Free plans for a larger, simpler, beam engine

[Richard Hed]

Very funni. I live on the Left Coast, in the Soviet of Washington. I would like to see it, but realistically, I thimk gettysburg is QUITE overrated -- the best place would most likely be Chickamauga/Chatanooga, the least importance given to a VERY important battle. Peeps have all heard of Vicksburg and Gettysburg and Antietam and Shiloh, but Chatanooga/Chickamauga was CLEARLY a very important battle, one in which General Rosecrans initially kikt the heck out of Braxton Bragger at Chatanooga but in which Bragg nearly wiped out Rosecrans at Chickamauga. There were 35000 casualties (kilt and wounded and captured). George Thomas, a southerner fighting for the Union, did not get routed, he earned the name "the Rock of Chickamauga" for his good work exactly as stonewall Jackson had earned his sobriquet. Over all, there were Several major battles as important or possibly MORE important than Gettysburg. they are Vicksburg, Chattanooga, Antietam. also, in importance and death toll was Shiloh. Ulysses had to come to the rescue at Chattanooga, relieving Rosecrans and putting Thomas in command. It's more complicated than that, but it's one of those things us Armchair Generals (I'm General Hed, or better yet, the Hed General) thimk we could have done better. Chattanooga was starving to death as Ulysses came to the rescue. He IMMEDIATELY fixt the starvation problem which seems to us ridiculous that the commanding generals could not have done for themselves. It seems that Ulysses was simply CHARMED as from the moment he took over (he was suffering from an accident and a NEAR broken leg in which he had to be lifted onto his horse and carried over rough hills). He took the place by a lot of fortuitous accidents, providence. BTW, he never got a single bullet or shrapnel wound, but he had a couple wounds from horse falls. It is HE who really ended slavery and HE who helped to stop the second civil war which very few people have even heard about.

Also of very high importance was Sherman's March but that is not a battle as such, but a "Campaign".

I was recently looking at a steam engine that powered the "monitor". It was really an odd engine. Someone had built it recently, would like to know more. I'd like to see what the "Virginia" (we know that as the Merrimac) was powered by.

 

[Canyonman]

Yes Sir! I would like a set of plans please

 

[Richard Hed]

https://modelengineeringwebsite.com/USS_Monitor_engine.html
This is the "Monitor" engine. It's pretty cool in my opinion

I was looking on line for the monitor and found this:

https://www.packratworkshop.com/libmain.htm
Probably, someone has already reported this site, but there is lots of goo stuff on it

 

[Larry G.]

Rich Carlstedt built a model of the engine.
https://www.marinersmuseum.org/event/rich-carlstedt-and-the-ultimate-uss-monitor-steam-engine-model/

 

[Richard Carlstedt]

Thank You Larry for the post
My recently updated ( 4 months) and improved website is here

http://www.stationarysteam.com/
and for an animated view of Monitor's Piston ( 1861) action go here:

http://www.stationarysteam.com/linked/rich_s__monitor_motion_video_from_sw.mp4

And to see an animation of John Ericsson's original (1858) concept of a "Vibrating Lever Engine" (which is not a "Side lever Engine") go here:

http://www.stationarysteam.com/linked/patent_engine_assembly_2-10.mp4
Drawings will be forthcoming , stay tuned
Rich

 

[davidyat]

Brian,
I've started on your "Larger Simple Beam Engine". With my skill level, turning the square required for the column is bothering me. My question, can the column be made from 3 pieces, silver soldered together? The square at the bottom looks to be decorative, not rather functional, so I can make it out of round stock if I want to. Next make the column without the clevis end. Then make the clevis end and screw, bolt or silver solder it to the column. I would make the clevis end slightly larger than finished dimension and after attaching it to the column, machine it square to the column and to final dimensions. Thanks in advance.
Grasshopper

 

[Brian Rupnow]

Make it any way that suits you. Just don't change any of the links or pivot points, or it isn't going to work.---Brian

 

[davidyat]

Brian,
Thanks for the advice. Yes, I will make sure your dimensions are machined to the prints.
Grasshopper

 

[davidyat]

Brian,
I've finished the valve, bored the piston and valve holes on the cylinder. I'm getting ready to bore the air inlets on the side. After boring the two 0.080 inch holes through the valve hole to the cylinder bore, do I need to somehow fill in the hole on the outside of the valve hole? Or it doesn't matter. And the 0.125 hole on the bottom to the valve hole, is it there just to relieve pressure on the down stroke of the valve?
Grasshopper

 

[davidyat]

Brian,
Never mind getting back to me. I found Post #134 and #135 of this thread that answered all my questions.
Grasshopper

 

[ron4vt]

Greetings Gentlemen, for those whom wish more details, I've just browsed the Internet and came across a few images depicting the Monitor engine main arrangement. It is indeed an ingenious design for that era. Ron

 

[davidyat]

