Stuart Major Beam Engine

[derekwarner]

Must agree Andy 

Steam pipework  of old, only went in 3 directions [3 planes] & when installed with quality designed and built valving is a beauty  to behold......

Member here on MEM 'Pavel' is also one showing these simple [age old] principals in his various builds

What material are you intending for your 4 hole [flat face] flange gaskets?....[considering that you are using 7 BA brass correctly as both studs and bolts]

[50+ years ago, when making gaskets in Johnny Walker Proprietary sheet we would always leave 2 tabs [@180 degrees} to help with alignment of the gasket between those flanges that would never quite lineup  ]

Looking forward to following progress

Derek 

[Chipswitheverything]

Very nice Andy, the ensemble with valves and the new pipe looks great.  I have yet ( somewhen! ) to chew on the pipe bend, good to see your success to encourage me.  Dave

[Don1966]

 


 
Don

[Chipmaster]

Hello Derek, I have a few gasket material offcuts to choose from.

S Major 1519 by Andy, on Flickr

A few miles away in Alcester there is a gasket manufacturer where I have been able to obtain samples.

https://www.sjginternational.com/about-us/

For these flanges I intend to use a thin gasket and a sealant, probably Wellseal.

I'm interested in your comment "considering that you are using 7 BA brass correctly as both studs and bolts" because I genuinely thought that brass studs would be at greater risk of shearing off and intended to replace them with steel. Brass was going to be temporary while I have been searching for 7 ba in stainless steel but it seems that 7ba is a non-preferred size, I should have worked that out in advance and chosen a different thread.  However, if it is advantageous to use brass fasteners here I'll tidy up the studs and use them?

Do you have a predilection for a drop of Scotch as suggested by "making gaskets in Johnny Walker Proprietary sheet", I suspect James Walker was the manufacturer?

Thanks very much for your interest and I look forward to hearing from you.

Also cheers to Don and Dave 

Andy

[Chipmaster]

A Stuart Major for sale on eBay, ends today 1st April at 9.00pm.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/EXHIBITION-QUALITY-STUART-TURNER-MAJOR-BEAM-ENGINE/284232380821

The advert includes a link to a YouTube video of the engine

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

Andy

[simplyloco]

It didn't sell, and has been relisted. Personally, I think it looks a little 'busy'. I started making a pierced steel walkway for mine until I realised that the Stuart Beam is based on a small engine, which probably wouldn't have been big enough to have had a walkway anyway.

[Chipmaster]

Hello John,

this YouTube video of a Stuart Major with a walkway that fascinated me, I wonder how it was made, perhaps it was cut by laser, any ideas?

<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uOTB5CSpspw" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uOTB5CSpspw</a>

Andy

[gary.a.ayres]

I share some of John's reservations about the high levels of detail, but have seen this video before and have to say it's beautiful.

[simplyloco]

Hello John,

this YouTube video of a Stuart Major with a walkway that fascinated me, I wonder how it was made, perhaps it was cut by laser, any ideas?

Andy

Hi Andy. Pierced plate of any desired profile is available commercially, but we might have to buy slightly more than we need...
John

[Chipmaster]

Walkways - I knew that a wide range of perforated grilles is available, for example James Gilbert & Son in London

https://www.jamesgilbertandson.com/decorative-grilles-perforated-grilles-c-1_8.html?osCsid=u9103uah8j80lvgv113v6tf317

However, the edges or margins are awkward to get right. I have copied a couple of still from the YouTube video that I referred to in my previous post No 411.

ST Major pierced walkway 1 (2) by Andy, on Flickr

ST Major pierced walkway 2 (2) by Andy, on Flickr

To me it seems the walkway has been custom made leaving solid edges all round and neat little areas for supporting the stanchions. I'm hoping someone can tell me how it was done.

When I started my build seven years ago I planned to form a planked walkway like this....

Stuart Major (23) by Andy, on Flickr

or this.....

IMG_3286_1[1] by Andy, on Flickr

I have great difficulty making up my mind when it comes to these details and colour schemes with the engines I have built.

Andy

   

[simplyloco]

I understand your dilemma. I'm going to keep my engine as designed by Mr Taylor: he used the KISS principle!
John

[Chipswitheverything]

Hi Andy, my feeling about the accesorising , platforms and so on, is that although the examples that you show are nicely done, there are two snags ( and call that three if one counts all the extra work involved!)  All the extra bits tend to distract rather from the interest of the engine itself, but more importantly, this is not all that big as a prototype engine!  A small pair of wooden steps would get the engineman to all the places that he needed to oil and inspect.   The beautiful Major Beam that had won a Gold medal at Sandown a few years ago had none of this gubbins, just a simple but nice base and plinth, and it looked marvellous.  Dave

[simplyloco]

Hi Andy, my feeling about the accesorising , platforms and so on, is that although the examples that you show are nicely done, there are two snags ( and call that three if one counts all the extra work involved!)  All the extra bits tend to distract rather from the interest of the engine itself, but more importantly, this is not all that big as a prototype engine!  A small pair of wooden steps would get the engineman to all the places that he needed to oil and inspect.   The beautiful Major Beam that had won a Gold medal at Sandown a few years ago had none of this gubbins, just a simple but nice base and plinth, and it looked marvellous.  Dave

Agreed.
John

[derekwarner]

"7 BA brass correctly as both studs and bolts" ...Andy....I suspect the actual machines used both Studs and Bolts here

If you consider 2 flanges with an effective 90 degree rotation in the spool, when attempting to install onto 2 sets of studs, physical interference between the studs and the holes on the flanges will occur...........[unless the flange stud holes were grossly oversized  ]

Same geometry scenario if you solder a similar tube spool without using steel/brass shim as spacers to set the alignment thickness of the gaskets ........the tube spool would be stressed and out of alignment when attempting to bolt up the spool to the mating components

With respect to the gasket material...yes tongue in cheek as I clearly remember the James Walker Graphited Woven square section gasket material was in Maroon + Silver  cardboard box's.....

All of these gasket materials suitable for 500 PSI & 150 degrees C water/steam/oil will be absolutely fine for our applications, considering we are using far lower applicational limits.. Garlock suggest paper or synthetic gaskets are best installed with talcum powder ....a number of dedicated enthusiasts suggest oiled heavy brown paper is all that is needed

Image 3286 as below is a paint tone very familiar from British built machinery for the last Century...the heavy 'oiled' wooden floor planking is also outstandingly prototypical and effective

Derek

[simplyloco]

"7 BA brass correctly as both studs and bolts" ...Andy....I suspect the actual machines used both Studs and Bolts here

SNIP
Derek

My ME life changed a little when I discovered that M2.5 is almost identical to 7BA...
John