Winner Yulee Sugar Mill Model

[jumps4]

hello i'm new here and not working in my shop much anymore due to health but I thought i would post a few pics of a project that is not completed yet and I have been working on for more than 4 years when health permits this is the yulee sugar mill in crystal river florida it was made by the novelty iron works in new york and shipped to florida the mill only ran for 10 years before the north blew up the plantantion with gun boats. the mill probably only ran 10 times once a year around christmas at harvest and was abandoned after the plantation was destroyed and slavery abollished. the mill was picked apart probably by blacksmiths as a source of metal the earliest photos i can find show it with most of the parts small enough to remove already gone. so it took me a lot of research and by locating mounting holes on the original frame i was able to compare other engines of the time and locate the missing parts in their correct locations I intend to donate it to a museum in the town it is located in if I ever get it done
It will run on as little a 3 psi and the gov does work there are a lot of parts made but not mounted
the only parts I did not make are the small screws cnc was not used untill after the engine parts were completed the cylinder was cast as a block and machined out
I made all my gear cutters and tooling i started with only a small lathe and mill and no tooling so most of my tooling i made myself not able to afford
I am not a machinist and enjoyed the ability to change the plans as mistakes arose lol
I used my change gears to make an index at the beginning
I know have managed to build a sherline cnc lathe and mill that help a lot
If i cant finish this I'm going to try to find someone locally to complete it possibly
nuff said I have a lot more pics if interested
steve

 

[jumps4]

A few more pics

 

[bcall2043]

Hi Steve,

Welcome to the forum. That is an great project. I have never seen a engine driven sugar mill before.

I saw my first sugar cane mill here in middle Tennessee at the state fair about ten or so years ago. It was driven by a mule walking in a circle around the mill. It kind of bogs my head down to think about doing fields of cane that way. I just recently saw two more of this mill type at the scrap yard. Before anyone asks I was told they had been adopted and were to be restored. I love the old machines that made this country and hate to see them go. Its sad no one saved the one you are modeling but good you are saving it in another form for others to see and enjoy.

Benny

 

[jumps4]

Hi Steve,

Welcome to the forum. That is an great project. I have never seen a engine driven sugar mill before.

I saw my first sugar cane mill here in middle Tennessee at the state fair about ten or so years ago. It was driven by a mule walking in a circle around the mill. It kind of bogs my head down to think about doing fields of cane that way. I just recently saw two more of this mill type at the scrap yard. Before anyone asks I was told they had been adopted and were to be restored. I love the old machines that made this country and hate to see them go. Its sad no one saved the one you are modeling but good you are saving it in another form for others to see and enjoy.

Benny

thank you benny
it took a lot of research to get to where i am on it no two steam engines of that time were alike the technology was changing so fast by the time the castings cooled new plans were on the table
the novelty iron works that built this, built ships. they built the cast iron armour that was on the monitor from the historic battle of the first iron clads of the cival war
thanks
steve

 

[core-oil]

Jumps 4 That is a most commendable piece of workmanship, Thanks for sharing

 

[jimbob]

I live in Citrus County, Fl. about 20 miles or so from the Yulee Sugar Mill. Nice to see some one making a model. Every time I am in the area I stop and walk around the old mill.

If you come to see the mill make sure to stop in the Homossasa Wildlife Park right down the road.

 

[Tenn]

Interesting to read about something I've been to
My Grandpa used to live in Crystal River so I've been to the sugar mill and the wildlife park. Both are worthwhile sites to visit.

Steve you've got your work cut out for you, just keep plugging away...steady wins the race...even if you're like me and steady by jerks .

 

[rickard]

That good sir is way beyond the coolest thing I ever saw. If I had had that mill, I might still be living with my Last GF I'd have moved the motorcycle out of the living room and installed a boiler in the Fireplace I truly think a Sugar Mill like that could have been the perfect Fix for our Relationship! First it would have got rid of that Motorcycle she HATED in the living room! Seconds we would have spent a LOT more time in front of a Fire with light twinkling off the governor balls (how Romantic)

Sad truth is if I had the skill to recreate that mill it would be running 24/7 in the living room

 

[jumps4]

thanks guys
this is no where near done if you look close you can see parts that are just thrown on
"I had to see it run" so I hurried some pieces they will be replaced
this motor only has one main bearing on the engine frame so I had to build the next frame and bearing mount everything before I even knew if it ran
wish I could post a short video It sounds so kewl running at 5 psi, you can hear the air in the piston change direction
this is my second motor. nothing from the flywheel to the cylinder was made with cnc I could not afford blocks of aluminum so i melted down things and poured blocks and roundstock moldmaking is an art i'm no good at, yet. I'm no machinist this is simply sculpture with machine tools I have a pile of parts that look like they might fit....
I built a prototype it ran first try but it looked like a box of rocks in motion lol
but it gave me the courage to try
hey jimbob i'll give you a holler the next time i'm going to the mill to measure or something. I'm in port richey
maybe have some coffee

best wishes
steve

here is a pick of the prototype

 

[jumps4]

I hope this works i'm trying to post a youtube of my sugar mill running
steve


[video=youtube;Y0lB-rBMll8]