Brian,
On the beam engine, you advise to use toothpaste on the valve for lapping. I've used toothpaste in the past when I was building plastic model cars to smooth out a paint job. Do you suggest gel or white toothpaste and about what grit is it?
Grasshopper

 

[Brian Rupnow]

I've given up on the toothpaste as a lapping compound. Now I use 600 grit lapping compound. It is about 10 times faster than toothpaste. You can buy a small jar of it that will last for the rest of your life. I believe it is finely ground aluminum oxide in a base of heavy grease or wax. Do not buy automotive valve grinding compound, it is far too course for model engines.---Brian

 

[davidyat]

Thanks for the reply Brian. I do have a container of 800 grit lapping compound and like you said, it will last for the rest of my life.
Grasshopper

 

[Steamchick]

Toothpaste contains calcium oxide - chalk dust - as far as I know.... Yes it is abrasive, as it is intended to erode deposits on teeth - made of Calcium compounds. But not to be harder than teeth, otherwise it would damage the enamel surface that is the hard protective layer of the tooth. Maybe there is a dentist can tell us more? ( OR correct me?). It scratches plastic visors of motorcycles. I learned that back in the 1970s! But cleans glass well, and I think was an ingredient of Windolene (pink) liquid? As to lining iron or steel, I suspect it simply lubricates and the metal to metal does the linishing. Carborundum is effective at grinding off the peaks and crests from machining. But actually leaves grooves the size of the particles in the grinding paste.. These grooves hold the oil to prevent seizures when running. Too small can be as bad as too coarse I think? But my tribology comes from a week spent with a doctor of tribology, so I am not an expert.
The size of the oil molecule should be smaller than the finest lapping groove for it all to work... I think? Please correct me if I am "rump before brain"?
K2

 

[Steamchick]

Lining should read linishing, but smell checker beat me again!
K2

 

[Steamchick]

I was taught the 40 micron min diametrical clearance for the gap between crank journal and bearing face was to permit the oil molecules to roll through the gap on the loaded side of the nearing and allow flow of oil through the slack side so fresh oil is ready for the next revolution. Not sure of the size of oil molecule . .. anyone know?
K2

 

[Cogsy]

Toothpaste contains calcium oxide - chalk dust - as far as I know.... Yes it is abrasive, as it is intended to erode deposits on teeth - made of Calcium compounds. But not to be harder than teeth, otherwise it would damage the enamel surface that is the hard protective layer of the tooth.

Toothpaste abrasives take many forms, surprisingly even hard compounds like aluminium oxides. Don't brush your teeth too vigorously or for too long or you remove too much enamel.

 

[Cogsy]

I was taught the 40 micron min diametrical clearance for the gap between crank journal and bearing face was to permit the oil molecules to roll through the gap on the loaded side of the nearing and allow flow of oil through the slack side so fresh oil is ready for the next revolution. Not sure of the size of oil molecule . .. anyone know?
K2

Tiny, nowhere near the micron size but in the Angstrom range. With a molecular weight around 500g/mol then each molecule weighs around 0.0000000000000000000008 grams - that should give you an idea of the size

 

[Steamchick]

Greetings Gentlemen, I've found a few images depicting the Monitor engine main arrangement. It is indeed an ingenious design for that era. Ron

Thanks Ron, I couldn't see the engine well enough in those draing prints, but is it an Horizontal opposed piston design - ends of rods connected to a crank arrangement via levers, the crank being directly onto the screw shaft?
- shows it nicely!
Aso:
https://modelengineeringwebsite.com/USS_Monitor_engine_build_1.html.
I think somewhere I have some British "Naval" engine designs? = The Trunk engine? combined the poiston and cross-head in the piston to make the engine more compact: see attached.
I think the 19th century - and especially wartime - encouraged ingenuity.
In my experience of 20/21st c industry, ingenuity was "too risky" for management... so the Ingenious Engineers (not I - not that clever) were kept away from free thinking... tweaking and developing existing "good sellers" was what we were told we were paid to do...
(Curious, the skilled Machine shop machinists were called "maintenance engineers" - and earned a bit less than the "office engineers - many chartered" - who in turn earned less than the Production machinists who drove CNC machines - programmed by someone else! - Something to do with "agreed pay levels for traditional skills" versus "negotiable new skills" - according to the union... On a personal note, I could never achieve the earnings as an engineer that Production shift workers could achieve! - Yet had to have a degree or equivalent qualification and had a "3-months notice" compared to their "1 week/1 month"? due to "difficulty of replacement". - And never having been promoted was told that I was "too valuable doing the engineering" to promote! - Wierd? Maybe they meant I was rubbish? - But we all got made redundant on the same terms at the drop of a hat! I still managed 43 years as an engineer, after a degree and 5 years part-time machine shop work while at school. "51 years" work may be short by some standards but retirement is great! - I get to discuss engineering and machining with you lot!).
Keep happy!
K2