Retirement Gift

[Davyboy]

On my last day of work (last week), the boss gave me model steam engine.  It runs like a champ, with a reversing valve and drain valves under each end of the cylinder.  My plan is to strip it down and repaint it, making a few new parts to clean it up a bit.  On the other end of the base is a generator?  I’m mystified as to what it does and how to otherwise make it work.  The frame is steel and there are two carbon brushes on the shaft.  Can anybody offer guidance on how to wire this for output, once I get it spinning?  Thanks in advance.

[steam guy willy]

Hi ,The dynamo looks like the "Manchester " type with a permanent magnet that is possibly not very strong "Gauss"  by now !!.  Looks like a very homemade model but interesting nevertheless

Willy

[Kim]

That looks like a fun little project!

Sorry, no help from me on the generator, but I will say congratulations on your retirement!  I can honestly say, retirement is the best job I've ever had!  I think you'll really enjoy it!

Kim

[vtsteam]

Couple things I've found....

[vtsteam]

And from that second image as a clue just do an image lookup on "Edison generator". Lots of pics!

[Davyboy]

Thanks for the prompt replies.  now I have something to go on, Edison generator looks very similar.  and I'll check on that magnet, and it's role in the creation of electricity.   It's going to be a learning project for me.  Fun!  Yes, retirement is kinda scary, I really need to get a hobby to keep me busy.   Like finishing the 6 or so model  projects I've got started, or the 4 casting kits stashed away.
Dave

[Roger B]

A nice gift and a fun project     

The dynamo appears to be wired in shunt with the field coils (tall vertical ones) in parallel with the armature. I would expect a lot more turns of wire on the field coils. Do you have a multimeter so you can check the voltage and current from the dynamo?

[Don1966]

Roger is correct it’s a shunt connection, so no Load is need to get it to make voltage. However the wire looks large and not knowing if it’s just the lead wires or the actual wire it is wound with. If so the voltage will be low and you should get high current from it. The rotation is only one direction so try both to get it to product voltage.

Regards Don

[Grateful Ted]

That is one serious looking little engine.
Love the reversing linkage.
The finish on it says “I am no shelf queen”
Enjoy!
BTW, you will soon wonder how you ever had time to have a job.

[Charles Lamont]

The engine seems to be a Stuart No 10 with, hmm, interesting modifications. I think it might well be Marshall valve gear.

[Bluechip]

Dave

If the generator has been unused for some time there may well be no residual magnetism left in the pole pieces to start the generating process, in which case you will need a small magnet placed across the top pole piece where the ring-bolt is. Once it performs you'll probably not need to do it again.

This may, or may not, help:     

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fleming%27s_right-hand_rule 

Dave  ( another ) 

[Davyboy]

Thanks to everyone that replied.  It’s great bunch that gets on board with a new project .  I hope I can keep up the good faith.
So, I spun the generator over with a drill motor. Alas, no voltage was evident on the meter that I had  hooked up, one lead to each of the brushes.  Tried both directions of rotation.  Then I tried again with magnets hooked to the frame. Same nothing.  Continuity checked ok through the frame windings, insulated from the frame.  The rotor windings seem to be all continuous.  More research is needed, and more tinkering, probably at a later date. I’ll be sure to keep you posted as to results.
Davyboy

[Davyboy]

I toyed around with the dynamo today.  I hooked up a light bulb in parallel, then in series.  Spun it with the drill.  No action, despite my incantation: "Let there be light!"  Then I isolated the frame windings, hooked to a 12V battery.  Very weak magnetism,  so I went back to the rare earth magnets, still no voltage.  The field windings seem to be heavy wire, only a couple of layers thick.  Sooo,  the project is back-burner for a while.  I'd like to wind some new coils for the frame, but right now I've got a couple other things to finish up.  I will revisit this in a couple of months.  Thanks for looking in.
Davy

[vtsteam]

Maybe just one more try?

Depending on how you oriented the magnet(s?) on the frame it (they) might not be doing what you need. If they are just oriented vertically the direction of magnetic field isn't doing much.

The result you actually want is like a horseshoe magnet, one arm north, one arm south. To re-magnetise an iron bar, (and a horseshoe is just a bent bar) you can stroke the armature with one pole of your magnet, going in one direction only, then lifting it off, and repeating. The idea is to realign the core iron material in one direction, producing opposite poles in the ends of your armature.

Well, worth a try? 

[Davyboy]

Well I tinkered with the dynamo Saturday and Sunday.  I reversed one of the towers windings, now one is CW, the other CCW- right hand rule and polarity like a horseshoe magnet.  I ran the same tests as before, still no voltage on the meter, (set for 10V DC). 
One article I read says all the commutator segments should be separate. From Wikipedia/commutators : "Each conducting segment of the commutator is insulated from adjacent segments. Mica was used on early machines and is still used on large machines".  My meter has continuity thru all 6 segments.  Touch one segment, all other segments are connected.  I'm not sure if this is OK, or not?  Thanks to all for looking in.
Davy