1906 1/4 Scale Stanley Steamer Flying Tea Kettle

[sunworksco]

I'm designing the steam engine/boiler layout for a 1/4th scale Stanley Steamer race car. The total length of the body will be 48" with a 24" wheelbase. The wheel diameter size is 8.5". The ground clearance is 2.5". The widest section of the chassis belly pan is 9" so it will need a somewhat narrow paddle shaft double piston engine. A horizontal engine is needed.
Thanks,
Giovanni

[steamboatmodel]

I think you need to find a site that does flash steam. Most of us here want to go slow and steady.
Regards,
Gerald.

[sunworksco]

I'm not looking for great speed.
I desire more of a fast walking speed with lots of steam exiting the exhaust tube and whistle notes.
Would the Ministeam twin engine provide enough power?
Can I remove the steam engine flywheel since the auto wheels would take the place of that since the paddle shaft would be the axle for the rear wheels?
Thanks,
Giovanni

[kno3]

Yes you can remove the flywheel.
Look at Saito or Regner paddler engines, they should be both suitable for your application.

[sunworksco]

There is about 6.5" width behind the rear axle.
My best option would be to get the original Rocket engine drawings.
I'm thinking a twin with 1-1/8" bores.
Thanks,
Giovanni

[sunworksco]

Here is another drawing.

[sunworksco]

Steam Engine.
It was similar to this but 30hp.
Having a problem finding the Rocket engine photo.
Anyone have one?
Thanks,
Giovanni

[steamboatmodel]

According to this site the engine was "The steam engine in the Rocket was exactly like the regular Stanly Steamers, except that it was larger or about twice the size of the Stanley touring Car (Model F)."
 http://www.american-automobiles.com/Articles/1906-Stanley-Steam-Race-Car.html
A book I have borrowed from the library Beach Racers Daytona before NASCAR by Dick Punnet has some photos of the Stanley racer driven by Fred Marriott. It says "it was originally called the "Teakettle". In 1907 some writers began to call it the "Bug". ......Some time after World War II, over four decades later, someone invented the name "Rocket" for the Marriott car and all writers have used that name ever since."
If I was doing a model of it I would use a small flywheel on the engine as the road wheels would not be heavy enough.
Regards,
Gerald.
PS Just found this;
The World’s Fastest Canoe
 http://www.steamcar.net/stanley/fastest.pdf
It gives dimensions of the body.

[sunworksco]

I just talked with Stanley & Doble steam engine experts and they both agreed that no flywheel is neccessary because of the weight of the wheels/tires.
Here is a photo of a wheel.
Thanks,
Giovanni

[steamboatmodel]

Why go with a "all-brass body and chassis."  The original was wood and canvas, "Fred Marriott had also overseen the construction of the car. In an interview many years after the race, Marriott recalled the canoe-car’s chassis: “The wheelbase was 100
inches and the thread 64inches. Front tires were 34 by 3 inches, and the rear 34 x 31/2 inches. The body was of wood. Sills were ash and panels of white wood. The top of the body was built like a canoe, cedar ribs covered with canvas. The cockpit
was just large enough for the driver and steering was done
with a tiller."
http://www.steamcar.net/stanley/fastest.pdf

I would build it like the original and use wood and tissue with a light fiberglass coating and make the chassis out of light tube.
Regards,
Gerald.

[sunworksco]

I enjoy working in 260 brass sheet metal.
I would be worried about burning a wooden body.
The Stanley Brothers were shaving off weight. That is not a problem with a scale model.
In any case, I can build it in a short amount of time with metal and the added weight will keep the wheels firmly planted to the pavement.
Nothing looks quite as beautiful as unfinished brass sheet when completed, especially with an applied patina finish. The steam engine will have a much nicer reverberating sound inside a brass body, as well.
I have decided to recreate the Stanley steam engine.
It is not a very complicated design.
I am talking with a fellow steamer that built a scale model of the engine.
I just need some blueprints.
Thanks,
Giovanni

[sunworksco]

I have decided to build the body in 1100 aluminum sheet.
The wheels will be made in 6061 aluminum with silicon bronze hubs and 316L wire spokes.
The live steam engine will be made in silicon bronze, too.
I just talked with the owner of a Stanley race car engine that is offering me an opportunity to completely disassemble the engine for laser scanning of the engine parts and creating 3-D CAD drawings. I can now have 3-D acrylic models made for the silicon bronze casting process. These engine parts models will be used to build RTV rubber molds for the wax injection molding.
I will have access to all of the chassis and wheel parts, too.
What is advantageous about supplying a cad file of the parts drawings is that each race car owner can recreate his own parts should they need replacements.
We talked about the valve chest and valve machining inside and decided to use EDM method for a very exact valve surface.
I also met a friend of Fred Marriott that gave me lots of historical facts about the car.
He is building a recreation of the Flying Tea Kettle.
Regards,
Giovanni
Here is a video of the NextEngine laser scanning:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ggvzcGdZsTc

[sunworksco]

I find that the fun is in the search for the technical part of the development of the laser scanning, printing, machining, mold-making and metal forming.
The Stanley Car Club is planning to build a full-scale FTK and present the build and history on one of the history channels or better yet, have Ken Burns do a documentary on PBS.
I'm hoping to have the FTK built by then to present it on the documentary.
The 2nd car will be the Stanley WoggleBug.
The 3rd car in the series will be the 1903 Stanley Turtle racer.

Thanks,
Giovanni

[andy]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uYph5xuh7p4

What about this animal!?

Andreas

[kno3]

Quite impressive, even if impractical!