Hello, from the Pacific Northwest !

[seattlemanufacturing]

Hello, HMEM universe -

My name is J___. I am currently studying Manufacturing and Mechatronics in Washington State.

I have always been beguiled by anything and everything mechanical. Some of my most fond memories from childhood involve taking things apart and putting them back together (or at least attempting to).

Engines, specifically, were the most bewitching of all.

I was born in 1988, so I am right on the cusp. I distinctly remember that time in elementary school where the library got a computer.

I have never felt very connected with my peers. I just can't relate to their unwavering obsession with packaging an analog world into digital solutions.

I'm looking forward to spending some more time here. Over the years I have built model airplanes (mostly out of balsa/etc), and some little car models. I have a background in electronics.

I would love some suggestions as to what is a good idea for my first build

Hope to speak to you all soon.

Take care of yourselves.

-J

 

[Lloyd-ss]

Welcome to the forum! Not very connected to your peers? Don't worry, there are plenty of nerds and geeks here. We understand each other.
You'll get plenty of project suggestions, but it would be good to know your skill level, if you have any tools and equipment, whether you want to spend a little or a lot. Starting with a proven kit might be best so that you don't get bogged down and frustrated on your first attempt (I am looking in the mirror right now, LOL.)
Lloyd

 

[GreenTwin]

Welcome.

I was obsessed with taking apart anything I could get my hands on when I was growing up, and I still do that to some extent, but not as much as I did when I was young.

I recall going over to other kids houses, and the first thing I asked was "Where is your workshop; lets go build something".
I was startled to find out that most kid's houses did not have workshops, and did not have tools either.
It was all about baseball and such, which I could never figure out how to play, so yes, I distinctly recall a disconnect from my childhood peers.

My wife preps me with "sports talking points" after every major sporting event like the superbowl, such as "the sport was football, the two teams were the Redskins and the Yellowskins, this team won by X points, and it was played in this city", so that when I go into work the next day, I can pretend that I know what I am talking about. People always are suspect though after the superbowl when I say things like "he must have a high RBI".

I build and flew model airplanes, and many of them were balsa, with a few ready-built ones.

I have always struggled with electronics, and so I don't get into that side of the hobby.

Everyone has their favorite beginner engine.
I started with steam engines, since the simple designs are quite a bit easier to build than an internal combustion engine.

Good luck.

Pat J
.

 

[seattlemanufacturing]

Hey, thanks for the thoughtful reply.

I love the bit about your wife coaching you on sports events...I can certainly relate.

Anyhow, I'm very interested in building a steam engine. I don't have a thorough understanding of how the power is generated. Taking things at face value I was under the impression that it may be more complicated, but I'm assuming it seems so foreign due to my experience trying to squeeze a few more miles from already built (and for lack of a better word, "well loved") engines.

How would I generate the steam to power the engine?

Can you suggest a book or a good place to start?

 

[GreenTwin]

A typical reciprocating steam engine works just like a jackhammer.
There is a piston inside of a cylinder.
Air (or steam) is introduced into one side of the cylinder, driving the piston down, and then the valving is reverse, and air (steam) is introduced into the opposite side of the cylinder, driving the piston back up.

Valves on the early steam engines were initally hand-controlled, and then automatically actuated by ropes or whatever.
Multiple steam valves were eventually combined into a single valve, which on many simple steam engines is called a D-valve.
The D-valve is two valves combined into one.

Steam engines evolved into many complex styles and designs, but the ones I focus on are the D-valve, non-compound, typically a single cylinder.

I operate my steam engines on compressed air, due to the difficulty of building and operating a safe pressure vessel (boiler).

The first book I read about steam engines was "Audels Power Plant Engineer's Guide".
You can download the book in pdf format here:

https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015064569075&seq=1

The chapters for Steam Engines begins on page 945.

I don't use the polar diagrams, since I find them difficult to "see" what is going on.
I prefer displacement diamgrams, which I find very intuitive, and can be generated with an Excel spreadsheet.

.

 

[Richard Hed]

We understand each other.

I Don't

 

[Richard Hed]

I was obsessed with taking apart anything I could get my hands on when I was growing up, and I still do that to some extent, but not as much as I did when I was young.

When I was a kid (last week), I took apart my ducky, It was pulled by a string and quakked. When I put it back together, it would not quak. Later, I found a wrench and took the handle-bars off my trike. Unfortunately, I misplaced the bolt that held the handleb ars in place. What a huge disappointment at such a yhoung age. But now I find myself quakking and I can't find the handle bars for my trike!

 

[awake]

Welcome to the forum!

 

[SmithDoor]

Hello, HMEM universe -

My name is J___. I am currently studying Manufacturing and Mechatronics in Washington State.

I have always been beguiled by anything and everything mechanical. Some of my most fond memories from childhood involve taking things apart and putting them back together (or at least attempting to).

Engines, specifically, were the most bewitching of all.

I was born in 1988, so I am right on the cusp. I distinctly remember that time in elementary school where the library got a computer.

I have never felt very connected with my peers. I just can't relate to their unwavering obsession with packaging an analog world into digital solutions.

I'm looking forward to spending some more time here. Over the years I have built model airplanes (mostly out of balsa/etc), and some little car models. I have a background in electronics.

I would love some suggestions as to what is a good idea for my first build

Hope to speak to you all soon.

Take care of yourselves.

-J

Welcome to the group

Dave

 

[Steamchick]

Hi J:
WELCOME!
You are joining an interesting and diverse group with many differing ideas of "What is right" . But you are old enough to filter that into "what is right for you".
As "Machining" is the significant part of the title of this group, much of the stuff is about fixing the problems encountered when machining stuff - mostly model engine bits. And this is where we diversify.
Some like "simple" engines, Some like complexity, high precision, and seriously high tech machining stuff. - But also there are foundrymen who make their own castings, wood-workers, and electronic geeks... In fact just about anything (and more) than you can imagine.
I'd like you to remember that YOU are the guy who decides what (and how) you do what you do. But we will shout at you if we think something may be unsafe for you.
I hope you enjoy our company - again, WELCOME!
MY suggestion for a first model:
An oscillating engine - not necessarily powered by steam, as most steam engines run happily on air, if a bit less powerfully.
Essentially, and oscillating engine "wobbles" about the centre axis of the cylinder, perpendicular to the axis of the bore. It uses the "wobble" to align the bore with the crank-pin, to keep the moving bits aligned, then utilises the "wobble" to alternate between intake (of pressurised air or steam) and exhaust (of low pressure air or a steam and water mixture).
These engines do require careful alignment, positioning of holes for the valve action from the wobble, piston to bore clearances, crack alignment - both within the crankshaft and between the crankshaft and the piston-bore alignment, etc.....
And many have made them as a first engine and are happy at a working result!
BUT - you may want a lathe, precision drilling machine, etc. to get started. The oscillating engine CAN be made without a lathe, - Just a vice, hand tools, proper drilling machine (that drills perpendicular to a flat table), and some special tools like taps and dies, reamers, etc.

So do a bit more research, look at the initial set of tools, machines, etc. (workshop space where you can make a mess!), etc. and decide your starting "model".
It really depends on your skill-set and expertise as to where you can really start.
We know you can read and type, so you can discuss anything with us. That's the best start!
K2