Elmer Verburg's #6 Slider

[Johan Theo Maritz]

Julius de Waal redraw no 6 to a metric version twice the size of Elmer's. The drawing is nice and clear. I'm also starting with it now, building it Elmer's size except i round it all up to metric sizes.

 

[tractor162003]

See post # 14 for a good copy of page 3 of Elmer #6

 

[Johan Theo Maritz]

So I indeed started with Elmers no 6 engine as a "quicky". Surprise again, nothing about Elmer's engines is quick or easy. The size of the components makes this continually a challenge. I have made this engine with about all the parts from the scrap bin. Fortunate that they are so small, but then to hold these parts is creative thinking. What i also find every time is that you can machine these parts to as close as possible to dimension, but once you start assembling the engine you find all sorts of stiffness and binding. It usually takes me another evening or three to fiddle with the fitting to get it to rotate easily without creating any slop. Thus I have "HUGE" respect for people building small internal combustion engines and get them running. Anyway i will post some pictures of the parts and hopefully soon a little video of it running. I have not seen much examples of no 6 on youtube except for one that is quite old. Any one have seen more #6 running?

 

[Johan Theo Maritz]

Some photos of the parts made thus far.

 

[Johan Theo Maritz]

The parts all still need some fettling with wet & dry, breaking some sharp edges.

 

[Johan Theo Maritz]

Some more parts.

 

[Johan Theo Maritz]

Not quite there yet, still need to fit the piston and the steam intake fitting. Hope to have it running soon.

 

[Johan Theo Maritz]

Well was i surprised to have it running the fist time, i thought i might have to fiddle a little with the valve timing. I still need to fit it to a nice wooden base.
Run it about for two minutes and then took the air supply off, was running on a mere breath of air, will measure it sometime.

 

[JohnBDownunder]

Always a good feeling when they run, even better if first time after making. Joly good!

 

[minh-thanh]

Well was i surprised to have it running the fist time, i thought i might have to fiddle a little with the valve timing. I still need to fit it to a nice wooden base.
Run it about for two minutes and then took the air supply off, was running on a mere breath of air, will measure it sometime.

Well done
Congratulations !

 

[Steamchick]

 

[tractor162003]

A long time coming but I started on Elmer Verburgs #6 slider. This is 2X in size and 2 cylinders. It will not look as good as Johan's but made from scrap.

Tom

 

[Johan Theo Maritz]

That is now a challenge, making it a 2 cylinder, to me this is small and very fiddly to work with, keep us posted.

 

[Steamchick]

Why do we make models? - Because they are small and fiddly, and we have a love-hate relationship with that!
K2

 

[Johan Theo Maritz]

My latest build Elmer's no 3 engine. Not the most effective engine with the valving on the shaft.

 

[minh-thanh]

Nice .
Congratulations !

 

[Richard Hed]

My latest build Elmer's no 3 engine. Not the most effective engine with the valving on the shaft.

I've got this engine drawn up and would someday (about 100 years from now) like to build it. Do you have a vid of it running?

 

[Steamchick]

Nicely presented model. Well done.

• I assume this is a single acting engine?
• Where does the exhaust vent? - If using steam, I should lag the inlet pipe.
• I assume that at no load it runs on very low pressure? - just a few psig? What air pressure were you supplying?
• Is it balanced to handle high speed running? - Looks to have a bit of vibration on one video...?
• I am unsure how the reverse lever works? - Or is it just a regulating lever restricting inlet air?

Please can you give us some more explanation about this beautifully finished engine.

• Is there a Vee-twin equivalent? - Well balanced, that could make a useful high speed generator engine?

I feel this design can handle much higher pressure than a similar oscillating engine, as Oscillating engines rely upon relatively low pressure to avoid the cylinder lifting off the valve plate. One (commercial disadvantage of these engines is the distance of Air/steam feed from valve to cylinder. Ultimately "lost power". Which is why, the development of internal combustion engines has striven to get valves on the cylinder end-surface and separate the inlet and exhaust tracts for heat-flow losses and temperature considerations.
K2

 

[Johan Theo Maritz]

The last two images is video clips of it actually running. I agree there is a fair bit of inbalance, thus causing a bit of vibration. The exhaust vent again through porting on the drive shaft and then out at the back via a drilled port. The reverse lever realy work, i had just to little hands to demonstrate it although i must admit you must do it at rather high speed. The engine is not a self starter, one has to give it a little nudge. I would guess the air pressure was indeed a little higher than what i used on the previous slide valve engine of Verburg's no 6 engine. No 6 runs on the pressure of my breath but not this one.