Author Topic: Pacific Vapor Engine from Morrison & Marvin Castings  (Read 213427 times)

Offline fumopuc

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Re: Pacific Vapor Engine from Morrison & Marvin Castings
« Reply #315 on: January 05, 2015, 04:56:10 AM »
Hi Dave, the next beautiful details for your engine. Perfectly done.
Kind Regards
Achim

Offline vcutajar

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Re: Pacific Vapor Engine from Morrison & Marvin Castings
« Reply #316 on: January 05, 2015, 05:23:51 AM »
Good to see you back at it Dave.

Vince

Online Kim

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Re: Pacific Vapor Engine from Morrison & Marvin Castings
« Reply #317 on: January 05, 2015, 07:46:57 AM »
Glad you were able to get some shop time.  That looks great Dave - The flame arrestor really adds to the whole.  Very nicely done!
Kim

Offline b.lindsey

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Re: Pacific Vapor Engine from Morrison & Marvin Castings
« Reply #318 on: January 05, 2015, 08:30:19 PM »
Dave,
I have been following this build from the beginning and to me it is one of the nicest engines I have seen from the quality of the castings to your impeccable work on every detail.  I look forward to each new update!!

Bill

Offline Dave Otto

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Re: Pacific Vapor Engine from Morrison & Marvin Castings
« Reply #319 on: January 05, 2015, 10:49:08 PM »
Guys, Thanks for all the kind words; just wish I had more time to spend on it.

Hugh, I have a little book that I purchased years ago from Guy Lautard (The Machinist Bedside Reader guy) called "Tables and Instructions for Ball and Radius Generation". Its a handy little book that has everything figured out for all the common fractional sizes from 1/64" to 1" by 64ths. sadly it is out of print.

I have also done this sort of thing using a 2d cad program by drawing out the arc intersected by lines spaced how much you want to step over. then each point where the line intersects the arc is measured and used to drive the lathe tool. Very tedious but works good for very large radii.

Marv Klotz also has a utility that will calculate this as well; below is a description from the web site.

"You don't need to buy/build a ball cutting attachment for your lathe if you only need to cut occasional, non-critical spherical shapes. This little program will give you a printable incremental cutting schedule that gets the job done fast. Guy Lautard documents this technique but I was using it long before he documented it. The tables in his publications limit one to certain pre-determined ball diameters. This program will produce a tailored cutting schedule for any diameter. BTW, this type of machining is referred to as HAM (Human Assisted Machining)! See also PROFILE. "

I'm going to give his a try; sounds like it works just the same only more versatile.

Thanks again guys.
Dave

Offline Don1966

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Re: Pacific Vapor Engine from Morrison & Marvin Castings
« Reply #320 on: January 06, 2015, 12:53:40 AM »
Dave that's what I like about graving, just place a rest for the tool and the rest comes easy. Since you were doing brass it's way easier to use a graver. Your results were outstanding bud.

Don

Offline Dave Otto

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Re: Pacific Vapor Engine from Morrison & Marvin Castings
« Reply #321 on: January 06, 2015, 01:08:41 AM »
Thanks Don

You want a chuckle? after I had roughed out the profile I thought to myself, that is a lot of material to file off. So I got out a brazed carbide lathe tool with a flat face and went to town. Even just holding it freehand I was surprised how well it worked. Well when my hand got tired I flipped one of my boring bars around in the holder and used the but end of it as a tool rest then grabbed the lathe tool with a small pair of vice grips and continued cutting. It is amazing how well you can peal metal away just by hand.

Maybe some proper tooling is in order :lolb:

Dave

Offline Rivergypsy

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Re: Pacific Vapor Engine from Morrison & Marvin Castings
« Reply #322 on: February 23, 2015, 01:23:32 PM »
Nothing wrong with a little hand scraping; I was taught it many years ago when I made an aluminium steering wheel during my apprenticeship, and it's been a lifesaver ever since.

As usual, beautiful craftsmanship, Dave.

Offline Dave Otto

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Re: Pacific Vapor Engine from Morrison & Marvin Castings
« Reply #323 on: February 23, 2015, 01:56:32 PM »
Thanks Dave,

Where have you been hiding?

Dave

Offline Rivergypsy

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Re: Pacific Vapor Engine from Morrison & Marvin Castings
« Reply #324 on: February 23, 2015, 02:02:04 PM »
Not so much hiding, Dave, run ragged is closer to the mark!!

