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Steam Engine Design Help Needed

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billmac:
Stew's recommendation should match what you are looking for very well. That engine was designed to be moved around and coupled up where it was needed to run a tool or whatever. Think of it as the portable power source of its day. The valve timing is quickly adjustable for running in either direction and it is about as simple as a useful steam engine can get. Of course you will need a source of steam and unless you have a boiler, that could be more of a problem than the engine.

I work at the museum and was cleaning that engine the other day ready for one of our steam days. It is a pity that you won't be able to see it running. If you look at our website http://www.nmes.org/ under 'Other Engines' you will see a photo of it from the other side and without cladding etc. You could design (or ask someone else to design) a similar engine from this level of detail for yourself; Stew has already done a model of this engine, but was probably too modest to mention it.

I suggest that you work out how much power you will need from your engine. I don't know how much power is needed to grind grain but I would be a bit concerned that you are underestimating your power needs. I assume you are not going to be running your horizontal mill from this engine? If you need a bigger engine, you will need a proportionately bigger boiler. Steam engines are very inefficient (wonderful though they are!) so if you are planning to run off-grid and need a fair amount of power, you will need a readily available and cheap fuel source. A useful sized boiler has its own costs and issues, not the least of which is the legal need (in UK anyway) for periodic boiler inspections.

The museum has lots of engines, some just a bit bigger than this one, so I suggest you have a look at the website and perhaps get some more ideas of scale etc.

Sackett:
Thanks guys, still plugging along,,not much progress on drawings,,,but did find small Atlas / Craftsman late, n got it set up n going. Still looking for plans tho

Pete49:
did you look at John toms site? I seem to have lost the link but sure someone can come to the rescue
Pete

SwarfnStuff:
You mean this one Pete? www.john-tom.com/ A good source of plans but you have to dig around a bit.
John B

beeshed:
What you need to do is look for steam launch engines. There is an active steam boat following in the UK so there will be one in the USA too. These are people who want working engines in typically 1-3hp size and therfore produce designs and casting that meet those needs.
It appears you want the engine to operate rather like a dairy engne of the late 19th century. The box bed or mill engines would need constant attention and run relatively slow. A vertical would be better suited and there are some simple oscillator (still big) that would be easier to make.
If you are thinking this is a practical concept because you have a plot with lots of timber think again. A well known steam enthusiast in the UK Bob Symes set up a small industrial quality engine and boiler coupled to a wood saw. He said it just about cut enough wood to feed itself but not a lot more.

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