Engines > Restoration of Model Engines

Stuart BB finished with 3D printing

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redhouseluv:
I have always like the Stuart BB engines; their shape looks very organic and from a certain period of time. Having waited patiently I finally got my hands on one but in terrible condition. It was completely seized, parts missing, the box bed broken and virtually every cylinder bolt was sheared.

I used several coats of Liquid Wrench on the poor old thing to eventually get it apart before the clean up began. I drilled out each sheared bolts and retapped the holes, made a new oiler in the style of the original, valve chest cover and managed to free up the crankshaft and piston assembly without damaging the BB after which it is named! I reassembled the engine with new gaskets and yarn, oiled it and struggled for quite a while with the timing, but eventually got it to run.

That would have been the end of this story had it not been for Jason's AJ Weed engine; I was fascinated by the 3d printing in metal and had a lightbulb moment. I took the measurements of the original boxbed and my friend put them into CAD software and we mirrored the good half to produce a whole. We then printed this out multiple times on the 3d printer refining as we went. Eventually we got to a satisfactory version after which we shipped of the .STL file to Craftcloud and 2 weeks later I received the newly printed base.

It looks great, but was tough to drill as I had ordered the Stainless 316 sandblasted finished, but you can see the results for yourself. This is has been my first foray into 3d printing and 3d printing in metal, but it does open up a lot of possibilities for not only making new engines, but repairing the old!

I have the .STL file which I intend to upload to GrabCAD or similar and hope someone can make use of it


https://youtube.com/shorts/hc2YO7hJm8s?feature=share

redhouseluv:
continued....

crueby:
Cool!  Great way to get a replacement for the  old engine, thats a complex part!  I had the same tough drilling issues with the excavator  bucket I had printed in steel, over time I'm sure  there will be more alloys available. 


 :popcorn:

Michael S.:
A good version for steam engine repair.

I once saw this Stuart BB at an exhibition. A man from Great Britain was using this engine to power a gramophone.

Michael

Jasonb:
That has come out very well, you would not know it was the same engine that looked so rough when you got it.

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