Author Topic: Chris's Holly Pumping Engine Build  (Read 154169 times)

Offline steam guy willy

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Re: Chris's Holly Pumping Engine Build
« Reply #1755 on: December 05, 2021, 05:47:09 PM »
Hi Chris , so nice to see it running ...lovely..impressive ...

Willy

Offline Ye-Ole Steam Dude

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Re: Chris's Holly Pumping Engine Build
« Reply #1756 on: December 05, 2021, 06:27:36 PM »
Hello Chris,

Boy that thing running is absolutely poetry in motion and a work of art.
 :ThumbsUp:

Thomas

Online Jo

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Re: Chris's Holly Pumping Engine Build
« Reply #1757 on: December 05, 2021, 08:18:47 PM »
Wow  8)

Jo
Enjoyment is more important than achievement.

Offline wagnmkr

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Re: Chris's Holly Pumping Engine Build
« Reply #1758 on: December 05, 2021, 08:23:26 PM »
Seeing that run must give you just an overwhelming sense of accomplishment, particularly when you did it on machines that are only good for wood! :stir:

I was cut out to be rich ... but ... I was sewn up all wrong!

Offline crueby

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Re: Chris's Holly Pumping Engine Build
« Reply #1759 on: December 05, 2021, 08:28:06 PM »

Thanks guys!

On to the parts for the LP cylinder. But first, need to mod the 4" faceplate I picked up to hold them. These faceplates are made for woodworking lathes that happen to have the same spindle thread as the Sherline, very handy and fairly cheap. The only thing is that the wood lathes must have more overhang out to the threads, since these faceplates have a non-threaded section before they next down to the threads.


Easily fixed - screw them onto the lathe spindle backwards, with the face facing in, and turn off the extra:

followed by a check of the face surface, out just a little, so I took a skim cut down the face to true it up:

Here are the pieces of the hollow-core bronze that I cut off the longer bar (same piece as used for the IP cylinder). The two thinner 'donuts' will be the top/bottom cap/valve pieces. I'll turn the inside bore smooth with a step, and fit a plug. Cheaper by far - its stock I have on hand, and I have some offcut round bar that will fit the bore.

So the next step is to drill hole for the screws to mount the pieces to the faceplate. Here is the only time that I am holding these rough cut pieces in the 3-jaw - need to get them centered well enough to drill the screw holes.

As you can see, the stock is larger diameter than the chuck! Also, the inside surface is very rough on this stuff:

I couldn't quite get the ID over the chuck jaws when they are reversed, so had to use them in normal orientation which means a very shallow step holding a heavy chunk of metal. It took a few tries, rotating the bar and tightening to check till I found a spot where it ran nearly true. Given this is not very secure, I ran the lathe at low speed to check!
Then over to the rotary table to drill the screw holes. These holes are inside where the bore will be, so these holes will be turned off later. For now, they will hold the stock for initial turning of the ID and finish turning of the outside.

The position of these holes was laid out so that they will fall between the valve holes on the caps - they are not evenly spaced at 45 degrees though. To miss all the valve holes, they are spaced at alternating 40 and 50 degree intervals. All three bars were drilled the same and will be tapped. The faceplate gets the same spacing but with close fit clearance holes.

Offline crueby

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Re: Chris's Holly Pumping Engine Build
« Reply #1760 on: December 05, 2021, 08:30:44 PM »
Seeing that run must give you just an overwhelming sense of accomplishment, particularly when you did it on machines that are only good for wood! :stir:
I'll let the Shop Elves' pet eagle answer the second part of that one!    :LittleDevil:

 :lolb:
It is amazing to consider that this model when finished will wiegh more than the lathe, mill, and workbench combined!
 :cheers:

Offline Brian Rupnow

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Re: Chris's Holly Pumping Engine Build
« Reply #1761 on: December 05, 2021, 09:22:08 PM »
Chris--I still check into what you're doing every day. Your project looks and runs fabulous. Congratulations on a great project.---Brian

Offline crueby

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Re: Chris's Holly Pumping Engine Build
« Reply #1762 on: December 05, 2021, 09:44:05 PM »
Chris--I still check into what you're doing every day. Your project looks and runs fabulous. Congratulations on a great project.---Brian
Thanks Brian!  One of these days watching your builds will convince me to finally try an IC engine build. Still a few more steamers in the queue for now!

