The three internal tapers were finished yesterday and today I worked on the external shape of the stack. The next step will be to make an arbor to match the internal taper of the stack so that the stack can be flipped around to finish the bottom end. Note that the brass piece at the right end is a tapered cone that is used support the stack with the live center. May 25, 2026.
The start of the smokestack base. July11, 2026.
This will be used as a fly cutter on the lathe to cut the arc in the bottom of the smokestack base to match the radius of the boiler. The knob on the bottom side is to adjust the stick out of the cutter which will be held in place by the two screws at the top. The left end will be held in the 4 jaw chuck with the right end supported by a live center. July 12, 2026.
Saturday July 18 was spent coming up with the fixture to mount on the lathe cross slide to hold the stack base for the cutting operation. Here we see that the arc has been completed in the bottom of the stack base. July 19, 2026.
The stack base is starting to look a little more complete. Next will be the mounting holes and the 4 lugs that hold the smokestack to the base. July 19, 2026.
Lots of filing and sanding to get the shape correct on the sides that sit further down on the smokebox to make the lower ring equal thickness on all sides. August 2, 2026.
Saturday was spent machining the tapered arbor to allow the stack to be turned between centers. On Sunday the diameter of the lower portion of the stack was reduced to fit inside the smokestack base. August 8-9, 2026.
Next the smokestack base was added to the arbor and the profile was completed between the lower part of the stack and the smokestack base. August 9, 2026.