Book of plans for small internal combustion and steam engines

Brian Rupnow · Dec 15, 2024

I'm looking for a good book of plans to build small bore (-1") steam and /or gasoline engines. This is going to be a Christmas gift from myself to myself. I don't want a book of "basic" plans, as I have these books and have built any number of small engines. Not looking for train plans, I want stationary engines. I've tried googling what I want, but Google has become so loaded down with crap that I can't find anything. All suggestions are welcome.----Brian

kuhncw · Dec 15, 2024

Brian,

Take a look at "The Engines of Doug Kelley" published by Village Press. Well designed and good runners. Not basic at all.

Chuck

Danuzzo · Dec 15, 2024

Brian, what are the titles of the books you already have for basic plans for I.C. engines? I would be interested in finding those on Amazon.

Brian Rupnow · Dec 15, 2024

I have "The Shop Wisdom of Phillip Duclos" and will do a search for "The Engines of Doug Kelley"

pileskis · Dec 15, 2024

I have the Doug Kelly book.
His engines and plans are pretty darn awesome. Friend of mine built the Bruce McBeth engine. I modeled a lot of it in Creo.
Changed a few things. His engines are not really for beginners.

Tidza · Monday at 8:27 AM

I'm building the "Titan" from the Doug Kelley book at the moment. The drawings are very good but the scale is rather small with a few holes tapped 10BA (UK) or 0-80 and many tapped 2-56 which is 8BA here in the UK. I've broken one tap but most holes are done !!

Daniel Williams · Monday at 9:51 AM

Village Press, the publisher of Home Shop Machinist magazine, published The Engines of Doug Kelley. There is also one of his engines that came about after the book was published, contained in multiple issues of Home Shop Machinist a couple of years ago. I built the Bruce Macbeth as my covid therapy project during the covid crisis. I would highly recommend his designs. They are all modeled after existing large functional and operating stationary engines in various museums.
Dan

Jasonb · Monday at 10:39 AM

The contents of these two are more than beginners engines and all can be done from barstock

https://www.teepublishing.co.uk/boo...es/historic-engines-worth-modelling-volume-1/

https://www.teepublishing.co.uk/boo...es/historic-engines-worth-modelling-volume-2/

Danuzzo · Monday at 10:40 AM

Brian Rupnow said:
I have "The Shop Wisdom of Phillip Duclos" and will do a search for "The Engines of Doug Kelley"

Brian, I hope you don't think I am trying to hijack your thread. I searched the web for a look at the table of contents for the book, and I was unable to find one. Can you just answer one question. Is there a section in the Duclos book about cutting gears for the i.c. engine? I am working on a Webster right now and want to be able to cut my own gears.

Brian Rupnow · Monday at 12:53 PM

Danuzzo--if you want to cut your own gears, buy a set of gear cutters (I use 24 diametral pitch.) You will also need to buy a shank to hold the gear cutters, and a rotary table with chuck. This is not cheap--figure $1000 minimum. this will cut every gear size from 12 teeth up to 200 teeth and will last you the rest of your life.----Brian

Brian Rupnow · Monday at 1:10 PM

I just tried to buy the book "The Engines of Doug Kelley" and was told that they don't ship to my address in Canada. Does anyone know where I could buy this book from someone who ships to Canada?---Brian

djc · Monday at 2:05 PM

Brian Rupnow said:
I just tried to buy the book...

From whom? Who is the "they" that will not ship to you?

It is unlikely that the book is sold by one single company in the whole wide world. How many possible sources have you found and has every single one refused you?

Danuzzo · Monday at 2:15 PM

Brian Rupnow said:
Danuzzo--if you want to cut your own gears, buy a set of gear cutters (I use 24 diametral pitch.) You will also need to buy a shank to hold the gear cutters, and a rotary table with chuck. This is not cheap--figure $1000 minimum. this will cut every gear size from 12 teeth up to 200 teeth and will last you the rest of your life.----Brian

Thanks. I have the rotary table and chuck. I will check out the 24 diametral pitch set of gear cutters.

L98fiero · Tuesday at 8:36 AM

Brian Rupnow said:
Danuzzo--if you want to cut your own gears, buy a set of gear cutters (I use 24 diametral pitch.) You will also need to buy a shank to hold the gear cutters, and a rotary table with chuck. This is not cheap--figure $1000 minimum. this will cut every gear size from 12 teeth up to 200 teeth and will last you the rest of your life.----Brian

Depending on how far into the weeds you want to get, you could buy "Gears and Gear Cutting" by Ivan Law, make your own cutters and mount the gear blank between centers on your rotary table or even on an attachment on your lathe. I read through several years of Model Engineering magazine from the WWII era, there were people making complete locomotives with a lathe and a drill press, you don't really need to spend that $1000 if you're willing to do some workarounds.

Gordon · Tuesday at 9:02 AM

Actually making your own cutters is not that difficult. I have used the cutters made according to:

http://www.helicron.net/workshop/gearcutting/involute-gears/
http://www.metallmodellbau.de/GEAR-CUTTING.php

They work well and there is only minor material costs and some time. A cheap spin indexer for about $50 works well for indexing as long as the number of teeth is in 1° increment, no .5° increment etc.

Danuzzo · Tuesday at 9:15 AM

Brian, don't know if they ship to Canada; but there is one (Doug Kelley book) on Amazon US.

petertha · Tuesday at 10:58 AM

Brian Rupnow said:
I just tried to buy the book "The Engines of Doug Kelley" and was told that they don't ship to my address in Canada. Does anyone know where I could buy this book from someone who ships to Canada?---Brian

Not sure where you are looking but some websites are reflecting the problems with CP postal strike & not shipping for that reason. I suspect its going to take some time to clear the plumbing now that they are 'back to work' but that's for you to ponder.

Vietti · Tuesday at 11:09 AM

TEMU, China, has a bunch of different gear cutters starting at $10 for an 8 piece set. These look to be metric but the price is right! I've bought lathe tools from them and they were good.

Model T Ford · Tuesday at 11:10 AM

The Doug Kelly book may be available from Camden Miniature Steam Services in the UK Their website is camdenmin.co.uk and the book comes up if you do a search for Doug Kelley. Best regards,
Trevor

Tidza · Tuesday at 12:49 PM

I bought the book from Camden Miniature steam services but I had to wait while they imported it from USA !!

Book of plans for small internal combustion and steam engines

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