1915 Harley Davidson

Discussion in 'Model engines' started by ESC, Dec 18, 2019.

  1. ESC

    ESC Silver Banner Member

    A number of years ago I started on a 1/3 scale pocket valve Harley. I carved patterns and cast the crankcase conventionally in aluminum, and the flywheels in cast iron . I made knife and fork rods and dummy pistons from the solid so I could mock up the cylinders. My first set of cylinders were made in aluminum by stacking the wax fins fusing them together and then investing, burning out and pouring in a small chamber. When I moved on to the pocket and head I wasn't able to pull the silicon mold from the pattern due to the depth and dimension of the fins. One attempt with latex rubber failed due scorching the wooden pattern. I stalled out there and moved on to something else.
    These images were clawed back from photosuck, but I had started a thread over at AA.

    Harley3.JPG Harley4.JPG Harley5.JPG 72andmodel.JPG Harley7.JPG Harley8.JPG Harley12.JPG Harley15.JPG

    So after the experience I had with the brake calipers for the 9" Ford in the EDM I thought it was worth a try to pour a cast iron cylinder in the core molds like I used for the Indian heads and then use the EDM to cut the space between the fins.
     
    SRHacksaw, _Jason and Jason like this.
  2. ESC

    ESC Silver Banner Member

    I prepared the patterns by filling between the fins with modeling clay, then gave it a skin of shellac to harden. IMG_20191216_095413.jpg

    I made a frame from aluminum to hold the mold while the it is baking, then slip it up and dust with parting and cut the locator divots before ramming the cope.

    IMG_20191216_103140.jpg

    I had a corebox for the bore and pocket so I made multiples to cover the loss from breakage.

    IMG_20191216_095530.jpg

    Vents were cut in the cores and glued together with flour paste. and finally mounted in the mold.

    IMG_20191217_172459.jpg

    IMG_20191217_131624.jpg

    Then when I went out today, the mice had eaten one of my cores. They were after the flour, and maybe a little of the linseed oil. The intake above on the left is gone and they gnawed at the repair I had done on the bore.
    I set the water trap and rammed up more pocket cores.
     
    Jason and joe yard like this.
  3. Jason

    Jason Gold

    Drown those little sob's !!!
     
  4. ESC

    ESC Silver Banner Member

    Yep, five last night.
     
    Jason likes this.
  5. ESC

    ESC Silver Banner Member

    Fixed the mold and rammed them up in a flask.

    IMG_20191220_133218.jpg

    IMG_20191220_140522.jpg

    IMG_20191220_140538.jpg

    I did not cut gates before ramming so I could keep the sand out, and then used a dremel stone to shape them to match the runner and gates of the oil bonded sand. I sprayed graphite on the mold to improve the surface finish of the casting.
     
    Tobho Mott likes this.
  6. ESC

    ESC Silver Banner Member

    All misruns today, but the chill wedge came out sweet. Grey all the way and there are three strokes with the file to test the softness. IMG_20191221_145546.jpg
     
  7. Al2O3

    Al2O3 Administrator Staff Member Banner Member

    sylvester_and_jerry.jpg

    You'll get'er next round.

    Best,
    Kelly
     
  8. ESC

    ESC Silver Banner Member

    Yep, molds already in the oven.
     
  9. ESC

    ESC Silver Banner Member

    Merry Christmas everyone.
    I wasn't ready for a CI pour yesterday, so I whipped up some simple foam patterns to make an indexing head for the EDM work on the castings.

    IMG_20191224_133952.jpg



    IMG_20191224_145319.jpg

    I set the head up in the "A" axis on the CNC and made 15* locating holes around the circumfrence. That is the angle between the head fins on the engine and will allow the use of the same electrode without re-positioning.

    IMG_20191224_160823.jpg

    I used some of my old oxide contaminated pieces to use them on something where appearance doesn't matter. I just melted and poured without even skimming. I came out decent. The "T" slot is metric on the EDM is metric, so I will have to use the vise on the bridgeport, or shim it on the EDM.

    IMG_20191224_172523.jpg

    And today I finished it. This is one of the lost wax cylinders for a mock up.

    IMG_20191226_172004.jpg
     
    Last edited: Dec 26, 2019
    Tobho Mott likes this.
  10. ESC

    ESC Silver Banner Member

    I ended up with some core blow in the Harley cylinders, but it was soft iron so I started machining to fit the rotary fixture. They were awkward to hold, so I heated them in the toaster oven and used them as a pattern to hot shape a foam sandwich. Then poured them in aluminum without coating since the finish is no concern. With just minimal cleanup and machining to create a step for repeatable orientation I bored out the cylinder and then switched to the
    CNC and a keyseat cutter to square the flange and cut the OD. I had thought I would need to use the cutter to machine below the flange, but ended up cleaning that up on the lathe.

    IMG_20200101_151743.jpg

    Then I mounted it on the rotary fixture ready for the EDM tomorrow.

    IMG_20200101_175410.jpg

    IMG_20200101_175430.jpg
     
    Tobho Mott likes this.
  11. Rotarysmp

    Rotarysmp Silver

    Fantastic work you are doing there.
    Mark
     

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