# Wanted: Steam Engine Plans



## Mike.S (Jan 6, 2008)

Me and my friend are going abouts of building a steam powred wagon.
We already have boiler plans and they are good, now we need engine plans.
Our boiler is going to be a alright size, and if we can we are going to have 2 separate engines running the wagon.
Does anyone have any SIMPLE plans for us?
we are beginners so we don't know what we are doing for the engine part ???, the boilers easy.. I've done them before 

Note: if we do 2 we are going to build 2 boilers.


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## Tin Falcon (Jan 6, 2008)

These two site have more plans than most of us have time to build have fun!!

http://www.john-tom.com/html/Engines.html

http://npmccabe.tripod.com/steam.htm

Tin Falcon


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## Bogstandard (Jan 6, 2008)

Any idea what size you are talking about?
You also have to remember with live steam you have to use the correct materials for the job, otherwise you will find they will either sieze up or run very poorly.

John


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## Mike.S (Jan 6, 2008)

We are actually thinking about of getting a engine like this 
[ame]http://youtube.com/watch?v=3HebfH1fndM[/ame]
we are going to build a body of it but we are just tryign to figure something out.
we basically want to build a mini steam engine, but its a wagon.
Its going to take ALOT of planning.

[edit] this week we are working on a mock up boiler, built from a site found.
will be a simple can and stuff, [/edit]


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## Cedge (Jan 6, 2008)

Hmmm... getting some bad vibes on this one.

Steve


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## Bogstandard (Jan 6, 2008)

Ditto!!!!


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## rake60 (Jan 6, 2008)

Live steam engines designed to actually power equipment are dangerous animals.

The models we build are miniature designs that don't really generate much of a
usable output torque.

I'd be very interested to see your final project myself!
Just keep in mind that confined pressure is a demon that can bite back.
Without a positive design you could be building a bomb that could cause injury or *worse*!

BE CAREFUL!

Rick


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## Powder keg (Jan 6, 2008)

I second rake60. Please take the time to learn about what you are playing with so you don't get bit. 

Wes


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## Mike.S (Jan 7, 2008)

rake60  said:
			
		

> Live steam engines designed to actually power equipment are dangerous animals.
> 
> The models we build are miniature designs that don't really generate much of a
> usable output torque.
> ...



I know too much about that.
We work at a festival and our friend has his steam engine there, ive been around that thing for years and when that safety valve goes off sometimes its like a bomb!


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## compound driver 2 (Jan 7, 2008)

Hi
A safety valve lifting is a good but avoadable thing. A boiler bursting releases more energy than you would want to be close too. Plus all teh water in the boiler will flash to steam NO not the whispy white stuff from your kettle but clear steam that is at boiler temperature. It was once calculated that the boilers in the Brighton Enginerium contained enough stored energy to lift them two miles up! The boilers are 25 feet long. If you dont fully understand boiler safety DONT BUILD ONE.

I build them to both use and sell and I dont take any chances.

Cheers Kevin


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## Mike.S (Jan 7, 2008)

compound driver 2  said:
			
		

> Hi
> A safety valve lifting is a good but avoadable thing. A boiler bursting releases more energy than you would want to be close too. Plus all teh water in the boiler will flash to steam NO not the whispy white stuff from your kettle but clear steam that is at boiler temperature. It was once calculated that the boilers in the Brighton Enginerium contained enough stored energy to lift them two miles up! The boilers are 25 feet long. If you dont fully understand boiler safety DONT BUILD ONE.
> 
> I build them to both use and sell and I dont take any chances.
> ...



Thanks for the info, we arnt going to get into it big scale.
Me and my friend are trying our best to learn alot about this, we are considering compressed air.. alot safer.


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## SandyC (Jan 7, 2008)

Mike.S  said:
			
		

> Thanks for the info, we arnt going to get into it big scale.
> Me and my friend are trying our best to learn alot about this, we are considering compressed air.. alot safer.



Not stricktly true,

A container large enough to hold sufficient compressed air, at a suitable pressure, will be just as difficult to design/build correctly and can be just as (if not more so) dangerous as a badly designed/built boiler.

I also build steam boilers for my own use and to sell. So I am with Kevin on this one.

Best regards and take great care.

SandyC.


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## Cedge (Jan 7, 2008)

Mike
before you get too locked into the idea of a tin can boiler you and your mate might want to read *this post on another steam board.* Note the date is from 1922 so we're not talking about a clapped out 100 year old toy steam engine. This one would have been relatively new at the time. Also note that the failure was directly blamed on the boiler having a soldered seam, just like the tin can you're planning to use. It's a small miracle that the boy mentioned in the piece was only lightly scalded.

Steve


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## Mike.S (Jan 7, 2008)

Well we ar going to build one to plans right now, not for a engine.
we are considering buying the proper stuff ie: a fully build engine and boiler and only building the drive system and frame.
So i dont think we are building anything except the frame / drive system.
if so we are going to build a small small model for show, like something to sit on a table.


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