challenge. Your initial file work takes me back to my earlier days when I had to do quite a lot of work by hand - the file is a much under estimated tool. Love the end result - all that work paid off. :)
Iron castings were left out in the open air yard for a year to season before machining. Fresh castings do not machine well. Mounting a small grinder on the cross slide to face the rim at low rpm might have been an option.
Great video! Just watched RR in the Shop this morning and was thinking of the rubber floor mat scraps he had. Could use something similar to make a flywheel sandwich. Assemble with a bolt, nut, and 2 flat washers between every spoke might take the ring out of the part without distorting it.
Good show as usual, Joe. Thanks! I've made a good half dozen of these PMR kits for other people. They sometimes start out and find they need more setup knowledge to finish parts, so I get a small commission job in finishing it for them. Others have just bought the kits outright to send to me for construction. A note about these castings; The last one I did was over 10 years ago for a fellow in Sweden. I recall the castings being much nicer than the ones you have now, especially the one for the flywheel. The ones I've machined for others had much smoother castings. I am guessing PMR is having a different foundry do their work these days. Came out looking very nice! Keep at it. Dean
Dean, I've noticed that Joe's kit and ones on other RUclips channels have relatively sloppy castings. It seems, to me, that the patterns halves don't line up properly (perhaps worn out?) and they're using sand that's way too coarse, especially for small model kits where the "sand defects" are out of scale for the small models. I still will probably get a kit from them though, just to see what I learn from building one. ;)
Loving every one of this series Joe, Thank you for the inspiration, it makes me strive for better standards in my own work. Take care and have a great Sunday.. Del.
I appreciate the detailed description of your decision process. Very useful for us beginners. I agree with your assessment of that half-round file as "well abused." Time is too valuable to waste fiddling with a worn out tool, and files are consumables. That one should go in the scrap bin. Question about the long reach tap - couldn't you just use a regular tap with a ratcheting tap handle? (With the hole aligned between two spokes).
When I machine flywheels I put plasticine on the spokes and rim this absorbs the vibration and leaves a good finish. Nice work by the way, Cheers Jason.
@@millomweb Wonderful ! I have pieces as well. A 6 in sine bar, a 3 in arbor press and a really neat drill vise that I treasure above anything else. The memories of making them are as strong today as they were when I gave them to my long lost dad that year for Xmas. Now having them back is sure bittersweet eh.
Cleaning up the inside of the rim improved the balance of the flywheel substantially. I personally would not even consider neglecting that detail. I do appreciate the demonstration of how to use the inner edge of the rim for initial alignment, but I would need to use a four jaw chuck to do that since we don't have adjustable three jaws. I also missed your method for reducing chatter on the first facing operation, but once again thanks for the lessons. I am surprised there is no keyway...?
@@millomweb Today, most stuff is "built to fail" in 5-10 years "to keep the economy moving." Heavy machinery in infrastructure are the exceptions. I realize the model will have no load, but Joe is known for going the extra mile.
Great work as always. This video really shows how patience is one of the greatest traits of a true craftsman. I would like to ask a favor though, I am having trouble identifying my vintage benchtop lathe. I have looked at 1000s of google images and can not find the same one. Could you or anyone point me in the right direction that may help me find it's brand. Thank you, Sir. Have a great day.
Might have been easier to use 3 inside jaws to hold the outer rim on the inside, so it automatically averages the rim runout. Kieth Appleton recommends holding the outer rim and cut the center, center crank hole, rim face, and outer face first. Then flip and mic off the fresh rim to face the rear rim face and center...which are not as critical since the runout was cleaned up in the front cuts. Your way depends on a pricey adjustable 3 jaw which most of us don’t have, and was more work.
3 jaws won't seat comfortable inside a 5 spoke pattern. Using Keiths method, how would you address the inside of the rim to run concentric????? I may suggest to hold the OD and face it for the first op, then pressure turn the second face and OD, but don''t do the center hole until you address the inner rim concentricity.
It would have been helpful to have a weighted rubber strap like we use turning rotors on a brake lathe. They help a lot with surface finish. Ringing is a turners nightmare. Awesome work!
@@joepie221 Indeed, I agree. Are you familiar with the anti chatter device I'm talking about? They actually work very well and are cheap. You will find them near any AAMCO brake lathe and at your local NAPA. Steel rotor hubs on cast rotors are the worst.
