Entablature Steam Pumping Engine

[Rivergypsy]

And some more - I managed to find some useful time yesterday, and got the feed pump nearly finished. I may remake the gland for it though, as the studs are a little too close to the edge, and also relieve the top of the pump rod a little more - the joys of fine tuning. Fingers crossed the main pump gets started today

 

[jwcnc1911]

Man this is looking nice! I'm really appreciating the columns and all the little accents. It's really looking Grand!

 

[Rivergypsy]

Hi JW - Many thanks, and glad you like it so far!

There's been a bit more progress so far, which I'll post pics of later, but the main pump body is well underway, the centre feed pump lever is finally polished, the steam valve lever is roughed, and I've just been giving a 12kg flywheel billet a bit of weight loss

 

[Rivergypsy]

Here's some pics of the latest progress. I've been a wimp on the main pump body, and fabricated it instead of machining from solid though - it could have been done, but the hours of filing got the better of me... :hDe:

The main body and it's flanges were cut from some 316 stainless, and bonded with Araldite AV170 heat cure adhesive - this stuff really does stick like the proverbial, and is well worth trying as an alternative to a soldered joint. Then the side valve chamber and it's pipework were machined, and assembled using Loctite 326 on M8x0.5 threads. It took some time to get the alignment correct, but it's worth it.

What I can't quite decide yet is it to make the pumps working, or leave the guts out of them. I'm only ever likely to run this on air, and extremely unlikely to use it to pump, so fully valved and sealed pistons on the pumps just seems a source of friction and wear... We'll see a bit further down the line though, I guess.

 

[kvom]

I assume the prototype was painted. Are you planning to paint?

 

[danstir]

Paint it, I guess I should paint my wifes diamond!!

 

[Rivergypsy]

Hi Kvom,

Yes the prototype was painted, including the wooden base, which was to resemble a casting. However, I really am loving the look of the bare metal and teak, so this one will stay unpainted. Have you seen Rich Carlstedts models on the Craftsmanship Museum website that have been left in this finish? Absolutely stunning IMHO.

There's a saying I heard about the problem with paint being that it covered the beauty of iron, and I'm having a job switching off from it, however much of a pain it sometimes is.

Fingers crossed that it all turns out well...

Dave

 

[Rivergypsy]

Lmfao, Danstir - you try your wives first, and let me know how you get on

 

[rdhem2]

WOW!

Your work is more like art than modeling!
I guess I am too much a plain old mechanic, as long as it works, looks be damned!
I do grind, file, polish and paint, though.

Looking forward to your future posts.

 

[Rivergypsy]

And some more I've started a build of Brians new engine too, but this one's too close to completion to slow the pace now.

I've made a foot valve for the main pump rod now, it's a little fiddly, especially the delrin seal, but should work nicely. Also I've found and roughed a stainless billet for the trunk guide, so the finishing work on the cylinder area of the engine should start coming on nicely now too. Oh, and the gland for the main pump is turned now too. It still needs drilling, but apart from that it's ready to rock & roll

To get ready for the finish of this engine, I've been tidying up the details of it in SW. I'd been a bit lax, and made bits I hadn't drawn up yet, so I thought a little(?) time finalising models and drawings would be useful.

 

[Gedeon Spilett]

I did recently a visit in an engineering museum in Paris, "Conservatoire des arts et métiers " (academy of arts and crafts) in Paris, where lies a large collection of historic engines, real and model, very few are painted in fact, just a few touch of black on cylinder laging or some cast parts, that's all, and never the turned columns.
Hence, your choice for no painting is justified for your masterpiece !
I have painted most of the models I did, never the easiest part of the build IMO.

 

[Rivergypsy]

Hi,

I've just been looking online at that museum, and it looks fascinating - thats definitely on the to-do list now. My other half keeps suggesting a visit to Paris, and while I've a sneaking suspicion that this wasn't what she had in mind, I think I'll encourage the trip Did you take any photos while you were there?

You're right though, to get a 'scale' finish on model paintwork is never the easiest job. I have been chatting with Pete about alternative finishes, including bluing, for the next model on the list, and am quite looking forward to experimenting.

Glad you like the finish on the entablature though!

Dave

 

[Gedeon Spilett]

Blueing or other coloring is an option, somewhat similar to ancien clocks or scientific aparatus, with blued screws.
yes, I took some pictures in the museum, but the guards are not very supportive, in addition, many models are under glass.
This steam engine is not too different from yours, I liked the mercury column as pressure gauge, on the rear column.

 

[Rivergypsy]

Oh, now thats cute - have you got any information on who built it or where it originally was, please?

 

[Rivergypsy]

At last, machining on the trunk port is done

There were a couple of 'interesting' times - the long series 2mm cutter to finish the ports took some care, and the 80mm deep 5.5 dia drilling took some time too. Off to the workshop tonight for another needle file and emery session - just when my fingerprints had started to return, lol.

Off for Mk2 of the valve chest now, as I started machining the first one without checking enough details...

 

[Rivergypsy]

Here's the latest progress, and it has to be said I'm pleased with how it's coming on.

I'm in the process of the fitting of the trunk port to the cylinder at present - it's very slow and painstaking hand filing and scraping, but it's settling in nicely. Plus the steam chest is now done too, so once the trunk is fitted, there'll be another fettling and polishing session before they meet the engine itself. And, as Pete reminded me, it'll soon be time to knuckle down to some serious fastener manufacturing...

Oh, and here's a pic of the side links for the feed pump drive - very fiddly, but cute

 

[jwcnc1911]

Man, I am loving this build! This is visually stunning! The material, fit and finish are just fine!

 

[Rivergypsy]

Hi JW


Glad you're enjoying the build, and many thanks!

Each time I get the files out I keep thinking I should have had painted it, but when the parts go onto the engine it does make it worthwhile.

Btw, the flywheel is roughing in the mill overnight. The rough turning took the billet down from 18.5kg to 10, and the finished weight according to SW is 3.5kg, so I'd guess by the end of the rough milling we'll be at 5ish? More manageable than it was, that's for sure :d

 

[Rivergypsy]

Here we go - the flywheel spokes are roughed to within 1mm, now there's a 10mm ball nose in there doign some rough profiling to work down to 0.5mm. It'll be rough for now, with a 1.25 tool step-over, but heading in the right direction

 

[Philjoe5]

Really beautiful work. I can't believe you're doing two WIP's, this and the Rupnow IC. Thanks for taking the time and effort to share your work

Cheers,
Phil