Boulton/Bertinat/Bailey triple steam engine

[steam guy willy]

I have the castings and the drawings for this engine and will be proceeding at a very slow speed getting as much info/swarf/fillings etc as i can to build this quite large engine . I will be incorporating my own ideas from full size practice to make this more of my own take for this engine and will see how it goes !! There have been quite a few of these engines made and i have been searching the web for info with this .......TBC !! Oh yes and a quick question .......how do you set the intermediate valve ??

[Jo]

Oh yes and a quick question .......how do you set the intermediate valve ??

Through the inspection hole 

Jo

[steam guy willy]

Oh yes and a quick question .......how do you set the intermediate valve ??
[/quote]

Through the inspection hole 

Jo
 
Ok cool,  I have been jumping the gunmetal a bit !!!

[steam guy willy]

Hi Jo, So do we know exactly where  the inspection hole is ?? cannot see one in the drawings actually ??

[Jo]

I don't have the drawings for that one: There is one on the Stuart Triple.

I would have to dig out the ME article to find it...

Edit: Bertinat doesn't explain how to do that one 

Jo

[Jasonb]

Looking a couple of drawings for the OB Bolton version on line I can't see any inspection holes that would allow you to see the IP valve. Suppose you could drill and tap one side of the valve chest for a plug, won't show under the cleading sheets.

The Reeves drawing can be blown up to a good size

[steam guy willy]

Hi all, perhaps you can set the valve by removing the HP cylinder and turning the engine over without it ??. Also, as it is covered up by the cladding one could put in a secret inspection hole with suitable cover ? I shall possibly put wooden slat cladding on mine btw.

[steam guy willy]

So i have been going through all the castings trying to identify them and managed all but one !! also the HP cylinder block has an extra lump on it that doesn't form part of the finished part ??  so ,do i just saw it off and pass it on to the casting fondlers amongst us ?!!!

[crueby]

Thats an odd looking one.  Looks like part of a crank holder or part of the piping. Or whats left of a steam engine after the car crusher got done with it!

 

[Jasonb]

I suppose you need to work out if you have Boulton, Berinat or Bailey parts and which drawings are you working from. It is more than likely that each of them made changes to the original design and that could carry over to the castings. Did Berinat write it up in ME?

Initial thoughts are that a matching groove is machined into the mating surface to help key the two cylinders together, possibly only at the sides if it clashes with a port face.

[Jo]

That is the bottom of the Cylinder, the lump corresponds to where the mounting bracket attaches.

It does seem that some intensive casting fondling is needed to become acquainted with all the parts 

Jo

[Jasonb]

Looks like the cylinder fits onto the cylinder cover (flat face) and the standards fit to lugs either side of the cylinder cover so not sure where you are comming from. Agree that does look like the top or bottom of the cylinder.

Plans that can be zoomed http://www.ajreeves.com/6149.html

As you can see in the top left the original design is by Boulton but has been revised by Berinat so you need to know what the changes are and what version the castings relate to. maybe the earlier Boulton ones had a different arrangement where standard joined cylinder?

[steam guy willy]

Hi ,Thanks for that and i do have the drawings now so we shall see what happens .............

[steam guy willy]

So ...i have taken the plunge and sawn off the protrusion and have milled it to size...However there seems to be two strait lines that will not come out although i have filed it down to remove the machining marks      If i didn't know better i would imagine these lines were minute splits in the casting. there is one on one side and two on the other ?? you can see them in the photos

[Jasonb]

That big core hole would tend to indicate that the top and bottom have been machined.

Provided it was sat on a flat surface when assembled to get the bottom surfaces all in one plane the top is only cosmetic and knowing Willy likes his files a quick drawfiling session will bring things flush. A light skim with a sharp cutter would do the same.