Me too. Even though I was trained there are things I never had to do and don't remember even hearing about some of the things Mr. P. does.Almost always something new or different to what I'm used to.
When I run small flywheels like that, I do, as you did ...get the very inside diameter to run as true as possible...but being a casting, you can only do so much .....but after the machining is complete, I indicate it in on my rotary table, and take a very light clean up cut on that I d. Between the spokes on my milling machine......then, as you did in the beginning, I fettle that inside rim with a file, to round it off.......all said and done.....you have a flywheel that runs dead nuts everywhere !!!!
Joe you made a silk purse out of a sows ear there! I'm extreemly impressed of how you dealt with that casting. The standard of quality of the casting was bloody awful to my mind. I used to work for a company that was based in the yard of an iron foundry making pretty complicated and intricate castings. Whoever moulded that flywheel would not have lasted two days there. There is no excuse for allowing such slip of the split pattern, unless the patternmaker never put locating dowels in, OR the pattern is so old and worn that the dowel holes are so worn that it allows such slip. Either way the company should address this issue.
Just a comment/recco on using a set screw to fasten the flywheel to the crankshaft. Try to avoid it. The torsional vibrations seem to ultimately loosen set screws which in turn damages the crankshaft. Machining flats on the crank, only limits the damage to the flat area. I use keys to avoid this problem. This is fairly easy to do. Keys also help to transmit power from the flywheel. Which brings another point. Since PM Research has offered another model, consider their little dynamo. Perhaps you might drive it with a flat belt off the flywheel to get the high speed needed. Then light a light. A model is much more attractive if seen to be doing something rather than spinning pointlessly. Cheers.
@@RobB_VK6ES I meant, why not clamp the outside of the flywheel in a 4-jaw to true the center hub and side of the rim. Seems like it would be easier to center and probably stop the ringing as well.
Big shock, the girl just did hers on a faceplate. Proves she reads your comments and watches your videos. Unfortunately, she is too inexperienced to know you don't do a part on a faceplate with 4 clamps for the first side.
To anyone that has seen the other video......If you search through the comments in this string, you'll see I mention numerous times, the preferred method for doing this part is a face plate. I support the method. What was presented incorrectly is the 4 points of contact she had on her initial face clamp setup. If the part was warped, which mine was, clamping with 4 clamps will flatten the part and pre-load stress into the flat surface being faced onto the part. When the clamps are released, the part will return to the warped position. Flipping the part and using the same 4 point setup only preserves the distortion. If it looks like the final product exhibits a side wiggle at assembly, this is one of the contributing factors. Done correctly, the first side should have been faced while setup up on 3 shims at 120 degree spacing. This would remove the warp. The second side can then be clamped with as many hold down points as you desire. This is a common mistake among new, or inexperienced operators on both the lathe and mill.
@@joepie221 Thanks for spelling that out!
@@Kineth1 No Problem. I hope the people that watched that video get a chance to read my explanation.
I think I know who you may be talking about, I just watched her video. I have to agree, her lack of experience really does come through.
The girl, really?
Thank you Joe. Another masterclass. In many ways, the teaching value is increased when things do not go exactly to plan. The expertise lies in the recovery. Lovely work.
When a problem or difficulty shows up, the part is telling you something. Step back and take a breath. The end result was worth the challenge.
I love your setup on the mill vice for deburring the flywheel. I used my bench vice, but it was awkward and didn't hold well on the rough casting. For turning my flywheel, I made a round fixture plate for the flywheel, small enough to rest flat against the spokes with a hole for the flywheel hub. I threaded holes for screws and strap clamps to fix the spokes to the fixture plate. I mounted the fixture to a face plate on my lathe, and clocked the hub to center the flywheel to the lathe axis of rotation. I clocked the edge of the the flywheel rim and adjusted the strap clamps and used packing to ensure that the rim of the flywheel wasn't wobbling as it rotated. It worked well with no chatter.
This was my thought as well. Using a chuck, I would be afraid I'd crack the casting.
Initially, there were no flat or planer surfaces for clamping to a plate. Shimmed at 120 degrees maybe. Then again, if I chose to do that, I'd get comments about not everyone having faceplates and large scrap laying around.
Watching the filing at the start was very therapeutic! Noticed the draw filing technique for a smoother finish. Really good job, Joe!
