A small steam engine

[firebird]

Hi

I gave the boiler its first steam test tonight. Everything went Ok. Heres some video of the test



Cheers

Rich

 

[Maryak]

Rich,

That's a quick start little boiler

Best Regards
Bob

 

[firebird]

Hi

I haven't had a lot of shop time recently cos I've been busy in my carpentry shop making the third of a set of tables. I've been on this one for around 3 months now and SWMBO has been dropping hints that not a lot of progress has been made. You can only get away with ' wood glue takes ages to dry ' for so long.

Anyway I have managed a bit today. The frame looks a little square and blocky so I have milled a waist into it. This should have been done at the start but with care I managed ok.

I then turned a brass base for it to sit on.

It looks better now.

Cheers

Rich

 

[b.lindsey]

Its coming together very nicely Rich. Beautiful work !!

Bill

 

[bearcar1]

OOOOH, shiny things! BC likes shiny things! Very sweet, :bow: and yes the introduction of a waist really does make that base jump to life. Now if I can just stop this case of the drools I'll be fine. :big:

BC1
Jim

 

[firebird]

Hi

Thanks Bill, BC

Just to prove that I am making a table heres the top and the shelf showing the veneer work done and how it will look when the tiles are inlayed.

Anyway while I was in there today 'waiting for the glue to dry' I started on the base for the small steam engine. I have a bit of 1/8 ally plate that everything will mount onto. This will sit in a mahogany base. To make the base prepare a length of wood to 5/8 thick X 1 3/8. One thing about wood, underneath the old surface is a new piece of wood waiting to get out. I collect any bits of old furniture that are mahogony, oak etc. and cut out the usable bits and save them.

A 1/8 deep recess needs to be cut for the ally plate to sit in. I have a router table that would be ideal for this kind of job but by the time I have it out and set up I can do it by hand. Router tables are noisy little devils and not very neighbour friendly on a Sunday. Some years ago I bought a Stanley multi plane from an antiques fair, best bit of kit I have ever bought for wood working. There is nothing quite like the feel of shavings gently brushing over you hand as you plane away.

A mitre saw is really the only way to cut the 45 degree corners, they are not that expensive to buy and make the job easy.

Use the stop to cut the pieces the same length.

After each piece has been cut the next piece has to have the end cut off to put the right angle back on the next piece. Save the offcuts to make corner braces.

The four sides laid out with the corner braces in place.

I can only glue 2 corners together at a time, the size of the corner clamps stops me from assembling all in one go. GOT TO WAIT FOR THE GLUE TO DRY :big: :big: :big: :big:

Cheers

Rich

 

[Paolo]

Whaoooooooooooo..nice job..and wonderful multi plane...I like it very much...!!! :bow: :bow: :bow:
Best regards
Paolo

 

[firebird]

Hi

Sometimes the old tools are still the best Paolo. You can feel the quality when you pick it up and you can get shavings whisper thin, beautiful to use.

Anyway a quick update. Heres the other two corners glued and clamped.

24 hours later set solid.

Even with a mitre saw its difficult to get perfect joints. Time spent sanding each joint will get them closer or heres a trick I learnt I long time ago. Collect some of the saw dust from around the saw and mix with some wood glue and water.

You get a filler that is a perfect colour match to the wood you are working with.

Small gaps filled and the corner strengthening blocks glued in.

Cheers

Rich

 

[hammers-n-nails]

doing it old school, i like it, not many people are into that anymore, myself included. the old ways are slowly being lost. why do you not use a strap clamp when glueing so you do all the corners? nice engine comming together, i can see you are one for the details.

 

[firebird]

Hi Mr. hammers-n-nails,

I have a strap clamp but find it awkward to get the corners square on small stuff like this. On bigger frames the strap clamp is ideal cos I can measure the diagonals and get clamps/spreaders across the corners to true up. As for the old ways I agree, but people seem to think they have to buy a tool with a motor and that hand tools are hard work or too slow. As I said I have a router and router table which is ideal for bigger jobs where multiple parts are needed but for one offs the hand tools are often quicker and easier to use. My router and table cost about UK £200.00, the multi plane cost UK £40.00, say no more.

Cheers

Rich

 

[kustomkb]

Nice work on your projects!!

Whenever I work with wood I think "boy I wish metal would come off this quickly"

But then if it was that easy everyone would be doing it.

 

[firebird]

Hi

Thats right Kevin, all materials have their own character.

After a sanding with medium sand paper its time for the stain. A thin coat of stain will give an even colour all over. Stick pins in the bottom to hold it clear of the newspaper. The stain splashes very easily hence the newspaper.

Cheers

Rich

 

[steamboatmodel]

Hi Rich,
Its looking fantastic, I really like the idea of the stick pins.
Regards,
Gerald.

 

[firebird]

Hi

I sized the piece of 1/8 ally plate to fit in the recess.

It still has the blue plastic protective film on for now.

I have made 4 brass bushes from 3/16 round brass tapped 4mm and 1/4 inch long. Nice mixture of imperial and metric there. I have some stainless steel 4mm countersunk screws that I will use to hold the plate in the frame.

I will drill the corners of the frame and glue the bushes in, roughly in this position.

Cheers

Rich.

 

[firebird]

Hi

I'm going to clad the boiler with wood, it'll look nice I think. I'm going to use the sticks you get for stirring coffee in some coffee shops.

Cut to length. I've left the curved end on that I will use on the top edge.

Easiest way to stain them is to give them a bath.

Laid out to dry on kebab sticks.

Cheers

Rich

 

[firebird]

Hi

I've just done a quick mod to the lubricator. I have decided to mount it onto the ally plate instead of letting it hang on the pipes, the 3/32 pipe won't be strong enough. I mounted the lubricator in the lathe then drilled and tapped 3/16. There is enough thickness in the base to take a couple of threads. I then threaded a length of 3/16 brass and screwed it into the base then silver soldered in.

Cheers

Rich

 

[Maryak]

Rich,

Great work. :bow:

Best Regards
Bob

 

[vlmarshall]

I really like that oiler, simple and clean. Is oil there a formula for oil tank size/steam bleed hole/engine size/run time...anything? I need to build a pair of them, and while an oversize capacity wouldn't be bad, I'd hate to make the bleed hole too big or something. My luck, it'd blow all the oil downstream at once and I'd invent the Steam-Diesel. ;D

 

[firebird]

Hi

Thanks Bob

Vernon, this is the first lubricator I have made. I said before I take no credit for the design, that honour goes to John Bogstandard. If you follow this link http://modelsteam.myfreeforum.org/ftopic7859-0-asc-15.php it will take you to an article posted by John. It shows a lubricator of 1/2 inch dia with a 1mm hole in the cross tube. I reduced all the sizes to be more in keeping with this little engine. Hope this helps.

Cheers

Rich

 

[NickG]

Looking great Rich, can't wait to see the finished result. There is something about a steam engine actually running on steam .. can't quite put my finger on what it is ... oh yeah, that's what they were designed for! :big: Just don't see much of it these days unfortunately.

Any clues as to what your engine project will be for the big boiler??

Nick