small air compressor for powering steam model

Gentlefolk,

My Lady Stephanie is at last nearing completion, and I'd like the ability to run her occasionally for demonstration purposes (aka 'showing off'). I've run her on steam, but that won't be an option once she's painted, so it looks like I need a source of compressed air instead.

At the MMEE I saw a model of similar size powered by a compressor in the form of a box roughly 2-1/2" square by 1" thick, with a power lead (I don't know the voltage) and a spigot for the air outlet; I talked to the chap on the stand but he didn't know much about it, although he said it was powerful enough for one engine but wouldn't run two. Does anybody know what it was, and where I might acquire one ?

There's also the little matter of lubrication - there's no steam oil, so what lubricates the cylinder wall when running on air ?

Also, it's been suggested that I lubricate the engine as a whole with Moebius Watch Oil, as it's less prone to gum-up over time - any comments ?

TIA

Reply to
Bob Unitt
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The little aldi or halfords tyre inflator devices may do ........

noisy little buggers ...

but

if you open one up ...inside there is a nice alloy die cast pump...........very olde worlde looking....., piston ...cylinder and external crank.

now with a bit of dreaming and thinking ............

you could hook it up to a variable 12 volt transformer ..........hornby etc

and have it running slower ..making less noise...............and looking the part.

all the best..mark

Reply to
mark

paint the nylon gear black ..add a motor and variable transformer of your choice .......put it in a triangular frame..and you may have something that is more of a talking point than lady Stephanie

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all the best.markj

Reply to
mark

It might have been an airbrush compressor.

Steve R.

Reply to
Steve R.

I would avoid Moebius oil as I believ the formulation must have been changed recently. I, and other clock makers, have found the oiled to have gelled within a couple of years thus causing clocks to stop. When checking my bottles of oil, both had thrown a sediment. I now use a synthetic motor oil for clocks.

Cliff Coggin.

Reply to
Cliff Coggin

In article , Steve R. writes

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-Or an aquarium aerator pump?

Reply to
Chris Holford

Reply to
Tony Jeffree

Reply to
Tony Jeffree

I don't believe these pumps can deliver any useful pressure. They only need to over come a foot or so of water in normal use.

Bob

Reply to
Bob Minchin

I use the oil sold as a laxative by drug stores (chemists). It works for watches and clocks too. Light oil for the going train etc. Heavy oil for the escapement. These same oils are also sold as white oil for lubricating restaurant equipment, electric shavers, and some brands of clock oil.

Steve R.

Reply to
Steve R.

Not enough output!

Steve R.

Reply to
Steve R.

CO2 cartridge?

It'd be quiet...

Reply to
_

In article , Steve R. writes

What SAE ?

Is that what's known as 'liquid paraffin' ?

Reply to
Bob Unitt

I wish I'd paid more attention at the time, but I didn't think of using it to power the Lady until I got home (my original intention was to drive the flywheel rim from a rubber wheel on a 12v motor).

Ho hum - I'll just have to keep attending exhibitions until I see it again (good excuse to use on 'her indoors'...)

I'll try re-posting this query on the modeleng-list - my apologies to those who've already read it here.

Reply to
Bob Unitt

5
Reply to
Cliff Coggin

I would use first class post for a good Stamped Addressed Envelope

Reply to
jackary

More likely Castor Oil ?

-adrian

Reply to
Adrian Godwin

In article , Cliff Coggin writes

(Showing my lack of knowledge here...)

Do you mean '5W' ? if so, where do I get it - I've never seen any less than 15W (universal tractor oil).

Also, what brand would you recommend ?

TIA

Reply to
Bob Unitt

Reply to
Bob Unitt

ISTR reading that WW1 pilots had frequent underwear-incidents due to the total-loss castor-oil based lubrication system of early rotary engines.

Reply to
Bob Unitt

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