Office of Steam Forum for Model & Toy Steam Gas & Hot Air Engines

  I've tried this combo several times without successful results.
I tried adjusting the valve timing to limited success.  After
setting it aside for a while (in a corner in the kitchen) I took
another stab at the timing and hit the sweet spot!  The video is
the proof!  I'll try it again in a day or two to make sure it was
really running.



Happy steamer,
Wayne

A nice little runner there Wayne, well done on getting it going.

Thanks for the kind words.  It was verrry rewarding to see it run.

I've added a link of this combo driving a Jensen generator.



I must admit.....the engine is a bit clunky.  Both flywheels are
a bit off center and that has caused one crank end to be a bit sloppy.
Well, it will probably never be run more than one boiler's worth of
water so it is no biggie.  I wonder if an extremely thin skin of
lead could be set onto that bearing surface, kind of like old-timey
car engine bearings when you could pour your own.  Probably a silly
idea.

Wayne

 

  Stoker....thanks for the advice.  I'm all in favor of shims
when proper machining is not an option.  I will investigate
brass sheet sellers for the thinnest available and buy several
thicknesses.  I only thought of lead because it would be soft
enough to be 'run in'.  Do you think there is a danger that either
brass or lead would stick to the crank or bearing holders?  I
do not like doing mods that run the risk of being un-reversible.
Anyway, the #3 and #5 engines run well. 

  Of course, other problems crop up.  Whoever built the boiler fill
pipe arrangement did not use PM parts.  Soldered copper pipes, a
couple of union joints and though it looks like hell, it all works.
The valve is another matter.  the blow-down valve, nickel-plated,
has always been verrrry stiff to turn.  Yesterday, the handle broke.
Thankfully, small pliers will still turn it.  Because it is not PM
parts, and the maker used a couple of other off-brand parts in the
pipe setup, I won't be taking it apart as it does work. 

  For now I'm putting the #7 back on the base and work on making a
proper pipe arrangement.  The #5 needs to take a breath and wait
its turn.

  My wife just retired (I've been retired for a while) and it is a
whole new world.  I'm chauffeuring her around today.  Between that
and the changes in $$$$ income and health insurance arrangements,
I've been feeling like a long-tailed cat in a room full of rocking
chairs.  Worse than the four mortgages I've done, and they were tough.

Muddling thru,
Wayne

Congratulations on getting it running Wayne.

You are becoming quite the accomplished Steam Mechanic.   

K&S usually has a display in most any hobby shop, if such even exist anymore, but also typically have a display in most local hardware and lumber stores. Both True Value and Ace have them here in my little town, but they are often poorly stocked and may not have whatever you may be in need of!

  I'll be ordering the KSMetals brass shim assortment today.
Hopefully, that will reduce the play in the crank bearing.
There is no way around this.

  Of course there is a 500lb gorilla here...  I can reduce the
play but the two flywheels are still off center and the off
center forces will wear the bearing walls and shim out of
round again.  Bottom-end knocking is a bad sound in any engine. 

  I presume they need to be put in a lathe and a new slightly
larger CENTERED bore hole drilled in.  Then fit in a bushing to
neck it back down to the crankshaft size.  What do machinists
charge for such work where you live?  How long would it take
for an experienced machinist to do this?  I would like to get
this engine running smoothly.  Anyone have a machinist friend
in Brooklyn or Nassau County? 

  If the machining is not possible I'll just shim it up and
run it occasionally.

Thanks,
Wayne