A Stuart Williamson build

[Sanjay F]

Time for a new project and as I seem to be alternating between new builds and restorations, it's now time for a Stuart Williamson from castings. I do like a Stuart engines (no surprise to anyone) and this one is more unusual. I got the castings some time ago and I think they are older given the style of packaging; fortunately I didn't pay anywhere near the current Stuart Models price for them!

I have the original drawings which are not great and crammed onto A3 sheets; paper must have been a scarce commodity when these were drawn! 

However, I have the book 'Building the Williamson engine' by Tubal Cain which has larger and clearer drawings within its pages. I'll use a combination of the book and advice from the remarkably few builds of this engine on MEM or any other model engine websites; any gotchas or errors on drawings etc. most welcome

Right, looks like cleaning up the column is the 1st port of call ...............

[55fairlane]

Watching with interest

[Sanjay F]

The cleanup of the column may take a while to get a nice finish when painted. The column casting is not great and usually Stuart ones are pretty good, maybe its because it's Ali?

[pgp001]

As castings go that is pretty dire, if you had just bought it from Stuart's I would be advising sending it back for a replacement.

I wondered if Stuart would sell a spare column casting for it still, and according to their website they do it in cast iron rather than aluminium. However it is £74 plus VAT so not cheap.
It may be worth approaching them anyway to see if could do a goodwill gesture and replace it for you.

Good luck with making it presentable, you have a lot of work to do on it.

Phil P

[Charles Lamont]

Old Stuart Turner castings from Henley-on-Thames were excellent. Those from the Stuart Models, Guernsey, era are apparently* very variable. The Bridport foundry chap told me at MMEX a few years ago that on taking over they had to scrap half the stock.

(*I have no experience of them.)

[Jasonb]

I thought Bridport were casting for Stuarts for some time before actually taking over. Much like MJ Engineering who they now own, they had been casting for Alan for many years.

Edit.

I just scalled down the file for "Big Willy" to the original size to see what Craftcloud would charge to 3D print in aluminium and it come out at £60 inc postage and tax. Plus that would have the beads already formed

[Sanjay F]

I've spent the day (in between work duties) wearing my fingers out with various shaped files and grades of emery and to be quite frank its better, but still not good and not going to be great.

I'm very much liking the idea of a 3-d printed version especially looking how clean the flutes are in the image you have uploaded 

[Dave Otto]

It would be interesting to see how well the 3D comes out.

[Jasonb]

Yes, it's a good size piece so interesting to see how it compares with the smaller items I have had done. I've also got a couple of other engine frames due to land on my doormat in the next few days.

[Sanjay F]

That green one looks vaguely familiar 

Looking forward to how that one turns out ......

[crueby]

Yes, it's a good size piece so interesting to see how it compares with the smaller items I have had done. I've also got a couple of other engine frames due to land on my doormat in the next few days.

Its going to be Wobbler Engine Land there!

[Sanjay F]

This build is officially PAUSED until further notice or at least until the new column has been printed. Thank you to Jason for providing a modified file.

This will be interesting to see ..........

[Jasonb]

I'm sure there are other bits you could get on with while you wait, maybe not the base and entablature but jumping along a few pages in the book would find you some parts that don't directly fit to the column so safe enough to make now.

[Sanjay F]

Yes, that's true - saves having a half done (fractionally done project, I'll take a look 

[Sanjay F]

grrrrrrr............