Wow, What a good lesson in bringing a rough casting to a finished FLYWHEEL...! Good job of thinking on your feet....!
Thanks. It came out nice.
Like another one of your followers commented , the flywheel always throws out a challenge. Never had an easy one to do yet. Your video is certainly a big help and boost ones confidence in machining the flywheel. Thank you very much Joe
Thanks. There are many ways to do this, but you all need to be aware of how delicate and fragile it is. Grip the OD first and true up a face to start. Gentle pressure too.
Another example of patience and stepping back when needed to arrive at a suitable solution to problems. Results prove the worth of these practices. Some of my fathers best friends were ten, 20, maybe even 30 years his senior. As a kid I remember hearing over and over these points. Took me many years longer than my dad to accept them as laws of perfection. Good stuff, Joe!
Thank you.
When you finished the OD. Try wrapping the OD with rubber bands to absorb the chatter/ringing(turning brake drums in years past)
That's what I would call making "chicken salad out of chicken lips" enjoyed the thought process and the hand work. 👍
I refused to let this part beat me.
I was disappointed by the lack of style on the flywheel. Core-shift is not a style. I'll admit I would have used the lack of style as an excuse to scrap this part and make a new one. You're a better man than me. Good work dealing with this age-old problem.
Hey Joe, I'm really enjoying this series of videos and I'm learning a lot even though I've made several engines from castings over the years. There seems to be a bit of a trait amongst a few model engine manufacturers to use odd numbers of spokes in their flywheels. This is completely wrong and I've never seen a full size engine with five spokes, there are always six or eight if it's a very big engine. You would never get distortion on the rim if you could clamp on the ends of spokes.
Generally speaking you should chuck the raw casting and get the inside rim of the flywheel to run true and work everything else out from that.
Regards from the UK.
3 and 5 just don't play well together. Like my kids.
Hello David I totally agree with your comment regarding making several engines in the past. I too have been making engines from kits and from scratch and still find that Joe's methods are by far the best. He is indeed a master machinist with a great ability to put his lessons across
really enjoying this series. i particularly liked your set up for the pulley tap hole.
I appreciate your showing the handwork(filing)as it is just as much of a skill to learn as the machine turning. A friend took a watch repair class and first order of business was learning to file.
Very nice idea to have the spaces on the chuck
Thay come in handy.
I've seen so many out of true flywheels running on the 'tube channel of the guys that do steam engines. It was good to finally see how to take a raw casting that has "problems" and turn it into a centerpiece. Thanks for all the tips Joe! ... can see you're having fun with this. Glad business gives you some free time to enjoy yourself!
They say the plumber faucet always leaks, but I'm making time for this project. Its like therapy. Filming it adds a lot of time and breaks the rhythm of a good project, but its worth it.
Putting the art ahead of the artist.
Where you lead others will learn.
Some will only ever be able to mimic.
Thank you sir.
Thanks for the comment.
@Joe Pieczynski Great progress, and it turned out well. A little shop "gem" of my own that you may want to try. I have had to clean up and polish the OD on castings for hand wheels. Just like yours they are just a casting and hard to work with. I found that once I got my center hub dialed into my liking and the part was running well there is a much easier way to finish and polish the casting, or at least get it cleaned up enough that you could turn it easier.
For the most part the OD doesn't need to be anything critical, more cosmetic than anything. Once you have the part chucked up, take an angle grinder with a flap disc on it and lightly work the part with the lathe running. It will clean it up very quickly and you have a great deal of control. It cuts through all the parting lines and rough surface of the casting in no time. I think you would like it.
That said, if you see anything wrong with this please let me know. So far I've found it to work very well and safe. But you have a lot of years on me in experience so I would like to hear your thoughts.
The great model engineer George H Thomas, who wrote for Model Engineer magazine in the UK and wrote 2 amazing books on model machining (based on collections of his articles), swore by a dull #6 swiss cut file, cleaned with a piece of brass and saturated with soluble oil. He achieved finishes similar to grinding. He detested emery cloth - never used it. I guess we all use what works for us. His books are the best I have ever seen on machining in general and making practical tooling. In his day back jn the 60s people didn’t have money for tooling, but in the UK so many if them worked in industry that they had ready access to scrap material, cutoffs etc. So they made all their own tools. His designs were famous and kits are still available from Hemingway in the UK, His books are still available from Tee Publishing. Any of you guys looking to learn the basics I can’t recommend the books enough. Stephane Gotteswinter is also a fan.
