Stuart Beam Engine in Diorama

[Kim]

Gorgeous John!  Your engine is beautiful. Yes, those extra efforts do add significantly to the overall look of your beam!
And as always, very nice picture.
Kim

[Jasonb]

Looks good John.

You need to remember that this is a model of a small beam engine, only a 7ft flywheel so it is never going to run at the sort of speeds that a large pumping beam engine would have run at particularly with no load.

[J.L.]

Thanks all for your kind words and encouragement throughout the engine's construction.

The second half of the project has been anticipated for quite some time. I look forward now to some moel making with some softer material and less demanding tolerences.

Hi Jason,
Point taken. I've heard that model engines always prefer a load to make them work properly (and steam!).

Our beam will have not only slow startup motion for the benefit of video work, but an option of much faster motion as well.

I am designing a power friction drive system for the flywheel, but will let that design gel as the engine house is being made.

You are right. This is a small engine with only a seven foot flywheel, so I don't want the house to overpower it.
   
Cheers...John

[steam guy willy]

Hi Steam Guy Willy,
You are right. Having that extra boss material 'outside' the width of the sleeve lets you rotate and adjust the sheeve so nicely. That's what Sturart planned as you can see in the first photo.

But when a governor is introduced that extra material is lost. The grub screw ends up in the sheeve. The second photo shows what has to be done to get at it! This is awkward, if you have things hooked up and want to make fine adjustments. You just hope the grub screw is visible when you take off the back of the strap!


Hi, A lovely engine and one is always at liberty to change some of the parts and castings to make it look more authentic. I do have a large pile of redundant castings that might be the basis for a hybrid !! A bit like that motor car in the Johhny Cash song.!!. Having the sheave and strap that way round actually gives you more 'meat' for the grub screw !! but is it a bit awkward drilling the hole for the grub screw ?

[/quote]

[wagnmkr]

Gorgeous is all I can say. It is so nice to see the engine finished and not still sitting under my bench.

It will be even better with it's wee house as well.

Tom

[J.L.]

Thanks Tom,
You made all of this possible.

Now our attention can go back to the engine house. A window will be added to the west wall. It is good to be able to go back now to the mock-up and determine these changes.

I think that when coming down the stairs a bit of light would be welcomed. It would also give some feeling of openness  by being able to look outside as you came down.

The window is rectangular being 2ft. wide by 4 1/2 ft. high. But on the ouside, it will have a circular top halfway into the wall. If the window was circular all the way through., it would interfere with beamwork along the inner wall.

[wagnmkr]

 

[NickG]

Engine looks superb


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[J.L.]

Let there be light!
Thanks Nick.
John

[J.L.]

Call in the masons...

[b.lindsey]

Still following along and admiring John. 

Bill

[J.L.]

Thanks Bill.

The west wall of the engine house has been interesting to buid with its window and interior courses of capped brick.

[ddmckee54]

The exterior of the west wall going to be brick and stone I assume?  If you do a brick arch over the window it's going to be interesting to see how you do it.  I would imagine a brick arch would involve individually trimming a lot of itty-bitty bricks.

Don

[J.L.]

Hi Don,

I don't concentrate much on exterior wall veneer treatments. I guess we woud call my treatment today 'stucco' (photo 1). Not exactly historically correct to the time. I just could not afford the brick to veneer the external faces of my builds.  But I do know about your vision of radiating bricks around an arch- perhaps even with a keystone.

Here is a simple early arrangement of brickwork around Victoria's base (photo 2).

[J.L.]

Earlier constrution photos showed the method of constructing a groove to house a sliding wall section that could be removed to access the engine' lubricator.

Here are some shots of its construction. I lucked out by finding styrene strips that were white through and through. Muntins and mullions had to be placed on both sides of the window.