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[frazer heslop]

Hi, this wee Puffer was built by my late father in the 1970s and was lost for 20 years and recently found in the loft of my late mothers house.
I have no idea as to who her designer may have been and only know she was built bread and butter from some drawings that have the typically incorrect flat bottom more folk art than true scale but she is special to me.


It has one of the first steam plants I ever made in its bowels a rather sad little single cylinder and very very roughly made thing it is.
The new plant will be a 60 degree D/A wobbler 5/16 bore 1/2 stroke with a twin drum boiler in the cargo hold not ideal but it saves hacking the old girl about to much.
The engine is a bit of this and that from the Reeves Popular,Stuart Turner and P Arnots V4 so not really my design just bits pinched from here and there and clagged together.
It will be a slow refurb as Im sure to get side tracked by a Stirling build or two on the way.
The engine will be built in three sizes for three different boats  at 60 and 90 degrees its just the angle of the frames and the cylinder that will change the pivots and porting will remain constant.
The 90 degree 7/16 engine is for a semi scale Reciproca although that may change as a certain gentleman from north of the border may have swayed me onto another boat yep Im easily let astray
Cheers
frazer

[Capt Podge]

It's good to see that you're going to keep the old girl going - special memories live on in it 
 
Regards,
 
Ray.
 

[frazer heslop]

Thanks Ray, it is nice to keep those memory's alive and maybe give her a new lease of life.
Im trying not to do any other work on her and warts and all
The original plant came out very easily no seized nut n bolts






So no excuse onto the engine.
The cylinders are just brass not the best of materials but should suffice as she wont get run that often and will probably see me out.They are just a simple fabrication although after drilling,boring then reaming they are faced of to ensure the flange is square to the bore and given a very small pop mark to identify .

Iv simply soft soldered the port block onto the cylinder using a good fitting mandrel to try and stop distortion.

Then the end caps are made to a nice snap fit

The O rings arrived from Kennions in double quick time very good service.So next up the pistons rods and glands than a wee bit of thinking out the engines  frame.
The boat is back together for now just to save me losing any parts

thanks
frazer


 

[Capt Podge]

Thanks for the update Frazer - Steam power is well out of my league but I'm still fascinated with what you're doing.
Hopefully I'll learn something along the way.
 
Good idea of yours to keep the bits & pieces of the boat in one place as well. 
 
Regards,
 
Ray.

[frazer heslop]

Thanks Ray, the only thing you will learn from me is bad habits
cheers

[southsteyne2]

Soft soldering the 2 cylinder components may prove to be a bad choice, much better silver soldered also need a small gap between the top and bottom ports
Cheers
John

[frazer heslop]

Hi John, thanks for the input .
Iv never had a problem simply soft soldering these little wobbler cylinder using soft solder although as you mentioned on the larger engine they will be hard soldered.Not sure about the gap you mentioned .Ths pic may clear up up youre query.
I often use little wobblers for my simple boat builds as they are very reliable on the water but  on my scale builds I tend to use slide valve or piston valve as they are more suited to high pressure steam



This is an attempt at Bat that now resides in America and enable me to replace my well worm ML7






This is my River Queen that also has a soft soldered little wobbler and has ran for over 10 years without a problem






Not had a lot of time for the new build but hoping to make a start on the frame today
cheers
frazer

[ooyah/2]

Frazer,
 These are 2- beautiful boats, it must have broken your heart to part with "BAT" it's a beauty.
I will be painting my Thames Launch these colours when I get around to it, I thought that is was only those Black Magic Stirling engines that you built how wrong I was !!!!!!

I look forward to the Wee Clyde puffer getting her engines.

George.

[frazer heslop]

Hi George, Sorry for the slow reply just busy scratching my head and issied
Bat just collected dust although the Myford collects swarf and makes to odd good part.
In River Queen is the Arnot V4 boiler we talked about and yes rub salt into the wounds you lucky so and so.
On with the engine .The frame is just made from 1/8 mild steel and was simply marked out using dividers as I did mention in the past its possible to work to a thou or two just splitting the marks on a good quality rule and an eye glass.
I lost my spotting drill and decided to use a center drill that duly snapped as it was drilling the last hole you maybe able to see it in this pic

After calling myself all the stupid  names most unprintable as rescue was tried
Simply grind the broken center drill half way past its dia to form a little boring tool and then redrill the hole.Some times it works and some times it dont and theres nothing to loose.