Good advice about the safety aspect - put your fingers in that when it's revolving at that speed and it will literally have your whole arm off. No kidding. Take care and stay safe, man Greetings from Cambridgeshire in the UK!
Very well done. Lots of small little tips in this one. I have never worked much with castings they seem to have their own challenges obviously. Thank you for the video training.
Glad it was helpful!
Re chatter could you wrap the spokes in something like a bike inner tube to damp the vibration?
This part might have been tedious as you were doing it but, it was fascinating as an observer watching how you handled the different difficulties as they came up and over came them. End result was an exceptional part pleasing to the eye. Mine anyway. Thank you for the ride along. . . again.
Glad you enjoyed it!
hell i never know what you are talking about until im at least .5 way through the video!!! I would have never guessed you could have made that wobbly piece look that true. Thanks again
dont get me wrong. you are one hell of a teacher. Its just that i might be able to name two things on a lathe. A lever and the on button.
I loved this video. Not only was it informative but it took mind off of all the bad crap happening in my life right now. Thank
Everytime my life has taken a shit, I reflect on all the good times I've had since the last time my life took a shit. I can then get strength in knowing better times are coming. They always do. Chin up my friend and keep your face towards the sun. Thanks for watching and I'm glad it distracted you, if even for a short time.
Thank you. I will do that.
For a rough cast item, I love how the averaging, blending and attention to detail of cast heights made this part look amazing. It is going to look great no matter what color you paint it. I'm sure it's going to run absolutely wonderful as well. Thanks for sharing your knowledge again Joe. I always learn something and enjoy the show. Best Wishes & Blessings. Keith Noneya
Beautiful piece the last two engine flywheels i did i grabbed them inside of the outer rim but they had six spokes five brings some problems. I will be turning mine next week looks like fun thanks for giving us your time Joe.
Take your time on this one.
You did a really really nice job on that flywell. I have machined that same flywheel a few times and it is tedious and it does take a while and you need to be extremely careful on those. I deal with these engines on a daily basis and I know that no matter how well a machine has been built if that flywheel runs out it takes away from everything else on that machine. That's the first thing people notice is run out on the flywheel. So no matter how good of a job you did on the rest that's the first impression that they get.
Hi Joe,
Nice work, an enjoyable 58 minutes... Thank you.
Take care
Paul,,
Glad you enjoyed it
On similar parts I have used a small toolpost grinder to fight the harmonic chattering.
Same here, I made one with an inexpensive CNC router spindle replacement from Amazon that has an ER 11 collet on the end. All I had to do was make an adapter to fit the tool holder on the lathe. I just turn the lathe by hand at first to knock off the really high spots. But hey - it's always nice to see a pro like Joe do it his way and make it work. He's always teaching me something.
I considered that.
All that filing I thought this might be a new clickspring vid, but no, it's more fun in the shop with Joe Pi
Hi Joe!!!! what a great mix of crude casting and hi precision turning! looks fantastic. i nice when the tool is telling you how it is working.... those interrupted cuts are easy to ear and once you hear a nice long cut....... means you are close! Have a nice weekend !
When the hiss of cutting a casting shows up, you get to exhale.
Another AWESOME video. Great technique as always! A real joy to watch the master at work!
Thank you.
Thanks Joe. After i saw you put the pencil near the fly wheel and point to the run out I sanded one down to .250 and put it in my mag base to dial in the wheel. This worked awesome and was easy to dial in. Of all things keep it simple **** this will be my new method of dialing in castings and cheap to replace.
They make soap sticks just for this purpose.
Joe, you are doing fine work! I really enjoy watching your videos. I am a retired tool and die maker,and spent the last 25 years of my career instructing lathes, mills etc. One pointer I'd like to share is this: anytime you are doing something by hand on the lathe (a file, emery paper, 600 grit) always run the spindle in reverse!! Better to have it fly away from you if it hits a jaw. I learned the hard way many years ago when I had a file go into the palm of my hand. 🥴
Many would agree with you, but I subscribe to the philosophy of using the technique you are most confident and secure with. For me, its forward rotation and elbow on the headstock. And handles on the files. Just my opinion.
