# Buffalo Springfield Steam Roller



## Oldmechthings (Feb 28, 2008)

Setting on a display pedestal painted to look like the world, In Gibbons and Reed General Contractors yard, right next to the Freeway was a little Buffalo Springfield Steam roller. It would cause awful twisting of the necks of mechanical people like myself as we drove by. How wonderful it would be to have a steam roller to play with, but of course it was not for sale, and besides there was no way that a person like myself would have room for it, or move it to tales to shows, etc. BUT I could certainly handle a baby one. I called the company and talked with Mr. Reed and got permission to come in and take photos and measurements. Several trips were required over a period of time to acquire enough information to put a complete plan on paper.
  I might mention that the front roller and water tank were not original. At some time they had been replaced, so I I followed a picture in a book as to what the originals looked like. Also the yellow paint was not the original color.







It took 10 months of construction time to complete the model.






Here are right and left side views.






Perhaps you'd be mused at looking at some close ups.






Here are some loose engine parts.






This is the engine put together.






And the engine installed on the roller.






This is the gear train. I strayed from the original, by installing Bikini type guards over the gears. I just could not stand to hide those little gears with the full covers. Some things need to be seen to be appreciated! Don't you think so?






This is the drivers seat. I never did figure out which was front and back of the machine. I think the steering roller is in front, but that makes the driver facing back. You figure it out!






And here is the whistle. All steam things need a whistle, don't they? The bell is made from an empty 30-06 cartridge case. For a miniature it has a very pleasant sound. I had to design a restriction into it to limit the pressure or else it would be too shrill.
  This little roller is not a "loner", It has a twin. Some other fellow; he is listed on this site as "paulj84003" built one too. The models were built simultaneously in our respective workshops, but we shared drawings, materials, patterns, fixtures, etc, which expedited the construction. Perhaps he will post some picture of his baby roller too.
            Birk ;D


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## Mcgyver (Feb 28, 2008)

Jeez Birkm, 10 months? I wouldn't have the plans done in 10 months. you are a prolific builder of high quality models.

ok, some question, what do you do for fasteners? have you a little mass production turret set up or do you buy them. there's many parts that I'd like to hear about but two that especially caught my eye are the seat and the handwheels - they are exceptional.  how'd you get the round profile on the inside of the rim - hand filing?


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## Oldmechthings (Feb 28, 2008)

Mcgyver
When you talk about fasteners, the bolts are the scale model kind from Coles. The frame was riveted together with standard rivets just like the original, only smaller. For the seat, a pattern was carved out of maple, and a casting made from that. It is a lot of work, but the seat on the original was a cast one. 
  If you have access to Live Steam Magazine, a construction article was published starting November 2002, and ran for four issues. That would give you lots more pictures and answer many of your questions. They even published my drawings if you want to build one yourself. Only takes one month longer than a regular baby.
        Birk


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## Stan (Feb 28, 2008)

Birk: Your work is fantastic!! As to front and back of a roller, it doesn't matter. They never turn around. To be a roller operator, you have to have a head like an owl.


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## paulj84003 (Feb 28, 2008)

Here are a couple photos of the unidentical twin, Jim


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## BobWarfield (Feb 28, 2008)

Along the same lines as Mcgyver, did you make all the little plumbing fittings, or is there some source of those?

Beautiful model,

BW


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## paulj84003 (Feb 28, 2008)

BW, I made all the fittings on my roller,  The jigs that I used to make the L's, T's, and 45's are shown in a Live Steam Mag article May/June 2004

Jim


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## mklotz (Feb 28, 2008)

Bob,

FYI, PMR sells pipe fitting casting "trees"

http://www.pmresearchinc.com/store/home.php?cat=39

as well as machined fittings.

I used one of the trees for the fittings on my boiler and it worked out very nicely although the machining (of the fittings) was a bit fiddly. PMR also sells the brass pipe.


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## nkalbrr (Feb 28, 2008)

Once again ,you are da man. I have a picture of a 5 ton Iroquois that shows the operator walking beside the machine


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## nkalbrr (Feb 28, 2008)

found this [ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cK7tD19oW_c&feature=related[/ame]


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## Bernd (Feb 29, 2008)

Nice work on those rollers guys.

Birk I think you must have retired at the early age of 30 or something. You have some exquisite models.

Bernd


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## mfrick (May 5, 2015)

I would like to make contact with Birk Petersen dose any one have his email address.  I am build the Buffalo Roller and I have a question on cutting the gears.  What pitch cutter is used.

Mike
[email protected]


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## Cogsy (May 5, 2015)

mfrick said:


> I would like to make contact with Birk Petersen


 

You could leave a comment of his blog http://birkpetersens.blogspot.com/ or try and send him a PM on this site, although he hasn't been on here since last December, he may receive an email alert of a PM.


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