a strange steam engine

[Michael S.]

Hello,

The machine I'm building isn't finished yet, but people are already looking to the next construction site.
It is a small steam engine, actually there are even two, whose purpose I do not really recognize. What was it built for? What should drive her once?
There is a main engine with about 45 mm bores, which makes a back and forth movement with an eccentric.
A second small cylinder is mounted on the side and the crankshaft and connecting rod are missing.
it is hardly possible to mount a flywheel on the large crankshaft. The age of the machine is unknown. No metric threads.
I'm thinking about finishing the build. It seems some parts are still missing.
And what can drive the machine? 🤔

Michael

[crueby]

That is an unusual one...      The eccentric off the back would not give a very long stroke like a power hacksaw would use. The posts up top look like there was some platform above the engine - makes me wonder if it was for some sort of sifting or tumbling/polishing operation? The lever off the back with the eccentric could drive a vibrating basket of some sort up top?

[Jo]

Unusual and rather interesting, I look forward to hearing if you find out more about it

Jo

[vtsteam]

I'm going to guess that it might have been some kind of yarn or cordage spinning or spooling machine.

[Michael S.]

Hello,
I took some time today and looked in the box where the disassembled machine is. A lot of rusty parts! Almost everything made of cast iron. I started cleaning them. With wire brush and sandpaper. I wonder why anyone put so much effort into making the castings to build this machine. I think it's unfinished.
My first goal is to rebuild the Great Cylinder. It is to be considered whether I should paint the parts with paint. Or leave everything as it is now? There are remains of black paint. But such a patina also has its charm! The attachment of the crankshaft bearings to the base plate is interesting. The nuts are square. In general, I can hardly assign the threads used. Definitely not metric threads. But the thread gauge for inch threads does not fit either. Before 1900 there was still this Löwenherz thread here in Germany. I still have to check that. Many nuts and bolts are missing. Some things have to be redone. The piston, but exactly 50 mm in diameter, has a very large groove. Wasn't meant for piston rings.
The crankshaft is made in one piece.
There's a lot to do before things start turning again.

Michael

[Michael S.]

Hello everyone,
I have now decided to paint the castings with black matte paint.
The old wooden base was rotten and a new wooden board was made old. With the gas burner, wire brush and wood oil. There is no flywheel, but one will be necessary.
An old cast iron disc, 1 1/4 kg, was fitted to the crankshaft. Because of the whole construction, it couldn't be bigger and wider. Let's see how it supports the running of the machine.

Michael

[Kim]

Looking good, Michael!  I like how you made the new base look old.  Very creative!  That brings back memories... I learned that technique in my shop class in 7th-8th grade class.  I don't know that they have shop in grade schools anymore, but I sure enjoyed mine. And learned a lot!

I really like that technique.  It looks great!

Kim

[Michael S.]

Thanks Kim,   

I really enjoy this work. This machine is maybe 120 to 130 years old and I don't know what it was used for, but it has never run. The two crankshaft main bearings are without wear and fit well. But the third bearing was much too big in the hole and not perfectly round. I made it bigger with the reamer and made a bronze bushing. Which I then divided and soldered into the old bearing shells with soft solder. I think it's better to keep the old bearings and not make new ones.
When clamped, I then reamed them to the diameter of the shaft. I was amazed how well it worked in the end.

Michael

[Admiral_dk]

Lovely restauration Michael 

I like that the paintjob looks as it is as old as the Engine is and kind of dives gives the apperance of bare metal (though it isn't)  + the atificial ageing matches nicely 

I wasn't sure of your description of bearing restauration - but the finished result looks as if it came from the factory that way 

Per

edited spelleing errors

[Michael S.]

Hello Per,
I found this Hammerite paint at the hardware store. It sticks very well to rusty iron.
And is ideal in this matt version.
I left some of the machined areas blank.

Michael

[Admiral_dk]

I have some of that paint in different colours - but haven't seen that one from them before ....

Per

[Michael S.]

I did some more work on the machine. The piston had a single cavity that was far too large for a piston ring.
Since the rear part of the piston is a single disc and can be pulled off, I made a part to slide in for the middle and provided a groove on the left and right for two piston rings each. Piston rings have a diameter of 50.00 mm. It all fits together very well. However, the cylinder has an inner diameter of about 50.10 mm. But I think for a steam engine it will work. I still don't know how exactly the crosshead guide is built. Maybe some air is just fine.
In that case it was much too warm in the workshop. Actually, I wanted to dig up and remove the root of a tree that was felled. But not in this heat and sunshine.

Michael

[Michael S.]

I was back in the workshop today because it's too sunny and too warm outside.
The cylinder is now bolted with nuts and bolts.
Like the original nuts, the nuts are slightly higher than normal. First installation of the cylinder on the frame and the piston rod has a new bronze bushing in the piston rod bearing. There is a lot of error. The cylinder doesn't match the piston rod bearing and it looks crooked and when I tighten the nuts everything is blocked.
The crosshead is not at right angles to the piston rod. I thought this will never work. But that must have always been the case and the connecting rod compensates for this if I mount it in the correct position.
Oh man, there's still a lot to do.

Michael

[crueby]

That engine must have an interesting  history,  if we just knew what it was!   

[Roger B]

That's a fine challenge to get working properly