# 3 cylinder steam engine.



## Tony Bird (Feb 15, 2012)

Hi,

I have just finished a three cylinder steam engine which is fitted with reversing gear and a valve to help warm the engine up. The engine is one of several which have been built as R&D for a boat hull I was given. The engine is designed to either be fitted with a single propeller shaft or twin contra rotating ones.

Tin Hull.







R&D Engines.







Mk5 engine.





















Video under air.





Video under steam.





Timing of gears.






An engine for the boat with cylinders with a slightly larger bore will be made for the hull. 

Regards Tony.


----------



## b.lindsey (Feb 15, 2012)

Very nice Tony and the copper piping looks phenominal. What will you be using for a boiler? Hope you will post more pictures too as things get fitted up in the hull.

Bill


----------



## n4zou (Feb 15, 2012)

It's a shame such a nice engine gets buried in the bowls of a ships hull.


----------



## ShopShoe (Feb 15, 2012)

Tony,

That's really neat. I join the others in saying we can't wait to see the whole boat. I applaud your patience in working through all the R&D engines to get this far. I don't know if I could stand the time and effort it would take to live with a project that with that much development work.

I'm not a boat guy but the twin contra-rotating propellers sound really cool.

--ShopShoe


----------



## Tony Bird (Feb 15, 2012)

Hi,

These engines are the R+D prototypes so will probably be left on the block of wood. The boiler will probably be a gas fired centre flue to keep its C of G down. I am sketching out a three cylinder 'V' engine which will have a larger bore than the prototypes. Today some '0' rings arrived and were fitted to the latest engine. Took some photographs which might be found interesting.

































Video.





Regards Tony.


----------



## cfellows (Feb 15, 2012)

Very nice, Tony. Love your work with steam!

Chuck


----------



## Tony Bird (Feb 23, 2012)

Hi,

Made a little progress with making an engine for the hull. Made a larger double acting engine as a single before making a 3 cylinder version. 






The flywheel is balanced so it it good for high and low revs.

It has large steam amd exhaust ports which aids free running.
















Video.





Regards Tony.


----------



## cfellows (Feb 23, 2012)

Nice engine! Did that frame start out as a piece of square steel tubing?

Chuck


----------



## Tony Bird (Feb 23, 2012)

Hi Chuck,

I have used squqre section tube for frames see one of the earlier photographs the single cylinder dark blue engine with the red spoke fly wheel. This engines frame is folder up from 1.25mm (bit less than 1/16") steel sheet recycled from some thing.

Regards Tony.


----------



## doubletop (Feb 26, 2012)

I like these different and functional.

Have you thought about double acting wobblers? You could pinch the cylinder design from this

http://www.john-tom.com/MiscrPlans/WobblerEJS.pdf

or this

http://jpduval.free.fr/Moteurs_vapeur_simples/MV%20deo%2010x20.pdf

Although the second one is pretty good in its own right, as it's designed as an R/C boat engine. A few have been made and presented on HMEM

A double acting triple based on your existing frame would work. If you used a form of the valve on the top of the JP Duval engine you'll get speed control and reversing 

Just an idea, I do like yours.

Pete


----------



## Tony Bird (Feb 26, 2012)

Hi Pete,

Yes using double acting wobblers were considered which a number have been made, but the original idea was for a simple self starting engine that would have its crank shaft low in the hull and possibly drive more than one propeller. The design got a little over the top in the end. A new design idea is taking shape which will be capable of being either single or double acting but it will be a little time as there are other projects to finish.

Regards Tony.


----------



## woodnut (Feb 26, 2012)

Very nice Tony

Look forward to watching this build. 

John


----------

