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Author Topic: Jensen #25/25G "powerhouse" live steam plant  (Read 582 times)

St Paul Steam

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Jensen #25/25G "powerhouse" live steam plant
« on: October 27, 2019, 12:19:49 pm »
Hello folks
Just finished this steam plant which I affectionally call my Jensen #25/25G "Powerhouse" live steam plant, it features 2 Jensen #25's linked together with a brand neiw Jensen 3" immersion rod boiler, the Jensen #15 generator is  brand new & has been modified with a 4" axle replacing the stock 3" axle, (2) 4 tiered pulleys & (2) sealed roller ball bearing in the axle supports, it is also controlled with a switch on the adjoining #25 to turn the light on & off without unscrewing the bulb, the generator can also act as a transmission. The plant #1 drive pulley & the #15 genny pulleys are a matched set & the one belt is all that's needed to go through the different ratio's.
The left engine (plant -1) also has sealed ball bearings installed, brass faux governor balls & painted cap to match the boiler, the boiler is a brand New Jensen 3' immersion rod type & has a special "banjo" pressure gauge & Teflon porthole gaskets installed , the chimney support has a lug to hold the chimney in place, the firebox is painted with "burnt copper" VHT paint . plant #-2 also has the same treatment as plant #1, the windmill is specially built as a reproduction of a windmill in a early 1990's Jensen advertisement....but never actually produced, special care was used to capture the original example as much as possible, red painted fan tips, red painted ladder, & professionally acrylic machine printed logo & lettering, the base has a faux Oak water pump with sealer roller ball bearings installed & 2 custom pulleys, the pump can also be used as a transmission to drive other accessories. the Oak plywood plinth is 18 1/2" x 16" & 3/4" thick, the plant weighs 10lbs 11 oz. (no water) the plinth has many layers of polyurethane.  much time was taken to have the engines perform to the best of their abilities. the plant has a custom identity tag on the rear.













A video of it in operation...


Bruce, St. Paul Indiana, USA
"Originality thrives in seclusion free of outside influences beating upon us to cripple the creative mind."
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Nick

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Re: Jensen #25/25G "powerhouse" live steam plant
« Reply #1 on: October 27, 2019, 12:51:04 pm »
Amazing what you come up with Bruce, and as I said in the video comments, the switch looks like it was meant to be there from the factory. Very clever.

I'm also really liking your professionally printed logos/lettering  8)
Nick

Swift Fox

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Re: Jensen #25/25G "powerhouse" live steam plant
« Reply #2 on: October 27, 2019, 01:30:29 pm »
Another fantastic St Paul Steam creation!!! ;D
Your nose is before your eyes, so trust it first!

Pitchy

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Re: Jensen #25/25G "powerhouse" live steam plant
« Reply #3 on: October 27, 2019, 02:00:51 pm »
What can a man say other than it`s beautiful, great work as always Bruce  8) 8) 8)

IndianaRog

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Re: Jensen #25/25G "powerhouse" live steam plant
« Reply #4 on: October 27, 2019, 04:22:13 pm »
Bruce, I love the creativity and attention to every detail that went into this setup...very, very nice!

Rog
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Jim

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Re: Jensen #25/25G "powerhouse" live steam plant
« Reply #5 on: October 27, 2019, 06:42:39 pm »
Wow Bruce, you've outdone yourself.....fantastic!
_______________________________________________
Cheers.
Jim

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jkbixby

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Re: Jensen #25/25G "powerhouse" live steam plant
« Reply #6 on: October 28, 2019, 05:19:43 am »
That's definitely another great creation Bruce - a really nice power plant in the Jensen tradition.
Regards,
Larry

St Paul Steam

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Re: Jensen #25/25G "powerhouse" live steam plant
« Reply #7 on: October 28, 2019, 05:24:51 am »
Amazing what you come up with Bruce, and as I said in the video comments, the switch looks like it was meant to be there from the factory. Very clever.

