1/8 Rider Ericsson - Home build

[GreenTwin]

That is the first I have heard of silver soldering stainless.
I have heard of silver soldering steel, copper, brass, and bronze.

I have welded stainless steel with a nickel stick rod.
I would hate to think what nickel rod goes for these days.

.

 

[Richard Hed]

That is the first I have heard of silver soldering stainless.
I have heard of silver soldering steel, copper, brass, and bronze.

I have welded stainless steel with a nickel stick rod.
I would hate to think what nickel rod goes for these days.

.

I bought a Tig machine last year and managed to finally get it set up and running a couple days ago. Tigged a few siphon devices in stainless that I am making for wine making. That's why I bought some stainless sheet -- for making some dedicated fermenters. So if I needs to connect some stainless, hope that it will be amenable to tigging. The connections in the case of wine making need to be "food compatible".

Nickel rod probably is sold by the piece.

 

[creast]

I refer to the Johnson Matthey site and quote
"

SILVER-FLO filler metals​

SILVER-FLOTM products can be used to join the common engineering metals such as copper, copper alloys (brass, bronze, nickel silver, aluminium bronze, copper nickel), nickel alloys, steel, stainless steel and tungsten carbide.

 

[propclock]

Thank You, fabulous build,
and although I have never cast it is still a dream.
Perhaps I missed it, you asked for advice on the displacer material choices.
What did you actually use? It is an excellent runner!!

 

[creast]

Thank You, fabulous build,
and although I have never cast it is still a dream.
Perhaps I missed it, you asked for advice on the displacer material choices.
What did you actually use? It is an excellent runner!!

Hi, thanks for the compliment.
I made the displacer as per the plans but scaled for 1/8th. That is, it's made as a stainless cylinder with sealed ends.
The tube was machined down to about 0.6mm thick wall thickness and I was still concerned that the weight was too much even then.
Feeling how it runs it would probably be a bit better if lighter but it does work. maybe more mass in the flywheel would help too as this is just made in aluminium.
I normally add a brass rim or lead infill on my flywheels to boost the mass and depending how it goes when the water pump is added I may revise this.
Cheers
Rich

 

[creast]

Not much time in the workshop of late but the engine has been dismantled for painting which to be truthful hasn't gone well due to indecisions on colour but that's another story.
I managed to cast a few small parts today which are faux pipe fittings and some valve bodies.
I think working drain valves will be a challenge to make at this scale!
Brass parts on the engine have been buffed up and for once I have tried clear lacquer over them to retain the shine.
Another few days away so cannot proceed for a while.

 

[creast]

Advice sought.
So, after dismantling the engine to paint it I had days of niggles to get it to run again.
First fault was a crack in the displacer cylinder silver soldered joint but not really a crack but bad soldering which was probably sealed by the flux first time around. That's fixed now and the cylinder vacuum tested to ensure its integrity.
Next was linkage misalignments which on these models can result in a no run.
Four days later and she runs again but now my big question... lubrication!
This is the third Stirling engine in my collection and the first had a graphite piston running in anodised aluminium cylinder and sometimes I used a light oil on the displace rod and it still runs after all this time.
The second was a Jonkman stirling 60 made mainly from Brass with steel rods.
I learnt from this smaller engine how lubrication can kill a Stirling from running.
So, at present I have used a little grease on the displacer rod and PTFE spray on the aluminium piston in stainless cylinder and it runs but for how long?
Any advice on lubrication of 1/8th scale engines much appreciated.
I have posted on Stirlingengineforum.com but so far no real answers,
Cheers
Rich

 

[propclock]

I have had good luck with Gore-tex Piston rings, both circular cut or strip cut
to fit in a piston ring groove. Gore-Tex is expanded PTFE. Also graphite lube is good
with no oil. Just the powder form and mix with alcohol if needed. FWIW

 

[creast]

I have had good luck with Gore-tex Piston rings, both circular cut or strip cut
to fit in a piston ring groove. Gore-Tex is expanded PTFE. Also graphite lube is good
with no oil. Just the powder form and mix with alcohol if needed. FWIW

Thanks for your input.
There are no rings on this engine, it's just a close fit and does work fine but for how long?
I have been advised to anodise the piston after running a while but would still prefer security of some lubrication.
I have also heard of graphite powder (as used on door locks) and will look into that too.
Maybe a dry lube graphite or moybdenum spray coat??
Cheers
Rich

 

[molekel]

I think the original used leather for the seals.. Anyway still looking for plans of the improved Rider Ericsson. Even better 3d scans or handmade drawings of a disassembled machine

 

[creast]

Rider or Ericsson??
After reading the reprint of the Domestic Water Supply catalogue of hot air pumping engines I now question whether my assumption that the engine I am constructing should be simply called 'The Ericsson pumping engine'.
However, I know the two companies merged eventually and would be badged under the new collective name but in reality the design really is Ericsson.
Any comments?
My engine is nearing completion even though I have not been posting and will next appear on the completed engines section hopefully before Christmas!
Rich

 

[creast]

I think the original used leather for the seals.. Anyway still looking for plans of the improved Rider Ericsson. Even better 3d scans or handmade drawings of a disassembled machine

I have not found any models or plans on this particular engine.
Here in the UK on youtube, Barumman is a master of Stirling and Steam and he built one way back in 1992 and scaled it from the archived drawings in the book mentioned in the video.


Rich

 

[molekel]

thats the one I'm looking for ... not sure if the book is available anymore ...

 

[molekel]

He posted a video 5 Months ago ... I will try to reach out to him. But if you have any ideas on how he might have built the seals and the regenerator I am all ears.

I can burnish or precision grind my new cylinders It's really down to a few technical questions before I can build my first working engine. Tried once with a not-too-nice fit and a copper tube filled with copper wires to connnect the cylinders but it didn't run even with a glowing hot cylinder.

It looks like the seal is some kind of stuffing box assembly. Looking forward to your build.

Thanks for your tip it's really the first one that is pointing into the right direction without buying a set of castings for 500$ that I don't really need.

 

[creast]

thats the one I'm looking for ... not sure if the book is available anymore ...

The book is still available.
https://camdenmin.co.uk/collections...ricsson-hot-air-pumping-engine-catalogue-1906Rich

 

[molekel]

A must have for my lbrary... Thank you soo much.

 

[creast]

Project finished and now in the finished engines section of the forum