# Gerry's Beam Engine



## don-tucker (May 22, 2010)

Here we go again,the start of another beam engine,made good use of my little miller on this one so far and not a CNC in sight.





Don


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## Deanofid (May 22, 2010)

Looks good, Don. You obviously don't require automation.
I like my manual machines, too. Just a born crank turner, I guess.

Keep up the good work, and keep us posted.

Dean


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## vascon2196 (May 22, 2010)

Love beam engines...keep'em coming.


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## b.lindsey (May 22, 2010)

I agree, beam engines have a special fascination and it looks like you are off to a great start don !!

Bill


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## Troutsqueezer (May 23, 2010)

I may build a beam engine next. I sure like the looks of the frame you've started there! 

Did you get the plans from John-Tom's site? I heard there was a page missing, did that get resolved?

-trout


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## Deanofid (May 23, 2010)

Dennis, "Gerry's Beam Engine" I think is the same one as "OldBoatGuy's" engine.
Should be this one, unless I have my wires crossed:
http://www.homemodelenginemachinist.com/index.php?action=tpmod;dl=item243


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## don-tucker (May 23, 2010)

Yes that is correct,there is one page missing from Gerry's beam engine but complete in Oldboatguys version,there are 19 pages in all.There is not much info on the frames I had to scale it up from the PC for some reason I could not print a 135% zoomed page,you guys would have had a giggle if you had seem me with a pair of dividers on the screen. ;D
Beam engines are fasinating and make a change.
Don't get me wrong ,I admire the CNC boys ,it is a special skill, I know I have a laugh with Kvom about it but wish I knew more on the subject,bit long in the tooth now.Even started to build a CNC router once but bottled out.
Don


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## don-tucker (May 25, 2010)

Bit more done


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## b.lindsey (May 25, 2010)

Its looking great so far Don. Are you building it to the original size or larger. It looks larger in the pics but often its hard to tell.

Bill


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## don-tucker (May 25, 2010)

No Bill it is the original size,I hope to make some mods as I go along,mainly the cylinder.
Don


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## hobby (May 25, 2010)

Very nicely done,

One quick question, 
with so many angles to cut, did you clamp it to a rotary table?


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## deere_x475guy (May 25, 2010)

Looking very good there Don. How did you get the cuts out to look so good?


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## Deanofid (May 25, 2010)

Very nice, Don. Looks great!
Good job on all that milling work.

Dean


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## don-tucker (May 26, 2010)

Thanks for the comments Guys,I didn't use a rotery table,Drilled all the corner holes first then clamped the frames to the mill bed on a couple of parallels and ran one tooth of a slot drill along the scribed line ,I then took .030" deep cuts away from the line to the full depth and full cuts to the line.I cut all the edges that were parallel with each other to make life easier.
I was supprised how easy it was ,another plus mark for the X2.
Hope that helps,I'm not very good at explaining things .
Don


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## hobby (May 26, 2010)

You explained it real well.

Thanks.


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## don-tucker (May 26, 2010)

Here is how i machined the "bling" as Gerry puts it.


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## pmerritt (May 26, 2010)

Very nice work Don! Have you or any of you other builders drawn out the details of the side frames? That would be a big help to people like me who don't feel up to the challenge of figuring it out on our own 

Peter


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## deere_x475guy (May 26, 2010)

Don thanks..yep that explained it just fine.


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## don-tucker (May 27, 2010)

pmerritt  said:
			
		

> Very nice work Don! Have you or any of you other builders drawn out the details of the side frames? That would be a big help to people like me who don't feel up to the challenge of figuring it out on our own
> 
> Peter


Tell you how i did it Peter,I enlarged the drawing of the frame till it was full size and scaled the missing dimensions from the screen as I couldn't figure how to print out the page,those sizes were not important except to be in proportion.
Don


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## don-tucker (Jun 1, 2010)

A bit more done,I shall concentrate on the crank and bearings next.
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	



Don


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## doc1955 (Jun 1, 2010)

Looking good!


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## don-tucker (Jun 1, 2010)

Thanks Doc,coming from you that's encouraging.
Don


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## Paolo (Jun 1, 2010)

Nice work Don... :bow:
Best Regards
Paolo


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## seagar (Jun 1, 2010)

Thank you for sharing this build with us I am really enjoying it. :bow:


Ian (seagar)
Coffs Harbour
Australia.


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## don-tucker (Jun 2, 2010)

It's a pleasure Ian,it is nice to show the work to people who know about these things,most folk take a quick glance and say " very nice" with out a thought as to what is involved in the making.
Don


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## doc1955 (Jun 2, 2010)

don-tucker  said:
			
		

> It's a pleasure Ian,it is nice to show the work to people who know about these things,most folk take a quick glance and say " very nice" with out a thought as to what is involved in the making.
> Don


I get that a lot from people that are not involved or are not very mechanicly incline but on the most part I conseder that they have never tried to make anything as people in this hobby have done. And I have to say there are a lot of very talented people on this board!
You keep up the good work it does look very nice!


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## don-tucker (Jun 4, 2010)

Crank and bearings complete,Conrod next.I built the crank up then locktite and pinned the three shafts,came out nice and true,that was a bit of luck.





Don


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## doc1955 (Jun 6, 2010)

That lookin pretty nice Don!
Excellent!


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## Deanofid (Jun 6, 2010)

don-tucker  said:
			
		

> I built the crank up then locktite and pinned the three shafts,came out nice and true,that was a bit of luck.
> Don



I have a feeling it wasn't just luck, Don. The assembly looks very nice! Good work.

