From the Rolls-Royce experimental archive: a quarter of a million communications from Rolls-Royce, 1906 to 1960's. Documents from the Sir Henry Royce Memorial Foundation (SHRMF).
Material selection and finishing processes for alignment dowels.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 67\1\ scan0043 | |
| Date | 16th July 1926 | |
| X8320 [STAMPED INITIALS: Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}, Wor{Arthur Wormald - General Works Manager}, BY, WD{Mr Wood/Mr Whitehead}] [STAMP: SERVO] [STAMP: RECEIVED 21 JUL 1926] BY17/H.{Arthur M. Hanbury - Head Complaints} 16.7.26. With reference to the suggestion that we should use "Stabrite" or stainless steel for the dowels keeping the two plates in alignment, I think that by adopting this proposal we are more likely to run into further difficulties than to get out of our present ones, for the following reasons:- 1. "Stabrite" is not a good wearing steel, at least in its initial stages after machining. It must be made dead soft to machine, and if hard cannot be machined at all, or rivetted up. 2. Stainless Steel. Stainless steel cannot be rivetted up without considerable trouble, and is on the soft side relatively. At the moment what I am instructing for immediate production is:- a/- Maintain the use of the case hardened nickel steel dowels, but to polish them in order to get rid of any grinding marks. A lapped finish on the pin, using Vienna Lime finally on the lap, would give the type of polished surface I require. b/- See that our clearances are adequate, that is, we have the widest clearances, within the limits, possible. c/- Treat the pin with "Lanoline" when fitting up. "Lanoline" is a good grease and lubricant, and is effective for protecting a surface against rust. By polishing I do two things:- i. I get rid of the ground surface, which is liable to rust. ii. Produce a polished surface which, on a hardened material is known to be rust-resistant. and thirdly, treat such material with Lanoline as a rust-preventive. Contd. | ||