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Well, am beginning. I may have to farm out the work on the main portion due to my machinery not being big enough. Looking at ways to do this on the lathe, but even that is doubtful at this point. It is possible to true the base, just none of the boring it looks like to me.

Thanks Preston, I think I will just stick with what I can already play with. If I want something bad enough in cast iron I have local foundries.

Well perlite has air spaces within it so using perlite would make for better insulation and thus less heat loss. The idea of plaster is spooky as it is really quite fragile. Fire clay and perlite and sand has worked for me in the past. BUT I think overall KaoWool is much better. Remember...

I never mentioned the forced air part, which is critical to the efficiency, and as Cogsy mentioned it is air that makes the difference and the ability to dump enough fuel. Soooo with what he and others have said, it is the blown in air with any burner type. Whereas, with the weed burner, the...

Sir, I am by no means "playing" with a weed burner. I have scratch built 4 projects with my 'toy' burner which works quite well for what it is and it's current use along with a plethora of other items cast. My terminology may not always be correct, but I get the project done.

I was considering also doing so, in Fusion 360, but not until I have correct measurements and such. Additionally I modified quite a few things, like I made my own cylinders, so it was necessary to make passages and so on. Some items I have made bolt together that were solder and vice versa...

Been learning about the burners and they seem very efficient. But I cannot find temperatures produced and only one person who melted steel....and his crucible. Anyhow, my forge is fired with a Harbor Freight weed burner and I can cast bronze and brass. Tried to melt some scraps of cast iron I...

Well that is right nice of ya. Will pm address. So no comment on expansion versus silver solder? I do have a TIG.

Bob, not quite that far yet, would like to have the mechanical correct before I tackle it. Is the concept that by tightening the device it causes that center part to expand and thus make the tube seal to the ring? The only boiler I ever built was all copper and used the solder method. I can...

Correct....according to what I figured out, thanks tho, at least a response is great.

Neil. Thanks, but we are talking the Steam Donkey, not the Roller. There are so many contradictions in the book/plans. I have pretty well given up on them and just use common sense to do some of this. For example the piston rod attaches to the slide, but the part on the slide has no shown...

Shoot no response.......

As the title states. I have two items in his book I do not understand and it will take someone who has completed the donkey to get them answered. Currently working on one, winches are done, working on the steam side of things. 1. How does the steam cylinder rod connect to the slide. The rod...

Interestingly, the drawing itself is correct. That thing at the top is wrong. That is not the only mistake in the plans. Someone got 6 and 7 inch lengths wrong to get a 6" spread across the center also. Had to remake that part and had to go buy stock for it. Grr. The slot allows a piece...

In my research 1215 looks promising. Cast iron rusts very easily too.

Thank you, for steam cylinders I would not want to harden anyhow....

Being a scratch builder, I like bare bones. My current forge, which is more convenient than any other I have made is propane fired, thus will not get hot enough, long enough, to melt cast iron or steel. No problem with bronze, brass, or aluminum. Many of the steam engines I mess with declare...

Brian, as of now, that is where things will have to stand. The author of the book and plans has expired, so.......... He explains things in a way I find difficult to understand, approaches things in a difficult manner when easier options are avail, so........... Even been modifying materials...

The photo shows a section of a shaft in plans for a steam donkey. This shaft is called a drum shaft. Regardless, the plan is confusing the heck out of me. This is .5" shaft, drill rod. It appears to me that the #19 drill is to a depth of 7/8. ????? Then, the slot, it wider and deeper than...

Thank you for the advice. Did you try metal gaskets on the combustion chamber?