Well that’s what I call a rough casting, I’m lucky I machine investment casting but mostly quality forgings but you’ve done a great job considering how bad that was. I too would have spent some time cleaning that casting up.
Time well spent, but an investment casting to start would have been great. Too expensive though.
Nice work Joe, amazing results. The flywheel seems to be often overlooked on model steam engines. I wish I have your skill and equipment ! Stay safe and healthy.
A couple years ago, I adapted a cast iron handwheel to my horizontal mill x feed. I did almost EXACTLY what you just did with that flywheel, including the large radius brazed carbide tool bit. I really don’t like wobbling wheels.
It’s also possible to mount the wheel over the edge of the mill table to drill and tap the 5 degree hole, for those with benchtop mills.
Thanks,
John
I always enjoy your videos and learn a lot from them. Having machined a number of steam engine flywheels an approach which works for me is to mount the rough flywheel on spacers off a faceplate, clamped by the spokes. I line the inner rim to run as true as I can get it, then tighten down the clamps. I can machine the rim, front face and centre boss from this one setting, then flip the part to machine the other side of the rim and bore the centre hole.
Holding by the spokes reduces the risk of chatter and ringing, and allows heavier cuts to break through the scale.
Keep making the videos!
I conditionally agree with you, but the flywheel would have to be up on only 3 shims to assure it comes out flat for the first side operation. This casting had a warp to it and clamping on the spokes while resting on the face would have been a disaster.
@@joepie221 The important thing is the plane of the spokes. Everything else (the rim, the hub, the bore) must be true to that, otherwise it looks terrible when the engine is running. If the spokes are not all in one plane they must be forcibly re-aligned (risky with cast iron), or the casting thrown away and a replacement found.
I need one of these with a o.d of 21" for the front of my trike. Great work!
Cast iron may be a bit heavy for a bike wheel or are you going 'Steampumk'?
How about a used train wheel?
It looks like a 5 spoke Invader wheel is all. But a train wheel sure would keep me rolling at speed up the steepest of hills! Not sure I have the brakes for that kind of inertia. Lol
Joe, another great video, I was taught as an apprentice to use a block of lead, about a pound, hold it against the rim when it's ringing/singing. It will usually help to reduce the noise.
Interesting.
Wrapping the spokes in lead sheet could also work
Nicely done Joe. I did not even consider choosing the inside radius of the outer flywheel as my first datum. Makes perfect sense after watching this video. I’ve been filing the casting parting lines a little on mine but now have a much better idea on where to focus. Thanks much for sharing this approach.
Many features come together in sequence on this seemingly simple part. Take you time and think ahead. This came out nice.
Great job, Joe. I had to modify a 1/4 scale R/C clutch bell once. It was 4" in diameter. We wanted to lighten the whole unit up on the inside and outside. As you would expect, it rang really bad. When I cut the OD, I stuffed the bell with a piece of towel. That helped a lot. On the inside, the surface finish was not important. It needed to be slightly rough for the clutch shoes, so I simply put on ear protection and cranked AC/DC until it was finished :)
Big flimsy parts are always a challenge. Thanks for the video Joe.
Joe, you are a true artist! Your videos are an informative and inspirational. Thanks for taking the time to make these videos.
An old fashion way of dialing in a casting like that is to use a stick of chalk in a tool holder and put the work in a four jaw chuck; do as you would with a dial indicator. Once you can draw a continuous line you're good enough.
This method is written about in the 1935 Craftsman/Atlas "Operation of a manual lathe" book. Great job.
I did mention chalk, grease pencil and other visual options.
Agree, beautiful indeed. Very skillful again Joe and so many tips for future projects. Thanks very much Joe. Regards Gareth
I am so glad that I am not the only one with issues when machining flywheels. They certainly a challenge with vibration.
and yes there are many ways to eliminate or reduce or hide them
Those spokes are very thin at the rim side. The vibration can be expected until you get a solid working surface.
Joe I have watched a few of your videos now, and have noticed that after giving an explanation of a process you always say “ I hope that is clear” or something to that effect.I just want to assure you that your explanations are very clear and concise. I am very rarely left wondering what you are trying to say,and the couple of times that there was some question the actual process cleared them up completely. Since I am complete novice with very little knowledge about machine work your explanations are very much appreciated. As far as I am concerned your talent as a machinist may be overshadowed by your ability to teach.
