Stuart Twin Victoria from scratch

[Jack3M]

I am new here, this is new hobby area of interest for me. I should also introduce myself here too as this is my first post. Retired from work as Paramedic and auto mechanic among others. Hobbies have been scratch built in static tall ships, scratch built radio control aircraft at 1/4 and 1/3 scale. I fly same and RC heli copters. Have a recreational shop capable of building guitars from hunks of wood to (hopefully) the ability to smelt my own product and cast my own parts to machine. I have a 7x12 lathe almost worn out and a new 10x22 lathe along with a mill with DRO. Added DRO to new lathe myself. Have built houses, have hunted and eaten mushrooms and am still alive :fan: Thus I call myself Jack of all trades, master of none.

So the static engine world has me enthralled. Someday a hit and miss but for now, I want a Stuart Victoria....Twin. Look, the kit price is just huge and the shipping to the NW USA is a killer. For the price of a kit I bought a 3-D printer to make my casting plugs. I have played with sand casting in the past so I am not totally out of it on this. But I am not particularly techie so I am having to learn very slowly 3-D drawing on a computer. I can do it faster by hand.

No pictures yet, only first half of first print is done printing.....the base. I still have to source some petrobond locally and maybe some kaowool too. Hoping to get the forge hot enough to do pig iron....which I can source locally and not pay shipping on.

This will kind of be a build thread as I learn all of this. A pretty significant undertaking. I bought the plans from Stuart along with the governor plans. I am learning how to use Solidworks, 3D printing, serious forging and at home casting, along with learning machining techniques. (Could have made a career out of machining, what a blast, I dig big time making tools to make something else.

Will follow with pictures soon, I am really bad about taking enough, and I rarely video, tho I do have a few Utubes out there under SpruceSculptures.

Folks, have a day. Ya'll seem to be a well educated bunch of nice peoples.

 

[Jasonb]

Probably be easier to cut from solid and or fabricate the parts rather than go through the bother of printing, casting and machining. Maybe buy a flywheel casting from one of the US suppliers but the rest is easy enough to make.

 

[Jack3M]

True, but then the project is too easy. Need all these other challenges to consume winter rains.

 

[Rudy from Norway]

Jack, I like your approach. Just finished a Stuart 10V my selves and the chilled castings from Stuart was a disappointment. As it was my first pieces of iron under my new mill and lathe so I was put down a bit. So when you make your own castings, you can probably get this problem under control.
As a starter project I have numerous times read that this kind of engine is a good choice. I don't totally agree. The same amount of times I have seen engines worn (broken) inn for a long time in the lathe in order to turn freely. This is in my mind because of failure to get the cylinder, bottom cylinder cover and the rod supporting slide perfectly in line. Any error in one end gets amplified at one end of the stroke. I have never seen anybody emphasis this phenomena. Therefore, I think it is difficult to make such an engine running smooth. I did a lot of planning ahead and took this into consideration and managed to get it straight. Pay attention to the bottom cylinder plate. I call this the "hart plate" because it determines the result to a high degree. The lathe and mill does not have the accuracy you need, so the work has to be in the machine until critical dimensions are made.
The Victoria is a beautiful machine.. If I make one (or twin) I will cave it out of bar stock. Casting is of cause very interesting..
Please let us have some pics and descriptions along your build.

 

[Jack3M]

Thanks. I just finished the 10V and my castings did not have any chill problem, they were all excellent. Sorry that put you off. I disagree about me being able to control chilling more than a foundry can. I am just having trouble with my melts and slag and enough heat so.... We shall see. This is more about doing everything myself that I possibly can to keep the ole squash upstairs occupied. Retirement isn't fun on so many rainy days.

 

[Rudy from Norway]

Glad to hear your castings where ok, because I wanted to build another Stuart. I like them a lot. I assumed when casting at home one could maybe put more effort than speed into the process. However, I have no experience.
I also like to do most my selves, so maybe I will just buy the drawings and machine everything my selves, making it look like castings. That is exactly what I'm about to do now with my newly started project, the Farm Boy hit'n miss engine. Only bar stock, but looks like castings. Lot of machining.

 

[Blogwitch]

Jack,
Have you thought about casting in bronze and Aluminium instead of cast iron?

Using bronze should give you castings that are easier to machine but still plenty good enough for cylinders and standards etc.


John

 

[Jack3M]

John,
Yes, I have and probably will use plenty of bronze and brass also. Just some parts really would have a better impact as cast iron. I am not even that close yet. My forge needs some modification.....

 

[Blogwitch]

That may be your problem Jack, getting your furnace up to a temperature that will melt cast iron.

John

 

[fcheslop]

Rudy , Tee Publishing sell a book on building Victoria for around the same price as the Stuart drawings and they are a bit easier to read
I built one from bar stock but can see the reasons to cast and make patterns for the fun of it
http://www.teepublishing.co.uk/books/stationary-steam-engines/building-the-victoria/
cheers

 

[Jack3M]

Yes, not sure if my furnace will melt iron. Also silica bronze will accept a patina and is resistant to rust and corrosion. Also, at least for where I am and how I have to get the product, it is looking like the bronze will be less expensive and hassle.

My 3D printer as been working 16 hours a day since I got it a week ago. The only part that was too big for the table was the base, cut that in half and it just needs to have the two halves glued together for molding. I am impressed how well this works. One could make a whole plastic model this way and assemble.

 

[Cogsy]

I've been thinking the same thing. I'm considering attempting to 3D model one of my engines and printing out a copy in plastic, maybe 1:1 or maybe smaller. Essentially a model of a model. At the very least I'll refine my rudimentary 3D modelling skills a bit.

 

[Jack3M]

. At the very least I'll refine my rudimentary 3D modelling skills a bit.

I must admit my SolidWorks skills are improving very quickly. Love that program.

 

[Jack3M]

I see "silver steel" in many foreign (Brit) Utubes and such. No such naming here in USA. What is it? Nickel? Tool steel?

 

[Mechanicboy]

I see "silver steel" in many foreign (Brit) Utubes and such. No such naming here in USA. What is it? Nickel? Tool steel?

Silver steel = drill rod

 

[Jack3M]

Pictures, I have picture. This is the majority of the plugs for the first go around. Coffee cup for ref.

 

[Jasonb]

Nice looking prints. Have you printed them as shown on the drawing as I can't see much of a machining allowance on the surfaces that will need it? Stuart castings are know for being a bit tight in this respect but most other suppliers will give you about 0.100" on all surfaces.

Also if you are not going to burn them out you will need some draft angle and an allowance for the shrinkage of the metal you finally decide on.

 

[Jack3M]

Yes 5% added for shrinkage and draft on necessary. Actually need to cut the cyls in different plane.

 

[Rudy from Norway]

Jack, do I see 90 degree angles against the table? If so the parts will have a hard time getting loose from the sand mold. Slip angles makes it easier.

 

[Jack3M]

No, everything has draft, it is the photo angle.