# Stuart Twin Launch



## Patrik (Nov 13, 2011)

Thought I would share some pictures of me building my Stuart twin launch steam engine. I started this project earlier this year but haven't done very much progress because I'm studying out of town, so I'm only able to work on it when I visit home when I have my holidays. 
I will update this thread when more progress is done. 
For the ones interested in more pictures I have an album at flickr with more details on the different steps.
Here's the link to my set on the Twin Launch on flickr http://www.flickr.com/photos/iccccie/sets/72157625823817062/with/5354747677/ 


This is how it looked when i lifted the lid:



Lifting the lid by Iccccie, on Flickr



Some of the castings:



IMG_5522 by Iccccie, on Flickr



Rest of the castings:



IMG_5520 by Iccccie, on Flickr



Castings packed up:



Castings overview by Iccccie, on Flickr



Material that's NOT included in the kit and needed to be ordered separetly:



Material by Iccccie, on Flickr



The soleplate is the bottom bearing half and was milled with a ballnose mill, will be reamed later on:



Untitled by Iccccie, on Flickr



Boring the cylinderblock:



Boring by Iccccie, on Flickr



Milling the side of the block in the same setting so I got the valve surface parallel and square to the bores:



Portface by Iccccie, on Flickr



Honing the cylinders:



Honing by Iccccie, on Flickr



Then face milled the cylinder block down to size on each side to avoid a bell-mouthed hole:



Face milling by Iccccie, on Flickr



A test fit:



IMG_0318 by Iccccie, on Flickr



Valve chests. One machined and one unmachined:



Untitled by Iccccie, on Flickr



Cylinder top covers:



Untitled by Iccccie, on Flickr



Milling top cover:



Untitled by Iccccie, on Flickr



Test fit:



Untitled by Iccccie, on Flickr



Bottom cylinder cover in 4-jaw:



Untitled by Iccccie, on Flickr



Bottom covers, there's two misstakes on the cover to the left....



Untitled by Iccccie, on Flickr



Test fit:



Untitled by Iccccie, on Flickr



These two are the crosshead bracket. Had to order a spare part. The drill took a plunge when drilling the last hole.



Untitled by Iccccie, on Flickr



Steam chest covers:



Untitled by Iccccie, on Flickr



Transfering the holes:



Untitled by Iccccie, on Flickr



And to the cylinderblock:



Untitled by Iccccie, on Flickr



Mounted:



Untitled by Iccccie, on Flickr



Progress so far:



Untitled by Iccccie, on Flickr

I hope I haven't bored you out with the pictures...

At flickr there is also a set of my stuart D10 if your interested: http://www.flickr.com/photos/iccccie/sets/72157625802175207/


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## steamer (Nov 13, 2011)

Great First Post Patrik!

Where ya from?  Where are you going to school? What got you in Model engineering?  Inquiring minds would like to know! 

Welcome!

Dave


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## Patrik (Nov 13, 2011)

Thanks!

Sorry for not introducing myself! 

My name is Patrik and i'm from Sweden, I am 23 years old (well in a couple of days). Live steam got me into model engineering, always loved my dads wilesco steam engine its 50 years old now, and i guess thats when it begun. Always loved to ride the steam locomotives in the theme parks, like Disney world. I remembering asking my dad if it wasn't possible to build a scale model but rideable steam locomotive (having no idea such thing as livesteam railroading existed), sure he said but will take many thousands of hours. Then a year or so later i remember walking up the stairs at central station at disney land in LA and a saw Walt Disneys CP-173 Lilly Belle steam locomotive and a picture of Walt running it... I was off my hook.... A couple of years later we visited LALS - Los Angeles Live Steamers.

Now i'm building steam engines to gain experience in model engineering so i one day can build a ridable steam locomotive!


I'm studying to be an airline pilot... I've got my Commercial pilot liscence for singe and multi engine aircrafts. And currently working on my ATPL and instrument rating to be done in a couple of months!!

Patrik


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## steamer (Nov 13, 2011)

Welcome Patrik

We appreciate the intro...lets us know who we're talking to.

I read through your post.

Watch the ball nose end mill. The bearing path will be straight, but maybe not so round.  if you can line bore it before the reamer, you'll be happy you did.

For Bronze, take a stone to your drill so that you don't have any rake on the cutting edge. To do that, place a stone on the cutting edge with the stone parallel to the axis of the drill and rub a .010" flat on to the cutting edge.  It wont grab when you cut brass and bronze now.  It will cut brass and bronze great but it won't like steel much though. But you won't scrap your brass parts either.  The drill won't grab any more.

