Topic: Handmade steam engines.... on a budget (Read 53687 times)

Mad_Mike · « **Reply #25 on:** October 25, 2012, 09:51:30 am »

good idea that. Im afraid i dont know ANYONE with a pillar drill though. Im doing allright for the minute they are not perfect but theyre close. Ill have a go at the beam engine trusting i have the materials of course. Im not sure that it will warranty a watts linkage because the engine i build wont be that exotic. well see.

essex2visuvesi · « **Reply #26 on:** October 25, 2012, 10:15:32 am »

Quote from: Mad_Mike on October 25, 2012, 09:51:30 am

good idea that. Im afraid i dont know ANYONE with a pillar drill though. Im doing allright for the minute they are not perfect but theyre close. Ill have a go at the beam engine trusting i have the materials of course. Im not sure that it will warranty a watts linkage because the engine i build wont be that exotic. well see.

Im sure there's someone on here that can do them for you.... Failing that let me know and I knock you some up from a bit o'scrap next time I'm in the Workshop

Mad_Mike · « **Reply #27 on:** October 25, 2012, 10:23:35 am »

yes there are a lot of helpful people of here. Im not worried thanks for the offer to make me some up aswell, ill get in touch if i need you.

frazer heslop · « **Reply #28 on:** October 25, 2012, 03:45:55 pm »

Mike, have a look on the john_tom site I think there are some of Elmers simple beam and other engines on there
kind regards
frazer

steamboatmodel · « **Reply #29 on:** October 26, 2012, 04:20:02 am »

Hi Mike,
I have a list of books on RC Groups that may be help.
http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1226384
I don't still have it but my first steam engine was built using a small drill press and hand tools. I did have some drill guides mad by a friend of my dads, but I had to draw them out and he produced exactly what I had drawn and I had to pay for material. I have also seen a couple of engines made with hobby store K&S brass tube, as you can get tube that nests inside each other.
http://www.ksmetals.com/
Regards,
Gerald.

Mad_Mike · « **Reply #30 on:** October 26, 2012, 08:32:52 am »

thanks very much for the links. Ive seen that k n harris link before but couldnt remember what it was called or where i found it. I found that although the k s tubing does fit inside each other that they are still slightly baggy, they make good bushes but not great pistons and cylinders. I found that a 9/32 brass bar fits perfectly tight in a 8mm ks tube. the ks tube having an internal diameter of 7.1mm and the 9/32 having an outside diameter of 7.14 thus i only need to rub down with wet and dry the surface of the 9/32 to get a good fit. Another than fits aswell is a 12mm bar in a 1/2 inch k s tube, also just needing a slight rubbing down.

grasshopper · « **Reply #31 on:** October 26, 2012, 10:13:25 am »

Mike, your address is listed as Lincolnshire.....where in Linc's, it's a big county?

If you're not living completely out in the boonies - there must be someone nearby that has stuff you could beg, borrow or access to help things along.....is there not a college you could sign up an engineering course for and use their equipment or even a local engineering works that would let you have access for the cost of a pint?

Great work by the way - especially on your limited equipment basis, you're becoming our British Krishna......

Mad_Mike · « **Reply #32 on:** October 26, 2012, 10:25:03 am »

im in scunthorpe to be more precise but there seems to very little help with anything round here. Signing up for a college course is not necessary ive allready been. Plus they dont let just anyone in to use the equipment. Theyre maybe smaller companies who might let me have a go on their gear but with the majority of the smaller firms going bust and only the larger health and safety strict companies left i wont get past the reception. Its all about liability see.

Mad_Mike · « **Reply #33 on:** October 26, 2012, 10:48:26 am »

Anyway part of my main aim of this thread is show that live steam can be done without the use of pillar drills, mills and lathes and to show that you dont need to spend silly money to enjoy steam either. Im using basic hand tools such as files, hack saw, battery drill and bits all available from your local wilko, a table clamp vice to the hold job in of course. There are some more specialist tools ive needed granted such as a tap and die set. Overall if i did venture into more exotic machine tooling id be drifiting to far away from the point and then it would be just another workshop steam engine building blog. I hope that people reading this will use it as an example and take the opportunity to have a go in a area of moddling usually out of most peoples reach.

pettyofficernick · « **Reply #34 on:** October 26, 2012, 11:30:00 am »

Tap and die set, only 25 quid including post, I have one and it has served me well for several years now.....

http://www.chronos.ltd.uk/acatalog/info_MXP33_.html

ooyah/2 · « **Reply #35 on:** October 26, 2012, 11:37:53 am »

Quote from: Mad_Mike on October 26, 2012, 10:48:26 am

Anyway part of my main aim of this thread is show that live steam can be done without the use of pillar drills, mills and lathes and to show that you dont need to spend silly money to enjoy steam either. Im using basic hand tools such as files, hack saw, battery drill and bits all available from your local wilko, a table clamp vice to the hold job in of course. There are some more specialist tools ive needed granted such as a tap and die set. Overall if i did venture into more exotic machine tooling id be drifiting to far away from the point and then it would be just another workshop steam engine building blog. I hope that people reading this will use it as an example and take the opportunity to have a go in a area of moddling usually out of most peoples reach.

