Help with a pair of engines

[pgwisn]

An older neighbor is moving to be closer to family after her husband recently died. I have been helping her pack and clean out their home.

She asked that I clean up, mount on the wooden bases, and figure out how to operate these two ‘steam engines’ which her father* built so she can gift them to her two grandsons.

*(Carl Snyder of Marshallville, Ohio)

I am not familiar with them, so I don’t want to jump in without understanding what they are and how they operate. Are they likely operated with compressed air?

And, the studs on the side plate have nuts, some locked together, some loose, and are all at different distances from the side plate.

Would someone be willing to give me some advice on how to proceed?

Thanks,
Pat

 

[stevehuckss396]

I can help by saying yes they will operate using compressed air. Depending on how well built they are and how well preserved they are they will likely run with less than 5psi.

Personally I would pop that side plate off for a quick inspection. Clean and oil and reinstall the plate. Then slowly turn the flywheel around one full turn to be sure nothing binds. Then oil everything that moved while making that rotation. Spin by hand to work in the oil. If it feels smooth hook up the air and see if it goes.

 

[GreenTwin]

Some of the engines I inherited from my dad were a bit dirty, and with some light corrosion on some of the bare surfaces.
My dad's engines were generally painted, with some bare surfaces such as the outside of the flywheel rim.

You can go with a full buffing approach, which will give a shiny appearance to all the surfaces (much like polishing silverware), or you can retain that nice patina, and just clean things up a bit.

I used 600 (+) wet/dry sandpaper with some light oil on the outside of the flywheel rims, to get them clean and bright again.

For example, this is one of my dad's engines that had some corrosion on the flywheel, dirt, oil, etc.
I used very find sandpaper/oil on the flywheel rim, wiped everything with a oiled cloth, etc., and basically retained much of the original finish, without trying to get everything perfect.
I like to retain the aged look, but with some shiny surfaces.

The wood base has an tung oil finish, and so it also can be buffed out at any time.

You need to remove the valve cover and make sure there is a valve in place.
Use caution with the tiny screws/bolts, since they require a very light touch in order not to strip the threads.
Find or make a tiny wrench; don't use pliers, since pliers cause a lot of damage.

And use very low air pressure to run these engines (perhaps 10 psi).
The original steam engines generally ran 100 rpm or less (before Charles Porter).
People often use 100 psi air pressure, and over-speed small steam engines, which not only looks unauthentic, but will damage the very small bearing surfaces of the engine.

Good luck; nice engines.

Pat J.

 

[pgwisn]

I appreciate the tips. I’m off to harvest some Ambrosia maple logs. Likely will get to it in the next few evenings.
Thanks!

 

[GreenTwin]

I have several old steam engines, including a Cretors No.01.
I have seen some Cretors engines completely restored, with the surfaces re-nickled, and every imperfection removed.

These restored engines are a work of art, but in my opinion they completely lose the look/feel of an old antique engine.
I consider the aged look of an old engine part of its character and history, and I don't remove that from my old engines.

It is similar to desirable defects in wood.
You will pay a lot more for cypress hardwood that is full of worm holes (pecky cypress) than you will for defect-free cypress.
Defects and aging patina can add a lot of value to an engine, since it give an engine that old look/feel.
JasonB is who I consider a master at replicating the old weather finishes on new engines, and his work is most impressive.

Here is my Cretors No.01, and I will not do anything to it other than clean it with a rag and oil.
It looks old, and it is old; no doubt in excess of 100 years old.
I have carefully removed the red paint from the connecting rod; it was never suppose to be red.
Cretors engine parts were nickle-plated, and that is a long term problem since the nickle eventually peels off, but I will not replate my old Cretors engines.
And I am not going to buff out the copper and brass/bronze either; I like that patina look, and oil stains.

Historical note:
The Cretors whistle was used as an audible boiler safety valve.
If your whistle started whistling, you needed to turn down the burner under the boiler.

 

[GreenTwin]

This is a Cretors No.01 under restoration by Bob Pearson, and while it is a fantastic restoration, it erases all signs that this was/is an antique engine.
Cretors parts have to be de-nickled, and then re-nickle plated.
This may be a chrome plating, since it is so bright.

Generally speaking, original unrestored antiques have a significantly higher value than restorations.
.

 

[GreenTwin]

Very nice original (I think) patina on this governor from one of Ron McBride's Cretors engines.

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