'WIDE A WAKE' a steam launch tale

[Ramon Wilson]

Morning guys, thanks for your comments as usual 

Well Eric it's wall to wall sunshine out here so I guess you'll have to sit tight a mite longer mate - but it won't be much longer 

John B - Nice to see you're still looking in - hope you are keeping well.

Chris and George - thanks for the info on the servo saver - I shall make something on that lines once it's all installed.
George - I noticed yesterday  that there seems to be a 'sweet spot' just before full travel when the oscillation is virtually nil. I shall be using a high torque servo and will make a slotted arm so that I can get the total travel exactly right. Coupled with adjustment on the servo itself (EPA) It should prove possible to arrive in that position at full servo travel.

The steam chests were made from solid and when I drew them out the top guide was over looked  . I did think about fitting an insert when machining them but decided to go as is for now.  Hope you are feeling better George and making steady improvement

Don and Bill - 

Well I can feel the lure of the soil  but first I need my breakfast - enjoy your day too 


Regards - Ramon

[sco]

Still following quietly - enjoy the sunshine, best wishes,

Simon.

[K.B.C]

Hi Ramon,

Thanks for asking after my health, both legs are working quite well but the Sciatica has left my right thigh with the strangest nerve tingle, not painfull but constantly there.
I am just annoyed that with all this good weather I am unable to get out on the bike.

The valve rod without the guide at the top won't be a problem, with hole in the Packing gland and the hole in the bottom of the steam chest is sufficiant enough to keep the rod straight.

Quote from P 37 Post no 541.

I have made the eccentrics without a boss and independent of each other. They will be held by a grub-screw too with access through the strap - the holes you can see are to pass the key through and will double up as oil points. I'm waiting on a 9/32 reamer before I can finish them.

I have made several other engines with the eccentrics having the raised up stand but always with a boss for the grup screw, I an struggling to figure out how you time the valve.
I know you are going down thro' the oil hole to fix the grub screw into the eccentric and on to the shaft but how can you turn the eccentric without moving the strap ? as the Allen key will turn both at the same time and to get the adjustment you need to move the eccentric while the strap is stationary, or am I missing something.

I am at present now able to have a short time in the work shop and I am machining up a set of SCORE castings that I bought part machined on e-bay, one of the holes in the steam chest was out of line with the bottom hole with the packing gland, after trying to blug the hole with a brass rod to no effect, I then tried filling the hole with chemical metal and after leaving 24 hrs to cure when drilling thro' using the bottom hole as a guide the drill still followed the old hole in the casting so I had no alternative but to bore out both steam chests and make an insert on both to take the valve rod.
Unfortunately I couldn't do as you have done leaving the valve rod without the top support hole as the previus owner had drilled the hole in the bottom of the steam chest 9/64" dia instead of 1/8 reamed so hence the need for the top hole support.

George.

[Ramon Wilson]

Hi Simon - nice to hear from you  hope you and Wendy are keeping well.

George - Glad to hear that things have eased on the Sciatica front.

Re the method of holding the eccentrics and changing position. You are right of course that the key prevents the eccentric from moving relative to the strap but not of course to the crankshaft. Though my experience is limited I just looked at it from being able to set the eccentric in the right position relative to the crank web and sorting the valve out after - it certainly worked like that yesterday.  The screw was eased, the crank gently rotated and the screw locked. The valve was then reset.

Glad to hear you are now able to get back in the workshop for a time - I know that's something I would really miss were the situation to arise. Good luck with the Score despite those errors - if it comes out as well as that last D10 you did then you will have another fine engine under your belt 

It's an early night for me tonight - plumb wore myself out today  - If there's one area where I begin to feel my age it's in the garden

Regards - Ramon

[Ramon Wilson]

Hi guys, a small update at last, it's been a busy few days with one or three distractions 


It's a bit later than anticipated but the engine is ready to fit into the boat (well not quite as you will see) I finished off the lagging of the inlet pipe today so here it is ready to fit, just the regulator and piping to the boiler to do



I made a small fixture for holding the flanges at the correct distance whilst silver soldering - this is post soldering on the exhaust, the holes for the inlet next to it - it worked very well 


Though it's a bit 'overscale' the original Stuart Turner displacement oiler bought in 1972 finally gets to see some work. It will be interesting to see how well it does in this position which is about the best solution I could find.


