Author Topic: A portable steam engine  (Read 86023 times)

Offline Johnmcc69

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Re: A portable steam engine
« Reply #30 on: September 10, 2012, 03:36:12 AM »
Cool project Rich. I'm making notes to myself about some of the techniques used here.
I love your tailstock DRO, thats slick.

John

Offline Firebird

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Re: A portable steam engine
« Reply #31 on: September 10, 2012, 07:43:16 PM »
Hi

Thanks guys.

The tail stock DRO stems from a good while back when I only had the one digital calipre. Its designed to simply clamp in when needed without any mods to the calipre.

Dave, the press can be seen here

http://www.modelenginemaker.com/index.php/topic,275.0.html

Cheers

Rich

Offline Firebird

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Re: A portable steam engine
« Reply #32 on: September 13, 2012, 07:49:05 PM »
Hi

Just had time tonight to do a bit of silver soldering. First of all I put a few light centre punch marks on the valve chest to give a thou or two clearance between the parts. The machined recess was supposed to be for a spigot on the gland body to sit in but a change of plan did away with it.



After a coating of flux the gland body is placed in position using a short length of 1/8 stainless steel rod to line it up.



Then clamped.



Set up in the brazing hearth. You can just see 2 pieces of silver solder in place each side of the gland.



And finally the guide pin is pulled out



after silver soldering





It seems to have gone ok. Its in the pickle now for a clean up.

Cheers

Rich



Offline NickG

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Re: A portable steam engine
« Reply #33 on: September 13, 2012, 08:58:09 PM »
Looks spot on that silver soldering Rich  :ThumbsUp:

One question though, was there any particular reason you didn't turn the gland as part of the whole thing as you did the spiggot on the other end?

Cheer,

Nick

Offline Firebird

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Re: A portable steam engine
« Reply #34 on: September 13, 2012, 10:48:38 PM »
Hi Nick

Not enough forward planning I'm afraid. I was going to drill and tap the end of the steam chest and screw a gland in but because of the mods to accomodate the slide valve not enough material remained to do that (I still have to file some notches in the steam chest ends to clear the valve rod locking nuts). I have to thank Sandy C for coming up with this idea to save the day. I didn't fancy having to remake the steam chest as I doubted I could get all the stud holes to line up with the tapped holes in the cylinder. I'm making this up as I go along so I have to adapt here and there. I'm sure there will be more occasions where I have to adapt as well. If I make another of this type of engine I would include the gland as part of the steam chest. You live and learn but its all great fun.

Cheers

Rich

Offline zeeprogrammer

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Re: A portable steam engine
« Reply #35 on: September 13, 2012, 11:49:36 PM »
No doubt it will go well though.
Always nice work.
Carl (aka Zee) Will sometimes respond to 'hey' but never 'hey you'.
"To work. To work."
Zee-Another Thread Trasher.

Offline Firebird

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Re: A portable steam engine
« Reply #36 on: September 14, 2012, 08:18:00 PM »
Hi

Thanks Carl

After a clean up a trial assembly



Cheers

Rich

Offline smfr

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Re: A portable steam engine
« Reply #37 on: September 14, 2012, 09:34:32 PM »
That's looking really good!

Offline doubletop

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Re: A portable steam engine
« Reply #38 on: September 14, 2012, 10:36:20 PM »
Rich

That's looking very nice.

I was a bit worried about the sacrificial engineers clamp, they're never the same after a bit of heat. I wasn't happy with myself after I'd ruined one doing the same thing.

Pete
?To achieve anything in this game, you must be prepared to dabble on the boundary of disaster.? - Stirling Moss

Online steamer

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Re: A portable steam engine
« Reply #39 on: September 14, 2012, 11:56:21 PM »
Ditto!   but your stuff always looks great Rich!

 :NotWorthy: :NotWorthy: :NotWorthy: :NotWorthy:
"Mister M'Andrew, don't you think steam spoils romance at sea?"
Damned ijjit!

Offline NickG

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Re: A portable steam engine
« Reply #40 on: September 15, 2012, 11:28:41 AM »
Looks extremely neat Rich. Very nice.

Offline Firebird

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Re: A portable steam engine
« Reply #41 on: September 15, 2012, 12:35:49 PM »
Hi

Thanks guys.

The clamps were a real bargain, a set of 4 for ?10.00. I got them at a steam fair. I only use this set on the brazing hearth, they were so cheap I don't mind if they are sacrificial.

Cheers

Rich

Offline Jasonb

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Re: A portable steam engine
« Reply #42 on: September 15, 2012, 01:25:35 PM »
Its comming along well Rich.

Are you going to bring the exhaust out the top or drill a passage in from the front to meet the hole you have on the top of the cylinder then plug that hole?  As the exhaust really wants to run below the crank and into the chimney base to get the blast pipe in the right place.

J

Offline Firebird

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Re: A portable steam engine
« Reply #43 on: September 15, 2012, 08:37:47 PM »
Hi Jason

The pipe has to come out the top. I did look at ways of getting it out the front but there is either an inlet port, which is drilled at angle from the cylinder end, or a valve chest stud hole in the way. Although the brake cylinder is a good start and machines well I have to make some compromises with it. I will probably make an outlet connection along the lines of the inlet on the valve chest cover to keep the exhaust pipe as close to the cylinder as possible.

Cheers

Rich

Offline swilliams

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Re: A portable steam engine
« Reply #44 on: September 16, 2012, 01:36:43 AM »
Looking really good Rich

Steve

 

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