Office of Steam Forum for Model & Toy Steam Gas & Hot Air Engines
The Regular Stuff: Chat, Buy, Sell, Off Topic, etc. => General Discussion - Model & Toy Steam Engines – Stirling Cycle – Flame Lickers – Small Antique Originals => Topic started by: crazydoug on January 26, 2021, 10:10:34 am
-
While still unable to be out in my workshop, I decided to review some past items in my collection. This PM Research 2A was my very first attempt at machining anything! I had never used a lathe or milling machine prior to this attempt. I have since given this engine to my son with the included Weeden electric-fired boiler.
Between sloppy tolerances, the fact that it is an aluminum engine, which causes very fast wear on the casting for the crankshaft (no bearings), and a boiler that I think has a faulty pressure relief valve, I had little luck getting it to run on steam for this video. It does seem to run just fine on air, at 5 psi or so, so I am guessing that the expansion of the aluminum piston may be causing it to seize up quickly under steam. I've certainly learned a lot about building engines made to run on steam over the past seven years.
https://youtu.be/3cQ1sN33ggs