A vertical steam pump.

[Michael S.]

Not long ago, Sanjay asked me if I was familiar with Torsten Schuer’s vertical steam pump and whether the castings were still available. I checked with T.S. Modellbau and found out that castings for the pump are being produced again.
However, I also recalled that the exact same pump appears in a Dutch book on model steam engines as a project with plans—and that was a pump I had always wanted to build. The only thing I had been missing was the piece of steel T-section required for the stand; in this version, the pump isn't built using castings.
Now I have that T-section in my hands, and construction of the pump can begin.
To start with, it’s purely manual work—sawing, filing, and drilling. Just the sort of thing I enjoy. I marked out the dimensions for the stand and got to work. Now I’m holding the stand, cut to its outer dimensions.

Michael

[crueby]

Looking forward to seeing it  come together!   

[JackPick]

Off to a good start. I like it!

[Jasonb]

Off to a good start. Was it just a freelance design or is it based on an actual older pump?

It's a very similar design to one I made some time ago, I just used two separate pieces of steel to form the "T"

https://www.modelenginemaker.com/index.php?topic=11075.0

[Michael S.]

Thanks, everyone.

Jason, I’m actually familiar with this design from fire engine steam engines; I’ve often seen this type of slotted crosshead there.
The drawing and construction instructions come from the Dutch book *Handbuch Modelldampfmaschinen* (Model Steam Engine Handbook).
It’s a good book—especially for beginners.

Michael

[Michael S.]

Next up is the base plate, made from 8 mm sheet steel with four mounting holes. Small raised sections are added around the four holes to give it a cast-metal appearance.
The crankshaft requires a bearing bushing; a 15 mm steel tube was fabricated and joined using silver solder.
After that, a cutout needs to be machined to accommodate the eccentric.

Regards, Michael

[Sanjay F]

Thanks, everyone.

Jason, I’m actually familiar with this design from fire engine steam engines; I’ve often seen this type of slotted crosshead there.
The drawing and construction instructions come from the Dutch book *Handbuch Modelldampfmaschinen* (Model Steam Engine Handbook).
It’s a good book—especially for beginners.

Michael

The engine on the front cover does not look like a beginners engine, if it is, I must be way underqualified to call myself a beginner! 

[Michael S.]

The stand still requires a top and a bottom plate—one to serve as the base and the other at the top for the cylinder.
The parts are attached with screws and then soldered using soft solder.
The large base plate was also stamped on the underside so that people will know later who built it and when.

Michael

[Michael S.]

Hi Sanjay, the book does include simple construction plans, and it explains a great deal about steam engine valve gear, boiler construction, locomotives, portable engines, steamrollers, and workshop techniques.

[Michael S.]

The flywheel was turned from a 70 mm piece of steel. For the bearing bushings, I am using off-the-shelf bronze ones; three of them fit into the bearing sleeve. Only the outer diameter needs to be reduced slightly. The bronze bearings are simply press-fitted in. And finally, there is the crank disc; it, too, is simply press-fitted onto the 8 mm crankshaft.

Michael

[Sanjay F]

It's really starting to come together now, very nice work! 

[Michael S.]

Thank you Sanjay.


The cylinder came from the scrap bin and is 2 mm longer than required. However, I’m leaving it at that length and making the piston slightly longer instead.
The valve chest and valve are finished, too. Then I noticed a mistake: I had misinterpreted a dimension, resulting in the crankshaft sitting 4.5 mm too high and the crank being too close to the cylinder. I fabricated a ring—featuring a rounded outer edge so it wouldn't be too conspicuous—to address this. The piston is finished now as well.

Michael

[Michael S.]

I’m having trouble uploading 8 images. For the past few days, I’ve only been able to upload a single image along with my text. If I try to upload two images—or all 8 at once—nothing happens, and the upload stalls. I have to cancel the process and upload each additional image individually by editing the post. Could it be an issue with my smartphone?

Michael

[Sanjay F]

I really like the rectantagular but curved gland on the steam chest, how did you make that, was it by filing only?

[Michael S.]

Hi Sanjay, I initially machined the stuffing box in several stages, but then finished it with a file. It was supposed to look more concave, but I liked the way it turned out this way.