Guess lady luck smiled this time and I got away with it. The frame was then hacksawed out roughly to shape after testing my measuring with a simple jug just to prove to myself and one hole was bang on and the other a thou or two out nothing that is going to matter and at least I know I can still mark and drill reasonably accurately


The main bearing housing is just a bit of 1/2 inch key steel and the frames foot another bit of the 1/8 plate all simply hand filed to size and shape its just faster for me than trying to set up in the mill and a good little bit of exercise to boot.

The port faces are from 1/2 by 1/4 brass and have only got the steam passage ways drilled right through at the moment as I need to solder the whole assy together then true it all up

A shot of the tools used to make the frame excluding the drills and reamers.

Thanks for the kind comments
cheers
frazer




 

[Capt Podge]

For the likes of myself, this log, along with the excellent photos, is fascinating.
Having never dabbled in any form of engineering, it's great to see what you guys can do.
 
Once again, thanks very much for posting this Frazer - much appreciated. 

[pettyofficernick]

Nice work so far Frazer. I notice that you have to jot down dimensions, my capacity for mental arithmetic diminishes annually. I have just embarked on a steam clyde puffer, I am trying, and just about succeeding, to put the boiler in the boiler room and the engine in the engine room. keep up the good work.... 

[frazer heslop]

Thanks Ray
Hi Nick, as the years go by it not only my mental arithmetic thats failing  . Youre puffer project looks a better job altogether but Im stuck with what I have and simply dont want to destroy the old boys work.
The port faces are counter bored to take 1/8 pipe and the whole assy soft soldered up I used stainless steel studs to hold the blocks onto the frames.I find that once the metal is clean enough the Bakers Fluid will wet the surface if it forms globules it simply is not clean enough.The back of the port face was roughed up before assembling to allow the solder to flow.

The main bearing housing needed to be a press fit but was made as a sliding fit to allow for a bit of guess work when I was seeing how things would look assembled so a light knurl was machined on the spigot a wee bit of clock it and flog it engineering but no body will know .The main bearing are a press fit but just before assy I machined a few shallow grooves along them and the whole lot pressed up using a bit of high strength retainer .

The trunnions and spring washer are next up and using an old idea the trunion threads are a few thou under size and held in using high strength retainer and the little jig shown this makes sure that the trunion is square to the port face or at least thats the theory




Just a family shot so you can see where we are heading Iv drilled and tapped a couple of M3 holes for the steam regulator although they may need drilling M3 clearance later on

Oh nearly forgot the crank is just a simple fabrication screwed together using high strength retainer and peening over the threads a bit belt n braces but better than it coming apart on the water









Its slowly coming on as are her siblings at 90 degrees although they are only roughed out at the moment
Kind regards
frazer

[ooyah/2]

Frazer,
Great looking engine, your workmanship and finish is great, when I look at it it only makes me want to try harder.
I wonder what else is going to come out of that head of yours, of course you have the dog now all you will need is the crew.

George.

[frazer heslop]

Hi George, thanks for the compliment coming from you its greatly appreciated.
Oh yes we have that wee dog and dont I know it. A 5 mile walk and just thought time for a coffee as she will be worn out then a bit of workshop time.

Cheers

[frazer heslop]

Sorry for the delay updating this build but I became swayed by yet another Stirling engine just cannot help myself
So a wee pic n video just in case you maybe interested then back to the steam builds
The fore/reverse and speed regulator is now fitted to the engine frame






It will never fly but was a fun little diversion



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PH65vTpPmt4
 best wishes
frazer

[Landlocked]

Frazer, 


Enjoying your thread  but I don't understand how that wee dog is keeping you from your shop.  Here's my wee dog -- when she want attention, she gets it!--  after her walk.


Ken/Landlocked

[ballastanksian]

Hi Frazer, I have just seen your build log and am impressed with the work you are doing. Are you a model engineer with a side interest in boats, or are both interests intertwined?

