Locomobile steam engine

[mnay]

I have always had an interest in the old steam cars, especially the Stanley Steam car and the Locomobile.
I finally got around to building an engine of my own.

In 1993 Live Steam Magazine published a series by Salvatore Rubino to build a 1899 Stanley Locomobile 1/3 scale.
In my usual fashion I decided to build at least the engine but 1-1/2 scaled up and changing a few things to adapt to
the material I had available and the machinery at hand.

I could not find the supplier that originally provided the castings, but would be interested if anyone knows what happened to
the supplier or the patterns.

I acquired an end drop of cast iron from a local supplier and decided to machine it from solid.

Here we go

 

[mnay]

After scaling up the drawings I started by cutting a rectangle out of the center of my cast iron round to make the cylinder

 

[ChrisB]

I will be watching this build with great interest. I have a real soft spot for steam cars, its such a great combination, cars + steam engines = perfect match. That seems to be a really nice chunk of CI you have there too.

 

[mnay]

Thanks for your interest Chris
I will be open to ideas as I go
I need to catch up the post

Here I am facing the sawed rectangle to get a flat surface to start milling the cylinder body to size

 

[mnay]

I wanted to get the hardest part out of the way in case I scrapped the part so I milled the deep pocket
for the steam chest before doing anything else

 

[JorgensenSteam]

I did a lot of research on the Stanley 20 hp engine, and could put it into a 3D model if there is interest.

I believe I could cast the cylinder perhaps if I am lucky.

I think the Locomobile engine was designed by Mason, and the Stanley engine looks like a refined Mason engine, but the overall layout and design was originally Mason's.

Here is the Stanley valve that I put into 3D.
This is to exact scale for the valve and port edges, so you would get the exact timing of the real Stanley.

 

[JorgensenSteam]

And a picture of the bottom of the valve.

 

[mnay]

Unicasting,
I would appreciate any information you would like to share on the Stanley or any other steam car engines.
I have some info I have collected from the various internet sights, but don't have complete drawings.
Thanks for your interest and for sharing your knowledge with us

Mike

 

[mnay]

After the steam chest was machined and valve ports drilled inside I felt comfortable to start bore the cylinder bores

 

[mnay]

Finish boring was completed with a boring head and then I honed to size with a brake cylinder hone

 

[mnay]

Drilling the connecting holes to the ports and drilling and tapping the holes for the covers was a big job
Lots and holes and worrying about braking a tap. I have learned the best taps for castings are good quality
2 flute taps. They don't break easily and work fine.

Mike

 

[mnay]

Covers were next.
Basic turning more cast iron

Mike

 

[JorgensenSteam]

Both the Mason and the 20hp Stanley engine drawings are available from the Stanley museum.

How are you going to cut the ports?
I understand that the Stanley Brothers had a special machine that would do that.

 

[mnay]

I did the ports using the same method as the author in the Live Steam article
They are drilled holes and I will use a die grinder to square them up
This photo shows the ports in the top of the cylinder bores and in the steam chest.
I use the dro on my mill to locate the holes and it worked out very well

Mike

 

[mnay]

One thing I forgot to mention about the steam ports.
The author of the article came up with a good solution to make machining he steam ports easier.
The valve surface and ports are on a 45° angle instead of a 90° angle like the Stanley.
I'm not sure how I be able to machine the Stanley ports exactly like they did.

Mike

 

[JorgensenSteam]

Here is a 3D pdf of the Stanley 20 hp cylinder, to scale.
I still have to add the ports, passages, valve seats, and a few other items, but you get the idea.
You can zoom in and out with the mouse wheel, and rotate the cylinder by holding down the left mouse button and dragging the mouse.

I guess if I were going to mill the ports (the openings in the valve seat), I would disassemble a Dremel and make a right angle boring machine with the motor driving the axis by fan belt.

Good luck with your build.

View attachment Stanley-Cylinder-01.PDF

 

[mnay]

Uni
Thanks for the drawing. What program did you create it in?
We have surfcam at my work.

One option looking at that drawing would be to make an insert for the steam chest and pre-machine the valve ports then
shrink an insert in.

Are you building or have you built any steam car engines?

thanks again
Mike

 

[JorgensenSteam]

The Stanley model was created in Solidworks, but I can also convert it to Alibre.

I have considered making two valve seats from brass plate, and somehow attaching those, but I would prefer to cast the cylinder as a whole.

I have a 3D printer, so I can make a pattern up to about 8" maximum size before I have to start piecing things together.

My Dad made the Locomobile replica shown on this page:
http://sites.google.com/site/jorgensensteamsite2/bob-s-engines
See Item No. 33 down the page.

At one point a few years ago I was designing a 1/2 sized Stanley 20hp, but have not gotten back to that.
Since I got into castings this year I no longer use the fabrication techniques.

 

[mnay]

I have seen that before. Is Bob your father, or did he build one like that one?
That is a nice looking replica.

Mike

 

[JorgensenSteam]

Yep, Bob was my Dad.
He has been a hard act to follow, but I give it my best.