Bentwings
Well-Known Member
you are making me happy. Thanks. I needed that today. I’ve been literally screwing around since 6:30 am with these engines. They have m2 screws holding two bolt flanges together then there is a connecting pipe between engines. Well that’s going to change. If I ordered four extra pipes i would have been fine. It’s hard enough to see as it is but those tiny screws are a nightmare. Then the connecting pipe that connects both sides ofvthe cylinders is threaded on each end. The m2 screws are just a squeak too big to just unscrew so I had to take the piston valve cylinder off one side . Now I can’t get the eccentric back on the crankshaft there is less than .0005” clearance on the shaft so the slightest misalignment means it’s not going on my son just came over and brought a nice drill press that is perfect size for me then I gave him the machining project I got the coupler I wanted so it can be the model to rework the other 6 . I got it from automation direct. Nice tech help and easy ordering on time delivery . Exactly the right part. I’ve purchased parts from them in the past so it was easy . Their prices are good too. I’m really hoping this super heater worksite way I think it will . I’ve got two more turbines ordered so I think I’ll try and team them together. I suspect they will take a lot more volume and probably not have much more power . They will be geared down considerably . I really haven’t given a lot of thought to them . I have plenty to do as it is. Too bad there isn’t an easy way to store some of this cold weather so the ac wouldn’t have to run al day in the summer.yes it does help. I have a set of steam tables I’ve been looking at. I think I’m beginning to under stand the various stages or conditions of steam. Pressure and temps are related. It will be interesting to see all this in action . I won’t be at the limits by any means but I think I’ll know the condition of the steam as I create and use it .
I do have an unanswered question I did a lot of searching to find origins of steam oil and it’s composition even though I’ve used steam cleaning to clean things all the way back to when I was about 12 yr old washing milk cans . Can you believe I was given insulated gloves and about a 1” I’d live steam hose to clean these things as well as the room and he tanker truck. There was about a foot of invisible steam befor there was vapor . I don’t think OSHA existed back then It definitely cleaned stuff. Even in the auto shop we had a live steam cleaner . I cleans those car and truck engines like new. Most of the paint went down the drain with the road grime .
Anyway as I got into really high performance Rc airplanes oils became important. Initially castor oil was the go to then synthetics. Of late the silicone oils have become popular in high performance Rc cars and in some of our Rc aircraft . 2 stroke gas engines like 50:1 or more oil ratios. There are high temp and very high film strength silicone oils coming along I experimented with some a while ago but it was hard to develope a baseline then add tests . It either worked or resulted in seized engines. The silicone plastics don’t seem to do well at higher temps but the gear oil really does work in differentials and miniature transmissions .
So if I use compressed air temporarily the silicone oils might be ok. But I think some testing with real steam might be in order.
I’ve got several viscosities so I thought maybe just pour some on clean silverware from the kitchen then take the boiling water from my coffee pot and see if it washes off with out soap of course . The top of my new pot is right at 200 degF and even the carfe is 200 some times a little more if I let it sit. I know this is far below what real steam might be but there would be some indication I think just wiping the piston rod where it comes through the packing gland sure made a difference in friction. None of the crankshaft bearings will see very high temps . I think maybe a little heavier oil might be better there but I’ll need to actually get this thing running. I finally got all the intake and exhaust parts put together. Those m2 screws are really tiny and there are a lot of them . Once I get the modified shaft collars and beam coupling installed I YHINK vibration will be minimum. I found Teflon tubing with the correct I’d so I can now make prongs for the packing instead of the messy tape .
byron