Chris's New Steering Engine

[cnr6400]

 

[bent]

Wow, starting again already.  Note to self: check popcorn supply, made need another 50-lb bag....

[crueby]

Thanks  guys! These cylinders are shaping up pretty quick,  will slow down when I  start in on the passages and ports.


Bent, dont forget the butter and salt for the popcorn! I prefer the white popcorn, doesnt have the hard hulls that stick in between teeth.

[Vixen]

Chris,   
You gotta slow down, us mortals are having difficulties with keeping up with your posts.    

Mike

[Don1966]

Nice solder job Chris you’re really getting good at that, love the build for……


 
Don

[crueby]

Chris, 
You gotta slow down, us mortals are having difficulties with keeping up with your posts.   

Mike

Old joke:  I'm  writing this letter slow since I  know you don't  read too fast...      

[crueby]

Nice solder job Chris you’re really getting good at that, love the build for……


 
Don

Thanks Don!  Been practicing,  and its really helped!   

[crueby]

With the crank end of the cylinders complete, it was time to trim off the extra material on the outer ends of the parts. The bandsaw was used to cut the ends off.

Those cutoffs will be useful for something, wonder what?
The cut ends of the parts were trued up on the lathe, then back over to the mill to drill the mounting holes for the end caps:

On to the steam chests! Blanks for the chests and lids were cut/trimmed to size, then laid out the bolt pattern to hold them together:

The center of the chest parts will get cut out next time. The same pattern was drilled into the steam chest bases on the cylinders, with a tap drill:

Here is the first one after getting the holes tapped...

One more to tap the holes on, then will start in on the rest of the shaping for the steam chests.The pipe connections to the throttle valve will all be in the steam chest base, so the only side hole needed on the steam chest itself is for the valve rod/gland on the end.

[cnr6400]

  The screamin jimmy dump truck is still missing one exhaust pipe but I sent it on its' way to you with 8 more tons of fresh dry white popcorn. You'll likely hear it coming 12 miles out...

[crueby]

The screamin jimmy dump truck is still missing one exhaust pipe but I sent it on its' way to you with 8 more tons of fresh dry white popcorn. You'll likely hear it coming 12 miles out...

Must be close, I  thought it was a  freight  train with a bad muffler!   

[bent]

I thought about sending you 10 tons of butter, but I think a pipeline (steam traced to keep the butter molten) from the dairy will be more cost effective.  We're gonna need to commandeer that steam shovel of yours...

[crueby]

I thought about sending you 10 tons of butter, but I think a pipeline (steam traced to keep the butter molten) from the dairy will be more cost effective.  We're gonna need to commandeer that steam shovel of yours...

There is a dairy farm about 2 miles from here, I'll get the elves started!   

[Roger B]

Another fascinating project off to a good start     

That's an interesting servo mechanism   

[crueby]

Another fascinating project off to a good start 

That's an interesting servo mechanism 

Thanks Roger!  When I first saw a steering engine (full size) at the engine show, my jaw was on the ground in wonder. A very clever concept.

[crueby]

This morning I milled out the centers of the steam chest blocks:

then drilled the valve rod and gland screw holes

and made the two glands. The recess in the end around the valve rod hole is a close fit for an o-ring. After shaping, the two glands were parted off on the lathe.

Here one gland is bolted to the chest on the right, the other is on the table to show the o-ring:

Next I want to drill/tap the holes in the base blocks to hold the cylinders to the base plate, then will start in on all the ports/passages...