With work on Samson progressing on a number of fronts, Dave made a start on machining the cylinder block today.

Below: Setting up can be the most time consuming aspect of the job – Dave adjusts the milling machine bed during setting up ready to make the first cut across the right hand side of the block, onto which the valve port face plate will be mounted.  This was also to enable this surface to act as a datum for the next part of the procedure.

Below: Having machined one face, the block was re-set and carefully secured to the travelling bed.  The cutter is seen taking the first 15 thou cut with the machine auto-feeding the work below the rotating cutter.

More on the machining work will appear in a short film on Samson that we have in preparation.

Below: Whilst the milling progresses here at Beamish, Dave has not been idle at home!  Here are the cylinder drain cocks – the bent levers are heated in the dark in order to best determine their temperature from the colour they reach when heated.  The steam and condensate will be taken beneath the frames by copper tail pipes.

Below: Chris roughed out the trigger for reversing lever, shown here as a raw component…

Below … and seen here as part of the completed reversing lever.  Alongside is the regulator handle.  Both mount on the same stand, which also contains the pump chamber.  These are very tactile items and are real works of art in their own right!