Author Topic: Julius De Waal Corliss steam engine  (Read 8121 times)

Offline pieterb

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Julius De Waal Corliss steam engine
« on: January 10, 2021, 06:39:36 PM »
Hello all,

The attempt to build the corliss engine from bar stock has begun! I have seen in other build logs you normaly start with the big parts. I will have to search the material for these parts in leftovers and scrap bins, so I will make different parts as materials show up.

Now some advice on issues that I have at this moment:

On the drawings the cilinder is lined with a bronze bushing. If I would use cast iron for the cilinder and bronze for the piston, I think I don't need the liner.

The flywheel is really massive. If I would make this from solid cast iron, 90% of this expensive cast iron would end up in the scrap bin. I am thinking of making it in parts (center hub, spokes and a solid outer ring (tube, ring cut from slab.....). I would redesign the flywheel to make it in parts. My idea: make the hub, make nice spokes with mounting plates for the outer rim, braze the spokes in the hub, put the hub with spokes and mounting plates on the lathe and rectify outer diameter. Make ID of outer ring to fit the hub+spokes. Braze hub assembly in outer ring and rectify outer ring. It is a lot of work but I think it would look nice. See picture below for example.

I am open to advice, comments, ideas.......

Offline pieterb

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Re: Julius De Waal Corliss steam engine
« Reply #1 on: January 10, 2021, 06:43:18 PM »
Since I makes parts if I have materials I already started with the shaft. It is pre turned to 1mm above nominal size. Tommorow I will start to turn it to size.

We have a lift off........... :lolb: :lolb:

Online Jasonb

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Re: Julius De Waal Corliss steam engine
« Reply #2 on: January 10, 2021, 06:54:54 PM »
I don't think the bronze sleeve is used to create any steam passages it's just Julius liking for aluminium so you could cut the cylinder from a block of cast iron.

Have a look through Phil's thread for details of how he built up a flywheel to replicate the original, you don't have to do the rim in so many or any parts but it may prove useful.

http://www.modelenginemaker.com/index.php/topic,2154.0.html

Offline deltatango

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Re: Julius De Waal Corliss steam engine
« Reply #3 on: January 10, 2021, 09:15:10 PM »
Pieter, I also started with the crankshaft, the material was to hand and, to me, the shaft is the heart of the engine. Like Jason I think making the cylinder from CI with a bronze piston and O-ring seal is the way to go.

It's great to see another engine started!

David
Don't die wondering!

Offline pieterb

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Re: Julius De Waal Corliss steam engine
« Reply #4 on: January 12, 2021, 09:52:49 PM »
Today I finished the turning of the main shaft.
But my day was even better when I talked to my uncle about my new project. I showed him the plans and he said he probably had something for me. We took a ladder and he said to look on a sort of attic in his workshop and there was a real cast iron flywheel. I took it down and it looks realy nice. It has been up there for probably 50+ years. His dad made it long time ago. He was a mecanic who machined al sorts of things, they also made farming equipment etc.
When finished it would be some 2 inch bigger then the one on the drawing but also a little narrower, so the end weight should be more or less the same. Since my goal is not building a 100% identical scale model from an existing engine, I suppose it would work perfectly.
He asked me if I could use it, I said it was perfect. With tears in his eyes he said that his dad would be very very happy that the parts he kept and saved for all these years get a beautiful use in a project like this.....
Now there is no way back......

I also picked up a dividing table last weekend. It wil be very useful soon I guess.

Offline MJM460

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Re: Julius De Waal Corliss steam engine
« Reply #5 on: January 13, 2021, 12:29:46 AM »
Hi Pieterb, I for one would make whatever modifications to the arrangement that are necessary to use that flywheel with its family history.

I would also not worry about the extra diameter and narrow rim.  Remember, it is not mass that is the main issue, but moment of inertia.  The contribution of each little bit of mass to moment of inertia is M x r^2, and the extra radius of the rim will easily compensate for the narrow rim having a little less mass.  The original design will not have been to a very exact requirement anyway.  A great range of flywheel inertia will work well.

