Stuart Beam Engine

[5tmorris]

Time to make the Plummer blocks. Let’s try super glue
.
Well that didn’t work very well. You can see where the glue failed and the tool dug in. Should have listened to Joe Py.

Need to drill and tap so I can bolt the halves together,

Now lets turn the faces.

Much better. I tried boring them on the lathe using the ruined part shown above and learned that the red brass would catch the bits and reamer and leave a mess. So I decided to do the boring on the mill. Locate the base and center set the bore center
.
Drill and ream. Check with a gauge pin. Good fit.

Use the gauge pin to check center and drill holes for the base and oil cup.

Everything fits and the beam pivots without binding.

Next up the watts parallel motion links and miscellaneous parts

 

[5tmorris]

Made a bunch of small parts for the Watts Parallel motion assembly. Register edge, drill holes and shape on the sanding belt
.
Also turned the pivots and shafts. I need to work on my shaping skills on the sanding belt. Aesthetics is obviously not my strong suit.

Time to figure out if I should move on to the cylinder or work on the crank and valve assembly.

 

[Janderso]

Outstanding
You pulled it off just fine.

 

[5tmorris]

Been a while since I worked on the beam engine. First the holidays and then an interlude to loop around Florida by boat. When I got back to working on the beam engine I decided to work on the crank and pulleys. When I made the drive shaft I found a 3 thou taper in 4 inches. So I spent some time adjusting my lathe. And then I check my mill and found a 4 thou nod over 6 inches. So shim, check, shim, check.... Finally finished and both machines are tuned in to a few tenths. So I will be posting more as I finish up the pulley and other components on the drive shaft.

 

[5tmorris]

As stated above, it's been a while since I worked on the beam engine. I figured if I was going to make a mess machining Iron I may as well get it all done at once. So here goes. Let's start with the pulley, face off and turn to diameter



Need to make a form tool to machine the grooves so I got to spend some quality time with my grinder.
Actually, turned out pretty well, I'll just call it a happy accident.


Drill and tap the grub screw(watching too much Kieth Appleton) and done.

If you didn't notice I also turned the eccentric. Pretty straight forward off center turning project. Had it done before I remembered to take pictures.


Now on to the flywheel. How do I hold it so it doesn't chatter and wale like a banshee. Hint, this isn't the way.
This worked much better, but I had to turn registration surfaces so I could turn it and dial it in(it isn't out by 3 thou!).

Turn the surfaces, drill and ream.



Crank will be up next.

 

[werz99]

Seeing the pictures I have to get one of these kits. - Nice work!

 

[5tmorris]

Seeing the pictures I have to get one of these kits. - Nice work!

Wohnen sie in Salzburg? Ich habe in Lenzing gearbietet.

 

[werz99]

yes, I am living in the town salzburg). ...as we see the world is very small

 

[Janderso]

yes, I am living in the town salzburg). ...as we see the world is very small

My son spent a month working on a farm in Salzburg a few years ago. Enjoyed the family and the beautiful scenery.
He is 32. There are vineyards there correct?

 

[werz99]

No, this is more in the east in lower austria "weinviertel","wachau", south of vienna, burgenland (near hungary), styria where the climate is mild and the landscape got no mountains - only hills.