# Elmer's #45 by Trout



## Troutsqueezer (Apr 15, 2010)

Howdy Folks,

I am starting my third engine build today, continuing with the Elmer series. 

Spring is here and the Honeydew list is growing by the day so this build will be at a leisurely pace. Whenever I have an update ready I'm sure I'll be fishing this thread out from a few pages back in the archives.

I've picked Elmer's #45 for three reasons: 1) I don't see a build for it here already. 2) The cylinder looks like it will pose a challenge (for me) to machine. 3) I need to develop my skills at making nice flywheels (finally putting my RT to good use).

This is a compound design as opposed to double-acting where the valve design feeds the exhaust from the high pressure side to the low pressure side. Should be interesting. 

Here's what I am starting with:







I soon discovered my first obstacle is how to slice a .5" piece from the 3" aluminum rod you see in the pic. Not having a band saw makes this a challenge. I'm thinking angle grinder...

-T


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## GordTopps (Apr 15, 2010)

A hacksaw with a 16 tpi blade should take care of that, take your time and it should only take about 20 mins.

I wouldn't even think obout an angle grinder on aluminium 

Thats my 2¢ or centimos worth anyway

Regards
Gordy


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## arnoldb (Apr 15, 2010)

Hi T - you beat me to this one ;D - Looking forward to your build!

As Gordy said, I'd seriously advise you not to try an angle grinder on the aluminium. The blade is bound to clog up very quickly and will most likely jam at some point and possibly shatter.

If you can fit that lump on your lathe, you can center drill it before chucking up with tailstock support, and part it down as deep as you can, then finish the parting with a hacksaw outside of the lathe. An added bonus to this is that you could clean up the "rim" and face it part-way on the tailstock side before you part it, then you'll have a good clean start to making the rest of the flywheel as well.

Regards, Arnold


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## mklotz (Apr 15, 2010)

Last engine I built, I needed two 4" diameter slices for flywheels. I packed up my measuring gear and my breath-powered engine and headed off to my aluminum supplier.

It was a slow day at the metal yard so one of the employees offered to help me find what I needed. I thanked him but told him that I didn't want to waste his time since I was only going to buy a few small pieces to build a steam engine.

"Wow, you build steam engines! That's neat. I'd love to see one."

At which point I pulled the miniature out of my pocket and did an impromptu demonstration. To say he was gobsmacked is pure understatement.

He found me a chunk of 4" and asked if it was big enough.

"Plenty, I only need two 1/2" slices."

"Want me to cut it for you?"

"How much will that cost?"

"$2.50 a cut, but I'll do it for you for nothing."

Saving the $5 wasn't that big a deal but the alternative would have been to buy the whole ~10" long piece which I might never use so the savings was much more than the $5, not to mention it would have taken forever on my little bandsaw and I'd never have gotten the perfect cut his cold saw could deliver.

Take your avatar meisterblingstück with you and go shopping. You might get lucky.


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## Tin Falcon (Apr 15, 2010)

the other approach to making a flywheel is start with plate. Mark where you want tthe center of the wheel. center punch a mark scribe a circle and cut out. I have a grizzly bench top saw that is meant for wood but cut ali and brass on it on a regular basis. then center drill your punch mark put the rough cut blank against a face plate(Or a piece of faced off stock in the chuck backed with a sheet of rubber. You need a bit of finesse and patience as the interrupted cut wants to grab and hold the part. And a bit of spray glue can hold the rubber in place as well. sticky tape also works here instead of the rubber. . you want something with enough thickness that you can finish the rim without cutting into your face plate. Oh yeah the most important thing hold the plate against the face plate with your center. otherwise the thing will be ripped of the face plate quicker than a wink. 
Tin


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## mklotz (Apr 15, 2010)

As a follow-on to what Tin wrote...

If your flywheel will be spoked, drill and tap holes in the plate in the areas that will be cut away when the spokes are formed. Attach the plate to the faceplate with screws from behind.


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## kvom (Apr 15, 2010)

I have a 6' stick of 3" diameter 6061 and a bandsaw. I can, slice off a couple of pieces and mail them to you.