[KNO3]

Nice work on the engine. I like the shape of the cylinders.

[frazer heslop]

Hi Ken, looks like Im not walking Issy enough then   . I was warned the Border Terriers are hyper active and you dont train them they train you and its all true . Its nice to see anothers dog now thats a pose I will never get as Im a sleep berfore the dog.
I think our lass bought me Issy to keep me from the shop . The truth is that I was ill just over a year ago with patches on my lungs and after a life long fight with Asthma now have COPD so Issy is my therapy dog   the walks are doing me more good than her

Thanks Kno3 , they are just a simple little cylinder that should do the job
Ballastanksian, the answer maybe Im just a scatter brain and cannot concentrate on one thing at a time.
Iv always loved steam launches from small toys to models and full sized boats but for many years Stirling engines have fascinated me and in the near future I will build one into a boat. Plus I like to confuse George with these black magic engines
I tend to have several builds going on at the same time and when materials are available they progress then get put to oneside until I either manage to scrounge, re appropriate or in the most extreme case buy the materials needed  Its my Scottish ancestry
Not much progress as Im reworking some badly butchered Ryder-Ericsson castings at the moment and its taken nearly a week to whittle an new beam out of a bit of bar
I have started on the 90 degree V twins just the frames and cranks at the moment. I will do a wee update once the Ryder fever has passed. I had thought there was little interest so thanks for the input gentlemen its appreciated
cheers
frazer

[ballastanksian]

Live steam is attractive in three senses, it looks sounds and smells good, especially if coal fired (Obviously not so practical for boats!) And if fitted into a gorgeous hull then a really attractive model results.

The one place where reciprocating engines fall down is that they cannot be seen so well in normal model vessels with superctructures etc, and I have seen some literature on turbines and fancy making a turbine driven model one day.

My auntie and uncle (from different sides of the family) have COPD, so I understand what you are going throughand hope you can balance the essentials in life to your benefit, i.e, Modelling and dog loving.

[Mad_Mike]

Hi Frazer been a long time. How you keeping. Just been reading your thread. Nice work as usual. Sterling powered boat would be a good idea. But I wouldn't be surprised if you already got 20 projects on the go already. Sterling row boat  I think

[frazer heslop]

Have to agree that live steam has that special appeal unless you burn your fingers again
The wee dog has definatly improved my health if not the workshop time and Im in a lot better place than two years ago.

Hi Mike, its has been a long time,I hope you are doing well. Not doing to badly now and have finally closed the doors hoyed the keys through the letter box and retired
cheers
frazer

[steamboatmodel]

" I had thought there was little interest so thanks for the input gentlemen its appreciated
cheers
frazer"
The lack of response is not due to a lack of interest, we were too busy drying off our keyboards.
Please keep on posting.
Regards,
Gerald.

[frazer heslop]

Hi, time definitely flys and at long last its back onto some steam builds
I've not been idle well not to idle
Malcolm beak kindly sent me a copy of his MB22 engne drawings and this brought me back onto the little V twin build
I have to say Im very  impressed with Malcolms little engine and she is to be fitted into a deans Marine Thames Launch that I managed to acquire from a well known steam aficionado on this forum.  She will be a first for me as I've never built from a kit before and it seems strange just taking a hull out of a box instead of spending weeks swearing at planks that wont go the way I want them to.
http://i981.photobucket.com/albums/ae299/frazerheslop/PIC_0007_zpsqjr9b5tl.jpg


http://i981.photobucket.com/albums/ae299/frazerheslop/PIC_0005_zpskhqfvmat.jpg


I seem to be unable to copy links from photomuppet at the moments and the adds are a nuisance to say the least
For now heres a link to her ticking over on 5 psi although she still needs stripping for gaskets,packing and the port faces lapping as she has just been put together straight from the machines at this stage


https://youtu.be/FZhAIi4cB04


Many thanks
frazer

[frazer heslop]

Hi, how do you copy a direct link from photo bucket    Theyve changed it since I last used it
Or better still any free pic hosting sites that arnt awash with irrelevant adds
cheers