Office of Steam Forum for Model & Toy Steam Gas & Hot Air Engines
Builds, Repairs, Show Your Machines! => Videos The Office of Steam Cinema => Topic started by: RichSteamTx on December 31, 2024, 03:20:44 pm
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Cpmgratulations Rich!
A spectacular outcome.
I really enjoyed your restoration series.
You are one step closer to completion!
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Thanks guys, working on this little electric engine was so much fun. I was so lucky picking it up and the timing was perfect with me being in Texas for the holidays - strange how that played out. Looking back on the items I acquired in the last two years, it just seems they came up at the right time - almost like I was meant to get them!!
I almost packed it in my suitcase to bring with me to Atlanta. Sadly I'll won't see it at again until April but on the upside the lacquer paint will be cured when I do get back! Though I do have my videos to watch when I start to miss it LOL
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Well Done Rich! Safe to say this one ended up in the right hands 👍
I'd have to agree with Nick & everyone else, you did a fine job of making this look better than new, congrats to you & your brother.
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Very nice Rich! I'm glad you were able to get this very rare engine. It's in good hands.
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Fantastic job on that one! Very nice!
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Well Done Rich! Safe to say this one ended up in the right hands 👍
Thank you @Nick - that means a LOT! Lord knows I love having this little gem :-)
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Well Done Rich! Safe to say this one ended up in the right hands 👍
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Now fully painted, job done and right before I leave for the Airport to return to Atlanta! Pretty cool my brother was able to drop it off to me when delivering that 1930s Model A Truck.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=In13b3SO3ZA
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Don’t know if you have this 1940 ad?
(Attachment Link)
Relooking at this ad (I have one now too) and my opinion is that Empire didn't make the "B-44" but was made by Gilbert Electric Motors. I am pretty sure that is what that ad is telling us. Which is why the engine is such a odd duck when compared to the other Empire line (also no Empire/Model stampings).
Heck, the engine that I have could have come from Gilbert Electric Motors as No. 4242 - no way to tell. Either way, I am telling everyone its a Empire B-44 LOL
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Here is the batter cover primered and then painted! My brother is coming down to Austin on Sunday to deliver a Model-A to a client, hopefully I'll be able to get it from him before I have to fly out to Atlanta in the afternoon. If not, then I'll have to wait until April when I return to Texas for a visit.
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You burned them? Like you meant too, for cooking hotdogs or something?
Just like the B-44 before it, the ad isn't saying anything about Empire Metal Ware...
Had a fire going for an entire summer getting ready for an auction. Sheds had all kinds of old catalogs, Penny’s, Sears, Monkey Wards etc. full of mice damage, but probably had toy steam ads hidden in some of them… Some were in the outhouse too, but don’t use the shiny paper 😂
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You burned them? Like you meant too, for cooking hotdogs or something?
Just like the B-44 before it, the ad isn't saying anything about Empire Metal Ware...
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Holy Cow, No I do not Thank you, Thank you!
AWESOME!! That was page 164 of a 1940 catalog, this was page 163. Such a shame I burned so many catalogs 20 years ago cleaning out my great-grandparents house… :'(
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Holy Cow, No I do not Thank you, Thank you!
Interesting thing, no where does it say "Empire Metal Ware" - unless I am overlooking it. Makes me wonder if Empire was just reselling these little engines.
Also, the ad totally lies - it could never run an accessory (I've tried)! LOL
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Don’t know if you have this 1940 ad?
[attachimg=1]
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Battery cover after final drip/sanding/drying. Now it is really ready for bondo, primer, paint, top coating! It was so close to being Swiss cheese!!
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That's putting it lightly I think, it was well on the road to having holes in it. Hopefully this work will last a long time.
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It appears to have survived its prior neglect in surprisingly good condition under all that rust and corrosion!
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Rough clean up more or less complete on the battery cover. After a bit more scrubbing/sanding my brother will send it off to Chad, his paint & body friend.
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Now with fresh batteries, holy cow it runs great on new batteries!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gXrMlZBjFfc
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My brother has confirmed he will get the B-44s battery slide cover sandblasted and then his paint & body friend (I know him too) will finish it up: bondo, primer, & paint it for me. He'll use my Dupli-Color cans (primer, paint, & clear) to spray it.
So the battery cover will be the cherry on the top for this little engine! Or that is what I am hoping for :-)
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After I did this video, I realized I hadn't oiled it. When I put a little steam oil on the bits that move against metal, it quieted down quite a bit. Likely a dab of lite grease would be better, especially that pivot point and where the bar slides on the coil cover. The shaft for the flywheel is tiny and its very hard getting the wheel straight. That is because the shaft slightly wiggles in the flywheel's hole and when you tighten the set key the flywheel wants to tilt. Also, the shaft isn't long enough to make all the way out/even to the outside of the wheel. Which if the shaft made it a few millimeters out the other side of the wheel, I think it would be a lot more stable.
As I expected, this isn't a very powerful engine. For one, I seriously doubt 1930s D-Cells would last very long. I tried to run my Empire swing and it couldn't even try to move with it connected. Perhaps it could run the table saw or polishing wheel.
It makes me wonder if this engine wasn't contracted out and made by some other manufacturer for Empire. It really seems like a odd ball when comparing it to all the other Empire engines & accessories. Not having any markings or label for a engine just isn't like Empire.