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## Troutsqueezer (Apr 15, 2010)

First question Gordy: Does the estimated 20 minutes of hacksaw time include the "saw for two minutes, rest for 10 minutes" scenario I would be employing? ;D

Arnold, I'm thinking a rod of this size and weight might be quite a load for my HF mini lathe but as you suggested, it probably won't even fit on my lathe, the jaws would probably stop short of opening wide enough. Now if I had that Monarch I saw for sale on Craigslist today...



			
				mklotz  said:
			
		

> Take your avatar meisterblingstück with you and go shopping. You might get lucky.



This is an area I need to work on. The metal yards I've been to so far in the Sacramento area don't seem to be too friendly. My main supplier (Blue Collar Supply) acts like they're doing you a favor by letting you purchase from them. There's got to be something else around here and I'll find them sooner or later. 

As for the face plate approach, that is something I've taken notice of in other posts. Those extra pieces of fairly thick aluminum I've been stocking up on will come in handy for this. And starting the wheel from a plate was my first intention but yesterday at the metal store I saw that 3" rod and realized I could get seven or eight flywheels just by slicing it up. :idea:  oh:

kvom, that's a very nice offer and I appreciate that very much! Perhaps though, since I'm in the learning phase I should keep working on expanding my skills, tools and connections (as Marv reminded me).

Angle grinding: I've read the theory as to how grinders behave on aluminum and why they won't work but oddly enough, I read that tidbit of information _after_ I had used my angle grinder on some pretty thick aluminum and easily obtained the various sizes and shapes I was looking for. The key learning for me there was that a smaller Ryobi grinder fit with a thin cutting wheel will slice thru aluminum like nobody's business. The lesser amount of horsepower in the smaller grinder kept me in control of the grabbing. I've never had the wheel shatter but I wear full protection, including hearing. Ask me about tinnitus sometime. :-[ The other part of the key learning is that my huge metal cutoff saw with its 15 amp current draw and 14" blade failed miserably to the task and would blow the circuit breaker as it heated the piece of aluminum quite nicely. 

Thanks for the replies guys. Something for me to think about until I can get back into the work shed.

-Trout


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## BigBore (Apr 16, 2010)

COPY/PASTE/EDIT/SPELL CHECK/COPY/PASTE/EDIT/SPELL CHECK..................

All right! Cool beans! Here we go again..... woohoo1

I am just SO thankful for HMEM and the builds that you guys do. Trout, love your work....Let's do this!

Ed


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## Troutsqueezer (May 7, 2010)

Hey Guys, 

It's been about three weeks, time for an update, albeit a small one on a simple engine. Been lots of stuff on the honeydew list lately so shop time has been scarce. 

When last I left it I was pondering how best to cut the 3" aluminum rod. I drug out the larger angle grinder and put a thin disk on it and it took about three minutes to slice this thing. Not a clean cut, nor the best way to do it I know. I thought later about using my Sawzall with a metal blade. Next time I'll try that. 

Welding magnets continue to be a handy item around the shop. I don't have a DRO setup on my lathe for compound movement yet but a magnet in the right place with a dial makes it easy enough to set the depth on the recess in the spoke area. 











What a stringy mess an aluminum flywheel can make. This is after I've cleaned it up once or twice. 






Drilled slightly under .25" and reamed to size.






Getting ready to cut the spokes. First order of business was to center the workpiece on the RT.






Next is to center it to the spindle. I'll be using Bog's technique to locate and cut the spokes. This is from a thread he started a little while back to educate us newbies (thanks Bogs). 






In betwixt I made the base and cut some brass parts for the bearings and cylinder. Pretty simple stuff. 






Thanks for looking! Till next time..... Trout.


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## bearcar1 (May 7, 2010)

Nice neat and clean looking work so far Trout'. Looks like it will be a beauty when you are all through.

BC1
Jim


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## mklotz (May 7, 2010)

You might also want to check out the FLYWHEEL program on my site. It will simplify the layout - especially so if you intend to make tapered spokes.

It's normally free but, just for you, I'll only charge $5. :big:


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## Troutsqueezer (May 7, 2010)

Thanks guys. 

Marv, if you could post your address here, I'll send something to you.  
-T


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## SAM in LA (May 7, 2010)

Trout,

I'm following this build closely. I enjoy reading about and seeing your work progress. After your last build, I am anxious to see how you finish this one.

