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Finally getting back to the Clarkson Horizontal.

I am planning on domed end caps so riveting is not the plan. Rio Grand sells a 1207deg 65% silver solder that should do the job. I’m working up the dimensions and determining the max safe working pressure. Will provide sketches shortly. The 3” fire tube project worked out nicely.

I came across 2.5” pipe at 0.067” and 1.25 at .053”. I have some 3/8” type k possibly for the return tubes. I need to measure the wall thickness when it arrive. I’m aiming for another 50lbs boiler that I will likely run at 35.

I added a few restoration photos. This is a $21.00 EBay flood victim find I found to practice on. It turned out so nice it is now my outdoor questionable weather performance oboe. Just in time for the Christmas concerts. Now back to the boiler project.

I have a bunch of Oilite bronze and was thinking it might work as a steam cylinder sleeve.

Just fitted an add-on third octave key and accessory left hand F# key to an older oboe. Good silver to silver welding practice. I use silver filler rod and silver soldering paste from Rio Grand jewelry supply. They also sell a brass and bronze filler paste that works ‘ok’ but I have not...

This seems to be a modified version of the April 1961 Popular Science Hot Air Engine project. Here are two variations from the 1961 article and they will operate nicely with a parabolic mirror.

I bought it from EBay.

I did not pay much for the little engine so it met me expectation. The biggest problem is that the connecting rod bearing halves only cover two thirds of the crank throw and it is beating itself to death. Easy enough to fix. The cylinder is pressed into the block and the is backing out. Also...

I did replace the fish tank tube with wrapped copper. This setup is actually in another post where I reworked this engine. It needs something to do and I like the generator and lamp post. I’ve collected parts to build another boiler and will start on it over the Christmas break. I’m planning...

I’m collecting material to build a Yarrow boiler with a 3” main tank. If I used domed tanks, I can’t get to the inside of the rivets. I‘m thinking hard solder and maybe something like this pic I found.

Very impressive.

I bought one of these cheap hit-miss engines from China for fun. Water from the hopper leaks around the pressed in cylinder as it runs. The piston rod bounces from side to side on the crank shaft. Kinda rattles, but it runs and the problems can be corrected. For the price I can’t complain.

I‘m going to install cylinder drain valves and oil cups to make start up a little easier. I had to warm up the engine before letting it go. The 3 x 6.5 inch boiler keeps up nicely. I had a lot of help with the boiler build.

First run on steam.

Ready for steam testing in the morning.

I started the 1” bore horizontal Clarkson which is mostly identical to the vertical version I completed earlier. These were kits my younger brother acquired back in the 1970’s supposedly from a High School shop teacher who used them as class projects. These two kits were clearly left overs...

I use mine to make small bushings and shafts for everything from watches, clocks, musical instrument repair, and gauges. It is also handy for drilling small holes such as ceramic burner jets. An XY cross feed is nice for turning small parts. Mine gets a lot of use.

To paint the green Clarkson engine I used auto paint with an activator. The auto paint is brushable which was nice, but it cost me $80. For this project, I simply used an etching primer and Rust-oleum Burgundy. The spray can Burgundy had a rich tone and went on surprisingly well.

Back together and running. I need to install the displacement oiler on the Clarkson and make custom steam pipes for each engine. There is a Stuart V10 on the bookshelf that needs paint and polish as well.