The "Little Pearl" Single Cylinder Marine Engine

[zeeprogrammer]

Looks like I've missed a lot of fun here.
Very nice fasteners!

[b.lindsey]

Thanks Chris, Pete and Zee. Over the last week (with the base) and over the long weekend I felt like I made some good progress. Still a few larger and tedious parts to go but I'll get there. This engine like the Rider Ericsson were two of my most wanted to build ones.  Big thanks to Roger at Pearl Engine Co. for allowing me to be involved with bringing this one along. I hope I am doing it justice.

Bill

[Flyboy Jim]

I really like those fasteners Bill.  Good documentation of your progress this last weekend.

Jim

[b.lindsey]

Jim, thanks for looking in...have gotten a few more of the fasteners made now too, 17 additional ones in fact which should leave something like 14 to go. I have just left the Sherline lathe set up for this a do a few along. Now that the procedure is down, they can be produced pretty fast. Photo 1 shows the 3 for the linkage bracket and the 6 for the steam chest cover. Eight more for mounting the cylinder head to the cylinder and the pedestal to the bottom of the cylinder I got knocked out this morning (photo 2). Since the length on these are a bit different depending on where they are used I am keeping the ones not yet needed in separate plastic containers marked for where they will go (photo 3). While the mill was still set up for fly-cutting, I finished bringing the second eccentric strap down to width (photo 4) and have now started on the steam chest cover as well (photos 5 & 6).

Bill

[zeeprogrammer]

? You're taking off the lettering etc from the steam chest?

[b.lindsey]

Yes Zee, it wasn't designed to stay there. More a casting ID I think.  Stay tuned though.

Bill

[b.lindsey]

Got the steam chest cover finished this morning. First I had to bring the height and width down to size (photos 1 & 2), then mill the decorative cutout on the face of the cover (photos 3 & 4). The plans call for the face to be left as cast but it was a bit rough so I took a more finished look direction. I am thinking of two options for the milled out area...one is to mask the outer area and bead blast the recess for a texture contrast, or two, an engine turning pattern covering the recess area. I am leaning towards the engine turning at the moment. Next was to drill the clearance holes for the mounting screws (photo 5). The complete cover is shown with the brass screws in photo 6 and shown sitting on the big hunk of bronze for the cylinder in the last photo.

Bill

[crueby]

Looking good!

If you wanted to get the name into the center of the steam chest, there are places you can get custom made relief etched plates, mainly made for the scale steam loco market but they'll make anything, prices are very reasonable. Thin plates, so you could lay it into the recess in the steam chest cover.

[b.lindsey]

That is a good thought too Chris. I have played around with some etching myself and do play to add an etched brass plate of the Pearl Engine Co. logo to one of the wooden rails supporting the engine much as I had done on the Briggs & Stratton engine. Neither of the options I mentioned above would preclude that if it turns out I am not happy with them.

Bill

[crueby]

Can you etch directly onto the cover plate, or would that eat away other surfaces (not sure how it is done, if in a acid batch I guess it would take away other sides).

[b.lindsey]

Unless well masked with the etch resist, it would yes. What little bit I have done is more 2 dimensional (think circuit board etching).  Here is the one I did for the B&S. As I recall it was done on .020" or .030" brass sheet. I am sure commercial places could do a much better job. If I polished it up a bit it would look better though, that's probably 5 years of tarnish!

Bill

[crueby]

Thats slick. The ones I've seen commercially done give raised letters on a lower background, though the height of the letters is not huge.

[b.lindsey]

As I recall I tried it both ways Chris, apparently this way worked out better.

Bill

[b.lindsey]

II had to order a piece of 5/16" Cratex to finish up the steam chest cover and it came in yesterday so that was done this morning. Hopefully it add a bit to the look rather than just a plain recess in the middle of the cover's face. Pic attached.

Bill

[b.lindsey]

This afternoon I got into the eccentrics and completed one except for the two set screw holes. Starting with a chunk of 1.5" bronze bar, I turned the major OD and turned the minor OD on the outer end. Then using the grooving tool, I added the minor OD to the inboard side of the rib as you can see in photo 1. Then it was over to the mill to center it up and offset the required distance to add a through hole using a 3/8" center cutting end mill to start things off (photo 2). Next it was back to the lathe to center up on the offset hole and use a boring bar to enlarge the hole to a close .500" fit on the crankshaft (photo 3). With this done I parted off the eccentric (photo4) and faced the cut off end to get the final width (no picture of that). Then centering again on the through hole I turned down the hub to the needed diameter (photo 5). Photos 6 & 7 show the nearly finished eccentric. Photo 8 shows things in place on the crankshaft...the open space is for the 2nd eccentric which I hope to get knocked out tomorrow.

Bill