The exhaust will down feed into an oil collector/'condensor' the size and fitting of which is still as yet to be decided upon. Any thoughts Derek/George?


The copper wire in lieu of split pins will be replaced with the correct item in due course.


That's it then, the third phase more or less complete. It runs very smoothly and ticks over incredibly slowly on a mere whiff of air. However, before you start clamouring for a video    I should point out that having taken some this evening it's really not very suitable so I'll have do it again at some stage. Whilst running the engine for that though a very slight tapping type knock developed which the video accentuates. At first it appeared untraceable though eventually I suspected one of the eccentric rods being a gnats overlong. Finally however after a lot of 'try and see' I'm pretty sure it is the result of using those original big ends which aren't quite as good a fit as I first thought.

So next up will be to renew those, make a regulator and turn attention to the two pumps and a gas regulator. Right at this point though I have to take a short break to attend to something else for a few weeks. If all goes to plan however it should see a September launching  - perhaps I should add, hopefully this year and not next 

Regards - Ramon

[b.lindsey]

It really turned out to be a beautiful engine Ramon. Looking forward to seeing in mounted it the launch and under steam. Most impressive I must say!!

Bill

[Robert Hornby]

Lovely work Ramon, looking forward to seeing it fitted into the launch. http://www.modelenginemaker.com/Smileys/default/ThumbsUp.gif

[Don1966]

Beautifully done Ramon the engine looks a treat my friend and great details. Very anxiously waiting for the video...........


Don

[zeeprogrammer]

however it should see a September launching

Argh. You're asking a lot for that kind of patience.

But I'm in.

Just do me a favor and remind me when it comes time. 

[Dave Otto]

Very nice Ramon,

Among other things I like the extra hardware on the steam chest and cylinder covers; it makes is look so much more like it's full sized counterpart.

Dave
 

[derekwarner]

Yes Ramon,.....certainly the factor of safety will not be compromised with the bolted elements in the valve or cylinder covers 

With respect to the de-oiler, I should really desist to the experience of George [Thompson] or his fellow Countryman Sandy [Campbell]

Many years ago, Sandy produced my boiler & de-oiler and from memory our discussions centred around a nominal 1/10 actual volume ratio between the de-oilier to the boiler and also the de-oiler internal construction to create a swirling action

Naturally also of keeping with full size attributes in the exhaust piping as short as possible with smooth bends as opposed to 90 degree fittings ....lagging the model exhaust pipe spools from the engine to the de-oiler will technically assist as will also look the part 

Derek

[10KPete]

Very nice Ramon,

Among other things I like the extra hardware on the steam chest and cylinder covers; it makes is look so much more like it's full sized counterpart.

Dave

My thoughts exactly! That is something that is lacking on many models....

Pete

[Steamer5]

Hi Ramon,
 The engine is looking good, like Zee hanging out to see it in the boat & her steaming around.

A couple of years back I had the pleasure of looking at this one......a teaser maybe?

Cheers Kerrin

[K.B.C]

Hi Ramon,

The engine looks really great, but contrary to all others I think that you have over killed the bolt holes on the steam chest , 4- up x 3- across would look better and more to scale, if I can suggest that if the bolts are 7 b.a. that you take some 8 b.a. nuts and tap them 7 b.a.

I do like your idea of the grub screws in the eccentrics and will try that out next time that I do a twin with reverse.
Your workmanship throught the build has been superbe and it's an inspiration for me to try harder in my machining work.

Here is a sketch of an oil seperator / boiler feed water heater  using the exhaust steam to heat the boiler feed, at the end of the day all you require to empty the tank is to shut off the exhaust to the funnel and open the bottom drain, run the engine and it will pump out any oil collected in the tank, you can make itVertical or Horizontal using 5/32" dia pipe.
With the online lubricator that you have fitted all that is required is that you open the needle valve just a crack  and if the exhaust condensate is a milky colour that is all that's required.

Derek,
There is no "P" in Thomson, just for future ref.

George.

[DTR]

Beautiful work, Ramon