Steam chest without castings

Does anyone know the best way to make a steam cylinder and chest without castings (slide or piston type chest) ? I want to scratch build an engine to my own design, and I don't have a local foundry, and I don't want to buy an expensive kit to rob the castings. But I do have some chunky cast iron to work with.

Steve

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Steve
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In message , Steve writes

Or bronze and some serious silver soldering?

There are a number of published designs accompanied by building commentaries that do not use castings. Some are quite 'chunky, like Ross Harrison's Lilla has which has 1 1/2" bore cylinders. The real 'no-castings' master is Kozo Hiraoka whose step-by-step construction series are masterpieces (3 1/2" gauge Climax, Shay, et al). Kozo even fabricates spoked wheels.

Reply to
Mike H

I made my Sweet Pea steam chest and covers from flame cuttings with bosses silver soldered on. I did buy the main cylinder casting, Blackgates were quite happy to supply it on its own.

regards

Dave Burrage

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david.burrage

Inspired(?!) by the metalcasting sites I just built my own 'gallo can' sized furnace. The fuel was propane and diesel and the air draft cam from a hot air gun.

And yesterday, when I took a phone call in the middle of a melt, discovered it would melt steel (the crucible) as well as its aluminiu charge.

The whole thing cost me about £20, mainly buying perlite for th insulation from the garden centre.

I also discovered that molten ally will float on molten lead, thu reinventing the float process.

Ain't engineering fun!

Robi

-- rss

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rsss

I am not set-up for silver soldering, but could be. But then I don't have great chunks of unmachined bronze. Surely this can be done in cast iron and bolted together with gaskets ?

So, if I want to find his way of making a valve chest and cylinder then where do I look ? Is this published in Model Engineering magazine ?

Steve

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Steve

Dave,

Not sure what you mean by flame cuttings (something from the letters page of the daily tabloids ?).

I haven't come across Blackgates - sounds useful if they'll do a casting like that on its own, though I'll have to see what sizes they do.

Thanks, Steve

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Steve

Ta Robin,

I REALLY want to get into this, but its slightly further down the road. I was mesmerised by hearing of a book called BackYard Foundry and have resisted buying it. If the neighbours knew I was consideriing it they would not be happy. But then I don't live in a smokeless zone..

Be VERY careful with the hot stuff. I would hate this to be your last post ! Be especially careful about letting it see anything damp or wet, violent explosions will occur.

I once was lucky enough to see a blast furnace tapped - Dante's Inferno with men dancing over stream of molten iron ! The main flow was channelled into rail cars they called torpedos. A few weeks later one had water in - and I think 30 people were killed. Its hard for the public to spectate at a BF tapping ever since.

Right now, I want to make a cylinder and chest from solid if I can.

Steve

Reply to
Steve

i like you steve dont yet have a foundry, i originally made this littl

engine as a single acting but changed my mind and im trying to make i into a double acting cylinder, i have made the steam chest from a sla of gun metal (horrible stuff)approx 35mm x 25mm x 10mm its no attached to the cylinder except for the steam inlet pipes, they ar about 20mm long between the chest and cylinder, the sliding valve is "D" shape [image

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engine and steam chest looks to be a little tatty, this is becaus all the silver soldering has just been done and its all in need of gentle clean, the 90 deg steel bracket that holds the cylinder was lef in sulphuric acid bath, a bad mistake! a new one will have to be made, dont know if this little engine will perform well at all, i will put i under steam in a few days time to test it out

-- blueswar

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blueswarf

Thanks for the piccies.

I had assumed you need to keep the passage to the cylinder as minimum length and maximum area to help it breathe in and out. If this is important then your model will reveal it.

On the other hand, it may only be important for high speed. For a slow speed engine it may be OK. Besides its fun to experiment.

Are you concerned that the steam may condense in the pipes? Maybe it will need a little lagging. Though maybe you are using compressed air.

Steve

Reply to
Steve

In message , Steve writes

Ross Harrison's 'Lilla' was described in 'Engineering in Miniature' a good few years ago: bore 1 1/2", stroke 2" and Stephenson's valve gear.

There is an index on the web (somewhere). But if you send your snail mail address to

mike_h at ada-augusta dot demon dot co dot uk

I'll send you a photocopy (of a photocopy) of drawings and fabrication details.

Reply to
Mike H

hi, this was built as an experimental scratch built engine and i

learning as i go along, im not too bothered about the top end speed, just need to know that my machining skills are upto building a workin engine, the rest will come from advice and experience,

steve wrote:- I had assumed you need to keep the passage to the cylinder as minimum length and maximum area to help it breathe in and out. If this is important then your model will reveal it.

im not too sure wether the ports will be large enough for some seriou top end revs and i could have maybe used larger inner diam pipe for th exhaust,, i think it was a case of "Pi*s Poor Planning makes Pi*s Poo Performance!!" we live and learn!

steve also wrote:- Are you concerned that the steam may condense in the pipes? Maybe it will need a little lagging. Though maybe you are using compressed air.

i have thought about lagging the pipes with some tin foil and string the boiler has a super heater and this should also help a littl against the pipes condensing up,

i would be quite happy for the engine to turn at 50 rpm, i ge mesmorised by them, the engine wont be put to any application as it just for fun and to show the kids, who knows i may even peel them awa from their xbox 360

bil

-- blueswar

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blueswarf

My thoughts exactly. I need a project to test and improve my machining skills, and a scratch built engine will be just the thing. Besides I lean more towards experimental engineering than model engineering.

Steve

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Steve

wow, this little engine was put under power with my oxygen bottl

(without the accet) and it litterally zoomed into life!!, he,he shoul i switch on the accet aswell and ignite the exhaust? ONLY KIDDING!,, will try and do a short video of it, i didnt want to push the ai pressure too far at top end as the engine isnt run in yet but took i to around 500 rpm (going by my lathe spindle speed) for a couple o seconds, it ticked over real slow too with the engine bearly turnin and it stayed at this speed with no problems, im going to rig upto th boiler and put it under steam tomorrow

bil

-- blueswar

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blueswarf

Congratulations !!

Maybe the oxygen ignited the oil in the cylinder !

Steve

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Steve

never thought about that!!, wont be doing that again, thanks steve il

use the compressor next time,

heres some new photos

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bil

-- blueswar

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