Finally, the final post but one for this engine. The assembly went well, a couple of shims here and there to improve the various alignment issues, mainly the three main crankshaft bearings, they were drilled and reamed as one unit, but next time I would bore them, also I think that they would have been better made from steel rather than aluminium. On the cylinder I used double sided tape to affix the teak lagging, then lightly sanded and finished with three coats of gloss varnish. The brass hoops were cut from an old fire extinguisher, polished up and slipped on like an old fashioned bicycle clip with a bit of super glue to assist. I had an old brass lamp in the gash box so I took the base off and added it to the cylinder head for a bit of bling, the Victorian era being quite partial to bling. A bit of oil here and there with a few tweaks of the eccentric and it puffs away quite nicely on 15 psi or so of air (see next post for the video). So, there it is, Mr Benson's Mill Engine. Well worth your consideration if large steam engines are your thing, the last photo shows it alongside the beam engine I built some time back, I think they make a nice pair. Hope you have enjoyed reading about this construction as much as I have building it. Thanks for all the comments and your time. My next project is the boiler. Cheers, Peter.