SAM


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## mklotz (May 7, 2010)

Troutsqueezer  said:
			
		

> Marv, if you could post your address here, I'll send something to you.
> -T



I'll just bet you would! If you have any problems with the program, give me a shout. My email addy is in my profile.


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## zeeprogrammer (May 7, 2010)

Nice idea Trout with the magnet.
Creative solutions like that is an area I wish I could be more clever about.
I'm hoping it comes with experience.


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## mklotz (May 7, 2010)

zeeprogrammer  said:
			
		

> Creative solutions like that is an area I wish I could be more clever about.
> I'm hoping it comes with experience.



Part of the secret is to begin looking at things in terms of their function and not their form. For example, a connecting rod is something to hold two holes a given distance apart. Once you can do that, problem solutions leap right out at you.

"Form follows function" is not just a tiresome cliche. It's a nutshell description of the whole design process.


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## Troutsqueezer (May 10, 2010)

Sometimes Mother Nature works in my favor, like today, when it rained and I couldn't do most of the things on my wife's to-do list! woohoo1

So I did some work on my flywheel. I started with Bog's method for calculating offsets and angles but soon realized it doesn't apply wholly to tapered spokes which then led me to Marv's website. He has a program there catered to tapered spokes. Bummer though! It doesn't like my Windows 7 64 bit system and I don't have an emulator on hand that might handle it. Thanks anyway Marv. Guess I don't owe ya five bucks now!

Actually, the math wasn't too bad to calculate the offsets. I started by drilling 6 holes at 60 degree increments with an end mill. 






Then I offset in the Y direction 1" and in the X direction by a certain amount to get my outer spoke holes, also using an end mill to plunge drill. 






Here I sliced some arcs connecting the two outer spoke holes. I used an end mill one size smaller than the .125" end mill I used to drill the outer holes. 






Next I cut the sides of the spokes. Its a little trickier with the offsets since the spokes are tapered. 






Milling the opposite side of the spoke cutout. 






Now it's roughed in and ready for some cleanup. I will use the original .125" end mill I used to plunge drill the holes and go along the edge for cleanup. 






This week I should have something that looks finished, if I don't manage to screw it up. There's still time! oh:

I should mention: This is the first time I have used my new DRO's on the X2. I sure am glad they came out with that $25 version when they did! I can't see milling any other way now. If you have an X2 and no DRO's yet, now's the time. This was also the first time I've used the RT to any extent. Also worth the money. 

Back to my hole in the wall...

-Trout


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## mklotz (May 10, 2010)

Trout,

Re running my programs under Windows 7...

This issue has come up before and, no doubt, will come up again. It can be done and, with the aid of some of the computer gurus on the forum, we were able to document a workable solution. Go to

http://www.homemodelenginemachinist.com/index.php?topic=8600.0

and all will be explained.


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## Troutsqueezer (May 12, 2010)

Marv, I've got the program and since I like tapered spokes too I'll be using it on my next flywheel. This time impatience got the best of me. 

Only one pic for tonight but I'll tell ya, this pic represents a few hours of work. Flywheels can be a lot of work! I can see why some folks order up the castings. I still have some cleanup to do on the wheel. I'm going to paint the spokes as well as other parts of this engine. Shiny is nice for some things but not all things. Right Marv? ;D


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## Deanofid (May 12, 2010)

That's a nice one, Dennis! Well done!

Dean


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## arnoldb (May 12, 2010)

Thm: - That is very nicely done Dennis !

Kind regards, Arnold


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## SAM in LA (May 12, 2010)

Dennis,

Nice and clean looking flywheel.

In fact, I like the finish that is has right now.

SAM


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## compressor man (May 14, 2010)

Troutsqueezer  said:
			
		

>



Wow, this is really great Trout. A question for you...On these arc shaped cuts you made, surely you did not make the cut in one pass? Did you instead take a shallow cut, lower your cutter and make another cut and so on? I am asking because I have not long had my mill (X2) and have very little experience with it and really have yet to learn its capabilities.


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## Philjoe5 (May 14, 2010)

That's one great looking flywheel Trout :bow: Thanks for posting the details. The handwork is impressive. I am reminded of the quote - "Lord, please give me patience, and hurry" :

Cheers,
Phil


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## Troutsqueezer (May 15, 2010)

Thanks for the nice comments guys!

