Cretors #1 Horizontal Steam Engine Build

[rstreift]

It's been awhile, but well along the way toward completing an engine.  As I knew there would be many interruptions, I kept a log offline.  Now that the end is in sight, I'm posting it and expect that I'll catch up with the build by the time I get the completed parts posted.  Please offer comments/suggestions as there is usually more than one way to make a part and I could use all the improvement I can get.
The previous build log was the Cretors #6 Oscillating Steam Engine.  Since I also have a Cretors #1 Horizontal Steam Engine kit I figured I might as well build it in sequence.
This is modeled after an engine that was prolly built between 1885-1918, as best as I can ascertain, for use in peanut and popcorn street wagons, built and sold by the Cretor’s Engine Company of Chicago, IL.  I found information that there were several different engines designs numbered from #1 to #6. The last catalog I found was a 1918 version and it listed the wagons as electric with optional steam power.  Catologs were found at:
https://www.cretors.com/historic-catalogs/?_historic_catalogs=1900-1919-catalogs

The Kit
As with the #6 engine, this kit was purchased by my late father in 1999 and as far as I can tell, the current offering from Myers is the same kit.  Obviously, one has to open the box 😊, after doing an inventory of the castings all were accounted for as well as the prints. The prints have Paul R. Breisch of Royersford, PA as the original work for this model drawn in 1969. 
There were four architecture C size prints, labeled S330 to S333.  S330-S332 are of the engine and S333 is the Governor.

[rstreift]

The Governor

The Drive Column, #S333-D
I’ve never built a governor; this will be a first for me.  The drive column seemed like a good place to start as I can use the external thread as a gage for its mating part, the “gove yoke”.  Using a piece of SS, I clocked it in the lathe to chase the 9/16-24 thread.  The cutter is mounted upside down and the lathe is reversed, by doing this I can thread moving away from the shoulder.  A minor diameter flat is cut about 3/64 wide for the cutter to start from.
S333-D-DriveColumn-1.jpg

The next part is the taper.  I use a sine platform with a 5” sine bar with a 0.234 stack to setup the taper on the compound slide, but first I need to zero the bar on the platform.  Once zero’ed, on goes the sine bar and stack, then the compound is adjusted until the indicator doesn’t move as it is compound screw is turned.  Looking closely, one can see the compound and sine bar are parallel.
S333-D-DriveColumn-2.jpg, S333-D-DriveColumn-3.jpg

The taper is turned and a 1/8” radius form tool completes this feature.
S333-D-DriveColumn-4.jpg, S333-D-DriveColumn-5.jpg

[rstreift]

The 3/8” hole down the center is spotted, drilled, and reamed.
S333-D-DriveColumn-6.jpg, S333-D-DriveColumn-7.jpg, S333-D-DriveColumn-8.jpg>

Once it is parted off, it is mounted on an arbor to turn the fit for the gear. 
S333-D-DriveColumn-9.jpg, S333-D-DriveColumn-10.jpg

[rstreift]

The Spindle, #S333-S
I was eyeing the body casting to do next, its features need the body squared off and one side needed to be -0.000/0.005 tolerance to the bore going the length of the part.  I kept thinking I needed a dummy shaft in the bore that extended past the threaded part of the bore.  It finally dawned on me that the spindle is exactly what I needed.  It threaded into the body and the drive column has the gear to which the tolerance comes from.  So, the light came on and I pulled out the spindle print.
Into a ½” collet goes a bit of brass to get faced/spotted/and drilled through for the valve stem.  Then tapped for the gland nut.  The diameter is turn down to 3/8” for 1.875”..
S333-S-Spindle-1.jpg, S333-S-Spindle-2.jpg, S333-S-Spindle-3.jpg, S333-S-Spindle-4.jpg>

I swap out the collet to a 3/8” and hold the part to chase the 3/8-24 threads.  I considered using a die, but chasing it would eliminate any slight error a die may introduce.
S333-S-Spindle-5.jpg, S333-S-Spindle-6.jpg

[Sanjay F]

I really like these engines and have been eyeing one up on the Myers website. Following along and hope to see more pictures 

[CI]

I really like the Cretors/Cretors replica steam engines.
Bob Pearson had the original Cretors patterns at his shop in Kansas, but I have not heard anything about Bob lately, so don't know if he is still in the business.

Cretors engines have a clean look to them, and are built to run all day long.
The original Cretors engines had poured babbitt bearings.

Following along with interest.

Edit:
Found a post on another forum where someone said they spoke with Bob Pearson in Jan of 2025, so sounds like he may still be active.

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[rstreift]

There will be more pictures, for better or worse.   

These have mostly bronze castings, which I think adds to the beauty of them.  Humm, pouring babbitt is on my list of things to avoid.  However, if the bearings were to wear out they could be bored out and poured.  I'll let the kids figure that one out. 

[CI]

I asked Bob Pearson about how he has his Cretors bearing supports cast in bronze instead of cast iron with babbitt bearings.
His response was "Bronze bearings can have wear characteristics similar to babbitt, and bearing bronze is known to make very good bearing material".
I have to agree.

.

[rstreift]

the bearings could be bored to the diameter for babbitt and bronze bearing sleeves could be used instead of babbitt.  Another option for sure.