Offline RolandMM

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Re: Pacific Vapor Engine from Morrison & Marvin Castings
« Reply #325 on: April 01, 2015, 04:16:27 AM »
Dave,  as I have mentioned in my Union Chronicles, the Pacific Gas or Gasoline Engine was one of the first engines to be built in San Francisco.  The engines started with The Regan Vapor Engine in 1884 and soon was followed by the Pacific which used some of Regan's patents.

Court battles lasted several years and left both companies unable to continue so they joined and formed the Union Engine Company.  This dates the Pacific between June 8, 1889 and January 30, 1892 during which Pacific claimed "over 350 engines in successful operation".

I have a draft copy of a terrific book by my friend Jack Alexander.  He has just released the final version of "The Regan Vapor Engine" and it is available at

http://www.lulu.com/shop/jack-alexander/the-regan-vapor-engine/paperback/product-22100663.html

It is a wealth of information for those wanting history of early engines.  Even if you don't like engines it is interesting how all the companies were in a 4 by 6 block area near the waterfront and all intermixed ideas and people.

Also it irritates me that your Pacific is older and prettier than my Union!

Roland

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Offline Dave Otto

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Re: Pacific Vapor Engine from Morrison & Marvin Castings
« Reply #326 on: April 02, 2015, 12:52:44 AM »
Hi Roland

Thanks for the information and the complement on my engine.

Almost 500 pages of early California engine history and information, for the very reasonable sum of $19.00; what's not to like about that! My copy is in the mail, it shipped the day after I ordered it. They must have printed some stock anticipating orders.

Now I just need to carve out some time to work on the much neglected engine and pump.

Nice avatar by the way!

Thanks,
Dave

Offline RolandMM

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Re: Pacific Vapor Engine from Morrison & Marvin Castings
« Reply #327 on: August 01, 2015, 07:58:15 PM »
Dave, I peregrinated through Montana last month and checked on some Pacific Engine construction. I discovered a couple almost finished, one running and the other almost ready to run.  The workmanship is great and when I saw the oiler I questioned if you had been involved.

This scale oiler is an exact copy of the Lunkenheimer "ALPHA" Glass Body Oil Pump.  A pump is unusual on a small engine and perhaps newer than the Pacific Engine but sure looks nice.  Probably the Pacific Engines used a four (4) post drip oiler with wood knobs.  Now that would be a good project for you...

Roland
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Offline Dave Otto

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Re: Pacific Vapor Engine from Morrison & Marvin Castings
« Reply #328 on: August 02, 2015, 01:42:47 AM »
Hi Roland

That is indeed a beautiful oiler, thanks for the pictures; an engine as special as the Pacific really does deserve a proper oiler. Yes oilers can be purchased but they just aren't as nice. After all; the details really do make the model.  It is always fun to see what the other guys are up to.

The early 4 post oilers; Standard, Essex, etc. now their special; and proper equipment on some of the very early engines that we love.

Maybe some day when you have a little extra time ( :lolb:) we would like to see where you and the MM team are on that interesting Union engine.

Thanks again for the pictures,
Dave
« Last Edit: August 02, 2015, 01:58:52 AM by Dave Otto »

Offline RolandMM

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Re: Pacific Vapor Engine from Morrison & Marvin Castings
« Reply #329 on: August 08, 2015, 05:11:11 PM »
Dave,

I found my pictures of a typical Pacific Engine Oiler.  I have a San Francisco Standard Marine engine just a little later vintage than the Pacific (which also was available as a marine engine).

The Frisco Standard has original oilers.  They are four (4) post with wooden knobs, probably copied from steam era oilers where the knobs needed to stay cool.

I know these are original to the engine because the top is scalloped, as original pictures show, and is stamped "Standard Gas Engine Co.   San Francisco".

I believe the "Standard" oiler was similar but with a round top. Any four post oiler would be proper on an early engine.

Several years ago my late friend IJnze, visited from The Netherlands and drew up my oiler for his Pacific Engine. He then made a couple scale oilers.  When I was over in his workshop I took pictures of his Pacific Engine with these oilers.

These are the pictures I found and will attach.

OK  Dave, I'll tell about the progress on the Union Engine in a couple days (It also needs the same early oilers.....)

Roland
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