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 April 10, 2026, 02:30:50 pm
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Sounds like a little dimensional finesse wins the day!
I suppose you could call it that! Looking back its a bit funny how this pressure valve stumped me but I have to say has been fun figuring out something new :-)
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Sounds like a little dimensional finesse wins the day!
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A little update. I got in my 5mm sight glass from McMaster-Carr, which is a bang on replacement of the original one (that broke during disassembly). Even if I didn't bust it, I would likely have replaced it, shinny new glass always looks nice.
Other than worrying about the threads on my pressure valve, I believe I have its seal all sorted. Unless I find something better, which is doubtful, my 5mm OD x 3mm ID (wall thickness 1mm) Flexible Silicone tubing cut to a hair over 1mm in length is working well. I did buy some 2mm brass bar stock off Amazon, which fit perfectly into the center of my p/v stem. The original brass bar in the p/v was just slightly undersized, IMO. It kept wanting to slip into the seal. I snapped a new bar of the Amazon stuff and filed the length to fit, so it was long enough to be just over the edge of the seal but not so long as to touch the sides of the inner valve wall.
Its hard to get a clear photo but you should see how the silicon seal isn't touching the inner valve wall, nor is the brass pin touching the wall but the pin is just long enough to give max downward pressure without slipping into the seal. After a steam up test, zero leaking from the stem.
[attachimg=1]
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This is my fix for that style SV, but not original:
(Attachment Link)
That's a cool solution, as is your whistle base for these engines. I hope your store is opened up again some day. The pressure valve base would be great for steaming and then keeping the original on during display. They would likely look really good if they were nickeled.
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This is my fix for that style SV, but not original:
[attachimg=3]
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That's a nice running #34, my brother has one and its a wonderful engine! I have to agree with you, these big jacketed engines are darn fun to run.
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Gotta love those big Weedens
I also had questions regarding the S/V. Mine was in
pieces but looked complete - but how to reassemble it
wasn't obvious. As you can see from the photo, I fussed
till it looks like a normal S/V and it worked as it should.
I'm sure it was originally some obtuse S/V setup a Weeden
engineer thought up when hung-over.
As for mine, At least the coarse threads it screws into are
in good shape. It looks like hell, but I'm not taking it out
just to pretty it up. I don't want to stress the inner threads
as I've read they are prone to stripping.
I added a photo of the S/V and a video of it running. Gotta love it.
https://youtu.be/rf-fXmM27N4
Happy steaming,
Wayne
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Found a #34 that sold on eBay and it has a good shot of its pressure valve - no idea if it is original or done by a previous owner but it seems I am on the right track
[attachimg=1]
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I was running the #10 this morning on a really good flame, I had extended all three and flared it out. This thing will fly and nearly move itself. Then I started running it as slow as I could, letting it stop and starting it back up at slow speed again. After about 3 of these cycles I got a real good "scare jump", the #10's pressure valve popped. Well, I don't think it popped but my o-ring did. The 670's didn't seem to care about the pressure.
So, it works - kind of, since it was the o-ring. It doesn't actually fit well, its scrunched in. I had to stuff it back down with my little jeweler's screw driver.
Edit:
I had a bright idea, that seems to be working pretty good. I am using some of my 3mm ID x 5mm OD Flexible Silicone tubing. See last two attached images. I fiddle with the pressure valve steam whilst it was full on steam and it blew steam, though it took a bit to get it reset & sealed. I think perhaps 4mm ID x 6mm OD might work better.
[attachimg=1]
[attachimg=2]
[attachimg=3]
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@Weedensteam / Frank - might you be able to explain how the pressure valve seals? Currently, the center shaft doesn't have any kind of seal/washer - which I assume goes underneath the brass keeper? Right now I have a o-ring in there but its pretty jammed in there and very unlikely to release any steam.
[attachimg=1]
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Longer demo video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1iJ8bXgnOPc
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I got myself a Weeden #10 off eBay last weekend, boy did I have fun getting it to run! I think this is a pretty rare engine, as compared to the other Jacketed Engines?
First off, if it isn't apparent I am missing the whistle - so I'll be looking for one of those. As you can see from the little video I have a cork in the hole. That was easy, the rest of the issues where a bit of a challenge.
Two of the steam lines had hairline cracks. The one from the stream dome and the one coming of from the piston. I disassembled the engine, which was pretty easy, and took apart most of the plumbing lines. I wasn't able to get the pipe off the piston. I then used my large Weller soldering iron to seal the hairline cracks. I have to say, I am very happy - the one from the steam dome, its crack is on the bottom, so its rather hard to see my repair.
When I disassembled the engine, the next issue screamed out at me - the whistle shaft had a previous owner's (piss poor) repair. This was the hardest one to fix because getting everything clean for new solder isn't fun. I just glad you can't see it because the steel jacket and the collar keeps it hidden.
Lastly, the Pressure valve - the threads are nearly 100% stripped and required quite a bit of Teflon tape. Even then it isn't actually tight. If that isn't enough, steam just blows the center apparatus and I can't seem to figure how it is suppose to seal. For now, I stuff a o-ring inside until I figure how it actually works (seals).
Here is a little video, basically a miracle I got it running.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eqp4RYHDJ_0