My first steam engine!

[gdl357]

I'm getting there, considering I have no machining experience. I am really impressed with myself. I used a digital Mitutoyo caliper which is worth every cent.

The flywheel is semi finished. All I have left to do are the 2 cylinders and 2 manifolds. I just hope it works.

Thx Dave Goodfellow.

[CNCadmin]

very nice

[IJ.]

Originally Posted by gdl357 I'm getting there, considering I have no machining experience. I am really impressed whit myself. I used a digital Mitutoyo caliper which is worth every cent. The flywheel is semi finished. All I have left to do are the 2 cylinders and 2 manifolds. I just hope it works. Thx Dave Goodfellow.

Even if it doesn't "work" I'm sure the next one will! !

It's all a learning experience.

It looks great well done! (If it doesn't run you have a beautiful display piece)

[balsaman]

cool. I am building a "half" sized one....

Eric

[Ken_Shea]

Wish the pictures were not so small but they look like you have done a outstanding job on the parts. How tall is this engine (that way I also know what 1/2 Size is), and what material are you using for the crank?

Ken

[balsaman]

The uprights are 4" tall.

Eric

[gdl357]

Sorry for the pic size, but i only own a cheap pc digi cam. The crank is made from 3/16 steel rod. Very stiff.


the plans are in my previous post.

thx guys

[sendkeys]

hay for a pc digicam looks really good :P

byetheway its a nice looking project keep us uptodate

[gdl357]

Well, I finished the flywheel and cannot figure out how to bore my cylinders offcenter. I think I need a 4 jaw spindle chuck.

There is a pic below of how they should look with a comment from the creator and a latest pick of my finished flywheel on my engine. I put the setscrew i the middle of the flywheel instead of the side, way easier for a noob like me to do.

Comment: I made the cylinders first, out of 1-1/4" x 1-1/4" x 2" aluminum. The cylinder is 1/8" off center from one face, centered from the other. This allows enough "meat" on one face to drill and tap a pivot hole. The cylinder is bored 1" diameter to a depth of 1-3/4". This depth allows me to use a 3/4" long piston. (A short piston, for example 1/4", would tend to twist and bind in the cylinder, from the side forces exerted in the conversion from reciprocating to rotary movement.) I then turned the brass pistons to a sliding fit in the cylinders. The two cylinder bores are "purt near but not plumb" identical, so each piston is turned to fit its cylinder. A builder with a better eye and measuring equipment could make them interchangeable. The pistons are center drilled and tapped 6-32 for the piston rod.

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My brass flywheel is nicer.

[balsaman]

ya, you need a 4 jaw.... That's how I did my half sized cylinders. I also rounded my cylinders with just a flat on one side.

You can just bore the center, just less meat for the screw.

Eric

[Swede]

GDL, any more progress? I'm assuming that you are lathe-only, hence the need for a 4-jaw to bore the off-center cylinders, otherwise a mill would make short work of it with a boring head.

A drill press *might* work if you can accept a reamed bore. Reaming should work OK for a steamer, especially if you use a spiral-fluted reamer.

I think you've already found that even a small V. mill, like a mini-mill or Sherline, would come in really handy for many aspects of this project! Some of the older British M.E.'s did miraculous work lathe-only, and some of the early books from the 40's and 50's tell us how they did it. Your engine looks great!

[gdl357]

No progress yet. I did receive my 4 jaw chuck and my dial indicator and holder and by boring bar but have been waiting 3 weeks for the backordered inserts. Should be getting them the first week of November.

The chuck is nice.

I will be doing another steam engine after I complete this one. The Double Wobbler engine is a very crude design. Great for begining and getting to know your equipment but it is to plane for my personality. Working on my steam engine and I.C engine web site for this.

thx