Author Topic: The Beeleigh Mill, Woolf compound engine.Maldon, Essex.  (Read 194152 times)

Offline steam guy willy

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Re: The Beeleigh Mill, Woolf compound engine.Maldon, Essex.
« Reply #915 on: July 30, 2018, 02:52:45 AM »
Hi Chris, the hurst is the local name for the corn milling machinery....Here are some pics. The bearing on the left of the last pic by the vertical bevel gear is the one in the last post
« Last Edit: July 30, 2018, 02:56:17 AM by steam guy willy »

Offline crueby

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Re: The Beeleigh Mill, Woolf compound engine.Maldon, Essex.
« Reply #916 on: July 30, 2018, 03:00:11 AM »
Quite a mechanism, those gears look to be in pretty decent shape. Do you have an overall diagram of the whole mill?


 :popcorn:

Offline steam guy willy

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Re: The Beeleigh Mill, Woolf compound engine.Maldon, Essex.
« Reply #917 on: July 31, 2018, 02:38:48 AM »
Hi Chris, I will get some pics and drawings together soon in the meantime here are a few.......Plan view....3 D image ..Boiler firing pit and rear of the building..

Willy

Offline crueby

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Re: The Beeleigh Mill, Woolf compound engine.Maldon, Essex.
« Reply #918 on: July 31, 2018, 03:34:39 AM »
Fantastic. You and John need to collaborate on a diorama.


What does the steam engine drive and what do the water wheels drive? Are both wheels on same shaft?

Offline steam guy willy

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Re: The Beeleigh Mill, Woolf compound engine.Maldon, Essex.
« Reply #919 on: November 18, 2018, 10:54:33 PM »
More restoration on the Beeleigh mill ...the pistons and  cylinder covers have been cleaned up and found to be in really serviceable condition. The covers and the stuffing box flange have a separate brass bush that may be found to be remade to cater for the reduced size of piston rod as it was skimmed down, being a bit rusty. so assembly soon...

Offline crueby

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Re: The Beeleigh Mill, Woolf compound engine.Maldon, Essex.
« Reply #920 on: November 18, 2018, 11:08:23 PM »
Great to see it progressing, those parts are in remarkable condition.

Offline 10KPete

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Re: The Beeleigh Mill, Woolf compound engine.Maldon, Essex.
« Reply #921 on: November 19, 2018, 02:29:25 AM »
That's some really nice iron to resist rusting like that!  I don't think I've ever seen iron that old, in a wet environment, that looked that good. The oil and grease used must have been wonderful....

Pete
Craftsman, Tinkerer, Curious Person.
Retired, finally!
SB 10K lathe, Benchmaster mill. And stuff.

Offline Ye-Ole Steam Dude

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Re: The Beeleigh Mill, Woolf compound engine.Maldon, Essex.
« Reply #922 on: November 19, 2018, 12:51:06 PM »
Hello Willy,

The brick on that building is beautiful and looks to be in good condition.

Have a great day,
Thomas
Thomas

Offline steam guy willy

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Re: The Beeleigh Mill, Woolf compound engine.Maldon, Essex.
« Reply #923 on: November 25, 2018, 04:32:54 PM »
Thanks for the comments.....the pistons are now inserted and the cylinder covers cleaned up.  there are new cylinders head bolts made and in place and you can see the skimmed piston rods all nice and shiny !!  Still lots to do and a decision about the painting is still to be made.!! Also some of the carburised gland packing from the 1875 fire !!

Offline crueby

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Re: The Beeleigh Mill, Woolf compound engine.Maldon, Essex.
« Reply #924 on: November 25, 2018, 07:09:07 PM »
Glad they are making progress, and those are the biggest square head bolts I've ever seen! Do they have a guestimate on when the restoration will be complete enough to turn the engine over, even if its by an outside electric motor? That will be a very happy day!

Offline steam guy willy

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Re: The Beeleigh Mill, Woolf compound engine.Maldon, Essex.
« Reply #925 on: December 16, 2018, 04:41:07 PM »
More work on the restoration.....they are cleaning up the HP steam chest.....removing 170 year old braided packing....and looking to mend the  main steam valve and the governor butterfly valve that broke on disassembly  !!??  !!!

Offline crueby

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Re: The Beeleigh Mill, Woolf compound engine.Maldon, Essex.
« Reply #926 on: December 16, 2018, 05:39:33 PM »
Great to see it being saved!  I take it you are taking more detail measurements as more comes apart, for the plans and history book you are going to write?

Offline steam guy willy

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Re: The Beeleigh Mill, Woolf compound engine.Maldon, Essex.
« Reply #927 on: January 13, 2019, 04:08:48 PM »
Hi Chris ,  yes that is being done slowly .....They have now affixed an electric motor Via a vehicle road wheel to turn the flywheel. This operates with some success although there are some tight spots. Looking forward to some cosmetic work being done !!! Also an image of the mill they have made !
Willy.

Offline crueby

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Re: The Beeleigh Mill, Woolf compound engine.Maldon, Essex.
« Reply #928 on: January 13, 2019, 05:00:27 PM »
So it went from water power to steam at some point?

Offline steam guy willy

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Re: The Beeleigh Mill, Woolf compound engine.Maldon, Essex.
« Reply #929 on: January 13, 2019, 05:22:34 PM »
Hi Chris yes ,it started off with water quite some time ago and then had the engine installed with its own set of stones about 1840. The mill then burnt down in 1875 and was never rebuilt....something to do with the Parliamentary corn laws ???

willy

 

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