Thanks for the comment. Its good to know the message is clear.
Wow....way to set the bar at the max level!
I had a flywheel casting once that was badly out of round even on the outer spoke diameter. I had to set it up on a rotary table to machine the outer spoke diameter round. I then made a wooden fixture to hold the flywheel on the face plate clamped on the outer parts of the spokes. I could then machine the outer diameter and one side of the rim. Like you I trued the inner edge of the rim also. I think doing this helps with balance also.
Came out nice, I like the inside radius, really made the look.
Flywheels can be a real pain. I agree with Randy whole heartedly. As a hobby machinist it was nice to see a Pro tackle this.
Thanks Randy. I think it added a nice contrast.
Joe
I usually start on a face plate , the problem of looking correct is Evan worse on loco drivers ,ever person and there dogs notices . But as you often say there are many ways to do it it is machine/equipment /skill and experience that get the job done ,
Be safe and stay safe
Great video Joe, I would like to add back in high school My instructor told me to lay a rag on the bed-ways when I used abrasives on my work to protect the ways from abrasive dust working into them.
Or dry everything and use a brush and vac often.
Nice file work and machine work on this part. Inspires me very much! Thank you for the share Joe👍
Glad you enjoyed it
Joe, ill say it now. the sand used for those castings is/was not fine enough! the full size engine didnt use gravel instead of sand!! dont you think that a finer surface would be MORE in line with 'scale'?? poppy's workshop says HI
Nice end product Joe, and an unbelievable lot of detail work and patience. Cheers and thanks!
Thanks 👍 A lot of file work went into this part.
Standoffs on the chuck with rubber pads,(then he shows standoffs) for ruffing. Used to do a lot of this type of work. We would clamp the part to a faceplate with shims. Rock solid and no chatter.
PS: I should watch the whole video before commenting. Good work Joe.
There was an intermittent distortion to this casting. A low spot. If you clamp a part to a slave plate or faceplate, use shims at 120 degree intervals for the first side, or your final product will have a wave in it too.
@@joepie221 we would map out the castings then clamp them in that same orientation. It was a tedious process, but by not inducing stress by clamping we had a very stable part when finished.
Nicely done. Well that looked like a PITA even for you. It came out beautiful.
Hi Joe,
When you filed the flat on the spokes of the flywheel and then blended them it reminded me of leveling and crowning the frets of a guitar neck.
Love the finish contrast of the rough cast and the turned surfaces
Me too. I'm trying to leave as much rough cast as possible. It does make for a great contrast.
Machine enough brake drums and you learn the value of rubber bands on the outside of these chronic "ringers".
Awesome job Joe. Rim features; pucker factor at maximum!
amazing work as always Joe thanks for taking the time to explain everything and suffer through getting those tough angles
Hey Joe! Enjoying this series of vlogs. Those test files work really well when you're trying to keep from marring another surface when filing! keep up the good work Joe.
I enjoy work like that, Takes time, but the result is all yours.
Really nice file work. Those are the details that will really stand out when it’s done. Lipton will be all over this! Aren’t you worried about that gnarly cast iron dust on your mill and lathe? You really got it to run very close to true. It makes a huge difference. Truing up the inside of the rim not only looks better but you have much better chances to have a balanced wheel. The real steam engine flywheels from back in the day were not perfectly uniform since they were cast. .
WOW! I would have broke that one and ordered another casting...😆 🤣 😂 !!! Awesome job cleaning up the rough areas. Your experience allows you to see the overall product and future cuts, or grinds, before you ever start. Very impressive! Thanks for sharing your wisdom.
I appreciate the comment.
Patience, skill, and experience -- way to go Joe - quite a setting up (painstaking) challenge. Your initial file work takes me back to my earlier days when I had to do quite a lot of work by hand - the file is a much under estimated tool. Love the end result - all that work paid off. :)
Thanks, it sure did. Files are like musical instruments. They should be treated with respect and handled with finesse.
Iron castings were left out in the open air yard for a year to season before machining. Fresh castings do not machine well. Mounting a small grinder on the cross slide to face the rim at low rpm might have been an option.
Great video! Just watched RR in the Shop this morning and was thinking of the rubber floor mat scraps he had. Could use something similar to make a flywheel sandwich. Assemble with a bolt, nut, and 2 flat washers between every spoke might take the ring out of the part without distorting it.
