Author Topic: Julius De Waal Corliss steam engine  (Read 8123 times)

Offline deltatango

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Re: Julius De Waal Corliss steam engine
« Reply #30 on: January 24, 2021, 09:27:25 PM »
That is great progress Pieter! The parts look very good.

For picture hosting I use Microsoft OneDrive space that comes free with Windows. There are others...

David
Don't die wondering!

Offline pieterb

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Re: Julius De Waal Corliss steam engine
« Reply #31 on: January 28, 2021, 09:24:38 PM »
Hello everybody,

Some progress made in making the bearing covers al little more elegant.

I also started on the cilinder tuesday. Squaring the block went perfect. I got the feed on one side perferct. I continued today. Turned the block around and started roughning, and then............disaster........apparently my quill lock was not on.......

The mill dug in the part some 1,5mm to much. I will round over the corner but then will the error will not be gone. The edge of the error will end up just on the edge of the cilinder cover.

Any ideas on the repair of the part? Can I take of 2mm more and shorten the cover 2mm (same stroke and position of stroke but how about the position of the valves)?
I make the round corners first and put the rest of the error straight and solder on a small piece of cast iron? Can you solder cast iron anyway?


Offline pieterb

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Re: Julius De Waal Corliss steam engine
« Reply #32 on: January 28, 2021, 09:30:54 PM »
Almost forgot: I promised to take some pictures from the split oil rings.

Offline Admiral_dk

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Re: Julius De Waal Corliss steam engine
« Reply #33 on: January 29, 2021, 07:27:26 PM »
I have honestly never tried it, but many hear swear to a two component epoxy, called JB Weld.
The main reason besides it's strength, is its ability to withstand high temperature.
So you could put some of this on the end gone wrong. Let it cure for 24 hours and then mill the part like you would have done anyway. As long as you end up painting it afterwards - no one will know ....

Another option I can think off - mill enough off to make it flat again. Silver Solder (the high temp stuff) another bit onto the end. Pickle it (clean away the flush, etc. in a bath/solution).
Mill it to size again - on all five sides (the sixth is still the same) - and as this also will be wissible -> Paint.

I might have forgot one or more other options.

Offline crueby

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Re: Julius De Waal Corliss steam engine
« Reply #34 on: January 29, 2021, 07:51:58 PM »
I've used JB Weld on parts, would say its fine for fixing a cosmetic boo-boo, would not use it on something that will have a part moving against it. Good for a mating surface that is just having a gasket and another part pressed to it too, just not quite hard enough for a bearing surface. Also there are several varieties of JB, the Qwik version sets up fast, but is not as strong. And it is not quite thick enough to stay in place on a vertical surface till it sets, it will sag some. I usually put a bit extra on then file/sand it down flush with the surface, great for filling in a hole that shouldn't be a hole, a gouge in a surface. Careful using it, any on your finger will transfer to 18 other things!!

Offline Ramon Wilson

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Re: Julius De Waal Corliss steam engine
« Reply #35 on: January 29, 2021, 11:25:55 PM »
I guess it's time to put my JB Weld hat on a again.

I'm not going to repeat what I have posted before Pieter but if you care to look here https://www.modelenginemaker.com/index.php?topic=7688.135 and scroll down to post 136 you will see the thoughts and practical tests I have done to prove it's suitability and strength.

My apologies in advance for posting pics on your thread but you may also find the following of interest to your build.

This was the first time I used it on cast iron both for cosmetic reasons - fillets etc and for bonding parts after previous use on model aircraft silencers.




And yes the engine is still in fine working order today but it has only run on air though.


This on the other hand is built from seven pieces of cast iron simply JB welded together the only screws (2 x 8BA) being to assist in holding whilst curing. This has run on 60 psi in a steam launch









You may not have seen it but all the pipework on my corliss engine was done with JBW as opposed to silver soldering and I have just begun another marine compound which again will have the major items made from composite parts JB Welded together. A slight mistake, smaller but identical in format to yours, has quickly been resolved with it too.

The comment about slumping is a relevant one - - there are two ways of dealing with it - leave the mix for an hour or so before applying it as fillets or filler (use it as mixed for bonding) or mixing some colloidal silicate in with it which turns it into a thixotropic mix that stays where you put it. Use the Standard not the fast cure and I've found it's best to leave it a good 2 days before machining it.