I'm also really liking your professionally printed logos/lettering  8)
Thanks Nick, I had to talk myself into drilling the hole for the switch...lol , I know its just a #25/75 base & they're common.....but it still went against my nature. I'm also finally happy with the printing on the fins, I always strive to get things as perfect as they can/should be.....& I am pleased with what my trophy/plaque shop guy has been able to do for me.
Bruce, St. Paul Indiana, USA
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St Paul Steam

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Re: Jensen #25/25G "powerhouse" live steam plant
« Reply #8 on: October 28, 2019, 05:33:32 am »
Bruce, I love the creativity and attention to every detail that went into this setup...very, very nice!

Rog
thanks Roger, I strive to get everything "just right" and good detail is what I think sets things apart from the Norm, I probably spend hrs on each engine adjusting this way ….or that way, & when you put ball bearings in the axle mounts there is a lot of adjusting to be done, the mounts never needed to be very straight originally for a simple axle to go through a drilled out hole , but when you add a bearing with a collar it must be as close to parallel as possible, which entails a lot of micro adjusting to run true & freely, the Generator by far benefits from bearings being installed , but as Jensen found out  ...its a lot of tedious adjusting & they discontinued it for that reason (by there own admission)
Bruce, St. Paul Indiana, USA
"Originality thrives in seclusion free of outside influences beating upon us to cripple the creative mind."
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St Paul Steam

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Re: Jensen #25/25G "powerhouse" live steam plant
« Reply #9 on: October 28, 2019, 05:36:36 am »
That's definitely another great creation Bruce - a really nice power plant in the Jensen tradition.
thank you Larry
I really strive to keep a Jensen as much like Mr. Jensen would have made it , I reuse all Jensen parts when I can , or fabricate them in the Jensen style.
Bruce, St. Paul Indiana, USA
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RedRyder

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Re: Jensen #25/25G "powerhouse" live steam plant
« Reply #10 on: October 28, 2019, 07:02:50 am »
Hi Bruce, Ditto everything above and.....
You've created an absolutely superb twin engine steam plant.!


Well done, my friend..... Very well done...!!!

Also, I really like your light switch for the line shaft generator.
May I suggest that switch, mounted on the aluminum base, would be a great addition to the stand alone lineshaft generators that you build from time to time.



Gil

St Paul Steam

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Re: Jensen #25/25G "powerhouse" live steam plant
« Reply #11 on: October 28, 2019, 08:25:38 am »
Also, I really like your light switch for the line shaft generator.
May I suggest that switch, mounted on the aluminum base, would be a great addition to the stand alone lineshaft generators that you build from time to time.



Gil
Great  suggestion Gil , I had already bought a small quantity of those switches to do just such a thing , unfortunately Jensen mfg. is out of the #15 generators and doesn't know when they might produce more 😐
Bruce, St. Paul Indiana, USA
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krypto31337

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Re: Jensen #25/25G "powerhouse" live steam plant
« Reply #12 on: October 28, 2019, 11:01:30 am »
Cool!  That's a neat display!

I've found that ball bearings in the newer generators definitely make them perform better.  The shaft in aluminum hole isn't nearly as nice as a bearing surface as the old cast iron bases.
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txlabman

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Re: Jensen #25/25G "powerhouse" live steam plant
« Reply #13 on: October 28, 2019, 11:23:44 am »
You Rock Bruce!

Agree with Nick on the switch.

Is this a keeper or are we going to see this one on eBay? 🤠

St Paul Steam

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Re: Jensen #25/25G "powerhouse" live steam plant
« Reply #14 on: October 28, 2019, 11:31:20 am »
Cool!  That's a neat display!

I've found that ball bearings in the newer generators definitely make them perform better.  The shaft in aluminum hole isn't nearly as nice as a bearing surface as the old cast iron bases.
you're exactly right, Gil and I were just talking about that very thing , it's very time-consuming to get those upright bearing supports as parallel as possible...but worth it for a lifetime of Superior performance 😉👍
Bruce, St. Paul Indiana, USA
"Originality thrives in seclusion free of outside influences beating upon us to cripple the creative mind."
  Nikola Tesla