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Author Topic: Early Jensens Don’t Get Much Better Than This One!  (Read 1997 times)

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Re: Early Jensens Don’t Get Much Better Than This One!
« Reply #15 on: May 29, 2022, 05:04:24 pm »
Quote from: Junkologist on May 29, 2022, 03:52:17 pm
Quote from: St Paul Steam on May 29, 2022, 02:28:57 pm
they look pretty good to me Mike.
Thanks, Bruce. It’s just vinyl tube from a Roundup spray jug. Lol
I wish someone knew the process that Tom Jensen used for the original handles.
Given the era in which these were made they were probably bakelite plastic. I looked into making these last year and found some pearl "esk" plastic rod that I thought might make good handle material...I think I found it on Etsy , didn't buy any though.
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Bruce, St. Paul Indiana, USA
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Re: Early Jensens Don’t Get Much Better Than This One!
« Reply #16 on: May 29, 2022, 05:38:20 pm »
Quote from: St Paul Steam on May 29, 2022, 05:04:24 pm
Quote from: Junkologist on May 29, 2022, 03:52:17 pm
Quote from: St Paul Steam on May 29, 2022, 02:28:57 pm
they look pretty good to me Mike.
Thanks, Bruce. It’s just vinyl tube from a Roundup spray jug. Lol
I wish someone knew the process that Tom Jensen used for the original handles.
Given the era in which these were made they were probably bakelite plastic. I looked into making these last year and found some pearl "esk" plastic rid that I thought might make good handle material...I think I found it on Etsy , didn't buy any though.
The only info I’ve ever found is that he made the handles using “boiler paste”, which I assume was some kind of refractory material.
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Mike

Check out my YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/user/Cletrac

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Re: Early Jensens Don’t Get Much Better Than This One!
« Reply #17 on: May 29, 2022, 06:38:23 pm »
Quote from: Junkologist on May 29, 2022, 05:38:20 pm
Quote from: St Paul Steam on May 29, 2022, 05:04:24 pm
Quote from: Junkologist on May 29, 2022, 03:52:17 pm
Quote from: St Paul Steam on May 29, 2022, 02:28:57 pm
they look pretty good to me Mike.
Thanks, Bruce. It’s just vinyl tube from a Roundup spray jug. Lol
I wish someone knew the process that Tom Jensen used for the original handles.
Given the era in which these were made they were probably bakelite plastic. I looked into making these last year and found some pearl "esk" plastic rid that I thought might make good handle material...I think I found it on Etsy , didn't buy any though.
The only info I’ve ever found is that he made the handles using “boiler paste”, which I assume was some kind of refractory material.
I was just looking around the net & found "fire putty" refractory cement, that kind of thing makes perfect sense Mike, Tom Sr. probably just got tired of rolling putty (to messy) & waiting for it to harden was probably why he found wood dowels quickly more suitable.
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Bruce, St. Paul Indiana, USA
"Originality thrives in seclusion free of outside influences beating upon us to cripple the creative mind."
  Nikola Tesla

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Re: Early Jensens Don’t Get Much Better Than This One!
« Reply #18 on: May 29, 2022, 09:40:16 pm »
A huge Congratulations....!!! 

Well done, Mike... Very well done...!!!

This is an absolutely superb example.

The handles look nice, even too nice. The originals are pretty crude looking.

If you get a chance, please check the heater wattage. Many were 400-450 watts and our friend Bill has one here with a 600 watt cartridge heater. It is very early like yours.

What an awesome find!

Gil
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Re: Early Jensens Don’t Get Much Better Than This One!
« Reply #19 on: May 29, 2022, 10:18:15 pm »
Thanks, Gil! I felt like I went back in time when I got this engine.

The heater in this one is marked 550 watts and it makes plenty of steam.
One of my other Big Power Plants is even earlier than this one, but unfortunately, the original heater was gone when I got it.
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Mike

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Re: Early Jensens Don’t Get Much Better Than This One!
« Reply #20 on: May 30, 2022, 10:44:16 am »
Nothing like finding a near NOS engine. Congratulations!
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Re: Early Jensens Don’t Get Much Better Than This One!
« Reply #21 on: May 30, 2022, 10:51:58 am »
Quote from: Junkologist on May 29, 2022, 10:18:15 pm
Thanks, Gil! I felt like I went back in time when I got this engine.

The heater in this one is marked 550 watts and it makes plenty of steam.
One of my other Big Power Plants is even earlier than this one, but unfortunately, the original heater was gone when I got it.
Mike, I can barely believe the ink is so clear and crisp where it says 550 watts. Just amazing. As you suggested, must have been steamed very little.

Gil
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Re: Early Jensens Don’t Get Much Better Than This One!
« Reply #22 on: May 30, 2022, 08:35:28 pm »
Quote from: RedRyder on May 30, 2022, 10:51:58 am
Quote from: Junkologist on May 29, 2022, 10:18:15 pm
Thanks, Gil! I felt like I went back in time when I got this engine.

The heater in this one is marked 550 watts and it makes plenty of steam.
One of my other Big Power Plants is even earlier than this one, but unfortunately, the original heater was gone when I got it.
Mike, I can barely believe the ink is so clear and crisp where it says 550 watts. Just amazing. As you suggested, must have been steamed very little.

Gil

When I got the engine, the sight glass was assembled without any packings and the packing nuts were screwed down tight as if they would seal it up by some miracle. I suspect this was done a long time ago and the engine was given up on at that point, but it’s really anyone’s guess as to why this engine survived so long with so little use.
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Mike

Check out my YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/user/Cletrac
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