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Cleaned up, polished, and painted - well mostly, I still need to deal with the rust on the on the battery cover. Always nice when you get it back together and it still runs!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2qnFLhuR5lQ
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Thanks for the update Rich.
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I'll repost this as I edited it into my post whilst others were replying....
In case you are wondering, the two bare holes on the base are for the battery tray & rivets. This is how it was when I pulled it apart (but better formed). This is so the tray touches the base, which allows the positive power from the batteries to reach the flywheel shaft when it engages (kind of like a short / spark). Which also means the stand off holes for the flywheel have to be bare metal too. That allows the coils to make a magnetized field to attract/pull the bar.
The stand-offs were easier with toothpicks broken off into the holes. The tray holes I used a screw & o'rings but that didn't work very well but it should work (and will be hidden by the tray when it is re-riveted into place).
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slick paint job Rich, well done. :)
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A little be ago the eBay Seller (https://www.ebay.com/str/estatebuyersinmo) replied with a little information about the B-44
We worked with a family member that had this collection stored in there garage untouched for 30 years. We have sold close to 200 different types of steam engines over the last few months.
I have a feeling before the engine went into storage 30 years ago it was likely in good shape, if not perfect shape. By the sounds of it, this person was a big collector.
That seller has had some neat pieces! Was wondering if it was a collector we knew from the forums but probably not if the items have been stored for 30 years.
Enjoying your progress on this one!
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Great progress Rich!
Seeing it running put a smile on my face.
Please keep us posted on your progress.
Thanks Charlie!
Here is the top base painted, I ran out of my old can of Dupli-Color Bright Red BGM0398 so I still have the bottom side to do. Then shoot it with clear for protection. I'll not get the battery cover done this week, as it is going to my brothers for a good stand blasting the rusty pits on the outside and the horrid rust on the inside.
Edit:
In case you are wondering, the two bare holes are for the battery tray & rivets. This is how it was when I pulled it apart (but better formed). This is so the tray touches the base, which allows the positive power from the batteries to reach the flywheel shaft when it engages (kind of like a short / spark). Which also means the stand off holes for the flywheel have to be bare metal too. That allows the coils to make a magnetized field to attract/pull the bar.
The stand-offs were easier with toothpicks broken off into the holes. The tray holes I used a screw & o'rings but that didn't work very well but it should work (and will be hidden by the tray when it is re-riveted into place).
[attach=1]
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Great progress Rich!
Seeing it running put a smile on my face.
Please keep us posted on your progress.
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A little be ago the eBay Seller (https://www.ebay.com/str/estatebuyersinmo) replied with a little information about the B-44
We worked with a family member that had this collection stored in there garage untouched for 30 years. We have sold close to 200 different types of steam engines over the last few months.
I have a feeling before the engine went into storage 30 years ago it was likely in good shape, if not perfect shape. By the sounds of it, this person was a big collector.
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Thanks Bruce!
I have the first pass of primer on the base, tomorrow I think I'll get one more good pass after I got it sanded. That should help the divots from the battery acid / rust on the deck. Though the worst of it is under the batter tray. Though the battery cover will be heading to my brother's so he can give it a good sand blasting. It likely will need some bondo before primer.
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Nice progress Richard, your doing this plant up right ! Its going to look & run real nice when you get er' done.😊
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Now with the little bits polished a bit and new shrink wrap on the coil wires. The base, battery tray & cover stripped and rough sanded. My brother is coming down to Kyle and I am going to have him take the base/tray/cover for sand blasting. That rust just keeps on giving but I got a lot of it, expect for inside of the battery cover. It's hard to get any progress inside of the cover.
To bad the cover for the coil is pitted, other wise I think it would shine up really nicely.
Now to search for what that black electrical cover is made of and made a new one. Though I could use black rubber as it is sandwiched between the outer cover and the end cap.
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Thanks guys!
I started cleaning. The flywheel is cast white metal, shines up nicely. Though I believe I'll paint the spokes red, like we see in the 1935 Empire illustration. I then disassembled the engine, only snag was my drill slipped when I was removing the inner battery cover rivet that separates the negative from the battery case (darn it).
My focus now is the battery acid/rust off the battery tray. I have a lot of that KBS rust chemical so I have been dipping it. Then wire brush, Dremel tool, sanding, rise & repeat. I am thinking I'll need to do electrolysis. Which if I setup a electrolysis dip, then I can use that on the battery cover, the rust inside the cover I actually think is worse than the battery tray!
The base is going to be pretty easy to clean up, compared to the battery tray/cover. Anyways, here is a photo and the progress I have made on the tray (back into the rust dip it goes).
Edit: Oh, I thought someone worked on this engine before because it looked like it had modern shrink tube. Nope, that's original going over the coil's wire that has been extended out to the lever & negative battery connection.
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Neat engine Rich, interesting video. 😊
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Thank you for showing it running here. You have a unicorn!
Happy New Year..!!
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gdCOnQPJj2g
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Here's a first look of the Empire B-44 Engine. I only did some light rust cleaning and some slight adjustments on the linkages.
Now what to do about its shape... pretty sure I can get it painted okay but the nickel not really in my wheel house of skills. Perhaps I could find a restorer to do a proper job on it. I think it is well worth the price to have it done properly.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ACARWQtBWAs