Good show as usual, Joe. Thanks!
I've made a good half dozen of these PMR kits for other people. They sometimes start out and find they need more setup knowledge to finish parts, so I get a small commission job in finishing it for them. Others have just bought the kits outright to send to me for construction.
A note about these castings; The last one I did was over 10 years ago for a fellow in Sweden. I recall the castings being much nicer than the ones you have now, especially the one for the flywheel. The ones I've machined for others had much smoother castings. I am guessing PMR is having a different foundry do their work these days.
Came out looking very nice! Keep at it.
Dean
Thanks Dean. I knew this would take some hand work, but I enjoyed the challenge.
Dean, I've noticed that Joe's kit and ones on other RUclips channels have relatively sloppy castings. It seems, to me, that the patterns halves don't line up properly (perhaps worn out?) and they're using sand that's way too coarse, especially for small model kits where the "sand defects" are out of scale for the small models. I still will probably get a kit from them though, just to see what I learn from building one. ;)
Man, hats off to you. This kind of stuff is a "labor of love".
Agreed. I am loving it.
Loving every one of this series Joe, Thank you for the inspiration, it makes me strive for better standards in my own work. Take care and have a great Sunday.. Del.
Thanks for stopping by Del. Good to hear from you. Ride safe.
As Michelangelo would say "Madonna mia, che bel pezzo!" A master piece, indeed.
Great to finally see this being done properly, ie. considering the runout of the un-machined parts of the wheel 👍
Its the first thing the eye will be drawn to. When it turns, I don't want to see anything running out.
I appreciate the detailed description of your decision process. Very useful for us beginners.
I agree with your assessment of that half-round file as "well abused." Time is too valuable to waste fiddling with a worn out tool, and files are consumables. That one should go in the scrap bin.
Question about the long reach tap - couldn't you just use a regular tap with a ratcheting tap handle? (With the hole aligned between two spokes).
I don't have the heart to throw it away. It still cuts great where it still has teeth.
this is why my flat bastard has quickly become my favorite tool in my shop.
Nice working and beatyful finish in my eyes :)
Thank you very much!
When I machine flywheels I put plasticine on the spokes and rim this absorbs the vibration and leaves a good finish.
Nice work by the way, Cheers Jason.
Good idea.
That was one of those jobs when you could say "did I do that' and reach around and give yourself a pat on the back bud. Well done.
@@millomweb Wonderful ! I have pieces as well. A 6 in sine bar, a 3 in arbor press and a really neat drill vise that I treasure above anything else. The memories of making them are as strong today as they were when I gave them to my long lost dad that year for Xmas. Now having them back is sure bittersweet eh.
Thanks joe!!! Yes I like it!!! A friend of mine built a steam engine from a cheaply make casting kit and he broke the flywheel. Thanks for sharing!!
This is a delicate part, and cracking it wouldn't take much effort.
Yes amazing what he knows and when the knowledge is applied practically.
Your a great teacher Joe.👍😊🏆
Thanks for the repeated positive comments.
I don't get shit done now that I watch you Joe...
Cleaning up the inside of the rim improved the balance of the flywheel substantially. I personally would not even consider neglecting that detail. I do appreciate the demonstration of how to use the inner edge of the rim for initial alignment, but I would need to use a four jaw chuck to do that since we don't have adjustable three jaws. I also missed your method for reducing chatter on the first facing operation, but once again thanks for the lessons. I am surprised there is no keyway...?
@@millomweb I would prefer a keyway nonetheless and I wouldn't settle for less than two screws and a flat.
@@millomweb Today, most stuff is "built to fail" in 5-10 years "to keep the economy moving." Heavy machinery in infrastructure are the exceptions. I realize the model will have no load, but Joe is known for going the extra mile.
Could you have used the rotary table on the mill?
Absolutely.
Great work as always. This video really shows how patience is one of the greatest traits of a true craftsman. I would like to ask a favor though, I am having trouble identifying my vintage benchtop lathe. I have looked at 1000s of google images and can not find the same one. Could you or anyone point me in the right direction that may help me find it's brand. Thank you, Sir. Have a great day.
I’ve had good luck with a heavy rubber band around the part to reduce sound
Nice setup for holding the part while doing the hand filing. I just held mine in the vise, I’m lucky I didn’t snap it off!
