Stuart Marine Engine castings.

[VANYA]

Can any members provide information on the availability of casting patterns for the various Stuart Steam engines, both marine and stationary.

Almost every steam modeller will know of Stuart steam engines, but when I have researched them on internet searches my impression is that there are very few suppliers of castings and even fewer sets of patterns that are sold or ever come up for sale.

It surprises me that such a popular series of engines over the last hundred or more years, and further more  in this modern age with CAD, 3D-Plastic printing methods that the availability of castings or CAD drawings do not appear to readily exist. It appears that even some engines are almost not even able to be built because the set of castings are not available.

Having been interested in building a small launch engine, of which I would prefer to power with a Stuart as the first prefered option ( not that I have anything against  a  Hasbrouck design) , I wish I could Scale a Stuart 5A down and have the castings poured. I really thought that this might have been done sometime in the past where a non standard size was desired.

Does anyone know if it is common for the Stuart engines to be cast, mostly the bigger ones I would have thought, by the builder or is this too big a task and not worthy of the effort? Is the design no able to be made or cast by anyone other than Stuart in the UK. Are the drawing copyrighted?? I just cannot work it out.

The main reason that I ask is that across from my work I have a foundary who make exceptionally high quality SG Cast Iron castings, so good that they are used in some Bentley cars and commercial compressors and I would really like to make an engine. I have a set of 5A casting made at this foundry from some supplied patterns for the pedestal, cylinder block and steam chest and they are very good quality, just too big for my needs at present.

Two questions:

1. Does the availability of casting sets discourage the model builder from making a Stuart engine of the size they wish?

2. Has any model maker out there transformed a Stuart 5A or #4  engine drawing into a 3-D CAD file for machining or casting,  let alone 3-D printing??

Any comments would be helpful.

Hayden

[Bogstandard]

Hayden,

You will find that no one produces third party Stuart castings or plans (except maybe thru the back door on the quiet), I have never come across any myself.

You can easily buy the plans from Stuart, or one of their agents, and make an engine from them yourself, by carving and fabricating it out of barstock. There is nothing illegal about doing that.

Not the sort of job I would like to do, but I have seen it done.


John

[VANYA]

John.

I have a set of Stuart 5A Drawings so if I ever have time I might just commit it to CAD then the 3D printer for fun.

To me it seems weird that in all the hundred or more years of steam there does not seem to have been many major names in steam engines, or at least ones that have survived through to these days., apart from Stuart.There must have been more. It seems that the models were either "toy" sizes designed for using in model boats or #5A and #6A for large marine applications.

This could be why Ray Hasbrouck decided to design his barstock engines, just could not be bothered making patterns which might figure. Guess it is just different now were there are thousands of choices of everything, sometimes making it difficult to choice between them apart from colour alone.

Just wishing there was a Stuart 4.5A




Hayden

[steamer]

The good thing about Ray's designs is that they were designed to not need a casting.   This avoids teh core shift issues often associated with cast engines.   Additionally, Ray's engines were designed to WORK HARD....something most Stuarts have trouble with bearings with ....

Dave

[Jasonb]

If you want a scaled down 5A why not go for a No 4 which is available or if you want to go smaller the 10V is the same basic trunk guide layout.

Or as Bogs has said they are not exactly complex shapes so easily fabricated to whatever size you like, have a look at this site to see whats possible.

http://modelengines.info/goldeng/

With castings being readily available there is not much of a finantial advantage to making your own patterns, having them cast etc which is why most people buy the castings. Stuart designs and drawings are still all copywrite so you could only make patterns for your own use.

As for saying there are no other marine engine about then look at Reeves who have several in both model and working sizes, Camden do the Leake design, Steam boat association can provide castings for several engines, Clarkson will soon be available again via Blackgates, I think Winters have a couple, PMR a few small ones, Brunell a few, I could go on.

J

[Bogstandard]

Another thing about Stuart Castings, even though they have recently been taken over by the company that did their castings, is that the quality has gone downhill ever since the original company was sold way back when.

They seem to be more interested in making larger profits than giving quality any more.

This has been going on for a fair few years now, and people have been giving me earache over the lack of GOOD quality castings from the famous name, the major issue seems to be undersized castings.

I personally think the problem lies in two issues, the first being worn out patterns, and so maybe the use of castings being used as a pattern, and this would make them undersized. The other is the closure of a lot of the small back street foundries, nowadays, they seem to be larger affairs, and don't like doing small runs, so model engine castings and the like get done as 'end of day jobs', resulting in lots of inclusions, blow holes and chilled castings.

John

[VANYA]

I don't want to worry Dave aka Steamer as we have been discussing the Hasbroucks and decided what to make now for the small steamer. I can see the advantage in non casting engines anyway so will not pursue the ST,s for now. Certainly easier to scale.

In the future I might try something out of left field but for now.. i'll stay on the known track and follow my directions from more knowledgable members.

Hayden

[steamer]

Ah  Hayden ....you can run what ever you like.     

Dave

[VANYA]

Dave,

Hasbrouck for me for now.

I think it would be a good exercise to make some patterns at some stage, then I can really say I have built an engine from scratch! One thing at a time for now though.

Hayden