Page 2 of 3 FirstFirst 123 LastLast
Results 11 to 20 of 29

Thread: Model Steam engine build

  1. #11
    Join Date
    Jan 1970
    Location
    Narre Warren South
    Posts
    6,314
    Total Downloaded
    0
    Quote Originally Posted by cuppabillytea View Post
    My brother Peter is a double barrel chief engineer.(Steam and Diesel). I could forward any questions about timing and efficiency on to him if you like.
    Thanks.
    Timing doesn't appear to be difficult. Once finished I could get the father-in-law to help set it up ( he's done a few now....).
    He's on oxygen full time ( fibrosis of the lungs) and can't exert himself much without his oxygen levels dropping.
    Something like setting the timing he could cope with and, more importantly, enjoy doing.

    Colin
    '56 Series 1 with homemade welder
    '65 Series IIa Dormobile
    '70 SIIa GS
    '76 SIII 88" (Isuzu C240)
    '81 SIII FFR
    '95 Defender Tanami
    '58 Series II (sold)
    Motorcycles :-
    Vincent Rapide, Panther M100, Norton BIG4, Electra & Navigator, Matchless G80C

  2. #12
    Join Date
    Jan 1970
    Location
    Narre Warren South
    Posts
    6,314
    Total Downloaded
    0
    Did some more assembly tonight.

    First picture is a trial run to position the two bases so I can work out the spacing of the plinths. I'm using hardwood for the plinths & base but staining black, the base is only a way of presenting the engine so I don't want some outstanding grain in the timber being the focus of attention.
    I've seen a couple of Victoria Twins where they've created a tiled finish for the mounting, just as it would have been in a full size setting. I'd love to have the time & dedication to do this......
    Tomorrow night I'll trim the base to size, fix the plinths and finish stain. Then it needs a few coats of varnish to stop oil soaking in.

    Problem 1- I need to find a better set of BA spanners, currently using a magneto spanner set ! I have a Britool 2BA spanner I use on the Series Land Rovers but I'm now working with 7BA & 5BA.

    Problem 2- I need to get some tweezers. Sorting out countersunk 7BA screws 1/4" long taxes my patience......
    I also need to learn to work OVER the bench so when a 7BA nut is dropped it doesn't fall to the floor !!! Luckily I've found the couple I've dropped so far.

    Problem 3- I have to source some small bore copper pipe and a T-connector. Flanges are tapped 1/4" x 32 so 1/4" pipe should do with the thread directly cut on the end. I'll have to sort through the small ball valves I collected as I don't think I've seen a 1/4" one, mind you I'm thinking of machining up a brass block for the air supply so I could thread into that and put the ball valve on the inlet.
    There are also a few displacement lubricators so I should fit one of them to the inlet line.

    Second picture I've partly assembled the crosshead guide bars. I have to disassemble because I haven't installed any gland packing yet.
    Quite a few of the steel parts I've had to attack with emery then polish with a buffing wheel on a Dremel. Machining marks would spoil the finished engine. Some of the brass parts were leveled on emery and polished as well.
    Some parts seem fairly stiff but talking to the father-in-law this is fairly normal and you need to loosen everything off and run it in for some time on compressed air to get it to free off.

    While doing this tonight I had on in the background a Fred Dibnah video, an English 'National Treasure'.
    He was a steeplejack and in maybe the 70's a film was made of him at work, this became a series then you found that he was restoring a steam engine and had a steam powered workshop. He dropped industrial chimneys the old way, no explosives.
    Over the years there were many TV programs.
    Bit of a character and a self taught engineer. When he found he hadn't got long left he did a trip round the UK in his restored traction engine visiting all the places where parts of his engine had been made. I remember one of his comments "it's taken me 25 years and 3 marriages to restore this engine....".
    He received an OBE and turned up at Buckingham Palace in the steam engine when he collected it (he had to wash & change first). Can you imagine a traction engine in London traffic !
    Anyway, enough about Fred, I'm sure there's lots on YouTube etc. if you're interested.


    Colin
    Attached Images Attached Images
    '56 Series 1 with homemade welder
    '65 Series IIa Dormobile
    '70 SIIa GS
    '76 SIII 88" (Isuzu C240)
    '81 SIII FFR
    '95 Defender Tanami
    '58 Series II (sold)
    Motorcycles :-
    Vincent Rapide, Panther M100, Norton BIG4, Electra & Navigator, Matchless G80C

  3. #13
    Join Date
    Jan 1970
    Location
    Narre Warren South
    Posts
    6,314
    Total Downloaded
    0
    At the weekend I had fun trying to find an Allen key for a 7BA grub screw, eventually got one so I could finish the valve gear.

    Managed to get some 1/4" copper T-connectors today so almost finished the pipework tonight.

    I just need a block of brass to mount the globe valve in and provide an airline connection, some soldering & pipe polishing and it's ready for a trial run.


