Author Topic: Triple Orphans  (Read 214796 times)

Offline Jo

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Triple Orphans
« on: September 25, 2015, 06:14:48 PM »
A tale of three two or maybe only one engine  :-\



Engine number One:

In 1992 we were exhibiting at the Brighton model world exhibition. I had recently acquired a set of Stuart No 10 castings with a broken stand (£5 :naughty: ) and had laid it out on a board so people could see the sort of thing we make our engines out of. As one does  ::) I felt the need to go and look for the bargains. All the club/trade stands were upstairs but down stairs were a couple of traders who hardly anyone had noticed… On this stand selling paint (so it could have been Precision Paints) there was this cardboard box with £20 written on it with some Iron castings in it. I had a look  :whoohoo: it was a part set of Stuart castings for their triple. Ok no drawings and no bronze bits  :-\



Castings in hand they were taken up stairs and added to our display table  when Lady luck walked by again and a very nice gentleman saw the broken stand on my 10V and we got chatting. The long and short was he had a spare stand for the 10V and the drawings for the triple which he would lend me :pinkelephant:

On closer inspection the Iron Castings were short of the two valve chests and covers  :( There they sat in the back of the casting cupboards for many a year, every now and then coming out for a fondle  :)

Jo
« Last Edit: March 06, 2019, 09:20:32 PM by Jo »
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Offline Jo

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Re: Triple Orphans
« Reply #1 on: September 25, 2015, 06:16:57 PM »
Engine number two:

Some of you will remember me from my days on the MECH. In Jan 2011 one of the members Adrian Parker had been asked to sell a gentleman’s casting collection to fund his medical care  :'( In amongst many nice stationary engines and a set of Superba castings  ;) was a part set of triple castings.

Adrian and I exchanged a couple of Emails and we agreed on £1 per casting including delivery from Italy. In May the courier (Adrian and his brother Dave  :mischief:) dropped off these:



So two orphans together could make one whole engine :whoohoo:

Jo
« Last Edit: March 06, 2019, 09:14:24 PM by Jo »
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Offline Jo

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Re: Triple Orphans
« Reply #2 on: September 25, 2015, 06:24:05 PM »
Number three



I wonder what story these engine parts would tell if they could speak, I suspect it would go something along the lines of :-

“Many years ago someone was inspired to build a steam engine, not any old steam engine but something really special a triple expansion engine. So he brought an expensive set of castings from a company called Stuarts.  Sadly no one warned him that it is not a beginner’s engine. So he started making bits on his lathe and using his hand files (as he did not own a milling machine they were luxury items back in those days). There were so many pieces that had to be the same but that wasn’t easy… one thing led to another and in the end he lost heart and put them away in the box on the shelf in the workshop.

When the family was being helped by Dad’s friend to clear his workshop the box was lifted down and the parts of the engine found again. They told the friend tales of how this was Dad’s pride and joy they can remember him showing them each piece when he made it but then it went quiet and they had not seen anything of it for years.  Remembering his friend’s passion for the engine so he offered to take it on and finish it.

Getting it home he realised that it would have to wait in line, behind that locomotive and all the other things he was building.  So again the box was sat on a shelf, the drawings were lost, until it was in turn passed on a few more times. Along the way each new owner had a little play, a little fiddle adding more unique features until in the end it remained sat in the box in the drawer for over a decade.”


That was until its last owner asked for an opinion: We agreed that it was not good enough to be sold on, at best it is has the potential for salvage. As I already have one to make I will be making up all the jigs, setting up the machines maybe I could save it….  And you all know I am a sucker for Orphans  :shrug:  :toilet_claw:

Jo
« Last Edit: March 06, 2019, 09:18:08 PM by Jo »
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Offline Jasonb

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Re: Triple Orphans
« Reply #3 on: September 25, 2015, 06:28:50 PM »
I shall look forward to following the development of your Triplets Jo even though one does seem to have quite a handicap.

J

PS I wonder what happened to those Superba castings :)

Offline Jo

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Re: Triple Orphans
« Reply #4 on: September 25, 2015, 06:46:19 PM »
even though one does seem to have quite a handicap.