Dean


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## don-tucker (Jun 10, 2010)

Another couple of pics,progress seems slow but I have to do these things as the inspiraton takes me,anyway conror completed.








Don


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## arnoldb (Jun 10, 2010)

Your engine's coming along nicely Don Thm:
And no worries about working only when inspired; makes for less mistakes.

Regards, Arnold


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## Troutsqueezer (Jun 10, 2010)

That's a sturdy looking little thing ain't it? I guess it's not that little either. Thanks for the hint on using the RT for the bling. Copied and pasted into Onenote.

Nice thread, nice work.

-Trout


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## don-tucker (Jun 23, 2010)

Cylinder nearly done,leaving the tricky links till last so I can concentrate on them




Can't make up my mind weather to round the cylinder off or leave it square.
Don


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## ChooChooMike (Jun 23, 2010)

Very very nice job thus far, can't wait to see it running !!

Mike


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## don-tucker (Jul 11, 2010)

Not a lot to show really ,been called to domestic duties like making a pond etc,etc.




My method of making the links may be of intested,I didn't fancy making these for a while but came up with this and it was easy,put a centre in a bit of 1/4" round ,turned the 1/16 dia and the two ends to size with a running centre in one end,leaving the ends long,cut of then milled the 4 flats,that left drilling the holes and finishing the ends off.I now have another 8 to go :'(
Don


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## 4156df (Jul 11, 2010)

Don,
This is going to be a really great looking engine. Thanks for posting.
Dennis


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## don-tucker (Jul 11, 2010)

Thanks Dennis,that's praise indeed coming from you,your traction engine is remarkable,can't wait to resume Minnie ,
Don


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## Deanofid (Jul 11, 2010)

That's a right nice looking assembly, Don. Looks very well done.

Dean


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## don-tucker (Jul 19, 2010)

Just a bit more done,anothe week should see it finished at the rate I'm going




Don


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## arnoldb (Jul 19, 2010)

Your beam engine's coming along very nicely indeed Don!

I'm looking forward to your progress.

Regards, Arnold


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## Tad Wicks (Jul 19, 2010)

This is just a really really cool looking piece of equipment, great job. Tad


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## zeeprogrammer (Jul 19, 2010)

That's looking great Don.


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## larry1 (Jul 19, 2010)

Don, very good looking engine, looking foward to the video . Larry


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## Deanofid (Jul 19, 2010)

It's looking great, Don. Even the fasteners look well and proper. Nice work!

Dean


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## don-tucker (Jul 20, 2010)

Thank you all for your kind comments,gives me that little push to get on with it.
Don


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## don-tucker (Jul 28, 2010)

Finished at last,and it works Vid to follow,flywheel borrowed from my stuart s50 ,base not finishedyet.
Don


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## joe d (Jul 28, 2010)

Don

That sure turned out nice! :bow: :bow:
 I've long been a sucker for beam engines, this one has reinforced my appreciation of the style.

Thanks for sharing it with us.

Joe


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## larry1 (Jul 28, 2010)

Don,  great looking beam engine. I have always thought, that beam engines were something, with all their moving parts and everything else.  larry1


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## Deanofid (Jul 28, 2010)

You've done a beautiful job, Don. It looks great!
Looking forward to the video!

Dean


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## firebird (Jul 28, 2010)

Hi

That's a great looking engine Don. I'm a big fan of the beam style as well.

Cheers

Rich


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## SAM in LA (Jul 28, 2010)

Don,

Nice engine.

The touch of green paint is a nice highlight.

I'll be watching for the video.

Regards,

SAM


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## ozzie46 (Jul 28, 2010)

Very nice! I've got to build this one some day.

  Ron


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## gbritnell (Jul 28, 2010)

Very nice work Don. I think beam engines are one of the most fascinating engines out there with all their mechanical linkages. You have done a super job on this one. What sized flywheel are you going to use?
gbritnell


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## zeeprogrammer (Jul 28, 2010)

Niiiiiice Don!
In both choice of engine and workmanship.


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## don-tucker (Jul 29, 2010)

Thank you all again for the kind remarks,I hope it has inspired a few to build one,it is an odd design for a beam engine but fun to build.
I must get back to my traction engine next week.
How do you guys put two or more photos in the post,I have an awlful job with it :-[,I have to go in and out of the site and modify each time ,there must be a better way.
Don


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## arnoldb (Jul 29, 2010)

Great job Don !

Multiple photos are done just like the first one; Just press <Enter> between each one. If you have a browser that supports multiple tabs, keep one open for the tab where you are writing your post, and the other for your photobucket account. Then copy the first link from photobucket, and paste it in your post. Press <enter>, then on the tab with photobucket, go to the next photo, copy the link, and go back to the tab with your post, and paste. You're welcome to give a shout if you need further help or clarification.

Regards, Arnold
Sigh... So many projects so little time...


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## don-tucker (Jul 29, 2010)

Thanks Arnold,Ill have another go next time.
Don


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## don-tucker (Jul 29, 2010)

Here is the Vid,not very good,but shows it does work


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## ariz (Jul 29, 2010)

great job Don, very well done :bow:

and a good runner too!


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## SAM in LA (Jul 29, 2010)

Don,

Nice video.

Looks to me that it runs well.

After it is broken in, I would like to see how slow it will go.

Regards,

SAM


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## don-tucker (Jul 29, 2010)

I'm dissapointed with the video on here,the original runs smooth and not jerky as shown,I need some tutition on video making.i used a camcorder for this maybe a camera would be better.
Don


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## vascon2196 (Jul 29, 2010)

Great job....great engine...


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