Keep at it your doing fine.

Dave


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## smfr (Nov 13, 2011)

Great series of build pictures! I'll be following along!


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## Patrik (Nov 25, 2011)

Okay, so I went home this weekend and managed to put some hours in my shop today! 

I thought I should give the crosshead bracket another try.... and so I did. Here is how I did it.
From my failed attempt I didn't like the way I was holding it in the vice, actually it was asking for trouble when i think about it.
So instead i clamped it on a brass plate, but had to use a dial indicator to align it because i wanted to use the cordinate table on the mill to drill the holes, just like I did for the soleplate and the cylinder casting.


First I milled the bracket surface so i had a reference



IMG_0677 by Iccccie, on Flickr



More milling



IMG_0682 by Iccccie, on Flickr



First I center drilled, then used a small drill and and a larger one, i didn't want to want to use the 6mm drill as i did last time 'cause drilling with largerdrills in gunmetal can be a pita.. So instead i used a 6mm endmill and then finishing with a 1/4" reamer.



IMG_0685 by Iccccie, on Flickr


Here is the bracket in place:



IMG_0686 by Iccccie, on Flickr

One more:



IMG_0692 by Iccccie, on Flickr


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## steamer (Nov 25, 2011)

Patrik,

If it works , you did it right!

Looking good!

 :bow:

Dave


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## Herbiev (Nov 25, 2011)

Welcome Patrik. Great build pictures. Good luck with your exams


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## Ramon (Nov 26, 2011)

Hi Patrik - welcome from a recent newbie too.

Congratulations on some very nice work and the quality of photos. Your build takes me back to my very first attempt at an engine project as it was the same engine.

With virtually no previous experience I remember very clearly having the cylinder block on the faceplate to face the top surface and being mesmerised as the tip of the tool began to glow red hot. That was my first practical experience of the wrong cutting speed. I also remember clearly a few days later the hand pump casting leaving the faceplate at a great rate of knots over my shoulder to actually impale itself into the door frame  - another first lesson in proving secure and adequate clamping.

I didn't get very far with mine - it was far beyond my skill and knowledge at the time and have no idea where it went too but I have fond memories of it as it is a lovely little engine. I shall continue watching your build with a real interest so good luck with the remaining journey.

Regards - Ramon


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## Patrik (Nov 26, 2011)

Took the opportunity and spent a few hours in the shop this evening.

I started to work on the crosshead today.


Here i milled the stock to length:



Crosshead by Iccccie, on Flickr


I scribed the slots and center punched the mounting holes.



Scribed by Iccccie, on Flickr



Drilled the mounting holes:



Drilling by Iccccie, on Flickr

Milling the slots:



Milling by Iccccie, on Flickr


Slots finnished, or sort of, the corners need some filing



Milling complete by Iccccie, on Flickr



This is how it will look when in place




In place by Iccccie, on Flickr


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## myrickman (Nov 26, 2011)

Awesome build thus far Patrik! You have done a fine job documenting your progress and I will be sure to keep tabs on this thread. Keep up the good work.


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## Alec Ryals (Dec 5, 2015)

Nice work!
 Say im building the same but my print got wet and lost the dimensions of the eccentrics and the Fwd. Rev. bracket any chance you could post a photo of them.
Thank You 
Alec Ryals


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## 10K Pete (Dec 6, 2015)

Alec Ryals said:


> Nice work!
> Say im building the same but my print got wet and lost the dimensions of the eccentrics and the Fwd. Rev. bracket any chance you could post a photo of them.
> Thank You
> Alec Ryals



You noticed that the last post was 4 years ago??

Pete


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## xpylonracer (Dec 6, 2015)

Hi Alec

I believe I have some plans of the engine so will look them up and get back to you.

Does any one know why the thread was discontinued ?

Emgee


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## Alec Ryals (Dec 6, 2015)

xpylonracer said:


> Hi Alec
> 
> I believe I have some plans of the engine so will look them up and get back to you.
> 
> ...



  Thank You so much I didnt realise it was years ago
Alec


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## KM6VV (Jul 28, 2017)

Hi Patrik and all,

Sorry for another late post!  I hope someone is still following.
Any progress on the engine?  I'd love to see some of the further steps.  I've built a 10V, and a couple of  '10' sized engines (latest is horizontal, first vertical was about 12 years ago) that I've designed.  
I'm curious as to how the twin launch parts compare to the 10V parts.  I'd love to design and build a twin launch (bar stock) of my own!

Alan


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