The Essex Hot Air Engine

[SteamR]

The Essex Hot Air Engine is a replica model in scale 1:1 based on the US-patent No. 723660 granted to Henry Essex in 1903. The patent can be downloaded from a patent server.
This hot air engine is a very elegant and unusual design in which the displacer cylinder and the power cylinder are arranged in the opposed cylinder type. The heating zone is located in between the cylinders. This hot air engine is a beta type engine.
The original engines were used for running fans, peanut roasters, window displays, dental drills and sewing machines.

The model was build from castings. The castings and a set of drawings I purchased from myfordboy.
The model is fired with gas fuel. This engine is a version with water cooler at the displacer end.

Technical Data:
Power piston diameter: 47,5mm
Displacer piston diameter: 45 mm
Stroke power piston: 32mm
Stroke displacer piston: 38mm
Power piston length: 122mm (incl. extension cap)
Displacer piston length: 119mm
Overall dimensions: 49 x 16 x 18cm

<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ic2bECTHgtQ" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ic2bECTHgtQ</a>

[A7er]

I do like the Essex, and this is a great example. Nicely done and a good runner.

[Admiral_dk]

Handsome Engine and Great runner - congrats 

Per

[Dave Otto]

Looks good! I built one a while back but still need to paint it, it does run good though.
Did you leave the engine castings bare metal? it appears that they haven't been painted.

Dave

[SteamR]

Looks good! I built one a while back but still need to paint it, it does run good though.
Did you leave the engine castings bare metal? it appears that they haven't been painted.

Dave

Hello Dave,
the main body castings are not painted. The aluminium castings are of quite good quality and the aluminium surface is realy smooth and needs no treatment. For reason of contrast I painted the base plate and the flywheel in red appearance. The outer heating casing I painted with black heat resistant paint.

Richard

[Dave Otto]

Thanks Richard,

I have considered leaving the basic engine bare and only painting the Flywheel and maybe water jacket. I did not get the base from Myford Boy, actually he did not offer it to me so I assumed that he did not want to ship it to the states. Lots of the Essex engines were mounted on a wood base so that is what I had planed on doing. Incase you have not stumbled across it here is a link to my build. https://www.modelenginemaker.com/index.php/topic,10001.0.html

Dave

[SteamR]

Thanks Richard,

I have considered leaving the basic engine bare and only painting the Flywheel and maybe water jacket. I did not get the base from Myford Boy, actually he did not offer it to me so I assumed that he did not want to ship it to the states. Lots of the Essex engines were mounted on a wood base so that is what I had planed on doing. Incase you have not stumbled across it here is a link to my build. https://www.modelenginemaker.com/index.php/topic,10001.0.html

Dave

Thanks Dave,

for drawing my attention to your great building log.

I got my base from myfordboy. There is some difficulty in the casting process of a flat casting of that size, so he normally don´t offer the base.

Richard