My 5" scale steamroller project

[bcall2043]

Allen,

You have a great story and project photos going here. Keep the progress reports coming.

I'm liking your story because it makes me feel better to know I am not the only one with long term projects. The wife says I spend too much time thinking about them and looking for just the right (cheap) part for the next bit of project progress.

Benny

 

[Allen]

Biggish update! I got a lot of weird little things done, some I have pix of, some didn't come out.
One that the pic didn't come out was the exhaust piping inside the smokebox. It was pretty much a 3 handed job with room for none. Things got really interesting when the stupid channel locks slipped, hit the trouble light and sprayed broken glass and sparks in my face... there's a REASON I always get polycarb lenses!

If you remember the test fire from 2010, then you'll recall this boiler doesn't draw worth a hoot (it was originally designed for an undermounted, with the typical short chimney) So in order to help the boiler draft better I decided I needed to lengthen the stack.... Just how tall was the question. The piece I had to splice on was just a LITTLE BIT too long


I cut it off the same height as the top of the governor. But it still wasn't right. (A spark arrestor will be made from this wing fryer basket I found at a flea market for 50c, more on that in a day or three)


So I tried once again, this time I think it looks acceptable. If you've ever used little Ridgid pipe cutters to do household plumbing, here's one on steroids... It will cut up to 6"


On to something interesting. I got this lever off the same manure spreader the wheels came from. It will make a dandy Johnson bar.


And hooked up. The notches for forward and reverse are only about an inch apart.


Some very light used 3" channel made a good looking countershaft shield


Then I worked on the feedwater piping some more, but didn't take a pic

I thought long and hard about how to do the depressed section of the platform. I really wanted to use 5/4 wolmanized like the upper platform, but also needed to make the whole thing strong enough to be used as a tie down point when the roller gets trailered. Well, I had this bit of diamond plate seasoning in the shed, so I decided to go the lazy route and just use it to make the depressed section. I may bolt wood to it later.


The bunker supports are done. They hold my weight without moving. I need to get a couple bulkhead connectors yet, before I mount the hotdog coolers, but I'm actually pleased with how it looks so far.


I had to quit early because I had a meeting, so that's all for this update. thanks for looking!

 

[Allen]

I promised to get back to the spark arrestor, so that is today's update. Guys who run the live steam in the grand scales are quite welcome to borrow my design....

This thing is a real high dollar deal. 50c for the wing basket, plus $3 for a weather flange. The stainless basket will probably outlast 3 or 4 flanges, but that's OK. Both will be easily replaceable.


The axles just snapped off (some baskets don't even have them), then I cut a hole the size of the chimney internal diameter in one end and removed the internal paddles


Six screw holes drilled in the weather flange will allow it to be attached firmly to the basket, yet still easily separated.


I also bent the excess flange up around the edges of the basket to make it look a bit more 'professional"


approximately 20 minutes work, and it was done. When I go over next I'll mount it on the stack.

 

[Allen]

Weekend Update (And no, I'm still not Chevy Chase):
The weather flange was a bit oversized, so I 'cold forged' an adaptor ring out of flat bar


I also bent the handle for the hand pump to go through the 'window' in the side plate while I was in the blacksmith shop.


Aaand, spark arrestor installed. I'll drill it for a couple retaining screws when I mount the bunkers.


The final drive chains took an hour or so to get them both right. Mostly because there's no provision for a tightener. We had to run to the store for half (offset) links. I'll mount wick lubricators later to keep the chains from wearing too much. Oil is always a LOT cheaper than hard parts.


About twelve years ago I found these military surplus cable controls at a flea market. I think I gave $10 for them. They are handsome, but useless to me as-is


So the first order of business was to tear it apart. The frames are aluminum and won't be used, but the levers themselves are good cast with brass hardware.


One was stripped to use as a throttle


Installation started. This was the best solution I could think of that didn't require attaching them directly to the boiler.


The cable plate from the levers just happened to be drilled with the proper spacing to use it on the cylinder drains. I'll probably grind it dogbone shaped just for looks before we're done.


Meanwhile, I gave the coolers a base coat while I had grey out to paint the supports under them. Next time I'll fasten them down with sheetmetal screws.


Next weekend is Portersville's Fall show, so whatever I get done Monday will be whatever it looks like for a while. We'll have steam cooked apple butter and steam pressed cider for sale during the show, too.

 

[Old Iron]

Looking good Allen, I hope you put a movie of it running across the field.
Paul

 

[12bolts]

Good to see progress still happenning Allen.
As an aside, what is a "wing basket"?

Cheers Phil

 

[Allen]

Phil, A wing basket is an attachment made for a commercial deep fryer. It's cylindrical and enclosed because it connects to a small motor (or even a hand crank) so it can slowly rotate - to keep chicken wings from sticking together. Mine is expanded mesh. I've also seen them made from heavy screen.

 

[Allen]

Well, today was probably the last uninterrupted day to work on this thing until after the fall show (Tomorrow starts apple peeling for apple butter). So I got some stuff done that I had been putting off.
The first order of business was to change out the throttle valve. Why? Because somebody "made me an offer I couldn't resist" for the butterfly valve... and it simplified the throttle reach rod geometry in the process, anyway.

Old layout with butterfly throttle valve: throttle reach rod and pressure gauge would have tried to occupy the same space.



Butterfly valve (right), and the steam rated ball valve which will replace it.


To get the handle to point in the right direction, a little cut and weld was in order.


Now the handle, when fully closed, is just beyond parallel with the pipe rather than perpendicular to it.


The reach rod now runs alongside the gauge with just a bit of room to spare.


I also timed the engine (I simply hadn't reset it after I made the new crankshaft) and installed the governor belt. Every step towards completion reminds me of 3 more things I still have to do.

One thing I'm having a bit of trouble locating is bulkhead fittings for bottom of the coolers.

 

[Allen]

A couple weeks ago Ben brazed the sprocket to the dog clutch for me (I'm out of gas, and too broke to buy more)


Cleaned up and ready to install


One of those many little parts that needed made, the front roll brace is 5/8"x 1" solid bar.


Kim had a director's meeting this evening so I went over to finish up a few things before they got misplaced. Today may well have been the last day to work on this until spring. It was 39*F in the boilerhouse according to the thermometer hanging on the wall. My fingers got so numb I didn't realize how hot a piece of metal was until I'd already burnt them. So I spent the remainder of the evening trying to work wearing welding gloves...

First I fitted the #40 primary drive chain. I thought I did good with cold fingers, I only dropped it 3 times


Then I ground a custom key for the crankshaft (and burnt my fingers with it... Who needs fingerprints anyway?). I still need to change the bolt in the flywheel hub for a shorter one or a setscrew.


And finally, I started to assemble the clutch throwout before I forgot how I wanted to do it. The brackets and linkages will be built in place because of all the stuff they have to clear.


Maybe we'll have a couple nice days in a row in December to work... Unfortunately, even if we get them, it will probably take 2 or 3 days to pull the chill out of the metal. (I don't have a torpedo heater, and little ceramic cubes don't put out enough heat)

 

[Allen]

Well, winter was longer and colder than expected, and I spent much of my spare time and $$ helping a friend who was having health & marital problems, anyway.

But I found a few small needed pieces in some scrap and swarf that was headed to be recycled this week. So I finally made a little progress. Starting with the mounting bracket.


A bit further along. One man's useless junk is another's "just what I've been looking for"


Still needs a quadrant and handle (and oiler), but is already fully functional.


Next up? Finish the hand pump and see about side tanks.