Making a piston valve engine from mainly junk materials

[bogstandard]

With a long series ball ended allen key
It is a bit of an optical effect but the flange on the u-tube is offset to allow the u- tube to miss the pipe below it. If I hadn't have done that way, it would have meant a very complicated silver soldering and port drilling exercise to keep the pressure and exhaust separate, which would have entailed using a 5/8" dia., six fluted, 90 tooth, square section, unique left/right cutting, brass plated plug tap, which I have misplaced somewhere, so I had to take the easy way out and offset the flange.

John

[derekwarner_decoy]

deleted................. Derek

[oldie]

I would have made some comment, but the technical jargon is beyond me.   If there are no electrons, then its not for me.   I will just say that it is a superb piece of work, and I am envious that I do not have those talents.   Well done.

[Hank]

How about that, 14 pages.  Too bad this could not be editeded down some and poted on our filea secton in zip so it could be down lowded easily.

Hank

[bogstandard]

Oldie,
Everyone has a talent, but wouldn't life be boring if we all did the same thing, I am sure that you have a talent that I am envious of.

Hi Hank,
Have a word with Eddie, he might be able to do it.
I have all the pics and sketches plus vids but not the text, if that is any use to you.

John

[TFL45]

For what it's worth, I have taken the liberty of combining most of John's text (and some of the comments) into a single document (MS Word). I'm in the process of inserting the pictures/sketches as appropriate but reducing them in size, which may limit their usefulness for someone using the document as a 'how-to' manual.

Solution may be to produce the package in two parts: (1) the text (with small pictures); and (2) a separate compilation of the pictures/sketches in full size, cross-referenced accordingly. However, file size may be an issue - I'm only half-way through page 3 of John's postings and already the file is close to 4 megs :cry:  

Will work on it and see what develops. Be warned, however, that John can doubtless produce a steam engine quicker than I can replicate his instructions on how to do it! :

[crash93]

John this chap is Almost as quick as you but your flywheels are round and not nearly round like these.

Peter


http://www.grahamind.com/movies.html

[bogstandard]

Bit too slow for me Peter, but I suppose it could be speeded up a little with a bit more programming.
But it does go to show that engineering in that sense is a fast disappearing art form, soon most stuff will be made by programmers rather than artisan machinists.

John

[steamboatmodel]

It looks to me like he does not have his stook positioned acuratly for the flywheel, if I was running it I would change the tool radius setting for that final two passes on the outside of the wheel which would give you a slightly smaller wheel, but one which is fully machined.
Regards,
Gerald
PS the Programmer can be just as artistic as an artisan machinists

[bogstandard]

Hi Steamboat,
There was never any reference to programmers being non artistic, in fact they have the capabilities to produce items in minutes that would take weeks by hand machining, and to a more finite degree to artistic licence if so required.
What I was inferring is that manual engineering is on a downward spiral decline, in fact two machine shops in my area have closed in the last six months.
Going are the days when you could stroll down to a workshop and ask them to knock a few thou off this, or weld it up and machine it back to size.
It is for this reason I receive many calls a month asking for me to do 'just jobs' in my home workshop, and I try to accommodate as much as possible but I personally cannot hope to cover all the jobs that require doing.
Large workshops cannot get enough work to keep everyone employed and small one man bands like myself who do it as a hobby can't keep up with demand. Where do we go from here?

John

[crash93]

John

I've just got some stepper motors and some spare lead screws or whatever they call them on mills . I've been wanting to do this this for a number of years. its not that I think it will turn me in to a great engineer its just so I can get all the openings for windows about the sameish size in wood plastic or brass. I've just spent 3 days making ally window frames for a boat five in all just thin ally hoops , it is taking longer to polish them another 4 days up to now and my hands are like ballons so ill have a break  John when is your show you have been building for and what is the acess like.Peter

[bogstandard]

Hi Peter,
I know exactly how you feel about the cutting and polishing, but I enjoy doing it all by hand, and the feeling when it is all done and dusted is great. Gives me a grin for days with the feeling of a job well done.
The show at Malpas is on the 8th & 9th of September. If it is wheelchair access you are on about I wouldn't recommend it as it is set in a small sort of valley with grass slopes everywhere, but you cannot blame the organizers because it is a large show and they have to take what they can get, not many farmers want their ploughing done at that time of year.

John

[lner]

the text is so small....the question is..."how did you tighten this SHCS [socket head cap screw] ....an answer of a...'bald headed  : woman or a ball headed allen key is not acceptable'  

I have a nice set of Hex drivers. Basically a screwdriver with an allen key head.  They are available from almost any hobby store.  

I race RC Cars and they are an absolute necessity.

[derekwarner_decoy]

Hi PD's ....& as our John.......... [bogstandard] says....

Large workshops cannot get enough work to keep everyone employed and small one man bands like myself who do it as a hobby can't keep up with demand. Where do we go from here?

...it is the same here in OZ, the best apprentices end up in air conditioned offices punching numbers into the MAZAK  :computer & are rewarded by  increased $ in their pay packet [which is now an electronic transfer of funds]

It is the old supply & demand function......however there are fewer  younger replacement compentent trades engineering machinists to take up the shortfall

Successive Governments world wide have recently produced [twenty years] of University qualified engineers who I am sure are mathmatically brillant, but who were not trained to set the tool post tool height at 0.002" lower the axis of the work .....I am sure you will understand what I mean    :ohno

[bogstandard]

Hi Derek,
I have been saying this about de-skilling ever since they did away with apprenticeships years ago in favour of university places.
There is no one to take the place of the skilled craftsmen when they retire or snuff it.

John