# First engine



## dwentz (Nov 20, 2008)

Very nice engine. Yes I love to what the engines that I build run. I have been out of the hobby for a while. Been spending time getting my shop back together. I purchased a new to me Clausing mill last week, and have been cleaning it back up. Keep up the good work, and thanks for sharing.

Dale


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## b.lindsey (Nov 20, 2008)

Very nice work, thanks for sharing it. I know your father in law will be well pleased with this gift. All it takes is seeing that first one run and you ARE hooked. Hopefully he will let you visit it on occasion after Christmas 

Bill


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## Brass_Machine (Nov 20, 2008)

Welcome to the club!

Nice work on the engine. I am sure your FIL will be pleased with the present.

Addictive isn't it?

Eric


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## Brian Rupnow (Nov 20, 2008)

Nice engine.--Welcome aboard. I know a number of people who would like to make a small boiler and give it to their mother in law!!!


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## Maryak (Nov 20, 2008)

Barthez  said:
			
		

> It ran it for the first time today on compressed air, a few tweaks here and there and it now runs quite smoothly on just a few psi.
> 
> It's a Christmas gift for my father in law, I am making a small boiler to go with it.



Welcome 
	

	
	
		
		

		
			





Nice engine and congratulations on your first runner 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




I don't know your experience or background so please bear with me if I am "Teaching you to Suck Eggs"

Boilers can be very dangerous things, even small ones at low pressure.
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




Please for your own and for the safety of those around you. FOLLOW THE CODES OF BUILDING AND OPERATING in your country.

Best Regards
Bob


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## baldrocker (Nov 20, 2008)

Barthez
Congratulations and welcome 


Brian
My mother in law was an old boiler 
Baldrocker


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## Tin Falcon (Nov 20, 2008)

Nice engine
Welcome


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## deere_x475guy (Nov 20, 2008)

Nice work and welcome to the forum.


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## dsquire (Nov 20, 2008)

Barthez :bow: :bow:

Very nice job for a first engine. You deserve to be proud of it and I am sure your FIL will also enjoy it. Welcome to HMEM and enjoy your stay. I am sure we are all looking forward to watching your posts while you build your boiler.

Cheers

Don


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## ChooChooMike (Nov 20, 2008)

Now you're hooked !! I just got #4 running last week, many many more to go !!

Nice job


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## lathe nut (Nov 20, 2008)

well fellows I am hooked, I have been in the back ground looking, downloading ever bit if information that I can get to get somewhere even close to where some of you are, this is not much on one and did not even have enough material to build the flywhell, but valve handle was happy to join in, I really what to thanks everone who inputs and shares with those of less knowing, some of the enigne that have just been finished is and would be a dream to have built as you all have, I have most of them printed and have been going over what I would need to start one, thanks for the pic's other wise I would not know how to hold the work piece, did I say thanks, you fellow are great aat what you do and great teachers, thanks so much, Lathe Nut


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## Maryak (Nov 20, 2008)

Brian Rupnow  said:
			
		

> Nice engine.--Welcome aboard. I know a number of people who would like to make a small boiler and give it to their mother in law!!!



My 1st Mother-in-Law was an "Old Boiler." 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




Best Regards
Bob


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## Barthez (Nov 21, 2008)

Thank you for your kind words. 
No worries Bob I playing it safe with the boiler it will be inspected and tested at my boat club. I have been following the boiler threads on this forum. I also have the model boiler book by K.N Harris, I will take it slowly and each step at a time and not cut corners . My father in law won't run. It will sit with his Mamods on his study shelf, but I want it to be right and safe. It is a stepping stone for me, you have to start somewhere.

Lathe nut - thats a nice engine with a neat fly wheel.


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## Metal Mickey (Nov 21, 2008)

Thats a brilliant engine and well done! A good start. They are a useful bunch on here......


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## Maryak (Dec 18, 2008)

Ken,

That is a very nice Stirling Engine and obviously a great runner from the figures provided. :bow: :bow:

Best Regards
Bob


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## stevehuckss396 (Dec 18, 2008)

Looks like a possible engine of the month.


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## b.lindsey (Dec 18, 2008)

Very nicely done Ken. Having built a couple at 1/2 size I can say from experience that you should be all the more proud having done that as your first engine...Great Job!!

Bill


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## dsquire (Dec 18, 2008)

Ken :bow: :bow:

 Very nice looking Sterling. You can be doubly proud of that seeing as it was your first. I will be looking forward to seeing what you have in store for us with your future builds.

Have a glass on me Ken.

Cheers

Don


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## Debian (Dec 18, 2008)

You really really rock Ken! many compliments, I thing that Jerry Howell's models are simply marvellous.
Just a curiosity, how did You painted it black? is something like black oxide?
All the best

Paolo


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## rake60 (Dec 18, 2008)

Ken, if a running stirling was your first engine was your first engine, you have nothing
but successful projects to look forward to.

Do you have a video?

Rick


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## Marinesteam (Dec 18, 2008)

Thanks for all the kind words.

