Rudy Kouhoupt's Open Column Steam Engine - Cast & Double Size

[terryd]

After my successful test run it's time to disassemble the engine for painting.

My wife wasn't too keen on painting it because she wanted the raw cast surface to show people that I was one who make the castings.

But alas, this is my hobby. Not hers. So we have paint. This time I went for blue.

Instead of a rattle can, I went with a brush this time. With a brush I hope I can control the edges a bit better and fill in the rough casting surface a bit.



That's it for this week.

...Ved.



Great to see the engine running but just a couple of comments on your methods of casting. I've made the following on one of your videos

You will not have such a problem with the cope lifting if you add a riser(vent) which allows excess metal to both drive out all of the air but acts as a feeder to prevent shrinkage. You should also vent the mould with a long thin rod (such as a fine knitting needle) by poking through the sand to the highest parts of the pattern after ramming the sand but before removing the pattern, this allows the steam from the sand to escape and prevent voids in the casting.
You should also be getting a much better surface finish on your sand castings. It is worth watching the excellent videos by Myfordboy, such as this - - also watch the second of the two to see the quality of casting you should be aiming for in a simple home based foundry. and note his use of a runner and riser.

Having said that a great effort in keeping going.

 

[terryd]

Being that's it's exhibition time of the year I broke out my boiler and did a test run to see if it survived the winter. Everything was good so I told myself what the hell, it's worth a try to see if this engine (which was never meant to) would run on live steam.

Amazingly it did. As expected it leaked profusely and my steam is quite wet. It didn't run well, but it did run. I'm calling that a win.

For all you haters out there. If you're going to b][tch, please don't. It's not helpful. I'm well aware of it's issues.
For the rest of you, enjoy...

Hi, I forgot to mention in an previous comment that the sand used for greensand should not be too fine - one video I saw said that it should be like flour. This is wrong as if it is too fine the steam cannot easily escape and can lead to voids and blowholes in teh casting.

Terry

 

[vederstein]

Terry,

Thank you for the comments.

When I get to the next casting project, I intend to make more green sand using fine aquarium sand. I'll use this new sand to just over the pattern and hopefully my casting quality will improve.

I'll also try some of the other techniques (poking small holes & a riser) on future projects and see the changes.

I'm still very much a novice at the casting side of things. It'll get less crappy.

...Ved.

 

[Aussie]

Magnesium is very simple to test for. Just clean a spot with emery and put a few drops of vinegar, If it bubbles up it magnesium.

Probably a bit late to comment, but I've only recently discovered this site, and even more recently this thread.

As a retired Firefighter / Officer, I can confirm the risk with Volkswagen parts.

If you do get to the point where the magnesium ignites, DO NOT USE WATER, as that creates an explosive mix. Use DRY SAND only, or a specialist Fire Extinguisher. Not sure exactly where you are, but in Australia, the Specialist extinguisher is known as "Purple K". You could achieve knockdown with an ordinary dry powder extinguisher, but will need three to four times what would be normally required.

Ian Munro
Senior Station Officer - Retired
Metropolitan Fire Brigade
Melbourne, Australia.

 

[vederstein]

The information about the Volkwagen parts and magnesium is all very good for those that are working with those components. I appreciate the warnings, but please note that I'm not using Volkwagen components to melt down. It's an engine from the Chevy Corvair. If someone knows that it's high in magnesium, then I certainly need to take the necessary precautions.

Perhaps I should do the vinegar test though...

Thanks,

...Ved.

 

[Aussie]

The information about the Volkwagen parts and magnesium is all very good for those that are working with those components. I appreciate the warnings, but please note that I'm not using Volkwagen components to melt down. It's an engine from the Chevy Corvair. If someone knows that it's high in magnesium, then I certainly need to take the necessary precautions.

Perhaps I should do the vinegar test though...

Thanks,

...Ved.

Apology Ved;

I wasn't having a go at you, but just highlighting issues, as I've had to clean up the mess a bloke made of himself, and his garage, doing something similar to this, as well as a few Volkswagens, over 40 or so years.

(Good trick to play on the "Probie," if the car is basically stuffed, give him / her the hose, and tell them to put it out, stand back, and watch the fireworks, but be close enough to grab the collar of their tunic coat, and pull them back to safety. - Nothing teaches like a controlled mistake. - Years later watched one of my former "Probies," now an Officer himself, doing exactly the same thing to the latest generation !!) )

The main point I was trying to make is, that if it gets going, you're going to have trouble putting it out, on your own, without back up, and the average garden hose isn't going to have enough flow to do other than stoke it up.

Not sure about the alloy mix of the Corvair engines, not a model that was big in Australia. But we've had a few aluminium, and other alloy engines out here, over the years, and probably going to get more as the push to make cars lighter increases. (Might mean more useful material in the wrecking yards, that can be repurposed cheaply !!)

Just all be careful, and check, e.g. the vinegar test, before rushing in.

Cheers

Ian