Good for you Mike just keep at it remember the saying ( every day in every way things will get better and better ) .
Some day you may invest in a pillar drill, B& Q used to do them for about £40 , don't know if they are still available if so a well worth investment when you have the funds and it will not take you away from your basic idea.

George.

Mad_Mike · « **Reply #36 on:** October 26, 2012, 07:06:09 pm »

where i am at the moment i dont have the room lol

grendel · « **Reply #37 on:** October 26, 2012, 10:16:09 pm »

somewhere I have a drill pillar for my dremel type drill, I really must dig it out and see if my drill still fits it ( I am about 3 drills down the line from that one) but you can get them for small stuff
, its only about 10" high
Grendel

grendel · « **Reply #38 on:** October 26, 2012, 10:17:48 pm »

a bit like this dremel one - http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/DREMEL-MULTIPRO-MODEL-212-TYPE-II-DRILL-PRESS-/261116029951?pt=UK_Home_Garden_PowerTools_SM&hash=item3ccbba6bff
Grendel

Mad_Mike · « **Reply #39 on:** October 27, 2012, 10:13:40 am »

i was gonna place a bid but there no gurantee thatl it fit the drill i have.

grendel · « **Reply #40 on:** October 27, 2012, 10:18:46 am »

same here, my drill isnt a dremel (its a cheaper one from maplins) so no guarantee, but then I already have a small drill stand that I have to find and see if any of my (several) drills fit.
Grendel

Mad_Mike · « **Reply #41 on:** October 28, 2012, 09:42:11 pm »

Well I said i fancied building a beam engine if i had the bits and guess what i had the bits so thats exactly what i did. The engine is single acting with a 12mm bore and 20mm stroke. The valve is a rotary type similar to that in corliss engines. The flywheel is a pile of washers connected to the crankshaft by a rc aeroplane propeller adapter. I have some youtube footage on the way

Mad_Mike · « **Reply #42 on:** October 28, 2012, 09:43:28 pm »

here is the flywheel and here is the youtube video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5wkjKkvqsc4&feature=plcp

pettyofficernick · « **Reply #43 on:** October 28, 2012, 11:14:52 pm »

Brilliant! What's next?

richald · « **Reply #44 on:** October 28, 2012, 11:20:46 pm »

Fantastic !

Richard

boatmadman · « **Reply #45 on:** October 29, 2012, 09:07:20 am »

Very well done, you should think about posting on these sites:

http://madmodder.net/index.php

http://www.modelenginemaker.com/index.php

Its just the sort of thing they love to see.

Ian

Mad_Mike · « **Reply #46 on:** October 29, 2012, 09:23:58 am »

lol whats next, isnt that enough?!

Im suprised you arnt all sick of seeing steam engines. Im contemplating a 4 stroke ic engine but i need some extra bits that i dont have right now. I doubt it will work and i guess that the solder what hang on for long but its worth a try.

Mad_Mike · « **Reply #47 on:** October 29, 2012, 09:32:44 am »

Quote from: boatmadman on October 29, 2012, 09:07:20 am

Very well done, you should think about posting on these sites:

http://madmodder.net/index.php

http://www.modelenginemaker.com/index.php

Its just the sort of thing they love to see.

Ian

I suppose i could but i was building a marine engine for my new up and coming tugboat project. Anyway i like this forum

pettyofficernick · « **Reply #48 on:** October 29, 2012, 09:35:38 am »

Hi Mike, Hmm, a 4 stroke engine, valves, camshaft, carburetor, sounds like fun. Here's a couple of links to possibly inspire you..
First a hit and miss engine,
http://videos.howstuffworks.com/howstuffworks/183-how-hit-and-miss-engines-work-video.htm

Ans second, a flame gulper vacuum engine, bout simpler in construction to a full blown 4 stroke

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7p_1QO1iG9M&feature=related

essex2visuvesi · « **Reply #49 on:** October 29, 2012, 09:51:31 am »

Quote from: Mad_Mike on October 29, 2012, 09:23:58 am

lol whats next, isnt that enough?! Im suprised you arnt all sick of seeing steam engines. Im contemplating a 4 stroke ic engine but i need some extra bits that i dont have right now. I doubt it will work and i guess that the solder what hang on for long but its worth a try.

Quite the opposite.... when I look at the unread post since last visit and this has an update, it's the first one I look at

News:

Author Topic: Handmade steam engines.... on a budget (Read 53687 times)