I treated this part like glass. That setup worked well.
I love the project. Very informative video. Please excuse me but I have to ask, any chance this could be edited down just a bit more?
Might have been easier to use 3 inside jaws to hold the outer rim on the inside, so it automatically averages the rim runout. Kieth Appleton recommends holding the outer rim and cut the center, center crank hole, rim face, and outer face first. Then flip and mic off the fresh rim to face the rear rim face and center...which are not as critical since the runout was cleaned up in the front cuts. Your way depends on a pricey adjustable 3 jaw which most of us don’t have, and was more work.
3 jaws won't seat comfortable inside a 5 spoke pattern. Using Keiths method, how would you address the inside of the rim to run concentric????? I may suggest to hold the OD and face it for the first op, then pressure turn the second face and OD, but don''t do the center hole until you address the inner rim concentricity.
Great video, I learned a few trics every few minutes.
It would have been helpful to have a weighted rubber strap like we use turning rotors on a brake lathe. They help a lot with surface finish. Ringing is a turners nightmare. Awesome work!
I live by 2 sayings on this topic. No dwell, No yell and If you got chatter, somethings the matter. Like little alarm bells for a problem.
@@joepie221 Indeed, I agree. Are you familiar with the anti chatter device I'm talking about? They actually work very well and are cheap. You will find them near any AAMCO brake lathe and at your local NAPA.
Steel rotor hubs on cast rotors are the worst.
Every time I watch you work I learn alot so thank you very much !!!
Me too. Even though I was trained there are things I never had to do and don't remember even hearing about some of the things Mr. P. does.Almost always something new or different to what I'm used to.
Happy to hear that!
Excellent outcome! Thanks for sharing and keep up your great work!
Thanks, will do!
Got any tips for dynamically balancing something like this in the home shop?
RC modelers use a small device called a prop balancer. This is not a high RPM unit, but if it was, I'd use one of those.
When I run small flywheels like that, I do, as you did ...get the very inside diameter to run as true as possible...but being a casting, you can only do so much .....but after the machining is complete, I indicate it in on my rotary table, and take a very light clean up cut on that I d. Between the spokes on my milling machine......then, as you did in the beginning, I fettle that inside rim with a file, to round it off.......all said and done.....you have a flywheel that runs dead nuts everywhere !!!!
Strapping it down to a rotary table should allow you to finish every surface, true, but I like the combination of cast and machined as well.
Joe you made a silk purse out of a sows ear there! I'm extreemly impressed of how you dealt with that casting.
The standard of quality of the casting was bloody awful to my mind. I used to work for a company that was based in the yard of an iron foundry making pretty complicated and intricate castings. Whoever moulded that flywheel would not have lasted two days there. There is no excuse for allowing such slip of the split pattern, unless the patternmaker never put locating dowels in, OR the pattern is so old and worn that the dowel holes are so worn that it allows such slip. Either way the company should address this issue.
It came out nice. I do agree, a casting can have some flash, but an offset is avoidable.
This video is GOLD , Joe. Exactelly what I was waiting for....thanks
Just a comment/recco on using a set screw to fasten the flywheel to the crankshaft. Try to avoid it. The torsional vibrations seem to ultimately loosen set screws which in turn damages the crankshaft. Machining flats on the crank, only limits the damage to the flat area. I use keys to avoid this problem. This is fairly easy to do. Keys also help to transmit power from the flywheel. Which brings another point. Since PM Research has offered another model, consider their little dynamo. Perhaps you might drive it with a flat belt off the flywheel to get the high speed needed. Then light a light. A model is much more attractive if seen to be doing something rather than spinning pointlessly. Cheers.
There are many better ways, but this part is being done to print this time.
Nice work as always. I was thinking a 4-jaw chuck would have worked better than the adjustable 3-jaw
I was wondering the same thing.
most 4 jaws will not close on a small diameter.
@@RobB_VK6ES True. I didn't think it was that small but maybe so. Anyway, very nice job.
@@RobB_VK6ES I meant, why not clamp the outside of the flywheel in a 4-jaw to true the center hub and side of the rim. Seems like it would be easier to center and probably stop the ringing as well.
Great work Joe! Thanks for all the info/pointers / ideas. You rock!
Glad they help.
Amazing. Still need to watch this two or three times.