    Colin
    Attached Images Attached Images
    '56 Series 1 with homemade welder
    '65 Series IIa Dormobile
    '70 SIIa GS
    '76 SIII 88" (Isuzu C240)
    '81 SIII FFR
    '95 Defender Tanami
    '58 Series II (sold)
    Motorcycles :-
    Vincent Rapide, Panther M100, Norton BIG4, Electra & Navigator, Matchless G80C

  4. #14
    Join Date
    May 2013
    Location
    Melbourne
    Posts
    4,842
    Total Downloaded
    0
    Wow, Gromit, you have made GREAT progress in very little time, it looks really good.
    I always have an affinity with Steam having grown up with it in the U.K.
    When I was young I think I had a little (was it a Mamod?) engine.
    Pickles.

  5. #15
    Join Date
    May 2016
    Location
    Guanaba, QLD
    Posts
    462
    Total Downloaded
    0
    That is beautiful!

    I always wanted to build a Stuart engine, but don't have that sort of disposable cash I'm afraid. I hope you post some video when it's done.

    I have a broken Mamod traction engine in my shed and I'll get around to fixing that up one day. (Retirement project?)

    Waiting to see where the tie rod ends fit


    Peter.

  6. #16
    Join Date
    Jul 2006
    Location
    Brisbane, Inner East.
    Posts
    11,178
    Total Downloaded
    0
    Quote Originally Posted by gromit View Post
    Did some more assembly tonight.

    First picture is a trial run to position the two bases so I can work out the spacing of the plinths. I'm using hardwood for the plinths & base but staining black, the base is only a way of presenting the engine so I don't want some outstanding grain in the timber being the focus of attention.
    I've seen a couple of Victoria Twins where they've created a tiled finish for the mounting, just as it would have been in a full size setting. I'd love to have the time & dedication to do this......
    Tomorrow night I'll trim the base to size, fix the plinths and finish stain. Then it needs a few coats of varnish to stop oil soaking in.

    Problem 1- I need to find a better set of BA spanners, currently using a magneto spanner set ! I have a Britool 2BA spanner I use on the Series Land Rovers but I'm now working with 7BA & 5BA.

    Problem 2- I need to get some tweezers. Sorting out countersunk 7BA screws 1/4" long taxes my patience......
    I also need to learn to work OVER the bench so when a 7BA nut is dropped it doesn't fall to the floor !!! Luckily I've found the couple I've dropped so far.

    Problem 3- I have to source some small bore copper pipe and a T-connector. Flanges are tapped 1/4" x 32 so 1/4" pipe should do with the thread directly cut on the end. I'll have to sort through the small ball valves I collected as I don't think I've seen a 1/4" one, mind you I'm thinking of machining up a brass block for the air supply so I could thread into that and put the ball valve on the inlet.
    There are also a few displacement lubricators so I should fit one of them to the inlet line.

    Second picture I've partly assembled the crosshead guide bars. I have to disassemble because I haven't installed any gland packing yet.
    Quite a few of the steel parts I've had to attack with emery then polish with a buffing wheel on a Dremel. Machining marks would spoil the finished engine. Some of the brass parts were leveled on emery and polished as well.
    Some parts seem fairly stiff but talking to the father-in-law this is fairly normal and you need to loosen everything off and run it in for some time on compressed air to get it to free off.

    While doing this tonight I had on in the background a Fred Dibnah video, an English 'National Treasure'.
    He was a steeplejack and in maybe the 70's a film was made of him at work, this became a series then you found that he was restoring a steam engine and had a steam powered workshop. He dropped industrial chimneys the old way, no explosives.
    Over the years there were many TV programs.
    Bit of a character and a self taught engineer. When he found he hadn't got long left he did a trip round the UK in his restored traction engine visiting all the places where parts of his engine had been made. I remember one of his comments "it's taken me 25 years and 3 marriages to restore this engine....".
    He received an OBE and turned up at Buckingham Palace in the steam engine when he collected it (he had to wash & change first). Can you imagine a traction engine in London traffic !
    Anyway, enough about Fred, I'm sure there's lots on YouTube etc. if you're interested.


    Colin
    1/4" x 32 is UNEF. No trouble sourcing taps, dies, fasteners for this. Much BA tooling is still available but expensive. The smaller they get the dearer they become. Suttons catalogue still shows BA taps and dies but I think any stock would be old and none made for years due to almost total lack of demand. Bruce Gardner of B.S.F. Bolts in Melbourne has BA taps, dies, fasteners. I never stocked them. Not enough demand to make stocking worthwhile. I left it all to Bruce.
    URSUSMAJOR

  7. #17
    Join Date
    Jan 1970
    Location
    Narre Warren South
    Posts
    6,314
    Total Downloaded
    0
    Quote Originally Posted by Pickles2 View Post
    Wow, Gromit, you have made GREAT progress in very little time, it looks really good.
    It was a fully machined kit so apart from making the plinth and sorting out the pipework it's only been a fitting & assembly job......

