Paddleducks
Other Marine Models => Live steam => Topic started by: Underpressure on December 31, 2009, 08:18:40 AM
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Having just returned to steam boating after a bit of a layoff, I have been dusting off old projects and starting new ones.
One of the old projects is a poorly made Trojan that came in an open launch which should never have had a steam engine in it. The boat was converted to electric and the engine put to one side. I can only imagine this engine was started by one person and finished by another as the piston / cylinder assemblies are fine, the base on the other hand....well, less said the better.
I fancy trying my hand at a little restoration project and I wondered whether the casting set offered by Reeves is any good. I know castings can vary in accuracy and quality, but I have no experience of Reeves products.
I have a little Unimat SL1000 lathe with milling capability, although it is a l o n g time since I have used either. I think a few test pieces on scrap material are in order before we start any work in ernest.
Anyway, comments on casting or better ways of going about the job would be welcomed.
Neil
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Neil , welcome to paddleducks,
I have not see one before ,but looked it up ,should be able to make a new base out
of brass or alloy plate chain drill holes and if you have a vertical slide then you should be able to machine it ok as it is quite small.
if you get really stuck send me a simple drawing of the base ie length x width x height i will see what comes out of the junk box.
i am very wary of castings, most I seem to see are very poor,look for lost wax castings
if you can find them these are much better quality,I have a stationary engine in casting form from my late father which was a bought item from a well known ME supplier,the castings are of either poor or worse, a project for another day.
Steven
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Steven,
thanks for the reply.
I am looking at all options at present, which is why I asked the question. I know AJ Reeves had a good reputation in the ME world, as my Father in Law has used them over the years when building loco's, but I also know that tooling and moulds wear out.
There is an engine on the market called Isis (I have seen it on ebay) which is pretty much the same design as Trojan, and that seems to use a machined base that would be pretty straightforward to copy, or alternatively I could just hone my machining and silver soldering skills by repairing the existing base, all options are open.
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neil,
I found a drawing of the base,
I would use a 1/8 brass plate drill holes to suit turned bushes then make a 1/8 thick x 1/4 wide strip to go
underneath but flush with the sides giving the correct shape and look, add a strip underneath
for the crankpin strengthener then silver solder it all up as it gives a reasonably good colour match,then polish it up it would make a better visual aspect and be worthwhile
that is how I would do it
Regards
Steven
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I've been looking at Bogstandards 'scrap bin' twin design, which is pretty similar in some aspects. Your right, it would be pretty easy to fabricate the base and then use some form of 'feet' to allow for the height of the flywheel.
Neil
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Here's a pic of my build of Bogs' engine, built at 1.5x scale:
(http://www.pbase.com/kvom/image/121258618/medium.jpg)
This is a display model operating on compressed air, and hence has a manual reversing gear and no displacement oiler.
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Oh that is very nice.
If you get bored with it, I can probably find a use for it :)
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John [bogstandard] Moore would be proud of your build ....KVOM :beer - Derek
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Not my engine I'm afraid Derek, I wish I had the knowledge and the skill.
It is a good'un though, no doubt about it.
Neil