What a privilege to have such a great project to show it off.  It will always be an additional talking point whenever you display your engine.

MJM460

 
The more I learn, the more I find that I still have to learn!

Offline Mcgyver

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Re: Julius De Waal Corliss steam engine
« Reply #6 on: January 13, 2021, 01:08:33 PM »
great project - look forward to seeing it come together.

Do we know what engine Julius's drawings are of, or is it his own design?  He is such prodigious contributor to the hobby, but how I wish the pedigree of the engines drawn was included

Online Jasonb

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Re: Julius De Waal Corliss steam engine
« Reply #7 on: January 13, 2021, 01:49:12 PM »
It is based on the Arnold Throp design originally sold by Fleet and later Southworth. It is of the single cylinder engine which is the smallest of the various options that were available. Julius has scaled it up by approx 50% and metricated it.

It's the same basic engine as Ramon and deltatango are doing.

If you look at the bottom of any of Julius' drawings he gives the source along the top of the title block.
https://modelengineeringwebsite.com/Corliss_drawings_files/CORLISS2-A3-SHEET-01.PDF

Offline Mcgyver

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Re: Julius De Waal Corliss steam engine
« Reply #8 on: January 13, 2021, 05:38:49 PM »
perfect thanks....apologies for not noticing the line above the title block.  Good form Julius!

Offline pieterb

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Re: Julius De Waal Corliss steam engine
« Reply #9 on: January 14, 2021, 09:15:24 PM »
Another couple of hours in the shop. I made the bearing stands in two pieces, wich I wil silver solder together. I just didn't have enough material to make the outer bearing stand. That will be for tomorrow.....

Offline scc

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Re: Julius De Waal Corliss steam engine
« Reply #10 on: January 16, 2021, 07:02:27 PM »
Nice :popcorn:

Offline gary.a.ayres

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Re: Julius De Waal Corliss steam engine
« Reply #11 on: January 16, 2021, 07:53:39 PM »
Wow... this looks like a phenomenally interesting - and for me educational - build.

I was looking forward to the bit where you fabricate a flywheel,  but you struck it lucky on visiting your uncle and it's great that you will be able to incorporate a bit of precious family history into your engine.  :Love:

Following...

 :popcorn:

Offline pieterb

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Re: Julius De Waal Corliss steam engine
« Reply #12 on: January 17, 2021, 08:59:45 PM »
Friday I picked up some cut off's of different diameters cast iron bar. Yesterday I took the 200mm diameter piece with me to work and cut it up to get the rectangular piece for the cilinder.
Today I started with de connection rod.

I have a question about the con rod bearings: If you look at the drawings they exist out of a single piece bearing and an adjustable wedge. The wedge is there to adjust wear in the bearing. Since the bearing is a single piece, this will not work. So this is a pure visual feature.
Are my thoughts on this correct?  Are there specialists among you who would make the bearings split, with a small gap so they are really adjustable? Or can someone give me a detail drawing of a real adjustable bearing?
Any thoughts?


Offline Ramon Wilson

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Re: Julius De Waal Corliss steam engine
« Reply #13 on: January 17, 2021, 09:17:08 PM »
In real life they would be split and kept in position by the wedge - here's the one on my recently finished Corliss. The bearing itself was copied directly from a book on full size practice



Hope that helps you some Pieter

Tug
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Offline deltatango

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Re: Julius De Waal Corliss steam engine
« Reply #14 on: January 17, 2021, 11:56:50 PM »
Pieter,
Here is a picture of the connecting rod for the original Throp-Southworth design:



and the final product as I made it:



The angle of the wedges is 6 degrees and the diameter of the crankpin 7/16", I think you can scale everything else to your dimensions. I re-drew the whole design as a CAD model using Alibre but left all the dimensions in Imperial units.

Hope this helps.

David
Don't die wondering!

 

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