Totnes Castle

[R.G.Y.]

I have been considering my next build for some time. I have collected enough information and a plan for the COMPTON CASTLE.  BUT I have decided in the light of the last build Duke of Devonshire, I will get the engine working first. So looking at my bits and pieces I have found a set of gears and trimmed them on the lathe. Some sort of alloy can't remember where they came from. Enough bar stock to make a mark 2 vertion of the Duke's engine. This time I will be posting the build. May be I should have posted in steam? Geoff

[Eddy Matthews]

Great to see a new build thread Geoff, I'll follow this one with interest as I've always fancied building a model of her sister ship the Kingswear Castle....

Regards
Eddy

[R.G.Y.]

This will be the Totnes Castle of 1894. She differed from the later Dartmouth boats in that the main deck is not extended out to the paddle boxes. Well that's a good start forgotten the name already.   Sorry Eddy is it possible to alter the name of the tread. Geoff

[Eddy Matthews]

This will be the Totnes Castle of 1894. She differed from the later Dartmouth boats in that the main deck is not extended out to the paddle boxes. Well that's a good start forgotten the name already.   Sorry Eddy is it possible to alter the name of the thread. Geoff

Consider it done Geoff

Regards
Eddy

[R.G.Y.]

The design for the engine. As the boat will be smaller than the Duke, one foot shorter at 5ft.  The bore will be the same @ 1/2 " but stroke reduced from 1" to 3/4" saving 25% of steam per revolution as it is double acting twin. With this I hope to use the original boiler I made for the Duke which failed to produce enough steam, for the larger engine.
 Cylinder length 3/4stroke + 1/2 piston + 1/4 for steam spaces & end cap spigots =1-1/2". Distance between cylinder pivot & centre of crank half piston 3/4 + 1/2 for end cap & gland nut + 3/8for big end + 3/8 throw of the crank = 2" minimum as long as its more than this OK. Below, the pink bit is the main body ( pink because been in citric acid after silver soldering) The dark bits are the port faces, one has had the back filed to remove metal (less to heat up so reducing condensation , I hope) as I have increased the thickness to give more space at the crank end. Geoff

[derekwarner_decoy]

Hi PD's...... ...you know RGY....we will all be watching.....good luck with the build.....your mate in OZ  ......Derek

[R.G.Y.]

Always good to have encouragement from you Derek. Knowing you are watching  keeps us on the straight and narrow. Your frendly pommy B******* . Geoff

[R.G.Y.]

A little progress, bored both cylinders, flattened the port faces on a diamond hone. Will be lapping them properly later. Drilled for the pivot pin in the frame and the port faces, also cut the pin, This looks long as it won't be pushed in until the end. I have removed metal from the back of one port face. Finally I cut one end cap this will be a tricky bit as there isn't a lot of metal to drill for the six retaining bolts at 10BA. This one will be used as a pattern to drill the cylinders and the other caps. Oh! the piece of mild steel will be the patten for the ports. Geoff

[R.G.Y.]

I have drilled the holes in the cylinders & end caps. Very tricky for me as I don't have a rotary table or a drill on the tool post. Could have used the 4 jaw but with hexagon bar would have been time consuming. Geoff

[R.G.Y.]

Well it is very quiet on paddleducks. Is no one doing anything?? No one is asking any questions ( how did you drill those holes Geoff ??). With 1.8mm at the thinnest point & only 3mm at the very point of the hexagon, drilling the 1.4 tapping size hole for 10BA, made me sweat a little. First after boring the cylinder, I marked the centre between the widest point & the inside of the cylinder. positioning the corner of a tool, then turn the chuck by hand scoring a line around, remove from lathe. A steel rule placed on opposite points score a line, centre punch the intersection. Fix in the drill vice making sure its upright, with a square with a machine level on the horizontal arm. Lower the drill bit into the centre pop, if the drill deflects gently tap the vice (soft hammer) until the drill dose not move. Then start the drill and drill the hole.
But not all roses in fact disaster, when I silver solder I normally dim the lights so I can see the color of the metal. I didn't switch of the light see the result below.   I am posting photos hoping there will be questions. Geoff

[derekwarner_decoy]

Hi PD's.......I find it fun Geoff drilling & tapping 10 BA ....& BTW that new camera & the lessons are working a treat...... ......Derek

PS.....mmmmm I haven't quite figured what this brass block will be yet ....but it is held together with six 10 BA brass studs 

[steamboatmodel]

Hi Geoff,
I am following your build when I get a chance, but  i am moving homes after 29 years at the current address so don't normally have time for anything but a quick look at the forums.
Regards,
Gerald.

Well it is very quiet on puddleducks. Is no one doing anything?? No one is asking any questions ( how did you drill those holes Geoff ??). With 1.8mm at the thinnest point & only 3mm at the very point of the hexagon, drilling the 1.4 tapping size hole for 10BA, made me sweat a little. First after boring the cylinder, I marked the centre between the widest point & the inside of the cylinder. positioning the corner of a tool, then turn the chuck by hand scoring a line around, remove from lathe. A steel rule placed on opposite points score a line, centre punch the intersection. Fix in the drill vice making sure its upright, with a square with a machine level on the horizontal arm. Lower the drill bit into the centre pop, if the drill deflects gently tap the vice (soft hammer) until the drill dose not move. Then start the drill and drill the hole.
But not all roses in fact disaster, when I silver solder I normally dim the lights so I can see the color of the metal. I didn't switch of the light see the result below.   I am posting photos hoping there will be questions. Geoff

[Mercury]

Geoff,

I don't know much about steam so appologies for the dumb questions. Are you using drawings or your own design and I take your making all components from scratch (apart from the gears)?

How do you find stability using a steam engine in a paddler? Do you deepen the hulls?

Richard

[R.G.Y.]

Richard, I have heard it said the only dumb questions are the ones you don't ask.
Yes it is my own design, there are no drawings as it is a simple engine as engines go. (hopefully this one will). It is a mark 2 version of the engine I made for the Duke of Devonshire. I didn't post that build. As with all prototypes it had several things that can be improved, hopefully. Yes again all the parts are from bar stock, except the gears. If I ever have any thing that is beyond repair (most things now a days) I always save gears, bolts or any thing I think will be useful one day.
As for stability my first paddler Glen Usk sails on 1-1/2" draft, with a steam plant.  I didn't know any better then. Had to fit a lump of lead 3" below the hull, this also swivels acting as a extra rudder. But the Duke has an extra inch of draft, and if you look I have endeavored to reduce top weight on the boiler.
Derek It is the camera not the operator.
I am surprised no one has asked what is happening in photo 2 Geoff

[R.G.Y.]

Gerald, my sympathies I dread to think if that happened to me.

10 BA tapping can be a trial but I made a tapping stand from a cheep hand drill stand. Not my idea saw it in a mag. 24 holes tapped in less than 5 mins and no broken taps. Geoff