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Need to add copper bands to the cylinders, and cut channels in the steam chest for appearance. Still waiting on copper for end caps. Things are coming together nicely.

I just bought some 1/8” copper to make end caps. I will need to make a spinning tool with a ball bearing roller and convince my South Bend 10L to turn it. I also have a 3 foot 3” wide 3/8” thick bronze bar that could make nice caps all the way around. This would be an easier solution.

I used thin walnut veneer and super glue in this case. For my other engine, I cut a piece of weathered mahogany into thin planks.

I had not thought much about the actual sensor yet, however it is easy enough to add a gas shut off condition. The liquid transfer ended up being one line of VHDL code. I found a source for stainless steel boiler probes, but I want to limit the number of holes. The Hall effect device is...

Doing the cosmetic stuff and turning a better flywheel with more mass. Time to make decorative copper bands and decide on a color for the metal base. Two pounds of air and watch out for your fingers.

On the farm as a small boy, if you could not lift the hay, you drove the tractors and made or mended broken parts in the machine shop. I’ve watch some well made videos using new state of the art CNC equipment and modern lathes with constant velocity features. I want to see a video series...

I was planning on adding an engine powered water feed pump. Here are a couple older excerpts from a lab text I have written. I need a different level sensor, but a three level sensor system would provide a nice automatic feedback system with an alarm level sensor that could shut off the...

I will be sending good thoughts for you and your wife. I have the first stage of the little engine working nicely. The original aluminum cross slide has a lot of play and clunks. I will deal with it after I finish the second stage. It has a lot of torque with just one cylinder. The wobbly...

My air compressor has a compound curved dome. Given it’s 12” diameter the actual domed section is 10” with 2” used to transition the dome into the main cylinder (I’ll post a sketch). Based on this design, I planned on 2” of the dome at .4” protrusion. The remaining .5” to create the blend...

I will post my ideas for the enclosure. It will be fully enclosed and include inspection doors. This alcohol burner was my fist spinning project. The end caps will be made the same way. If I can eliminate the stays, I don’t need to poke holes.

As I get the actual boiler built, I will post my ideas for the enclosure. Enclosed it is. If I’m going through this effort, I should go for efficiency. I have a couple ideas for a super heater and will post sketches. On the engine, the solid bar is actually threaded onto the end of the...

I see that the entire boiler is enclosed. I was planning to leave the ends of the drums visible for convenience adding the site glass, injector and blow down ports. As long as I have to tin smith an enclosure, I can see the use of sliding or rotating louvre system and a larger chimney. I’ve...

I will send them an inquiry. It looks like you still need to supply the jet and gas tube. Drilling a jet was not a problem. Thanks for the information. I appreciate your time researching this. These projects take on a life of their own. I’m about to set up one of the lower drums on the...

I will order another panel. Your double panel burner looks great. I had not considered joining them in the middle.

Work definitely gets in the way. I keep getting asked to teach Summer classes. I respond by saying if I wanted to work year around, I would have stayed at Lockheed. This is a sketch of the boiler. I also have a 5-1/4 X 3-5/8” piece of ceramic I did not use on the last burner project. I was...

That would be terrific. I will get that to you. I’m on my Summer beak after tomorrow which will speed up the engine and boiler project.

Update: Finishing up the base. I decided on a planked floor. I saw a similar floor with same sized planks. I didn’t like the even pattered result so I cut random sizes and thicknesses then picked and matched at random. While I’m varnishing, I’ll mill the sides of the cylinders so I can clad...

Just made a temporary steam inlet pipe and am about ready for a test run. I acquired this little mechanical oiler and was planing to use it, but it seems to just crank to its limit and binds. Unless I’m missing something, you have to stop the engine, load more oil, then manually crank to its...

Thanks. I’m still at the deciding how to do the counter weight calculations for weights. I knew I had to address this and I am at the point where it will be an issue. I will ask about the silver solder to make sure I’m following the requirement. I’m hoping to run it on air next week.

I have been loosely following a tandem project at “https://glasgowengineering.com.au/history/steam-engine-restoration” for artistic ideas to soften the bar stock look. He run into problems with balance and added counter weights to the crankshaft. I have been looking up articles but thought I...