The Hedley beam engine Cambridge.

[tvoght]

I am watching Willy. I agree with others that this is a most attractive engine.

--Tim

[steam guy willy]

The base is now prepared with column lugs and main bearing lug attached and all the openings drilled and filed to shape...........also lots of filing practice evident !.

[steam guy willy]

More on the base, making the lower part with the ogee moulding

[steam guy willy]

The outside of the base,base is now sawn and filed to shape and i will saw out the inside later as the base is cast thinner on the inside. The saw used is quite an old one and uses standard length junior hacksaw blades,after knocking out the end pins. It has two positions of blade allingement and can be tightend up quite firmly. I don't know who mr Tewksbury was but there is a place. It looks like a production item to me ,and there are quite a few about i should think. I have to work out how i am going to file the round edges of this plate now as it is very visible and needs to be done quite accuratly to look good

[steam guy willy]

The base base has now been filed to the ogee shape and the parts reassembled. When filing the curve the file is used in a rocking motion, not over and down but over and up. this actually gives a nice curved edge !

[sbwhart]

Hi Wilbert

I've only just picked up this thread, and I must say the engine has some beautiful architectural detail and will make a wonderful model. And it would make a great article for Model Engineer so please forgive me if I correct your statement :-

   

SGWilly - will you be posting/selling/etc plans for this engine when you are done? Looks like a great design.

I was thinking of writing a series for the Model Engineer mag, but they retain the copywrite of any articles published so i may just put all the drawings on this site to let anybody else make the model. it will come under the creative common type netwok as i am altruistic in my Phsyche ? any way information should be free etc etc etc.I am also having to guess at the internals of this engine as i cannot take it apat,which is all part of the fun. Hope this answers your questions. At the moment it is looking like a bar stock build so no castings will be available.
Regards
Willbert
[/quote]

Model engineer do not hold the copyright, they have 'first publishing' rights but the author is free to do whatever he likes with them. Unless ME come to some sort of arrangement to buy them at the end of the article otherwise you are free to give the drawings away if you wish. Just to make sure I have checked this point with the editor.

I think I should also declare that I do some free lance work for ME as a technical advisor, I've also had quite a few of my models published in model engineer after first doing a build log on this and other Forums, this hasn't stopped me passing on my drawings to any one who askes for them.

So I hope you will reconsider your idea about submitting an article, I am sure the editor would give it serious consideration.

Regards

Stew-Hart

[ths]

Good words from Stew, worth consideration. Back to the model, the filing is very exact, the curves are even and join beautifully in the corners. Painstaking work...makes me want to file something! Actually, I did sharpen a woodworking saw with a file today, it cuts and everything now! Cheers, Hugh.

[steam guy willy]

Thanks for the comments and info Stew, will see what happens towards the end of the build.......I will be visiting the Beeleigh engine for more measurement and photo taking and will also take an endoscope with me to peer down the passages to see where they go eggsactly on Easter Tuesday......I can then start on the build for that as well and this will also be a bar stock engine.

[steam guy willy]

The crankshaft bearings are started on with modified drawings to suit available bar stock ,and ,latest car boot sale find ....a multi adjustable vice of  £7

[steam guy willy]

The bearing blocks are now sawn out, filed up and the bolting down parts silver solderd in place. The brass bearing will be made next and the steel part  pickled to clean it up, there is also a keep plate at the bottom to align the bearings to stop them turning. I have not seen this before.

[steam guy willy]

Photo showing the main bearings used in this engine .The casting was made to accommodate a different type of bearing block but they have used this one instead and have 'modified' the base casting somewhat !! Also the two speed govenor pulleys, and the washer for the nuts with a bit missing !! should i replicate this ? !!

[ths]

I wonder if the bit missing on the washer was to allow such a washer to fit the round section of the bearing block, or at least a bearing block of a smaller size.  This might mean that things have been replaced over its lifetime, including the bearing block itself, which may explain why it's sitting on that extra seat. So, is the model of the engine as it is, or as it might have been?

I think you should replicate the two speed governor pulleys, they would most probably be original.

Cheers, Hugh.

[steam guy willy]

The main bearing is done with the brass bearing, and keep plate, when it is painted over it will look ok. The proper washers and nuts will be made in due course when i see how many will be needed..........work for the Pultra...........I may replicate that washer as when people see it they will assume that it is  correct to prototype!!

[steam guy willy]

The base is ready to be milled out to thin the "casting" as per prototype. The overall thickness is 1.625" and the inside is about .75" so the base will be milled locally using the cut out bottom part as a guide. the milling will be done by hand, and as it will not be seen it will look fine. Also the "nuts" on the Beam bearing are quite unusual !!

[peatoluser]

A nice piece of 'hand' milling willy. I think for an unimportant  profile, sometimes drills and files are quite acceptable and saves the hassle of trying to set up awkward profiles on the mill.

I wonder if the nuts have only two flats so they can easily be identified as the beam nuts? they do look deeper than the others.
either that or they where one offs and they couldn't be bothered to machine all the flats on the round bar!
even with two flats there's still plenty of room to swing a spanner

yours

peter