Mark's Bernay Engine

[dnalot]

Time to start a new build. This time its Bernay's Steam Engine. For those unfamiliar with this engine I am supplying a You Tube link of an engine built by another.



I love this engine because of all the moving parts and its unique design. This project has been on my “To do someday” list sense I took this hobby up a few years ago. Up until now my builds have all included some element I had not encountered before. Like a one piece crankshaft, gears and such. This engine has none of that. It is simple and straight forward. Steam engines are in general simple to make and get to run. What I like about them is they are easy to demonstrate running on air pressure, running quiet and clean.

I am building to the plans supplied by Jorgensen Steam. If anyone wants a copy of the plans, I think they are available on this site in the “Plans” section. My plan set is dated 10/24/10 revision 11. I think there may be a revision 12 now. Good hunting.

Mark T

 

[dnalot]

I will be starting with the cylinder block, made of cast iron. I bought my Material for this from McMaster Carr. This is the loveliest piece of cast iron I have ever bought. Normally I get a chunk of metal that is rough cast on at least two surfaces. This time I got a piece machined on all surfaces and of uniform thicknesses and straight.

I started by using my band-saw to cut the material close to the final dimension. I originally bought a small band-saw from Harbor freight. It turned out to be a piece of crap so a few years ago I bought this beast. It cuts fast and straight, I can't imagine being without it.

Mark T

 

[dnalot]

After cutting to rough size I cut the notch for the crankshaft bearing and fitted another piece of cast iron to fill the notch back in. The plan didn't call for it but I installed two screws to hold it in place while machining. I then started milling it to its final dimensions. I did the top and bottom first and did all the drilling and tapping and boring of the cylinders. I used a brake hone to remove the tooling marks from the bore. Later I will polish the bore for a piston fitted with o-rings.

Mark T

 

[dnalot]

After that I cut the ends square and milled the valve detail before drilling and tapping the holes. The ends and the top and bottom surfaces were surfaced using using sand paper taped to my table saw. The ends were surfaced to a polished finish as that is where the valve will ride.

The top and bottom were left slightly rougher to help the gaskets grip the surface. The sides were then milled and sanded smooth as a baby's bottom using a small pad sander that uses hook and loop paper. Started with 100 grit and worked my way down to 1000 grit. Both sides took less than half an hour to do.

So there you have it. One part completed. I will be cutting the flywheel next so I can be done with the cast iron work. Cast Iron is nice to work with but boy is it a mess to clean up after. Fine grit and dust get every where.

Mark T

 

[Richard Hed]

After that I cut the ends square and milled the valve detail before drilling and tapping the holes. The ends and the top and bottom surfaces were surfaced using using sand paper taped to my table saw. The ends were surfaced to a polished finish as that is where the valve will ride.

The top and bottom were left slightly rougher to help the gaskets grip the surface. The sides were then milled and sanded smooth as a baby's bottom using a small pad sander that uses hook and loop paper. Started with 100 grit and worked my way down to 1000 grit. Both sides took less than half an hour to do.

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So there you have it. One part completed. I will be cutting the flywheel next so I can be done with the cast iron work. Cast Iron is nice to work with but boy is it a mess to clean up after. Fine grit and dust get every where.

Mark T

I'm sorry, Mark, but you are going to have to quit posting, or you will have to buy me a larger roll of napkins, as ;your stuff always makes me DROOL! I am SO jealous of what you do! That block is so beautiful, It is mirror finish. I drew that engine up, or one similar to it, but the drawings got stuck in my ded computer. I'll have to pay to get it out with a bunch of other drawings. My point is it is really nice to see the build in the flesh so to speak. When I first drew it, I couldn't understand what was happening. But as the 3D drawing came near to finish, I began to understand. I can hardly wait to see it finished. If I drop by, be sure to have a bundle of napkins so I don't drool on it and get it rusty.

 

[dnalot]

That block is so beautiful, It is mirror finish.

The little pad sander makes quick work of removing tool marks and it uses surprising few paper disks getting the job done. You can make your own disks using a gasket punch. To do both sides I used 2 100 grit pads, 1, 180 grit, 1 250 grit and 1 1000 grit.