Offline wagnmkr

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Re: Chris's Holly Pumping Engine Build
« Reply #1763 on: December 05, 2021, 09:46:43 PM »
Chris, what do you estimate the weight will be ... 200 or so lbs?
I was cut out to be rich ... but ... I was sewn up all wrong!

Offline crueby

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Re: Chris's Holly Pumping Engine Build
« Reply #1764 on: December 05, 2021, 09:56:18 PM »
Chris, what do you estimate the weight will be ... 200 or so lbs?
Not too sure, but I doubt it will top 125. The last cylinder is just going to add a few pounds, and after that there are the catwalks and misc trim pieces. There are lots of brackets for the catwalks, but they are thin, and the floors will be aluminum sheet. Ladders and railings wont add much. Last I wieghed it was before the first cylinder I think - at that point it was just over 100 near as I could tell when weighing one end at a time. The biggest thing when done will be moving it without damaging the catwalks, which will stick out from the engine frames a couple inches, and there are three levels of them. I intentionally made the base with tall feet at the corners so fingers will fit under the base frame. It will definitely be a two-person operation, more for balance and holding it out - if there were no catwalks it could be rested back against my body to move, and could be lifted by the engine beds at the crankshaft level. With the walkways, thats not possible.
 :cheers:

Online Don1966

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Re: Chris's Holly Pumping Engine Build
« Reply #1765 on: December 06, 2021, 04:40:49 AM »
Damn Dog you just amaze me. Loved the video nice and smooth and did I say ……..I………….likeeeeeee…. :Love:



 :drinking-41:
Don

Offline ShopShoe

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Re: Chris's Holly Pumping Engine Build
« Reply #1766 on: December 06, 2021, 01:33:16 PM »
Looks like you need to design and build a steam forklift for moving that.

ShopShoe

Offline crueby

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Re: Chris's Holly Pumping Engine Build
« Reply #1767 on: December 06, 2021, 01:59:44 PM »
Looks like you need to design and build a steam forklift for moving that.

ShopShoe
Great idea. Someone must have made one somewhere.

Offline cnr6400

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Re: Chris's Holly Pumping Engine Build
« Reply #1768 on: December 06, 2021, 05:53:53 PM »
I remember seeing a couple of pictures of a 19th century steam forklift in either Live Steam magazine or Model Engineer magazine, sometime in the eighties or early nineties. Maybe someone with an index to these mags could have a look. I remember it had heavy wooden wheels and a rear water tank for stability. It was cable operated, basically a two cylinder steam winch (like your Marion engine hint hint) on a mobile frame. I don't think it had any drive to the wheels, I believe it was pushed manually into position after picking up a load, and for unloading. That could be project 228, after finishing project 227 in 2085.  :Lol:
"I've cut that stock three times, and it's still too short!"

Offline crueby

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Re: Chris's Holly Pumping Engine Build
« Reply #1769 on: December 06, 2021, 06:36:22 PM »
I remember seeing a couple of pictures of a 19th century steam forklift in either Live Steam magazine or Model Engineer magazine, sometime in the eighties or early nineties. Maybe someone with an index to these mags could have a look. I remember it had heavy wooden wheels and a rear water tank for stability. It was cable operated, basically a two cylinder steam winch (like your Marion engine hint hint) on a mobile frame. I don't think it had any drive to the wheels, I believe it was pushed manually into position after picking up a load, and for unloading. That could be project 228, after finishing project 227 in 2085.  :Lol:
Hmmm, think I'm booked through at least 2143....!   :Lol:

Did some searches, and it turns out the Dake made square-cylinder steam engines, and at least once a forklift was made with one. Check out this page, about halfway down is a picture of one rusting away outside:
http://www.douglas-self.com/MUSEUM/POWER/squarepiston/square.htm
Also found that an article was in Live Steam, 2005, by Peter Bouley. Here is a link to a page, halfway down is pictures from the article:
https://www.practicalmachinist.com/vb/antique-machinery-and-history/steam-powered-forklift-383822/
Yup, could be on the future projects list...!

 

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