Chris: You're right, I took shallow cuts because of the small size of the end mill. I used an end mill that was one size smaller than the holes I pre-drilled in the corners of the slots and that made it easier to lower the spindle each time I made a pass since I had some room to spare at the end of each pass. 

There's a coworker of mine who has a cnc machine, he's young, fairly new to machining and that's all he's ever used. He could not believe I made this wheel by manually cranking the table. Ha....these young-uns..... Thm:

I agree with you Sam, I like the finish as it is. I think I'll just paint the base on this engine. I find myself now regretting having sold my Pasche airbrush compressor a couple years back. It's off to H.F. tomorrow to buy a new one I'm afraid. 

"Patience is passion tamed." Lyman Abbott

-Trout


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## kcmillin (May 15, 2010)

Good Job Dennis, put them young bucks in their place. CNC requires alot of knowledge but manual machining is an art. 

Well Done Thm:

Kel


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## Troutsqueezer (May 19, 2010)

Hi Guys,

Not much to report. Got the bearing blocks made. Painted the base. Next up, the cylinder! oh no-o-o! 

The base is actually an award plaque I got at work - "Dennis, you've saved the company $13 million by yada yada yada....here's a nice plaque to hang on your wall". Gee...I'm honored, a plaque? Well, I've got a number of them cluttering up my cubicle and they are made out of all kinds of material so I finally found a good use for'em. 

-Trout


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## zeeprogrammer (May 19, 2010)

That flywheel turned out awesome. Nice job!

You could put what you already have on display.


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## SAM in LA (May 19, 2010)

Carl,

Good idea on how to recycle recognition plaques.

Personally, I would rather get a gift card or raise in lieu of plaques.

Looking good.

SAM


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## bearcar1 (May 19, 2010)

Trout, you are so right about those cheesy awards. A very dear friend and old boss of mine. Jim McCabe once quoted what is now known as McCabes Law... "A pat on the back is but just six inches from a kick in the a$$" 

Your flywheel and your other work to date is extremely well executed. That flywheel is a real eye attention getter.


BC1
Jim


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## Deanofid (May 19, 2010)

Looks really nice all mounted up on the base, Dennis.

Dean


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## Troutsqueezer (May 19, 2010)

Thanks for the kind comments guys.

As with many things in life, presentation can be everything. I know this is a simple design but cast in the right light, there's always beauty to be found. 

I mentioned some time ago that I regretted selling my Paasche air brush compressor. I thought I was through painting RC models, etc. but I was mistaken now that I'm involved with this engine hobby. So I went down to HF last weekend and picked up their version of an airbrush compressor for $69 (on sale). Now this being Harbor Freight an all, I thought it would be borderline junk but sometimes HF surprises you. What I got is, in my opinion, a better product than the twice-as-expensive Paasche. This has an on/off which the Paasche does not (or didn't), it has a water trap and regulator which the Paasche does not. Also, it does not run continuously which the Paasche does. OK, too much typing now. Back to the den, I've got a cylinder to plan out. 

-Trout


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## speakerme (May 20, 2010)

Great Work

I am encouraged by your work and thank you for it.


Chuck M


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## Troutsqueezer (May 23, 2010)

Really, this isn't worth posting but hey, I've got nothing better to do. I spent a few hours in the work shed today working on the cylinder. The shape of the cylinder and the challenge for me to machine it is what attracted me to this build. This cylinder seems to be commonly used in Elmer's designs and a few others. 

It's been fun using the RT and my new Grizzly DRO's. It took a good bit of time getting the brass rod to an accurate 1.375 x 1.375 x 1.125" square and then marking lines (double-check of the still-new DRO's) and drilling the ports and holes. Got that all done now, it's time to bore the .75" cylinder next.






So...I'm real proud of myself for figuring out a trick to drilling the angled ports. :idea: I'm sure you old pros have this one in your back pocket but I've never read it anywhere. Or more likely, you have a better way to do it. I know...if you tried it and it works, that's an acceptable practice, as long as you didn't hurt yourself. In the pic above you can see on the plans how the port holes are angled at 10 and 15 degrees where they run from the cylinder edge to the valve plate holes. I used a little math to figure out how deep to drill these holes so they intersect the vertical holes but along the way, I threw out the math and used some trickery. 

