Author Topic: How are these parts made on the Original engine?  (Read 2908 times)

Offline geoff5269

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How are these parts made on the Original engine?
« on: January 08, 2017, 11:29:23 AM »
I am about to complete my model of Easton & Anderson Grasshopper which has a double beam with the pivots in-between the two beams but the plans don't show any fixings. Are they just a tight fit, if not they might rotate in the beam instead of in the bearings. Has any one an idea how these should be fixed.

Also an Engine like Lady Steffany has  a square pillar and then a platform and then a post toped off with the Entablature which in the model has long screws  from underneath the base which is quite a handful to put together and I can't imagine the original was like this. has anyone seen the original.
Geoff

Offline Jo

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Re: How are these parts made on the Original engine?
« Reply #1 on: January 08, 2017, 11:44:43 AM »
On mine the two spacers with nuts on the end clamp the beams against the pivots so they don't move.

The closest full sized engine to Lady S is the Dancer's end engine at Kew. On the full sized engine these would have been a one piece casting.

Jo
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Offline Jim Nic

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Re: How are these parts made on the Original engine?
« Reply #2 on: January 08, 2017, 02:38:02 PM »
When I built my Grasshopper I made sure the pivots didn't spin by putting a small dab of bearing retainer (not Loctite but like it) on one end during assembly.
Jim
The person who never made a mistake never made anything.

Offline IanR

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Re: How are these parts made on the Original engine?
« Reply #3 on: January 08, 2017, 12:59:26 PM »
I have a poor photo which seems to show a key in the pin. I'd upload it if I could work out how.

Offline Jasonb

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Re: How are these parts made on the Original engine?
« Reply #4 on: January 08, 2017, 01:39:51 PM »
As Jo says when teh spacer bolts (not nuts) are done up they clamp the beams against the flanges on teh other pivots so they don't move.

If you look closly you can see the bolt heads in the first pic and the nuts on the other side in the second pic. Though it is possible there were some pins from above.




Offline Jasonb

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Re: How are these parts made on the Original engine?
« Reply #5 on: January 08, 2017, 01:53:53 PM »
As for Lady Steph, you just left out a bit of brickwork so you could access the screws from below ;)

https://www.loc.gov/resource/hhh.pr0016.photos/?sp=2

On a more serious note the tank had the "column" bases cast in just by stepping out the casting and the actual columns start at the tank top and would have fitted onto the rim so easily accessed to get to any fixings from below by standing in the tank. The entablature would then have been lowered onto teh six columns

Offline steamer

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Re: How are these parts made on the Original engine?
« Reply #6 on: January 08, 2017, 02:27:21 PM »
Mystic Seaport "Steam Team" did a restoration of a 1903 river steam boat "Doctor Engine"   This engine is a small beam engine with pumps...very similar.

AS I recall, the pins were separate.    The column was hollow acted as the pressure dome which steadied the flow.   The base had the various water passages, and the items on the top inboard of the buckets are the flap valves.....easily gotten to.

<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l65AWkO5RiQ" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l65AWkO5RiQ</a>



Dave
« Last Edit: January 08, 2017, 02:33:53 PM by steamer »
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Offline Jasonb

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Re: How are these parts made on the Original engine?
« Reply #7 on: January 08, 2017, 04:16:00 PM »
This pic may make what I said about Lady Steph a bit clearer. Unlike the model the columns do not have square bases that go all the way down. The "base" of the column is just part of the coffer tank and the actual columns start from the inturned lip of the tank so easy to get at from below.


Offline geoff5269

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Re: How are these parts made on the Original engine?
« Reply #8 on: January 08, 2017, 08:27:22 PM »
Thanks Jason for the terrific pictures, it's much clearer now. How ornate for a machine working in a field, Makes me want to start again.
Of coarse this is what happens when a engine is scaled down for model making you can't keep all the detail.
Geoff

 

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