Author Topic: Elmer's VR75 (Vertical Reversing) Steam Engine #38  (Read 7422 times)

Offline Inky Engines

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Elmer's VR75 (Vertical Reversing) Steam Engine #38
« on: February 06, 2013, 10:20:34 AM »
The latest from Inky Engines, not perhaps one of Elmer's more popular builds, but interesting nonetheless.

I surprised myself to find that (mostly) the engine will change direction simply by operation of the eccentric change mechanism, and without the customary restart flick.

The engine is shown here running on air, but I'm in the process of building a 3" vertical boiler to Sandy Campbell's design, and hope eventually to run the engine on live steam.  Hence, there are no plastic covers on this one, the ceramic fibre and mahogany cladding to the cylinder is held in place by the bands, and I've added a small displacement lubricator.



<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QL9vqyRiSBI" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QL9vqyRiSBI</a>

Kind regards

Geoff at Inky Engines

Offline b.lindsey

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Re: Elmer's VR75 (Vertical Reversing) Steam Engine #38
« Reply #1 on: February 06, 2013, 11:57:20 AM »
You did Elmer proud on that one Geoff!!  As you say, not one of his more popular engines probably owing to its greater complexity, but one of his more realistic ones also, for the same reason.  Running it on steam will be sweeeeeet !!!!  Thanks for sharing the pictures and video.

BIll

Offline Bearcar1

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Re: Elmer's VR75 (Vertical Reversing) Steam Engine #38
« Reply #2 on: February 06, 2013, 12:03:11 PM »
That's pretty sweet looking, Geoff. How did you go about shaping the footing for the trunk guide? That would seem to me to be the most daunting/challenging piece to produce. The Mahogany and associated banding really adds to the character.


BC1
Jim

Offline propforward

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Re: Elmer's VR75 (Vertical Reversing) Steam Engine #38
« Reply #3 on: February 06, 2013, 01:34:36 PM »
Wow - that's a beauty of an engine.
Stuart

Forging ahead regardless.

Offline Stilldrillin

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Re: Elmer's VR75 (Vertical Reversing) Steam Engine #38
« Reply #4 on: February 06, 2013, 08:50:03 PM »
That's beautiful, Geoff!  :praise2:

Thanks for showing..... And building!  :ThumbsUp:

David D
David.
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Still drilling holes... Sometimes, in the right place!

Offline Don1966

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Re: Elmer's VR75 (Vertical Reversing) Steam Engine #38
« Reply #5 on: February 07, 2013, 01:03:36 AM »
Great job Geoff, the fit and finish looks good. You have done Elmer proud. Sweet runner and I love the reversing linkage. Thanks for sharing.

Don

Offline Dave Otto

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Re: Elmer's VR75 (Vertical Reversing) Steam Engine #38
« Reply #6 on: February 07, 2013, 01:07:50 AM »
Nice Job!  :ThumbsUp:

Dave

Offline ths

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Elmer's VR75 (Vertical Reversing) Steam Engine #38
« Reply #7 on: February 07, 2013, 01:01:26 PM »
Great rendering, Geoff.

Hugh.

Offline Inky Engines

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Re: Elmer's VR75 (Vertical Reversing) Steam Engine #38
« Reply #8 on: February 11, 2013, 11:30:38 AM »
Thank you all for the encouraging comments.  The boiler is now coming along nicely - silver soldered and pressure tested to 120 psi ... all seems well.  I'll post the engine again if I get it running on live steam.

Jim....

On the contrary, the standard was made from 1/8" black bar, and was 'crudely' shaped with a bench vice and large hammer!  Elmer does however demonstrate a more sophisticated method of forming the standard using what he calls bending jaws.  The design is actually quite forgiving - inaccuracy in the eventual height of the standard is compensated for by adjustment to the length of the crosshead guide, and a skim over the top of the standard after assembly should ensure that everything is square to the base.



Kind regards

Geoff at Inky Engines

Offline b.lindsey

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Re: Elmer's VR75 (Vertical Reversing) Steam Engine #38
« Reply #9 on: February 11, 2013, 03:02:54 PM »
Nice looking boiler Geoff. Any earlier pictures of its fabrication?

Bill

Offline Inky Engines

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Re: Elmer's VR75 Steam Engine & 3" Vertical Boiler to Sandy Campbell's design
« Reply #10 on: February 25, 2013, 06:00:22 PM »
Bill

Sorry, the finished shell was the first photograph I took.   The build substantially to Sandy Campbell's plans was quite straightforward.  I built a simple pressure test rig comprising sealed end plates held by long studs for the completed fire tube - any leaks in this would be impossible to remedy after it's silver soldered into the boiler assembly.

Reflecting on your question, and the missed opportunity, prompted me to take a few more photographs showing completion of the boiler.  It's finished now and I'm very pleased with the results - with the 1" ceramic burner and it will heat a full boiler from cold to blow the safety at 45psi in about 5 minutes.  I'll post a video of the VR75 and boiler combination in action in the next few weeks - I'm intending to add an oil separator, feed water tank, manual pump and preheater.



Kind regards

Geoff at Inky Engines

Offline zeeprogrammer

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Re: Elmer's VR75 (Vertical Reversing) Steam Engine #38
« Reply #11 on: February 26, 2013, 12:05:31 AM »
Looks very sharp Geoff.

I've seen cladding on boilers before but hadn't known about the 'insulation'.
Is that the usual thing to do? What's it made of?
Carl (aka Zee) Will sometimes respond to 'hey' but never 'hey you'.
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Offline Inky Engines

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Re: Elmer's VR75 (Vertical Reversing) Steam Engine #38
« Reply #12 on: February 26, 2013, 08:09:56 AM »
Carl

I think it's fairly common practice to fit insulation underneath the timber cladding.  In this case its a single layer of 2mm thick high temperature (1200°C) ceramic matting available in the UK from Polly Model Engineering.  I had previously built a 2" diameter boiler and initially using solid fuel was unable to raise steam without the insulation - it makes quite a difference.

Kind regards

Geoff at Inky Engines






Offline metalmad

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Re: Elmer's VR75 (Vertical Reversing) Steam Engine #38
« Reply #13 on: February 26, 2013, 09:03:42 AM »
Hi Geoff
THAT boiler is just lovely Mate
A real sweet Combo!
Almost makes a man want to try a Steam Engine  :noidea:
Pete
A little bit every day, sometimes the same little bit

Offline gary.a.ayres

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Re: Elmer's VR75 (Vertical Reversing) Steam Engine #38
« Reply #14 on: July 15, 2020, 12:26:45 AM »
Very nice engine, this.

I have watched your youtube video of it running on your Sandy Campbell boiler an immoderate number of times.

 

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