I placed a wire into the vertical hole and drilled the angled hole until I felt the drill bit wiggle the wire. I knew that was the time to stop drilling. If I went too far I would have drilled into the next vertical hole, ruining the cylinder. 






Sandpaper....a wonderful thing. 






That's it for today. If I were Metal Butcher, I would have had this thing done weeks ago. 

-Trout


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## SAM in LA (May 23, 2010)

Dennis,

Clever idea. :idea:

I'm curious though, was your math solution correct? ;D

Thanks for sharing. Thm:

SAM


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## arnoldb (May 23, 2010)

Dennis, good going Thm:

I nearly thought you were going wrong with the wire in the center hole - till I checked the plans. This cylinder block closely mimics Elmer's "normal" ones with the exception that the exhaust port is on one side rather than in the middle like he normally have them. This is because your build is the single cylinder compound - where under steam operation, the exhaust of the first high pressure cylinder side is ported to the intake of the low pressure cylinder side to use steam expansion.

Regards, Arnold


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## Troutsqueezer (May 23, 2010)

Sam, my math solution was close. After I drilled to my specified depth, I had to think of a way to ascertain if the holes had indeed intersected. My first thought was to blow into the small hole. That felt silly and didn't work. Then I had the idea to stick a wire into both holes to see if I could feel them moving against each other. I couldn't, so I knew I was off a bit. That's when I decided to leave the one wire sticking in the hole while I drilled through a bit more. It just took another couple of thousandths of an inch. For the second hole, I didn't bother calculating the depth, I just drilled with the one wire sticking in the hole. 

Arnold, I got this far on my first try at this cylinder and wound up throwing the part at the part wall. Those three slotted ports threw me off. When I drilled the 1/16th holes for them, I drilled all three to the same depth. One of them (on the end) should only have been drilled to a shallower depth to allow the angled port to pass underneath it. I haven't seen Elmer's single cylinder compound built here yet and thought it would be interesting to try. It might have a slightly different sound to it too because of the exhaust recirculation, I don't know but it will be interesting to find out. 

-Trout


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## Troutsqueezer (May 27, 2010)

I finally finished the cylinder body except for tapping the holes and milling the end of the angled ports. Now wouldn't that be a bummer if I broke a tap in one of the holes at this stage of the game! Naw....I've done a lot of tapping over the years and very seldom break one. 

I decided to go with the lagging here. I've painted it the same color as the base which is dark blue but you can't tell it from looking at this pic. I want to create a small decal and fit it onto the lagging for a bit of panache. I made the lagging from a thin metal which coincidentally, also came from my recognition plaque, the same one I'm using for a base. What a gold mine.... :big:






Maybe the pace will pick up a bit now, especially since I will be on vacation the next 6 days. 

-T

edit: lagging, lapping...p rhymes with g, right?


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## Deanofid (May 28, 2010)

Cylinder looks very nice, Sam! (oops---Dennis!) What a clean job you've done.

Dean


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## SAM in LA (May 28, 2010)

Trout,

Deans last post was to SAM rather than Trout.

I'm truly honored to be confused with you. :bow:

I like the dark lagging on your cylinder.

SAM


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## Troutsqueezer (May 28, 2010)

SAM in LA  said:
			
		

> Trout,
> 
> I'm truly honored to be confused with you. :bow:
> 
> SAM



Ditto!


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## bearcar1 (May 28, 2010)

Trout, now I just know you didn't swear or anything like that when you discovered your mistake. Sister Ellen would not approve very much and would have you in the priests office being punished for having done so. :big: What a bummer. To have all of that fine work and time be wasted by one simple mistake. Damn. Ooops! (sorry sister for I know not what I do) Your final result after all of that is quite a nice piece of work. And I like your no nonsense, never mind all of the fancy calculations, hole drilling style. If it works, no one will ever know it isn't exactly 2.3579* etc, etc. Well done.

