Chris's Diesbar Engine Build

[crueby]

Chris, given the amount of brass that you turn have you ever given the sharper inserts intended for aluminium and other nonferrous metals a try? I find them particularly good for boring as they do not get pushed off the surface as much as the "blunter" inserts like you show do.

Yup, you've  pointed me at them 8n the past, they work well. But, these larger bars use a insert size I don't have  them for.     Yet!

The sharper style inserts I ordered arrived today, and I tried out some of them on outside turning tools. They work quite well, nice finish with less force needed. They do seem to be more finicky on feed speed/depth since they have a smaller sharp section, but thats fine, will get used to that quickly. I have not tried one in a large boring bar yet - will on the next engine!  Thanks for the tip (pun intended)!   

[crueby]

Like the noggin smackers on the back of the cylinders! The unwary in the engine room should be aware...

The parts / assemblies are looking great Chris!

Thanks Jeff!  I wonder if they hang paint cans on them for shaking...

[crueby]

Perhaps the oiler works like this one. However, there is only a single rotary handle on the cylinder's oiler.

Michael, I looked through that documentray video on the Diesbar that includes lots of closeups of the engineer running the engine. In several places in the video, when he is starting up the engine, it shows him spinning the T handle which releases a blast of steam from the cylinder. It looks like the ports from that valve throw steam sideways into the open pot, collecting the water/oil droplets that come out. Other places in the video, that valve appears to still be open as the cylinders move, and you can see jets of steam coming out of it as the piston moves downwards. That makes me think that this is not an oiler at all, but is a pot to collect the condensation coming out the cylinder vent at the top of the cylinder. The oiling more likely is done through the steam inlet.

[Michael S.]

I also watched the video again. You might be right. They are also used as drain cocks.
I have already sent an inquiry to Dresden regarding the function of these things.

[crueby]

I also watched the video again. You might be right. They are also used as drain cocks.
I have already sent an inquiry to Dresden regarding the function of these things.

Great!

[Michael S.]

I received an explanation regarding the function of the oilers from Heiko in Dresden. The original oil vases are now used as drain cocks.
He writes:

"Well, nowadays the vases serve primarily for drainage. In the past, however, they were also used for lubrication; but for that, the engineer had to constantly wait for the precise moment—when there was a vacuum on the upper side of the piston (from the condenser)—to open the valve so that the oil would be drawn in. Later on, mechanical lubricators became available for lubricating the cylinders—a practice that remains standard to this day. The vases can still be utilized for emergency lubrication. The vase-like shape was chosen specifically to prevent the oil from splashing around. They are, in essence, a relic from the early days before mechanical lubricators existed..."

Thanks to Heiko for the quick response from Dresden.

Best regards, Michael

[crueby]

Thanks  to you and Helko!  Excellent  information!   

[cnr6400]

  But I guess this new info from Heiko kinda messes up the shop elves' idea to grow geraniums in the vases....

[crueby]

While waiting for the new batch of screws (due this afternoon) to get the steam chest pieces installed, I got the gaskets for the cylinder caps and the steam chest covers made, and also made up the brackets for the valve arms. These sit on either side of the cylinder on top of the rings, and will hold small bearing blocks that the valve arms will pivot in. They screw into the tops of the rings, in holes/recesses that were made back before the rings were installed. To make the two pairs of brackets, a longer piece of rectangular stock was laid out and drilled for all the holes. There is one left pair and one right pair, with the holes and notches mirrored either side.

Then notched in the sides/tops of each bracket, before cutting them off. Final step before installing them was to blend in the side angled section with a rotary tool.

And then bolted them in place. The bearings will screw into the holes in the top/forward section. The valve arms wrap around the cylinder to the insides of the bearings, and will have rods coming through the bearings, to an arm on one end that will go back to the eccentric motion pieces.

This afternoon I should be able to get the steam chest bases/passages bedded in and installed with screws and epoxy as a sealant. Still to be made: bottom drain valve arms/posts, valve sliders, valve rods/glands, guides for the valve rods up on the top covers, the valve arms, and sets of studs for all the covers.
 

[cnr6400]

 

[crueby]

And for those wondering about the Great Eastern plans that I have had copies of on order from the Science Museum in London, a bit of an update. I had asked for the copies about 6 months ago, and was told they were updating their copy service and the copies were delayed till that was done. Just pinged them again, and got a better explanation of the delay. Turns out that they have not had a copy service there for a long time, and were setting it all up again as a new service! I had thought that they were just revamping things and waiting on new scanners and such. They still don't know how long it will be.     Glad I have several other projects in the pipeline! A month or so ago I started drawing up the two main engines from the Great Eastern, based on the other information and pictures I had already. If/when I ever get these plan copies, I'll go back and update what I've drawn. Sigh...

[crueby]

Yesterday afternoon the countersunk flat head screws I ordered showed up, so I got the steam chest base parts all installed with a thin layer of epoxy as a sealant. This morning the epoxy had cured up, so the screw heads were sanded off flush, and the rest of the parts mad so far assembled on the cylinders. There are stray streaks of epoxy that still need to be sanded off. Once painted, it should look like a big single casting.

Also this morning the piston rod glands were made. They extend 1/4" down into the top of the caps to keep them aligned - an o ring is at the bottom of each hole. These glands were made from bronze, since they will bear on the piston rods as the cylinders rock back and forth - they act like crosshead guides on a non-oscillating engine.

And this morning seemed quiet. Too quiet. At the other end of the room I spotted a note from the elves, "Off to the beach, back later-ish. We printed you a replacement helper for the day! (snicker)"  Yes, they actually wrote 'snicker'...     This guy was standing there next to the note:


    Next I'll start in on the drain valve handle pieces for the bottom of the cylinders, and then the valve pieces. On these engines the valve rod comes out the top of the valve cover, which must have made assembling things interesting on the original engine.

[cnr6400]

  The cylinder assemblies look great Chris! 

Re the new assistant - the "13" on his belt buckle is not a good omen...and I would not expect him too see what to do next... maybe his nickname is "Aye Les" ? 

[crueby]

The cylinder assemblies look great Chris! 

Re the new assistant - the "13" on his belt buckle is not a good omen...and I would not expect him too see what to do next... maybe his nickname is "Aye Les" ? 

 


Yup, maybe he's  related  to Les Nesman! 

[Kim]

The cylinders are all glued up and ready for some finishing.  They look great! 

As does your new flexi-helper guy.

Kim