I did send the aluminum parts out for anodizing. I can sometimes piggy back personal jobs onto a small jobs sent in through my place of employment. I design automated machinery for a career and many of the jobs aren't big enough to exceed the batch charge fee so I can sneak pieces in at no extra charge. This one is a gift for my Father and I thought that anodizing was nicer touch than leaving raw aluminum. I was considering engine-turning the displacer plates and polishing the rest of the aluminum bits but ran out of time as Xmas came early this year 

I have, waiting in the wings, parts for a second engine that I am building for myself. The rush to get the first one done leaves me with a few steel parts that I need to make after the holidays (and when the shop is warm enough again). The on to my main project, a compound steam engine from castings, in 1:1 scale.

Video coming soon, If I can remember how to format the video to what YouTube can take.

Ken


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## Marinesteam (Dec 19, 2008)

Here is one of those moving pictures.

[youtube=425,350]<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/0w5rfZzM-nM&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/0w5rfZzM-nM&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>[/youtube]

Thanks for watching

Ken


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## NickG (Dec 19, 2008)

Fantastic effort to get a LTD to run for your first engine ... I don't think I could do that now!


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## chuck foster (Dec 21, 2008)

for a first engine you have done very well, i still haven't got the foggist idea how they work ??? 

can someone educate me on this engine, or know of a website that explains the workings of this type of engine?

chuck


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## mklotz (Dec 21, 2008)

chuck foster  said:
			
		

> can someone educate me on this engine, or know of a website that explains the workings of this type of engine?



The engine pictured is termed a gamma type Stirling engine. Note the spelling - 'i', not 'e'. Stirling, the inventor, was a Scots minister. These engines are low pressure hot gas engines.

For an animation of the gamma configuration, take a look at:

http://auto.howstuffworks.com/stirling-engine2.htm


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## Paula (Dec 21, 2008)

mklotz  said:
			
		

> The engine pictured is termed a gamma type Stirling engine. Note the spelling - 'i', not 'e'.



I think Don meant 'sterling' as in, "conforming to the highest standard". 

Paula


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## dsquire (Dec 21, 2008)

Paula  said:
			
		

> I think Don meant 'sterling' as in, "conforming to the highest standard".
> 
> Paula



Paula

Thanks for bailing me out.

I could say that is what I meant but .... Its a spell checker, not a grammar checker. Lets try this, It is a sterling example of a Stirling engine.

Merry Christmas 

Don


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## mcr (Apr 11, 2009)

Hope this works


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## cfellows (Apr 11, 2009)

That's a dandy! Nice work.

Chuck


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## Maryak (Apr 11, 2009)

Excellent 1st effort, you should be very proud. :bow: :bow:

Best Regards
Bob


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## HS93 (Apr 11, 2009)

Welcome Shipmate ..nice to see you on this one the engine is looking good, you just need to build the clinker boat to put it in.

Peter


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## rudydubya (Apr 12, 2009)

Very nice work!

Rudy


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## deere_x475guy (Apr 12, 2009)

Very nice a launch engine is on my short list....I am slow so that means a years or so.


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## m_kilde (Apr 13, 2009)

Very nice project !

Seems the reversing gear workes very well.

I'm working on a tripleexpansion engine, and will also need to build in a reversing system, hope to do as well as you did

photo so far :








Mogens


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## bearcar1 (Apr 13, 2009)

Bloody well done MCR, That is almost too attractive to hide inside the bowels of a clink don't you think? 8) 

Cheers
BC1


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## mcr (Apr 13, 2009)

As the launch is an OPEN design I figure I will be able to see the engine. This is the keel and the building jig:




Love the build M-Kilde perhaps a project for the future.
The Stephenson's linkage looks great in motion especially at low revs.
The engine ran better in one direction than the other I thought due to tweaks needed in the timing,it was infact due to the gasket seal blocking one of the steam vents. Runs much better now.


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## mcr (Apr 14, 2009)

New addition:


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## Paolo (Apr 15, 2009)

Whaoooooooo...Well done!!! :bow:
Best regards
Paolo


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## cobra428 (Apr 15, 2009)

MCR,
Nice work! But you have to tell me where you got the little bucket hanging on the lubricator??? I searched doll house places (embarrassing) with no luck. Plastic buckets only.
TonyR


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## mcr (Apr 15, 2009)

Keep searching I found it in a dolls house shop a few years back (to add to my French fishing boat).


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## lugnut (Apr 15, 2009)

mcr, that is a very nice engine. Your have every reason to be a proud builder. So how long is the launch? I'm guessing 5 feet. Very nice work and thanks for showing the video.
Mel


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## mcr (Apr 15, 2009)

Not far off Mel 50" progress to date:





Lapstrack planking


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## mcr (Nov 24, 2009)

I have had a rather unpleasant experience with Ebay, when I had a close look at the boiler I purchased for the boat it turned out to be soft soldered and then sprayed to cover up the fact.
I had little choice but to cut it up and use the copper to make a new boiler.
With lots of help from a fellow club mate this is the result so far.


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## Maryak (Nov 24, 2009)

mcr,

Beautiful work. :bow: :bow:

Commiserations on your boiler buy but it looks like a great recovery. :bow:

Best Regards
Bob


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## zeeprogrammer (Nov 24, 2009)

Beautiful boat mcr. I hope to do the same someday.


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## mcr (Nov 27, 2009)

A little more progess after the boiler set back.


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