Two Cylinder, Rotary Valve

[Aquarius21]

Seven years ago I asked members of this site about the Popular Science December issue's plans for the above. Life was busy, and soon delivered a number of changes including two fast growing cataracts, and a year later, a retinal detachment which caused the loss of perspective. Quite literally, I could not hit the broad side of a barn in the machine shop. In the meantime, a grandson of ten weeks died of liver failure, so in honor of him and his older brother, I designed and built aToby 1:8 gas powered Tram complete with snow-blower transmission to haul families at our Atlantic Model Engineering Society's train site in Windsor, Nova Scotia, the Trecothic Railway.

A year ago my brain finally rewired itself and told the right eye as much as it was valued could it please step to the side and let the left eye do the majority of giving me accurate information about perspective. Back to the little engine, which had many parts fashioned seven years before.

The rotary valve was very difficult to shape as it was very easy to over file the air/ steam passageways and cause the air to suddenly stop the engine as pressure stopped one cylinder in its journey and began to fill the other cylinder. It took four valves and the encouragement and advice of this site's Chuck Fellows ( thanks Church!) to keep on with this task. It finally ran after a fashion so time to put it in a display case to keep dust off. A hand crank was added to the end of the engine which then fed out through
the case like an old time car's hand crank. In this way people can turn the engine over by hand.

I used CO2 cartridges and reshaped the intake manifold to resemble the Rocketeer's jetpack as I rather like the Art Deco period of design which also includes a balance of silver and gold colors. The aluminum intake manifold was crudely milled by a home made milling head on a hand crank bench top planer.

This has been a long exercise in my first model using my 1943 Clausing and a hand shaper to groove the connecting rods to lighten and add visual interest. I need to learn how to do sawing of parts as my old eyes cannot
do a good job of accuracy.

I want to thank you all for your help especially those who host this tremendous site. Next up is a Stuart 10 with a local club member milling
the main castings as my inexperience would like destroy the castings if milled on my old lathe.

Thanks to all! Quincy

 

[dnalot]

Hi

Just before I took up this hobby I was rendered nearly blind by very fast developing cataracts. I'm a big baby when it comes to surgery but I worked up the courage to let the doctor carve on my eyes while awake. The procedure was quick and painless. (it's a bit unnerving seeing the blade coming at you end on) The old lenses were completely removed and a plastic replacements inserted. (they did one eye at a time two weeks apart). I had hoped it would let me see better and it did that and much more. My old yellowed eyes had distorted colors and the world was a dim drab place. My new eyes could see true colors and the world became a place of vibrant colors and everything from the tips of my fingers and beyond were in sharp focus.

You don't mention if you had your eyes repaired Quincy, if not I would encourage you to do so. I suspect you did because your models are beautiful.

Mark T