Tug's Corliss Tandem Compound Project

[Ramon Wilson]

Hi Kim - can't say I feel quite the same way about the studs  but I get your meaning 

'KV' - I think you mean is there a linkage on the LP cylinder and I assume you mean in reference to the governor?

The governor linkage moves the trip levers on the HP cylinder by direct linkage as you see but the linkage on the LP is linked to that small handwheel on top that once set is locked in a fixed position - ie the trips are not influenced by the governor. I'm not very knowledgeable on full size practice but assume that as this is a compound once the engine is 'governed' on the HP all else just 'follows along'

One step forward three back today removing those studs so decided to have a break for the afternoon.

Thanks for looking in guys

Tug

[deltatango]

Hi Tug,
Those turnbuckle style trip links look great! Also much finer adjustment with L & R hand threads. I'm really hanging out for the results of the first air pressure tests...

How are you going to clad the cylinders, or aren't you? They do look fine as they are now.

Regards, David

[pgp001]

How are you going to clad the cylinders, or aren't you? They do look fine as they are now.

yes I am wondering about the cladding (cleading ?) too, I have quite a bit of "Blued Steel" to do on Agnes, and would be interested to see other people's ideas on doing it before I start.

Phil

[deltatango]

You're ahead of me there Phil - I haven't even found a source for blued steel here, never mind "black Russian iron" 

David

[Ramon Wilson]

Hello David, Sorry about not replying to your PMs as yet but will do 

Yes, making the pushrod and trip links left and right hand threaded certainly appears to have eased the valve setting process.

It'll be a day or two before the air goes on but it's not far off. Revamping those steam chest studs at the moment then I can fit the stop valve and finalise the piping underneath.

Lagging, David (or as you say Phil, 'cleading' pronounced cladding!) - well I was obviously intent on doing so and had mentioned it in previous posts. I bought some (8 thou I think) flat shim steel to make it from and experimented with temperature to produce a nice blue grey colour. After giving what was going to be required a lot of thought I finally decided that I would leave the cylinders in their primer colour 'Ready for lagging' (I see I did mention this back in December 2018  - wheres that time gone ) The shim sits awaiting another project which might actually see the light of day all being well

Using shim steel is something I did Phil, on the Lang Bridge Double Diagonal engine. By using the tempered shim as opposed to the spring steel the material is easily worked and drilled. The only issue is to keep it totally scratch free before heat treating to obtain the colour as every mark will show up once 'blued'.

The main reason I decided against it using it on this build was scale and time. In scale the brass corner strip would have to be milled as nothing commercially available suited. The width of the inner part of the angle then left very little room for drilling and certainly not enough to use screws. I had considered using 1/32 brass rivets (even bought a load) just pushed into holes - their position on either side holding against each other. Even then the holes would have been extremely close to the edge of the cylinder blocks - given the amount of time this would add to the project I finally realised I rather liked the colour of the primer against the green and decided to leave as is.

When I first had thoughts of this project I was a regular visitor to events where such could be displayed but now as the years begin to stack up this isn't something I'm going to be taking about and in all probability I realise that I'm actually making this for someone else - whoever they might be. They, then, can deal with the lagging and that non working airpump if they chose 

A bit of a cop out but I do have other things I'd like to see done before the end of the perch is reached

Regards - Tug

[pgp001]

Tug

I have actually bought a little furnace and some digital control gear for it (remember Jo did one a while ago)
The thing is still sat in the box it came in waiting for me to modify its door and put it all together and wire it up.

Can you remember what temperature you ended up with to get the right colour on the shim steel ?

Phil

[scc]

Tug,  this engine gets to look more gorgeous by the day!       With Dave's engine and Phil's Agnes you Corliss folk have a great skill set
(apologies if I've missed anyone on the Colliss road)             Terry

[kvom]

I am wondering why the LP cylinder even needs cutoff (other than looking cool).  The Bolton tandem has a slide valve LP cylinder. 

[Ramon Wilson]

Hi guy's thanks for looking in 

Phil, that was a while back but as far as I can remember (I did write it down somewhere but can't find it) I think it was around 280c but it doesn't take long to find the optimum. I should have added too - don't have any finger marks on the material. Even the slightest hint will be firmly recorded

KV - I guess it would require a cutoff for simply economy reasons - once set to the optimum would be left as is. Tried to find a full size example but so far no luck

Terry You forgot 'Sco's' Lane and Bodley but I guess he'll forgive you - I believe that's well on the back burner at the moment. Thanks for your comment

Now have the steam chests studded up and the stop valve in situ. Inlet pipework done as the rest with JB Weld - certainly impressed with the ease which that has made to doing that job.

Not long now before the air goes on

Regards - Tug

[pgp001]

Cheers Tug

I will have to do a bit of experimenting once I get the furnace operational.

As for the manual cut off on the LP cylinder, Agnes has that feature too.
The handwheel and quadrant can be seen in the upper middle part of this photo.
https://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/3764139


Phil

[Ramon Wilson]

Ah! Thanks for that confirmation Phil 

Sue and I visited Markham Grange just last year - a very impressive museum but despite going on a steaming day the boiler was out of action - only engine working was the electric driven paddle engine. Took quite a few pics as you can imagine but for some reason more than half were (well) out of focus  I can't remember why now but I couldn't get to the valve gear side close enough to photograph it.

They were erecting a very large beam engine at the time - guess that's done by now. Certainly go again when we are that way.


I wanted to bring this coffe table home with me but Sue wasn't so keen 



Regards - Tug

[gary.a.ayres]

I can understand her lack of enthusiasm, but I'm sure a stripdown and cleanup, rebuild and coat of nice green machinery paint would change her mind. 

[crueby]

I can understand her lack of enthusiasm, but I'm sure a stripdown and cleanup, rebuild and coat of nice green machinery paint would change her mind. 

Sounds kind of nasty to.... Oooohhh, to the ENGINE....   

[gary.a.ayres]

You know - I was kind of waiting for that!

Somehow not surprised it was you Chris.

 

[cnr6400]

Ramon, I hope you pumped the waiter for some more info on that table base.......