'WIDE A WAKE' a steam launch tale

[Ramon Wilson]

Hi Simon, No, for once this is the test piece  . If it proves to be ineffective then I'll have to machine a head from solid.

The manufacture states it withstands heat to 550 F and has a tensile strength of 3960 psi. Whether either of these will reduce as the temp increases I have no idea. However many years ago I patched a blowhole in a cylinder when building a Stuart Twin Victoria. I used a similar product - Loctite 'Metal-Set'.
That engine ran on steam (dried but not superheated) at shows for many years without deterioration and that was in direct contact with the steam itself- this isn't the case here.

Thanks for the thought though - hope you and Wendy are well

Regards - Ramon

[Nick_G]

.
I am quite new to this forum and this is the first time I have seen this thread.

I am stunned by your range of skills and abilities. 

Nick 

[Ramon Wilson]

Hi Nick Thanks for looking in - hope you enjoy the remainder of the journey.

Well the 'plastic bench' is clean and tidy and everything put away for a while at least. I confess my interest in that direction grows at the expense of interest in model engineering projects but I shall try to see this through to the finish and on the water this year.

Work kicked off then in machining the steam chests to finish size except turning the valve rod gland housing (no pics). Attention then turned to the cylinder head. Now well cured it doesn't look particularly aesthetic at first glance ...


.... but a quick whizz with a rotary burr in a Dremel type power tool soon improved matters. It still looks a bit heavy here so a coat of primer was sprayed on to highlight the areas.


After another whizz with the 'Dremel' and another coat of primer it was ready to machine.


It was finish milled all over using a 6mm FC3 cutter, the last face being the lower one, and the head left in situ in the vise to ensure  the bores are nice and square to it. This cheap little boring head performs very well - only draw back is the lack of power feed 


That's the state of play as to the first day - I began to strip the engine down ready for stripping all the paint off and starting again -
here's a last look at it in it's current condition.


Well that's it for today - postings should be a bit more regular than of late  - Thanks for looking in

Regards - Ramon

[Don1966]

That really turned out great Ramon and with the primer coat, one would never know. As usual it's great to see progress my friend.....

Don 

[b.lindsey]

Very nice Ramon. Looks just like a casting!!

Bill

[Jasonb]

Ramon as this is a working engine will you not be lagging and cleading the cylinder? though its nice to know it looks good underneath

[Ramon Wilson]

Hi Don, Bill and Jason - thanks for sticking with it 

Jason - my intention is to clad it with wood strip lagging but as you say it's still got to look right eh 

No pics tonight but a good day on the block with the bores finished and various holes drilled and tapped (about halfway).

Stripped  the engine down to find very worn big end bearings which may possibly have to be remade. I was intending to make new steel con-rods and incorporate the big end portion from the original gunmetal rods but I think it may be better to make fresh ones. The good news is that the crank and main bearings are sound turning over very smoothly but with no free movement

The base and standards are soaking in cellulose thinner to remove the paint so once repainted the build up can begin.

Apologies for the lack of pics - perhaps tomorrow

Regards - Ramon

[b.lindsey]

Apologies for the lack of pics - perhaps tomorrow

Yeah we wouldn't want to be confusing you with Zee   

Bill

[derekwarner]

Ramon.....I have been with you again since the recommencement a few weeks back....

That JB Weld epoxy has good compressive strength, its mechanical properties virtually unaffected at the temperatures it will be exposed to here [140 degrees C?], however suffers terribly in tension in its bond strength to the parent material

So the thing that I am unsure of is those 8BA countersunk screws  securing the end plates ....

Having said this, I do understand the forces we are talking about are say 3Bar over the small port size drillings of 3.2? diameter

Derek

[Ramon Wilson]

Yeah we wouldn't want to be confusing you with Zee   

No chance there Bill I don't have a TuTu 

Derek - Thanks for your continued interest and input in this project - much appreciated. As I said to Simon this is a test piece. Though I am pretty confident that this will work out okay it's not based on anything scientific (save the JB specs) but more on previous usage of something similar. When you say parent metal are you thinking specifically CI as previous experience with it on steel has shown what I would consider exceptional adhesion

Those 8BA screws were not considered until the last moment and only then for holding the end blocks in position as the JBW cured. The top and lower plates are in actual fact clamped to the cylinder ends by the cylinder covers/bolts but, as designed, nothing was holding the end blocks in save JBW. I had decided when assembling it, though as yet not done so, to drill for two dowels in similar positions as the screws through the top face. Once in I think that should be sufficient to hold then end blocks against any possible pressure.

Boiler pressure is 60 psi which is 307F so well below the upper limit of 500F of JBW. The steam is going through a dryer so some increase is obvious but in all probability will have dropped again by the time it reaches the cylinder. 

How it will all work out remains to be seen - 'proof' and 'pudding' springs to mind 

More holes in this morning all looking good so far

Regards - Ramon

[Ramon Wilson]

Hi Guys

Just a quick update - the head is now finished and has taken less time than envisaged. I was able to utilise the lower plates from the original which helped a bit I guess. The steam chest still require the gland housing turning but I shan't do that until I've made the glands so that they can be drilled and reamed in situ.


There are a few more holes than the original to give it a little more 'scale' - one heart stopping moment this afternoon when taking out the bottom of the threads with a carbon tap but fortunately there was just enough left to get hold of and it came out with ease - phew 

The end angles were machined by setting it against an angle plate on a bar set at the right angle. Repeatability was good - unfortunately the pics I took were all totally blurred - must have been on the wrong setting 

Anyway here's it's first assembly.....


..... and set up on the stripped and fettled standards.


I feel that's a good start for the first week back - lot's to do though.

Regards - Ramon

[Don1966]

Looks great Ramon and I can say it really looks the cast part. The family shot shows it off great........

Don 

[cwelkie]

Nicely done parts Ramon!
Between you and Jason the pair of you will put the foundries out of business.
Charlie

[crueby]

Great way to build up the block! Looks fantastic, just like one big casting. Have to remember that technique.

[fumopuc]

Hi Ramon, good to see you back at it. I like this way of parts fabrication. I will watch every further progress.