BC1
Jim


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## arnoldb (May 28, 2010)

Trout, that came out just dandy Thm:

Bad luck on the previous cylinder... It happens  - Don't chuck it away though; fill up the holes with some brass pins and silver solder them in; then you can re-drill as needed and still use the cylinder - if you fill all the passage holes you can use it for a couple of different Elmer engines  Fortunately it was brass and not aluminium.

Kind regards, Arnold


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## Deanofid (May 28, 2010)

Sam, Dennis, they all sound the same to me... ???

Sorry for the goof up, you guys!!
I feel like a dork.

Dean


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## Troutsqueezer (May 28, 2010)

BC1: I think for once, I may not have sworn and the reason is I was taking a short break, sitting out in front of the work shed in my comfortable Adirondak with the warm sun hitting my face and the mood was relaxing. That changed quickly however as my mind drifted to the cylinder block and I suddenly remembered one port was supposed to shallower than the others. The rest of the break was trying to figure out a work-around. 

As for accurate calculations, when you're going into orbit over Mars you'd better be accurate to 6 decimal places but for making these small engines, maybe not so much...and thank goodness for that because so far in my efforts I've been lucky to hit +/-.oo4 except for piston clearance where I've been luckier. 

Arnold: Thanks. I've saved the piece because it later occurred to me that I could do just as you suggest. 

Dean: Those "senior moments" seem to come around more and more for me these days. They are good for smiles. 

-Trout


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## Deanofid (May 28, 2010)

Troutsqueezer  said:
			
		

> Dean: Those "senior moments" seem to come around more and more for me these days. They are good for smiles.
> -Trout



Oh my.. You're not the only one, Trout. I've proved that well enough!

Dean


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## Troutsqueezer (Jun 1, 2010)

Hi Guys,

I finished up the cylinder this morning. That was quite a task and turned out to be more work than I thought. I started out thinking this engine would be a piece of cake compared to the last engine I built but it turns out not to be the case. I've got the major parts made now so it's on to the smaller ones. 












I got tired of swarf all over my clothes when using the milling machine. The plastic shield that comes with the X2 was always a pain to use but I did find a way to make it handier by using...you guessed it....welding magnets. 

-Trout


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## SAM in LA (Jun 1, 2010)

Dennis,

The black finish looks good with the brass and aluminium.

SAM


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## Deanofid (Jun 1, 2010)

It's shaping up beautifully, Dennis. The colors here show a very pleasing contrast.
Nice!

Dean


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## zeeprogrammer (Jun 1, 2010)

Looks great Trout.

Nice idea on the plastic shield. Now I'll get mine back out.


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## mklotz (Jun 1, 2010)

You'll want to put those magnets in plastic sandwich bags when you're cutting ferrous materials.


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## kcmillin (Jun 1, 2010)

The contrasts are great. This is shaping up to be one classy looking little steamer. 

Kel


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## Troutsqueezer (Jun 20, 2010)

Well it's been three weeks, I suspect it will be two or three more before it's through but I thought I would update this thread with the latest pic. I still have to make the steam chest, valve and valve rod. Already planning the video. You might spot some writing on the crankshaft, that came with the power drill bit I used. It was handy and exactly the right size. Doesn't affect the rotation any. 

-Trout


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## Jeff02 (Jun 20, 2010)

Exceptional work :bow: :bow: :bow:


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## Deanofid (Jun 20, 2010)

Very nice, Dennis. Everything looks cleanly machined. 

Dean


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## kustomkb (Jun 21, 2010)

Great looking parts Dennis.

Your photo's are real nice too.


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## arnoldb (Jun 21, 2010)

Your build's coming along really well Dennis Thm:
Don't worry about the drill bit  - from Elmer's own write-ups he also used whatever handy bits that was lying around, so you've got the right spirit ;D

Regards, Arnold


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## Troutsqueezer (Jun 21, 2010)

Thanks guys. 

My wife likes to shoot photos of her plant specimens so I used her black box setup to shoot my engine parts since it was taking up room in my shed. 

-T


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## Troutsqueezer (Jul 6, 2010)

From the ashes Trout's 45 rears up again! I've been working on it all this time but intermixed with some shop reorganizing and other stuff. I'm never in a hurry anyway. 

But first...I saw this chuck on Harbor Freight's web site for $25 and figured it would come in handy used in conjunction with my RT. It has an MT2 taper which is hard to find it seems, so it seats into the center hole on the RT and what d'ya know, easy centering. 






