the forums 1st steam plant

steam and the engineering involved in making a steam engine have long interested me. In fact my final year project in metelwork at high school was a slide valve single acting steam engine that ended up in the show case so I wasn't allowed to keep it much to my annoyance.



Since then I've admired others efforts in this area but never had the machinery in my workshop to complete a similar project. However in disscusions with some proper steam enthusiasts this weekend I realised that apart from the flywheel its not actually necassery to own a lathe to make a simple oscillating engine powerfull enough to propell a small boat and as I have previously designed an ideal hull for this size of engine I'm thinking why not. After all I do know someone to run the flywheel up for me



Here we are talking about a "Bowman Arrow" lookalike that is app 12" in length so an engine with an 8mm bore and about 18mm stroke is about the size required. Now I could simply purchase an old mammod stationary engine and modify but surely that will remove the fun as the object is to build the engfine the boat is simply a platform to show it of.



So here goes the basis for my engine plans are to be found



here http://www.john-tom.com/html/SteamPlans3.html scroll down the page to find "Single Cylinder oscillating Steam Engine"



these plans do call for some alteration to allow for the ommission of a lathe and following the advice from my friendly "Expert" I shall start this during the week



the end result should look something like this

i always admire those who can work to such fine tollerances on a laithe....go for it phil, and look forward to seeing the boat running with your plant in it.

neil.

think I may have mislead you all here neil



the whole point of this project is to produce a simple oscillating steam engine with the min of lathe work, and in fact the only lathe work needed at the min is to produce the flywheel and crank wheel, but I am working on finding a way round these two items also.



the drawings as they stand may show how this is all happening from stock tube and sheet sizes.







Perhaps a little explanation of the engine base, the right hand upstand is to recieve the 8mm OD prop shaft tube with the boats propshaft also being the main axle for the engine with a 4mm bore 8mm OD x 3mm bearing race between the flyweel and the crank disc in the base

Just to clarify a little further this drawing shows the parts in their respective places

ahh i see.......still b******y impressed matey........only thing i ever made in metalwork was a poxy l shaped bracket........and that had a wonky leg.

well here we go a few hours spare in the shed and the prototype is together minus its flywheel and pivot spring.



the only issue is the engine back plate needs to be stiffer! and I'll address this while searching for a suitable fly wheel and sourcing materials for a boiler.

Phil for fly wheels it may be worth looking at the glow plug engines for there 'replacement' fly wheels many a time in the past i have brought new fly wheels for my engines (nitro cars) so this is a good place to start looking, larger engines have heavier larger wheels that may be suitable for this purpose.

RR

Hi Aron not a bad idea mate though it does need a pretty hefty flywheel about 50mm dia x 15mm thick its getting one with a 4mm bore that may be difficult most glow engines seem to have a 5mm or larger crankshaft and don't have the grub screw to secure them still worth a look or I may be able to get one run up by the likes of steve tranter

Hi Phil

Did you get any further with your project? I was interested because I understand

less about steam than I know about women, and that's precious little - except I do

know they are both liable to explode violently

Dave

not managed to progress it any further just yet mate mainly due to excessive pressure of work you know how that goes I bet

However I now have plans to get a hobby lathe by the end of spring and once thats installed there will be precious few reasons for not completeing this and a few more engineering projects

Phil I can recommend the Taig Micro lathe I've had one for around 20yrs great if you don't need absolute precision or screw cutting. Parts are also available to turn it into a mill, the can be run with motors from small sewing machines or like me a 1/4hp bigun made in USA Taig Australia has them for $319 in kitform as mine was, you sure learn about the lathe as you put it together.
If I'm up to it after the ultrasound today I'll take some pic's of my set-up.

http://taig.com.au/index.php?main_page=page&id=3&chapter=5

Hey Damien

if you have time, how about (for the uninitiated - er that's me) a seperate post about using lathes and mills - just something fairly basic. I've never used them but now that I'm into boats .................. hmm maybe, but then again .

Dave

Just a hobbiest not an engineer very mechanically minded willing to make most tool I needed in the past.
I've had nothing to do with mill's since I left tech school in '69 lol
I can put a few anecdotes together with pic's no doubt.

I'll look at it friday arvo after I get results of today's ultra sound Jo and I are stressed out big time at the prospect of surgery after a supposed 10 day stay turned into 7 weeks last time I had surgery.

Tried but you had gone by the time I was notified of post - 12 minutes elapsed.

I think I'll go to bed soon - it's nearly 5am - I might just drop off early.

Dave

This is what you want Phil, The Sieg metalworker super C3 it has a brushless motor that gives it plenty of grunt.

Had mine about 6 months now and am very pleased with it.

http://www.arceurotrade.co.uk/Catalogue/Machines-Accessories/Lathes/Model-C3-Mini-Lathe/Model-Super-C3-Mini-Lathe

Happy New Year to you all.
Had a TAIG mini lathe for 12 years, gave it away 7 years ago. Nice to play with, rubbish for metal, would want to have improved somewhat for the current price.
You'd be better of with the Sieg super6 as recommended by AlanP.
A much more useful tool
cheers
vnkiwi

It all depends on what you wish to do with the lathe if you want screw cutting and carriage feed the Taig is not for you, I have
had great success with mine machining and boring Aluminium, Brass and Steel.

The metalworker at equivelent 500 quid versus Taig at 210 quid would ask most folk to assess what they actually wish to do with it, and how much space you have available .

As with model boats there are a plethora of info sites and forums for all sorts of equipnent.

Here's a link to a Sherline for tips on grinding your own lathe tools

http://www.sherline.com/grinding.htm

and another

http://www.mini-
lathe.com/Mini_lathe/Tool_grinding/tool_grinding.htm

Also the Taig owners club forum

http://taigownersclub.forumotion.net/

I've used mine extensively on m/boat and fiddly bits for my 1:1 race car build several years ago.
And it sure beats my first lathe a drill press and slip jaw pliers for the cutting tool and various files and sandpapers for finishing.

Hi Phil

take the thread back whenever you are ready mate but meanwhile ........

I had the opportunity to watch Peter use a mill and a lathe and he made it look easy;

now I am not so foolish as to not realise his wealth of knowledge and familiarity with

the equipment was largely responsible .............. but he cut, milled, turned threads

with ease and speed, you could even say it was graceful. Now to a numpty like me an

all singing and dancing peice of kit would be wasted but I wouldn't mind something simple,

just for brass and ally just for small model parts. And cost does co me into it because I

would have to justify (though only to myself) taking cash out of the family pot. Also I

have seen Peter's fine brasswork done with only a Dremmel and files - amazing stuff.

Dave

Phil My apologies Mate my attempt to give ideas appear to have runaway with itself but it has provoked thought so that is good.

One last comment on the Taig the instructions for assembly are thorough and are handy for use when making adjustments when the cross and compound sides get sloppy after time, there are lots of grub screw to adjust to get them just right.

I stripped mine down to save space when I moved house & recently re-assembled it and it's working like new.
Good luck and much fun with whatever you decide on.

Damien.

stop fretting Damien All good info that red lathe you posted a pic off back there is sold close to me under their own brand name by Axminster tools and one version is a simple lathe the other has the full screwcutting horizontal mill capability also catching my eye foe small (very small jobs) and this may make you all either laugh or cringe but look at this unimat 1 classic quite adaptable and usefull for those who want a small machine and have limited bench space

item on ebay

Not to be laughed at my friend Unimat have been around a long time if they were rubbish they wouldn't have lasted.
Many features and like others limited in those features but remain a complete relatively cheap workshop of tools for someone starting out in a hobby.