Oscillating Paddle Wheel Engine

[Tony Bird]

Hi,

My name is Tony Bird and I have just joined Paddleducks.  After buying a book on American Riverboats i thought I would have a go at designing and making a simple direct acting oscillating steam engine to power a model of a Sternwheel Riverboat.  I haven't done any drawing other than to work out where the steam ports will be.  About all that I know about the engines used on Sternwheelers is that the have a long stroke relative to the bore which is what has been designed.  The following photographs show the progress so far on a prototype engine 

Cylinder and Port Block parts.


Cylinders soldered together.


Cylinder lagged and bound.


Cylinder mounted on building jig.


Hope this is found intresting.

Regards Tony.

[Eddy Matthews]

It's looking good so far Tony.... I'll admit that I know very little about steam engines, but I'm sure a sternwheel engine will be extremely interesting to our members. Get some drawings done, I'm certain you'll get asked for them!

Regards
Eddy

[R.G.Y.]

 Tony, Welcome to Paddelducks.  I am into steam,  I also sailed P & A Campbell's boats, from Weston in my case, to see my relatives in South Wales all those summers so long ago. My signature photo is my model of Glen Usk. Your work is looking very good.  I particularly like the wood insulation and the holes removing excess metal, both reducing condensation. Are you working from a plan or (like me ) your own design. My latest engine can be seen,  under Totnes Castle. in construction. Geoff

[djt]

hi tony,
great work keep the photos comeing, and look forward to seeing the boat as well.

david

[Tony Bird]

Hi,

Get some drawings done, I'm certain you'll get asked for them!

I usually do little in the way of drawings nothing like some of the detailed CAD drawings that a lot of people use.  My computer as well as other skills are limited.  These drawing are a lot better than I would normally as they are being posted.

Drawing of cylinder to get the position of its steam/exhaust ports.


Drawing of operating angle to fix size of ports.


Drawing to work out width of base of cylinder.


Drawing to work out steam passageway and securing screw positions


Normally I would do only one drawing containing all of the four drawings above. The port block has been increased to 6mm as it was difficult to drill the 2.8mm holes in the 5mm thick material I used.  If there are any questions please ask.

Regards Tony.

[Tony Bird]

Hi,


Are you working from a plan or (like me ) your own design. My latest engine can be seen,  under Totnes Castle. in construction. Geoff

I had a look at your thread Geoff your engine runs very well you must be very pleased. The engine I am building is own design as much as it is possible to do with an Oscillating engine.  I start with drawings like the ones above and develope it from there mostly using sketches if they are needed.  I have done a little more work on the engine.

The bearing for the axles have been fitted.


Ports spotted using a jig.


Ports and passageways drilled. I should have used a thicker port block at 5mm it was a bit narrow to drill long 2.8mm holes in.


Regards Tony.

[Tony Bird]

Hi,

great work keep the photos comeing, and look forward to seeing the boat as well.

Thanks.  This is sort of a prototype engine to see how well it will turn a paddle wheel.  If it is successful an engine might be made to fit in a hull.  I have little knowledge of paddle powered boats so suggestions of a type would be welcome.  It would have to be of a simple utility vessel as my boat building skills are not great and having athritic hands doesn't help.

Regards Tony. 

[R.G.Y.]

Your drawings are better than mine Tony, as I don't do any at all . I am sure with the quality of your work a boat will be no trouble.
Look in the downloads on this site (boat plans ) have a look at A.J.Goddard a gold rush paddler, very simple. Geoff

[djt]

hi tony
what size of boiler do you intend on useing, i have a unit steam engine runing in my boat launch not paddle wheel

david

[derekwarner_decoy]

Hi PD's & welcome Tony  ....I have been watching the thread develop with interest

With respect to your boiler requirements ...... ...the link below or via PD's links will take you to some very helpful  fundemental calculations of an optimal boiler capacity based upon your engines specification

Keep us posted on progress.......Derek

[Tony Bird]

Hi Geoff,

Your drawings are better than mine Tony, as I don't do any at all . I am sure with the quality of your work a boat will be no trouble.
Look in the downloads on this site (boat plans ) have a look at A.J.Goddard a gold rush paddler, very simple. Geoff

I usually only do dimensioned sketches nothing like as good as the ones posted.  The A.J. Goddard looks ideal, a very simple hull!  So it looks as if it will be the road I will go down.  A scale will have to be decided on, at one inch it will be to big for me to handle but would be about right for the engine being built, at half inch it might be a little small so perhaps between the two?  We will have to see how the current engine performs.

Hi David,

what size of boiler do you intend on useing, i have a unit steam engine runing in my boat launch not paddle wheel

For the engine being made, I will probably use a test boier, which should produce enough steam.  As it is likely that a smaller engine will need to be made so some sums will need to be done as far as the boiler is concerned.  The boiler will probably be an internally gas fired on with cross tubes in its flue and use either a poker burner or a ceramic plug burner and given the long steam lines some form of super heating will be used.  This going to be sometime in the future.

Your steam launch looks very good does it perform well?

Hi Derek,

Maccsteam make some very good boilers, the one I hope to make will be similar using basically the same calculations.  I will need to know what rpm will be needed before starting on the sums.

Regards Tony.

[Tony Bird]

Hi,

Yesterday did some more work on the engine.  Finished the port blocks and started on the cranks.





Regards Tony.

[djt]

hi tony,
my boiler is brilliant, cant recomend enough. every time i go sailing it is the first boat on the water, she lasts about 20 mins on solid fuel tablets. it was the only way i could get into steam at low cost and glad i did.

david

[Tony Bird]

Hi,

Did a bit on the cranks today and that is about it in the workshop until the festive season is over.

Mounted on a wax chuck.


Machining finished.


Hardened filing buttons.


Crank pin fitted after sawing and filing.


Regards Tony.

[Tony Bird]

Hi,

With the celabrations over some more work on the engine was done yesterday.











VIDEO.



Regards Tony.