 :-[ Yes lucky 3 is riddled with challenges a few examples I have found so far:

The base was machined without trying to centre things so the column holes are not equally spaced, neither are the bearing stud holes, if you look at where the clamp goes on top of the bearing you can see that the surface is flat on one side and profiled on the other. The holes have been made oval to match the oval holes in the cylinder mounts  :facepalm2:

The columns are each a different length.

The eccentrics and rods  :Doh: I had never seen eccentric straps cut on the slant before. The holes for the pins are not central and the forks  :( Not sure about the sheaves until they come apart.

The connecting rods are a little rough (I have been told Stuarts are stingy with their material  :ShakeHead:) The bearings where the bolts go through are a bit thin.

The flanges on either sides of the cross heads are not even  :headscratch: Which could imply all sorts of problems.



And to think this was once someone's bundle of joy  :paranoia:

Jo
« Last Edit: November 08, 2015, 08:35:49 PM by Jo »
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Offline Stuart

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Re: Triple Orphans
« Reply #5 on: September 25, 2015, 06:58:57 PM »
This looks like a lot of fun , plugging up holes regaining correct positions , but when done they will be things of beauty

Jo I have confidence that you will succeed , got a supply of popcorn and coffee in for the journey


Have fun , I am sure Mr Silky and Mr Sexy will be up to the chalange

Stuart
My aim is for a accurate part with a good finish

Offline Jo

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Re: Triple Orphans
« Reply #6 on: September 26, 2015, 06:45:09 AM »
The good  :)

The bad  :(

And the ugly: that will need sorting out  :facepalm:

Jo
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Offline Jasonb

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Re: Triple Orphans
« Reply #7 on: September 26, 2015, 07:18:46 AM »
The good pile looks a bit small :(

Are you assuming the pistons have been drilled and tapped true and concentric to the outside :thinking: and that they will still fit if the cylinders need reboring and Honing ;)

Offline Jo

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Re: Triple Orphans
« Reply #8 on: September 26, 2015, 09:13:37 AM »
The pistons were a bit rough running up and down on those old piston rods probably something to do with someone squirting oil down the valve ports and pushing some of the remaining sand into the bore  :Doh: And the CI is also a bit coarse so a quick hone would probably be useful when I get there.

The bits for this last engine are now de-gunged and overall as long as I don't try reusing anything out of that bag  :hellno: I think Lucky 3 may yet come to life.


For now both of them will have to wait as some points turned up yesterday  :whoohoo:

Jo
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Offline Roger B

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Re: Triple Orphans
« Reply #9 on: September 26, 2015, 09:30:39 AM »
Some interesting challenges  ::)  :ThumbsUp:

Points? railway, ignition or other?
Best regards

Roger

Offline Jo

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Re: Triple Orphans
« Reply #10 on: September 26, 2015, 10:03:15 AM »
Thanks Roger,

Points? railway, ignition or other?

They are for Kitti and Kiwi :)

Jo
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Offline sshire

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Re: Triple Orphans
« Reply #11 on: September 26, 2015, 12:33:13 PM »
 As if building one from untouched castings isn't enough, the "fixes" look to be quite fascinating. Looking forward to that.
It seems that slitting the eccentric caps on that angle must have required some thought.  ;D
Best,
Stan

Offline Jo

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Re: Triple Orphans
« Reply #12 on: September 30, 2015, 07:48:27 AM »
I've started going through the drawings for these engines. I have access to a number of sets of drawings and in places the dimensions are different   :thinking:

I am going to start up with the rash assumption that the later measurements are the correct ones  ;) 

Jo
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Offline Stuart

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Re: Triple Orphans
« Reply #13 on: September 30, 2015, 08:01:12 AM »
Jo

You know what assume does 😈

Do not assume a drawing until it is proven , I have a set one the drawings in part are drawn in a strange format called unasembleium (tm)

Good luck with the conundrum


Stuart
My aim is for a accurate part with a good finish

Offline Jasonb

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Re: Triple Orphans
« Reply #14 on: September 30, 2015, 08:16:14 AM »
Its possible the drawings were altered to suit smaller castings, if your castings are old they may have had a bit more meat on them.

Only safe way will be to draw it all out in Cubify, you can then also incorporate any adjustments that may be needed to recover those butchered castings eg increased bore, longer standards if the base needs a skim, etc

 

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