Hope that helps with your build - Tug
« Last Edit: January 29, 2021, 11:30:26 PM by Ramon »
"I ain't here for the long time but I am here for a good time"
(a very apt phrase - thanks to a well meaning MEM friend)

Offline pieterb

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Re: Julius De Waal Corliss steam engine
« Reply #36 on: November 02, 2021, 09:05:27 PM »
Hello everybody,

It has been a while but I have always kept following the other projects. Some really great things going on there!


I have been bussy with a whole lot of things, but not the engine for a while. Some time ago I took the box with parts out again and made some more parts. I continued on the cilinder. I fixed the mistake by soldering a piece of cast iron to the cilinder and milling it flat again. After soldering I let it cool down very slow before milling it again.

I fixed it because I did not have the real JB weld at the time. Now I have used JB weld on the baseplate and it realy looks to be a keeper...


Offline Admiral_dk

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Re: Julius De Waal Corliss steam engine
« Reply #37 on: November 03, 2021, 11:24:59 AM »
Looks like a good save operation  :ThumbsUp:

Offline pieterb

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Re: Julius De Waal Corliss steam engine
« Reply #38 on: November 04, 2021, 06:49:00 AM »
Thx Admiral, workt out great.

I continued on the cilinder by milling, drilling and tapping the pockets for the steam box covers. I don't have a mill big emough to make the nice rounded steam boxes, so a printed a 'template' so I could follow the roundings with a smaller mill. Turned out pretty well.

Offline pieterb

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Re: Julius De Waal Corliss steam engine
« Reply #39 on: November 04, 2021, 06:56:41 AM »
Then the drilling and tapping or reaming for the valves etc followed. Lots of holes to drill and off course I forgot to change the settings on the dro when I moved from the inlet to the outlet valves.... Wrong pitch diameter.... Drilled ans tapped (with finer pitch) them a little bigger, glued plugs and started again.

Offline pieterb

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Re: Julius De Waal Corliss steam engine
« Reply #40 on: November 04, 2021, 07:15:11 AM »
@ Crueby and Ramon,

I forgot to thank you for the advice on the JB weld. Like I said, I searched it in Belgium, found it and already used it. It is indeed very strong and sticks extremly well to the steel. No problem on the pictures Ramon  :ThumbsUp: :ThumbsUp:

Offline pieterb

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Re: Julius De Waal Corliss steam engine
« Reply #41 on: November 05, 2021, 06:21:20 AM »
Next up was the bore. I needed to get to 43mm and I dind't feel like spending 2 days at the lathe to get it to 43mm so I took the cilinder to our shop at work and drilled it to 41mm. Then I set it up at home on my lathe and found out that my biggest fitting boring bar wasn't long enough. I had to mill to flat sides on it to get it fitting in a toolholder.

Then I looked at the drawing for the slots to make the connection between the valves and the cilinder/steambox and I found that it was impossible to make, or I needed a 36mm disc mill with a 6mm shaft. I turned my 35mm disc mill down to a 10mm shaft and it worked. I hope this is good enough. Afther some honing of the cilinder and rounding the top corners it is finished (I think)

Offline Bushranger

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Re: Julius De Waal Corliss steam engine
« Reply #42 on: November 19, 2021, 07:59:53 AM »
Regarding your flywheel, thought you might be interested in this site: http://modelengines.info/goldeng/const/flywheel.html

Might be an option for you.  I know that cast iron doesn't always like to bend all that much, but as you said, you can always cut the outer rim from a slab.

Cheers,

Paul. 

Offline pieterb

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Re: Julius De Waal Corliss steam engine
« Reply #43 on: November 19, 2021, 08:21:27 PM »
Hi Paul,

Thank you for the flywheel info. There are some very impressive flywheel builts on this forum also but I found a wheel that can serve as a flywheel at my uncles attic.

On to the build: as said the covers for the cilinder are next. I turned all the round parts first. Then over to the mill to drill all the screw holes. I used the dro to do this. It seems to go faster and at least as accurate as the dividing table I think.

Then back to the lathe to turn the tapers on the valve stem guides.

2 pieces of cast iron turned into steam chest covers after some milling, drilling. I made a small expanding mandrel to mount them on the lathe and make the flange seat.

Valves are next....


 

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