Author Topic: Another Stuart Launch Engine  (Read 2214 times)

Offline Old Bill

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Another Stuart Launch Engine
« on: April 22, 2021, 09:01:36 PM »
The only plus point of all this Covid business is all the bonus workshop hours in the last twelve months! I have made up a Stuart launch engine. It is a very common model so no blog but here are a couple of pics for interest.

This project started in 1988 when I was a student apprentice in Portsmouth. I went alonng to the local model engineering society where I had the opportunity of buying a set of castings for this model from a model boater who had had them on the shelf for ten years and thought it time somebody made them. Little did he know that they would be on my shelf for another 32 years! Anyway, the feeling came upon me around Christmas and I took the box off the shelf and blew the dust off, literally!

I had started the base when I first bought the bits but had stopped at the thought of drilling the main bearings. It is amazing what a bit of experience does for ones confidence and that was soon sorted.



One particularly challenging component was the transfer pipe which has some very tight bends at the end. It is a real feature of the engine and I really wanted to get it right. I used the pipe bender that I made for the Mercedes engine and started with 20swg tube. I could not get this tight enough without it collapsing but 18swg worked just fine and I am very pleased with the result.





I had never turned a crankshaft before either. This was supplied as two blocks vacuum brazed to a bit of rod and more or less to length. I marked all of the centres in two blocks using the dials on the mill to position them and then Loctited them to the shaft. After turning, I warmed them up and they came off so that worked nicely.





It does all work although the LP piston is a bit tight and I think I need to ease it a bit, again, when the feeling comes upon me.



It now lives on the bookcase collecting dust again in a more ornamental way!

Steve  :)

Offline Don1966

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Re: Another Stuart Launch Engine
« Reply #1 on: April 22, 2021, 09:10:46 PM »
Nice looking engine and a great job on it. Pity you don’t have more built log photos.


RegardscDon

Offline propforward

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Re: Another Stuart Launch Engine
« Reply #2 on: April 22, 2021, 09:22:06 PM »
That's a lovely engine - fantastic finish, a real show piece.
Stuart

Forging ahead regardless.

Offline Chipmaster

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Re: Another Stuart Launch Engine
« Reply #3 on: April 22, 2021, 09:35:25 PM »
An impressive model, those pipe bends are excellent.

Andy

Offline Dave Otto

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Re: Another Stuart Launch Engine
« Reply #4 on: April 22, 2021, 09:44:30 PM »
Beautiful engine Bill, nicely done!

Dave

Offline iRon

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Re: Another Stuart Launch Engine
« Reply #5 on: April 23, 2021, 09:56:43 AM »
Absolute show-piece!

Ron

Offline tghs

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Re: Another Stuart Launch Engine
« Reply #6 on: April 23, 2021, 01:40:02 PM »
not just a launch engine, but a compound launch engine,, very nice..
what the @#&% over

Offline Old Bill

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Re: Another Stuart Launch Engine
« Reply #7 on: April 23, 2021, 07:26:37 PM »
Thank you very much. You are all most kind. It is just a standard Stuart design, built to the drawings. The only deviation is that I have fitted the flywheel with a key rather than a grub screw as a hole in the rim just doesn't look right.

I do have more photos, Don, but didn't do a blog as it is such a common model. If there is anything you would like to see, just say the word and I will sort something out.

Best wishes to all,

Steve.

Offline kvom

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Re: Another Stuart Launch Engine
« Reply #8 on: April 23, 2021, 08:54:29 PM »
Nice build.  Thanks for sharing.

Offline 90LX_Notch

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Re: Another Stuart Launch Engine
« Reply #9 on: April 24, 2021, 12:16:48 AM »
An impressive model, those pipe bends are excellent.

Andy

Exactly, I am very impressed with those bends.

-Bob
Proud Member of MEM

My Engine Videos on YouTube-
http://www.youtube.com/user/Notch90usa/videos

Offline Old Bill

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Re: Another Stuart Launch Engine
« Reply #10 on: April 24, 2021, 07:21:25 AM »
Thank you. However, just think that I haven't shown the box of failures!

Steve  ;D

Offline Jo

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Re: Another Stuart Launch Engine
« Reply #11 on: April 24, 2021, 08:15:39 AM »
I like that Steve looks very nice.

Posting about making model engines is a bit like gardening: each year you get a new audience and the old hands look on and realise that you are doing something they had not thought about and they steal it for their own model making  ;)

Jo

P.S.  I can recommend retirement: every day can be a workshop day  :whoohoo:
« Last Edit: April 25, 2021, 08:27:04 AM by Jo »
Enjoyment is more important than achievement.

Offline Old Bill

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Re: Another Stuart Launch Engine
« Reply #12 on: April 24, 2021, 08:11:22 PM »
Thank you Jo. Yes, there is always something to be learned and everyone is being very kind.

Furlough did introduce me to the retirement lifestyle and I could go with that. The Boss wasn't impressed when I told him I couldn't spare the time to come back! Oh well. Only 455 weeks to go.

Steve :)

 

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