# Just finished, a Rider-Ericsson hot air pumping engine



## Orrin (Sep 30, 2010)

Here is the Rider-Ericsson hot air pumping engine I finished just in time for Oregon GEARS, September 25 & 26, 2010. I started it in January, 2010. 



















Best regards, 

Orrin


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## lathe nut (Sep 30, 2010)

Wow, how many hours in great looking engine, Lathe Nut


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## Orrin (Sep 30, 2010)

I haven't learned how to include a video within a post, yet, so I'll just give the link:

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HuW5uj_22ao[/ame]

This is my first Youtube experience, so I'm still learning.

Orrin


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## kustomkb (Sep 30, 2010)

What a beautiful motion and sound! Real nice.

The beauty of this site and you tube,is that all you have to do is post the link. Much better than photobucket, with all their extra flash and ads.. i also prefer picasa... Advertising off.


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## NickG (Oct 1, 2010)

beautiful! :bow:


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## dgenge (Oct 1, 2010)

Awesome job and very unique engine. Love the sound.


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## kf2qd (Oct 1, 2010)

Hot air pump... Sounds like a mechanical politician....


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## Deanofid (Oct 3, 2010)

Beautiful, Orrin, and congrats on Engine of the Month, too!
Top rate work there!

Dean


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## mnay (Oct 12, 2010)

Orrin,
Beautiful job. Did you build from scratch, a casting kit or Plans?

That type of engine is on my build list.

Thanks for sharing that with us.

Mike


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## b.lindsey (Oct 12, 2010)

Great video Orrin...makes me want to build one that much more !! The still pictures you had already posted were stunning !!!

Regards,
Bill


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## mnay (Oct 14, 2010)

Orrin,
I found the answer to my questions. I looked at your website and saw that you had machined it from a Myers Kit.

Again, beautiful job.

Thanks, Mike


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## tup48 (Mar 12, 2011)

Hi Orrin;

First let me say you built a great looking engine. I have wanted to build an engine from castings for a long time and after seeing yours I decided to build the Rider-Ericsson. I got the same casting set that you used and have been working on it.

I also got the book (Steam and Stirling) by William C. Fitt to use as a guide. 

Every thing is going good but now Im a little confused about the Fire Box. In the plans there is a full size pattern for the Fire Box and in the book he tills how to fabricate the Fire Box. My castings came with a casted Fire Box.

Do I even need to fabricate a Fire Box or is the fabricated Fire Box used as a liner inside the casted Fire Box? No where in the book or plans dose it say. 


Richard


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## BillC (Mar 12, 2011)

That's a beautiful job on a grand engine. Years ago when the castings first became available, I wanted to build one but at that time only had the Atlas 6" lathe. I spent hours making the patterns for that engine reduced in size to be machinable on the 6" lathe.....So if anyone would like to cast up a smaller one, I have the patterns and core-boxes. It runs too....

Again Orrin, Fantastic!! It runs so quietly too, doesn't it?

BillC

I'll post a photo or two....mine isn't as nice and no pump but runs great. Built it about 20 years ago. Cast up a bronze FW from the pattern...


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## S3MIH3MI (Mar 12, 2011)

WOW that looks great. Real shiny too. ;D

Very nice work.


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## idahoan (Mar 12, 2011)

Hi Richard

I believe the cast fire box is a later piece; I have a set of older castings from Norbert Kelley and they do not include the fire box. I think this was something done by Myers to simplify the build.

You can do it either way but only one is needed; ie if you machine the cast one there is no Reason to fab one from the plans. When I get around to working on mine I'm thinking about making the fabricated one because if done right it sure looks nice.

Dave


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## tup48 (Mar 12, 2011)

Thinks Dave;

I will do the cast one and if I do not like it then I will then fabricate one.

Richard


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## Orrin (Mar 12, 2011)

> Every thing is going good but now Im a little confused about the Fire Box. In the plans there is a full size pattern for the Fire Box and in the book he tills how to fabricate the Fire Box. My castings came with a casted Fire Box.
> 
> Do I even need to fabricate a Fire Box or is the fabricated Fire Box used as a liner inside the casted Fire Box? No where in the book or plans dose it say.


I don't know when the cast firebox went into production; but, it certainly simplifies construction. The wall thickness poses a minor problem, so I fly-cut some of it away in order to keep it from interfering with the hot-cap flange. I took more time that I should fussing with the placement of the firebox; but in the long haul it paid off. Everything fit just fine. 

I'm pleased to say that my R-E is a miser and needs very little flame to keep it going. I didn't bother to insulate the firebox, but even so, it barely gets warm to the touch. 

I also had to cut the number of orifices in the burner to half of what the drawing calls for. Another change I made was to shorten the burner assembly, considerably. Many of the finished R-Es have the legs mounted on 1" sticks in order to make room for the burner which protrudes below the firebox if built according to plans. 

Good luck, Richard!

Best regards,

Orrin


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