HELP: How-to set the valves on a Corliss engine

[Philipintexas]

I've just completed a Lane & Bodley corliss engine and I'm having fits trying to set the valves. All the instructions I have are from 1938-39 and use some terms I don't relate to. IE: "lag". They give dimensions for lag as 1/32" & 1/16" but don't say where the measurements are taken. Is there a step-by-step Procedure published that can be understood by someone who doesn't have a background in steam engines?? Any help will be appreciated.

 

[Gedeon Spilett]

You will find the responses in the late Charlie Dockstader Valve gears simulator programs (still available on the net), may require head scratching sometime, but the programs work.
By changing data (ie link length or angular setting) through the use of the dynamic variables, you should see their effects on valve events.

http://www.jf2.com/bcwrr/Dockstader-Valve-Gear.html

the 2 corliss programs are in the "E" package

 

[Philipintexas]

Gideon Spilett: Thanks for the info., however I was not able to get it to load. I did find a Google book from 1883 that has a chapter on setting valves of a Corliss. After a couple weeks of trial & error, actually all errors & multiple scrap parts, I finally discovered what every other Corliss builder probably already knew, but I didn't, is the exh. valve closes the port going to the exhaust chamber, NOT the port coming from the cylinder. Never occured to me but it makes sense, AND a world of difference. I now have a running model, needs tweeking, but it runs.