The Gland Nut, #S333-J
I had about an hour left before I needed to clean up, might as well machine the gland nut.  Swapping in a 3/8” hex collet and a bit of 3/8” brass hex stock, the gland nut is bored, threaded, and cutoff.
S333-J-GlandNut-1.jpg

The Pinion Shaft and Pulley, #S333-M
This is a quick part.  Cut off a bit of 1/4“ SS rod and clean up the ends.  The pulley was turned from a bit of SS shaft to the dimensions in the drawing.  I didn’t have a 5-40 set screw handy but did have a 6-32.  While the set screw on the prototype may, or may not, have been a 5-40; I’m pretty sure the prototype had bevel gears and the pulley was stamped steel so I’m going to be fine with the change in set screw size.
It’s inconsequential, but the drawing for “U” is a 1/32 x 1/4 x 1/2" washer.  The diameter of the set screw part of the pulley is 1/2".  However, the washer is not drawn 1/2" diameter in the drawing for “M”.  Oh well, if that is the only issue with the drawings then it’s a good day.
S333-M-PinionShaftPulley.jpg

The Thrust Nut, #S333-E
Time to pull out the hex stock again.  The thrust nut captures the spinner on the Valve nut  and is simply a bit of brass hex stock with a 5-40 threaded hole.
S333-E-ThrustNut-1.jpg, S333-E-ThrustNut-1.jpg

The Valve Nut, #S333-G
The valve nut has the spinner axel and a threaded hole for the stem. 
S333-G-ValveNut-1.jpg

The Spinner (and assembly of EFG), #S333-F
The spinner is a SS bit with two holes.  The cross hole will have the ball arms in the assembly and will raise-n-lower the stem.  The holes are spotted and drilled.
S333-F-Spinner-1.jpg, S333-F-Spinner-3.jpg

The assembly of the three parts.
S333-EFG-1

[CI]

 

[55fairlane]

I have a friend building this same engine,  in bronze......the drawings are from Myers....1969 hand drawn.....speaking of Myers engine..... John Jensen now owns Myers model .....great guy.....

[CI]

I ran across these photos by chance today.
They illustrate the original iron castings for a Cretors bearing support, with recesses for pouring babbitt bearing material, and also illustrate how a simplified casting can be made in bearing bronze or other material by leaving the coreprint in place when molding.

I guess the coreprint is an integral part of the bearing support pattern, and non-removeable.
The core print is assymetrical, because the interior of the bearing support is assymetrical with respect to the horizontal axis.
The ends of the coreprint are different, so that the core is not inserted the wrong way.

Making a casting without the core simplifies the casting process, since a core and corebox are not required, and the coreprint material can be machined away.
It is possible that the original corebox was not available/lost when the castings with integral corprints were cast.

It would appear that there is a vertical slot to retain the babbit bearing, and also side retainer walls on the sides of the casting to retain the babbitt.

One thing I noticed when looking at some of Bob Pearson's original Cretors engines is that the babbitt seemed to have a dual purpose, ie: not only did it provide a bearing surface, but the crankshaft was precision aligned square to the cylinder bore, probably in a jig before the bearing was poured, which is evident in the babbitt material not being exactly the same thickness on both sides of the bearing support.
The miscellaneous machining and casting irregularities could be eliminated by aligning the cylinder bore square to the crankshaft, and the crankshaft horizontal to the engine bed before pouring the babbitt.


.

[rstreift]

Interesting info on the bearing supports.  Even at the time period for these engines, it seems the difference in the cost of materials between CI and bronze would be significant.  The rebuild process with babbitt just makes sense for those days.

I'll continue with the governor body.

The Governor Body, S333-A
I did a lot of pondering on how to hold this.  Laying out the center lines gave me a reference to clean up the body’s flat surfaces that can then be gripped by the lathe chuck’s jaws and keep the alignment to the layout lines.
S333-A-GovernorBody-1.jpg, S333-A-GovernorBody-2.jpg

I do have an inspector in the shop, it is a highly paid position requiring a specific skill set.  Here he is QA’ing the layout.
GovernorInspector-1.jpg, GovernorInspector-3.jpg

I can tell by his face when he’s thinking a part is not up to snuff, then I need to move quickly to avoid the rejection process where he paws the part to the floor.
GovernorInspector-4.jpg, GovernorInspector-6.jpg

I do need to be careful to cover the parts on the bench as he has rejected items from "his" workspace.

[rstreift]

OK, enough of the Denny’s help.  The casting goes to the mill and visually the body is aligned to the x and y axis.
S333-A-GovernorBody-3.jpg, S333-A-GovernorBody-4.jpg

I’m taking just enough off to let me square the block.  I’ll take it to the finished dimensions as a final step.
S333-A-GovernorBody-5.jpg

Taking the cleaned up “block” to the 4-jaw and checking that it is correctly aligned.  While the casting is relatively sturdy, I face off the end and put in a center to support it during the thread chasing.  The thread is finished using the upside-down and in reverse approach. 
S333-A-GovernorBody-6.jpg, S333-A-GovernorBody-7.jpg

There are three features that need to be completed, the thread for the spindle which is between the globe and the chuck jaws.  The next is the bore for the valve and the third is a circular steam passage located on inlet.
Doing the math, the tap is just long enough to complete the thread for the stem and leave a surface that can be used to align the body when it is flipped around.  So, I rough bore the valve area and drill for the tap.  Then I bore out and ream the body for the valve.
S333-A-GovernorBody-8.jpg, S333-A-GovernorBody-9.jpg

[CI]