    Quote Originally Posted by Bigbjorn View Post
    1/4" x 32 is UNEF. No trouble sourcing taps, dies, fasteners for this. Much BA tooling is still available but expensive. The smaller they get the dearer they become. Suttons catalogue still shows BA taps and dies but I think any stock would be old and none made for years due to almost total lack of demand. Bruce Gardner of B.S.F. Bolts in Melbourne has BA taps, dies, fasteners. I never stocked them. Not enough demand to make stocking worthwhile. I left it all to Bruce.
    I have a set of ME taps & dies and also a BA set (from Tracy Tools in the UK). Purchased many, many years ago. Found a 1/4 x 32 die for the pipework in my toolmakers chest.
    The BA set has an 11BA tap which I'm unlikely to ever use.........


    Colin
    '56 Series 1 with homemade welder
    '65 Series IIa Dormobile
    '70 SIIa GS
    '76 SIII 88" (Isuzu C240)
    '81 SIII FFR
    '95 Defender Tanami
    '58 Series II (sold)
    Motorcycles :-
    Vincent Rapide, Panther M100, Norton BIG4, Electra & Navigator, Matchless G80C

  8. #18
    Join Date
    Jan 1970
    Location
    Narre Warren South
    Posts
    6,314
    Total Downloaded
    0
    Collected a steam boiler from the father-in-law so once run-in on compressed air it could end up running on steam. Only problem is no drain cocks on the cylinders but they could be added if I decide to strip it down at a later date.

    Someone is looking for a piece of brass for me so I can make the manifold for the globe valve. Whites in Clayton will have what I want but I'm not able to get there during the working week. I did drop into a scrap metal merchant yesterday and lots of brass strip, round & hex bar but nothing big enough for the manifold unfortunately.

    I'm in contact with an oil blender to get some steam oil, not needed if running on compressed air but if I get it onto steam......


    Colin
    '56 Series 1 with homemade welder
    '65 Series IIa Dormobile
    '70 SIIa GS
    '76 SIII 88" (Isuzu C240)
    '81 SIII FFR
    '95 Defender Tanami
    '58 Series II (sold)
    Motorcycles :-
    Vincent Rapide, Panther M100, Norton BIG4, Electra & Navigator, Matchless G80C

  9. #19
    Join Date
    Jan 1970
    Location
    Narre Warren South
    Posts
    6,314
    Total Downloaded
    0
    Couldn't find a suitable piece of brass so went to George White's in Clayton.
    1" X 1/2" bar 1" long. The bloke looked in the offcut bin, then went to the rack and took a bar to the cutoff saw. Came back, gave me the piece and told me to bugger off (with a big smile on his face).

    Machined, drilled & tapped the manifold. The globe valve is 5/16" X 40 and I had a tap, the inlet is 1/8" BSP ready for a pneumatic fitting.

    Just need some soldering, valve timing and final assembly and it's ready to test. I'll get the young bloke to upload a video once it's running.


    Colin
    Attached Images Attached Images
    '56 Series 1 with homemade welder
    '65 Series IIa Dormobile
    '70 SIIa GS
    '76 SIII 88" (Isuzu C240)
    '81 SIII FFR
    '95 Defender Tanami
    '58 Series II (sold)
    Motorcycles :-
    Vincent Rapide, Panther M100, Norton BIG4, Electra & Navigator, Matchless G80C

  10. #20
    Join Date
    Jul 2006
    Location
    Brisbane, Inner East.
    Posts
    11,178
    Total Downloaded
    0
    Quote Originally Posted by gromit View Post
    Couldn't find a suitable piece of brass so went to George White's in Clayton.
    1" X 1/2" bar 1" long. The bloke looked in the offcut bin, then went to the rack and took a bar to the cutoff saw. Came back, gave me the piece and told me to bugger off (with a big smile on his face).

    Machined, drilled & tapped the manifold. The globe valve is 5/16" X 40 and I had a tap, the inlet is 1/8" BSP ready for a pneumatic fitting.

    Just need some soldering, valve timing and final assembly and it's ready to test. I'll get the young bloke to upload a video once it's running.


    Colin
    5/16" x 40 tpi is Model Engineers Thread. A 55 degree BSW thread form devised by a committee about 1912. As far as I can tell ME never had a British Standard. Comes in 26, 32, 40 tpi. Taps and dies are still available from specialist suppliers but are quite, quite, expensive. The 1/4" x 32 mentioned earlier is also ME but an equivalent and much cheaper is UNEF if you are not fussy about the mismatch of the thread angles. The 26 tpi ME series is identical to British Standard Brass (BS. Many of these odd threads are available in US threads such as NEF and NS and some of the constant pitch series. For example 1/4" x 40 was used on the mixture needle of Schebler carbs. for decades and is readily available.
    URSUSMAJOR

Page 2 of 3 FirstFirst 123 LastLast

Tags for this Thread

Bookmarks

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •  
Search AULRO.com ONLY!
Search All the Web!