Mark T

 

[Richard Hed]

The little pad sander makes quick work of removing tool marks and it uses surprising few paper disks getting the job done. You can make your own disks using a gasket punch. To do both sides I used 2 100 grit pads, 1, 180 grit, 1 250 grit and 1 1000 grit.

Mark T

Sweet

 

[Robert Ritchie]

Great start Mark, block work perfect, full speed ahead when the power is on!

 

[dnalot]

Here is the flywheel. Took a bit longer than planed. Nature sent me almost two feet of snow then turned the power off. To cold to work in shop, my heat pump stops working at 25 degrees. I made the wheel a little thicker than the plan called for and I left some material between two of the spokes for balancing. I expect I will need to add a little weight

Mark T

 

[Richard Hed]

Here is the flywheel. Took a bit longer than planed. Nature sent me almost two feet of snow then turned the power off. To cold to work in shop, my heat pump stops working at 25 degrees. I made the wheel a little thicker than the plan called for and I left some material between two of the spokes for balancing. I expect I will need to add a little weight

Mark T

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I am so jealous. We only got about 10" snow here, but very cold. How did you manage to dig out?

 

[dnalot]

How did you manage to dig out

As you know I live in an area beyond the county road, I'm about a mile in. So we hired a logging company to send over a big loader to dig us out. The snow had drifted to about five feet in places. We (wife and I) got out just in time to drive north 100 miles to get our first covid shot.

Mark T

 

[Tug40]

We got about 14” in hills outside of Castle Rock.
Fortunately never lost power.
Hens didn’t leave the hen house for four days.
I kept sheep in upper pasture as limbs coming down taking fences out in main pasture.
But I guess people elsewhere have it much worse.
Now if I could only get an appt for the Covid vaccination. It’s kinda like a lottery.
BTW, dnalot, thanks for the radio garden link, spent one morning listening to stations from all over the world.

 

[Richard Hed]

We got about 14” in hills outside of Castle Rock.
Fortunately never lost power.
Hens didn’t leave the hen house for four days.
I kept sheep in upper pasture as limbs coming down taking fences out in main pasture.
But I guess people elsewhere have it much worse.
Now if I could only get an appt for the Covid vaccination. It’s kinda like a lottery.
BTW, dnalot, thanks for the radio garden link, spent one morning listening to stations from all over the world.

Anybody remember the hurricane of '62? Columbus day storm.

 

[Tug40]

Yes, a local legend, 170MPH gusts.

 

[dnalot]

if I could only get an appt for the Covid vaccination

I got mine yesterday at a Safeway store in Puyallup. Made appointment online. No line, no waiting. They made appointment for second shot in three weeks.

Mark

 

[dnalot]

Anybody remember the hurricane of '62? Columbus day storm.

My family had a beach house in West Port. We got a note in the Mail from a neighbor asking us to get our cabin off their property. It was upside down half a block down the street.


Mark T

BTW, dnalot, thanks for the radio garden link, spent one morning listening to stations from all over the world.

That is how I have been spending my evenings lately. Pretty cool site. Listen to live Eugene OR radio on Radio Garden

 

[Robert Ritchie]

Flywheel looks great, thanks for the post always fun to see your project, nice work!

 

[dnalot]

Normally I turn crankshafts from Stress-Proof steel. I had a piece of cold rolled steel on hand so that is what I used this time. Run out on the ends of the shaft ends was a little less than .003” and I am happy with that.

I used a cutoff tool with an insert to turn the through(s). I used a left and right hand insert tool to turn the main shaft. I turned to within .002” of the final size then used emery cloth to finish. The crank turns smoothly and I don't see any wobble in the flywheel.

Mark T

 

[Robert Ritchie]

Looks great Mark, can't wait tell its complete!

 

[dnalot]

Found some time to get some modeling work done in the shop, so heads up. I made a small change to the plan here in that I am using an o-ring to seal the piston's shaft. The lower heads also incorporate the engine's feet. Next up the cross slide.

Mark T