I thought this cylinder assembly looked like something you might pull out of a power boat so took a shot. It represents a lot of work and a lot of learning. 







And finally, the finished engine. I was very pleased with the aesthetics. It's ready to run but I did not have time today to take that step. Tomorrow will be good since I am on vacation this week. I expect it to run without much trouble. All the mechanisms mesh smoothly and the piston is a good fit. I'm already working on the video and should have it posted in a few days. 

-Trout


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## kcmillin (Jul 6, 2010)

Troutsqueezer  said:
			
		

> . It's ready to run but I did not have time today to take that step.
> 
> -Trout



Wow, how can you not resist. 

Congrats on a finishing another great engine Dennis.

She is a real beauty. 

Kel


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## doc1955 (Jul 6, 2010)

That is a beautiful looking engine!
I love the base you've done for it and the black finish really looks good with this engine.
NICE!


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## ksouers (Jul 6, 2010)

Very uber cool, Trout!

I like the black and brass color mix, too!


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## Deanofid (Jul 6, 2010)

Wow. What a beautiful engine, Trout. The finish is just right! Every part on it compliments
another part presenting a lovely combination. 
Really nice work!

Dean


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## zeeprogrammer (Jul 6, 2010)

That is a great looking engine.
If you're not careful...you're going to earn a name like..."Mr. Bling".
Beautiful.

So that's what you've been up to the last couple of weeks. ;D


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## SAM in LA (Jul 6, 2010)

Trout,

Your engine sure looks good.

SAM


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## Troutsqueezer (Jul 6, 2010)

Thanks very much for all the nice compliments guys! It's your tips and tricks I've been using as a means to an end. 

Admittedly, I think I have a mild case of OCD which accounts for some of the aesthetics. For example, how many of you walk across the shop to put the drill bit back into the index the minute you're finished using it? I can't move forward unless I place whatever tool I'm done with back it its place. Slows me down but at least I know where everything is when I need it. ;D

-Trout


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## arnoldb (Jul 7, 2010)

Great going Dennis :bow: :bow: - A beauty of an engine!
I cant wait for your video ;D



> how many of you walk across the shop to put the drill bit back into the index the minute you're finished using it?


 ;D - I manage to keep the drill bits sorted; they stay in their cabinets unless in use. But somehow all my screwdrivers, pliers, needle files, allen keys and various other bits 'n bobs find their way to the table I use for keeping the plans on and assembly - and somehow manage to stay there...  :big: Funny thing though; I'm very untidy most of the time, but I really let rip if a single file is out of place on one of my servers, or a contractor does a shoddy cabling job in a wiring cabinet...

Regards, Arnold


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## Troutsqueezer (Jul 11, 2010)

It runs! woohoo1

As some of you may know, it wasn't without trials and tribulations. In the end, it was decided an engine like this may be better suited to run on actual steam as the expansion of the steam should assist the movement of the piston. There may have been some single compound engines built that will run on air but this one didn't, so after a few days of fussing with it and posting a separate thread about it, I threw in the towel and re-ported the cylinders. So this is now a standard double-acting steam engine. Maybe it no longer qualifies as an Elmer's 45 but the parts are all the same except for the shoe valve I had to remake. 

Without further ado, never let it be said that Troutsqueezer does not back up his engine builds with videos. ;D


[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qFcnx-YnKIA[/ame]


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## kcmillin (Jul 11, 2010)

Great Job Dennis. She runs prety darn good if you ask me.

Love the video. The assembly sequence is great.

Kel


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## SAM in LA (Jul 11, 2010)

Dennis,

BRAVO!

SAM


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## Jeff02 (Jul 11, 2010)

Hey Trout! :bow: :bow: :bow: :bow: :bow: :bow: :bow: :bow: :bow: :bow: :bow: :bow: :bow: :bow: :bow: :bow:

 Both the Engine and Video, GREAT job!!!!!!!


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## zeeprogrammer (Jul 11, 2010)

:bow: :bow: :bow:

Fantastic. That was great. Absolutely awesome.

Everything about it.

The engine...I couldn't believe how slow it got! 
The base...beautiful. 
The video...very enjoyable. 

