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[bogstandard]

Due to the rising costs of hosting and download limits set by host sites, I have uploaded my Piston Valve Engine Plans booklet onto my own hosting account.



It is designed for a beginner in mind, allowing him/her to build a complicated looking engine, using basic machine tools.

The beginners version on the left, experts on the right. But both have exactly the same running properties.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gTuET23TkaI

If you want a copy, and maybe not for making the engine, but just for general reading, as I have been told it is full of little tips and tricks, it can be downloaded from here, totally free of charge. I believe in helping fellow modellers, and not charging them for the privilege.

http://rapidshare.com/files/237708589/Piston_valve_engine_book.rar

It is 22MB in size, so not too large. Just over 100 pages of interactive PDF files, that if you read them while online, will take you to any of the URL's listed. But can be printed out to form a booklet.

If you don't have a Rapidshare account, don't worry, as you can download as a free user, but you might have to wait for a minute or so to allow you access to the download. Just read the screen you are taken to and you will soon see what I mean. The site contains no pop-ups, viruses or trojans, and is totally safe to use.

It also helps me, as if you download as a free user, I can get extra points. In about 5 years, I should have enough points to swap for a t-shirt, or even, if I am really lucky, an optical mouse.


John

[SteamboatPhil]

Congratulations to you Bogs, a fantastic idea and generous of you to offer it free. I do hope we see a few people "having a go" and seeing with a little care and patience you can produce a fine working engine.
Phil
 

[BarryM]

John,

This is my variation on your theme. The pipes have still to be lagged but otherwise it is ready to go. Thank you for your inspiration and assistance.

Regards

Barry M

[bogstandard]

Thanks Phil.

This engine has been available for a fair time now, and from the feedback I have had, many have been built and are up and running. There is even one being built now at 1.5 times the size.
It is a fairly large engine size wise for the bore and stroke, as it was designed as an exercise for beginners to have a go, but if you can squeeze it in, it should have no trouble pushing along a boat of 4ft, and should consume no more steam at 25psi than an oscillator of the same size. With it being a long stroke engine, it runs a lot slower than normal, but it will easily turn a 3" prop if required to do so.

Barry,

I hope you enjoyed the build and learned a lot of new techniques along the way. I think I said in the text somewhere that as long as you keep the holes and things in line, you can make it almost any shape you want. Very nice build BTW.


John

[boatmadman]

Hi,

I downloaded the file but it wont open, what software does it need for the RAR type file?

Ian

[bogstandard]

Sorry about that Ian,

I use Winrar. Send me an email and I will tell you where to get it from.

There is now a self extracting version for those that have trouble unpacking zipped files.

http://rapidshare.com/files/237810349/Self_Extracting_Piston_valve_engine_book.exe

John

[Bunkerbarge]

John as always extreemly generous with not only your time and experience but also with material things such as this.  I'm going to download it purely as an interesting booklet to read through and refer to in the future.

By the way I love those control valves, ever wondered how you could get one of them bolted onto a 'V' Twin oscillator?

[bogstandard]

Richard,

When I had your engine here, I looked to see if I could have got one onto it.

It could be done, but I don't think it would look very neat, pipes all over the place. Great valves though, no leakage.


John

[Bunkerbarge]

I wonder if a rethink of the valve plug configuration would allow a unit to simply bolt in place of the original?

Certainly worth a bit of thought.

[bogstandard]

I will certainly have a look for you Richard. It is a shame you don't have drawings for the engine, and I could have worked it all out to get one to fit.

It is easy to get three of the ports done as you suggest, it is the fourth one that causes the problems. How to get from the far right side to the left side using port drillings.

Nothing is impossible until you try it.

John

[Bunkerbarge]

We can sit and have a think over a cuppa when I get home.

[bogstandard]

I will look forwards to it Richard.

Well it seems that a few people have downloaded the plans. I put it onto four sites, this one being the most prominent. Over 60 downloads.

If it goes on like this, the t-shirt will be all mine in only four years (if they have one to fit me).

Actually, it gives me a nice feeling to know that there are a lot of people out there getting enjoyment from my rough scibblings.

One American chappie told me I should have turned it into a book and made money off it. To me that isn't what having a hobby is about. Good luck to the people who do do it, but just not my way.

Just enjoy it for what it is.

John

[gondolier88]

Hi John,

I know you reccomend 'just getting  lathe and doing it for yourself', but I wonder if you could tell me what the smallest size lathe is you can build your engine on- realistically?

Greg

[bogstandard]

Realistically I would say, a Seig C2 or clone thereof. Usually called a 7X12 (7" overall throw by 12" between chuck and tailstock), but a lot of people with say the Seig C0 (baby lathe) or one of the small American Sherline jobs would say otherwise. But it would be real hard work on a really small lathe.

Almost all model engineering lathe retailers sell the C2 in one form or another.

http://www.chesteruk.net/store/conquest_lathe.htm

http://www.axminster.co.uk/sessionID/QOL/product-Axminster-SIEG-Axminster-SIEG-C2A-300mm-Mini-Lathe-564883.htm

http://www.warco.co.uk/Metalworking-Mini-Lathe-D4121A9297.aspx

It isn't the lathe that gets rid of the money, it is all the little extras that soon add up. You should allow another 50% of the machine cost for tooling. So in reality, you would be looking around £650. So that makes it a very expensive engine to make. So really it is aimed at modellers who usually have the equipment, but haven't done a good project as yet. As this engine  would make a real good starter project, and as you get more used to using the tooling, only then does it start to introduce the couple of difficult bits that are required.

If you are lucky, and pick one up second hand, the seller usually throws in the tooling, so that is usually a good way to buy. There are a lot of people who buy the mini lathe, then find that metal murdering isn't their forte, so sell up and do something else.

John

[bogstandard]

I have found another bit that goes with these plans.

Someone did a CAD drawing of them.

I have no idea what they are like as I don't do Cad, but I have included a freebie reader with the DFX files.

This is a self extracting archive, so just run it and it will extract into the same directory. I normally use my desktop.

http://rapidshare.com/files/238836870/Piston_Valve_DFX_files.exe

Bogs

[gondolier88]

Hi John,

Thanks for the advice, they seem tidy little lathes to me. I'll certainly keep a weather eye for second hand ones coming up.

Greg

[Bee]

What a great set of plans. And the added explanation is very helpful and easy reading. I've just finished a quick read through and not sure whether to thank you or curse you for adding another item to my list of things to make.

For anyone worried about the cost of equipment you should consider joining your local Model Engineering club. The members are not just interested in steam locimotives and you will find a fair few also have boats. Club sales and contacts, auctions etc will substantially reduce the cost of those extra bits. Also with the right advice a good enough secondhand lathe will come in for far less than a small new one.