You've upped the bar for the video. Now I have to rethink what I was going to do...otherwise I'll be accused of theft.


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## ozzie46 (Jul 11, 2010)

Way to go Dennis. Nice work.

  Ron


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## seagar (Jul 11, 2010)

I would like to nominate you for the next academy awards for that video,that is great. :bow:
I like the engine as well.

Ian (seagar)


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## Deanofid (Jul 11, 2010)

Your engine runs great, Trout! Fun video, too. Thankfully, leaves nothing 
left to imagine about your name!



Dean


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## arnoldb (Jul 11, 2010)

Well done Trout ;D - :big: I love the video :bow:

Think I will build a boiler when I get to make #45!

Kind regards, Arnold


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## tel (Jul 11, 2010)

Cecil B. DeTroutsqueezer eh? Well done matey, on all fronts - watching that was a real blast.


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## TuxMan (Jul 11, 2010)

Trout

I really enjoyed your build log and now the finished engine and video are great :bow:

Eric


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## bearcar1 (Jul 11, 2010)

DEE-LIGHTFUL!!!
 Thm:
 What a great piece of work Denny. I followed the entire build sequence and it was indeed a great one. The video is supper. Your engine certainly runs a treat at low speed. A true contender for next moth's POM I'm thinkin'

BC1
Jim


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## Troutsqueezer (Jul 11, 2010)

These great comments are part of what make this a great place to hang out. I thoroughly enjoy reading them, thanks very much!

Kel, Sam, Jeff, Ron, Ian, Tel, Eric, thanks very much!

Zee, it seems there aren't many ways one can present a steam engine in a video. Please feel free to use whatever it was you had in mind when making your video, I'm sure you'll put your own very funny spin on it. Thanks for the nice comments!

Dean, now what other images can possibly pop up with a moniker like "Troutsqueezer"? Thanks for the kudos. 

Arnold, I'll be following that boiler build when you get a "round2it". Gracias.

Jim, although I would be honored with a POM nomination I feel that there are many engine builds going on here that should be recognized and most of them require greater machining and mechanical engineering skills than I possess. I've had my 15 minutes of fame a couple of months ago so it's probably best that I stay in the background. But thanks for the thought and the compliments!

-dennis


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## rake60 (Jul 11, 2010)

Beautiful work Dennis, on both the engine and the video! Thm:

Rick


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## Deanofid (Jul 11, 2010)

Troutsqueezer  said:
			
		

> Dean, now what other images can possibly pop up with a moniker like "Troutsqueezer"? Thanks for the kudos.
> 
> -dennis



Sorry Dennis. Due to my Dad's occasional crudeness. I'll blame it on him, anyway, 'cause he's gone
now, and cannot refute me. He sometimes referred to certain items in a certain fixture in a certain 
small room in the house as 'brown trout'. Those things stick when you're a kid.

Being a much more refined person than dad, I would never have given it such a thought, but
once it's in your head... Well, I'm blameless. Rest assured, I have a whole new image in my head, now.
_Thank you so very much, Trout---person_!

Regards,
John's only son.


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## Troutsqueezer (Jul 11, 2010)

eew!.....Dean! I must confess that particular association to the term has - after 40 years of using it - never occurred to me! There has always been that association with a certain appendage in a certain area which has been part of the mystery (but never intended to be such) but never, never anything brown. 

I'm gonna hafta change my handle! :fan: :big:

-dennis

<edit> Forgot: thanks Mr. Rick!


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## dsquire (Jul 11, 2010)

Dennis

While I have not been commenting as your build progressed I have been watching from day 1. You have came up with some clever ways around some of the problems building the engine. The video was fantastic. It definitely has your name on it and in it. The crowning touch was to put everybody's avatar in the background at the end. th_wav

As far as changing your name goes, don't. We wouldn't know who you were.

Cheers *knuppel2*

Don


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## Deanofid (Jul 12, 2010)

No, don't change your handle! Just change your avatar to that pic of the guy squeezing the 
trout making it do that thhbthhhbbthhhbb sound. That was funny!


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## Maryak (Jul 12, 2010)

Troutsqueezer  said:
			
		

> It runs! woohoo1



And very nicely..... :bow: :bow:

Best Regards
Bob


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