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Bog's Paddleduck Engine
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Darren:
Looking good.... :thumbup:

Which reminds me, I must get back to mine......just letting you show me how... :ddb:


I believe Shred who has just joined us is building one too?
bogstandard:
Kirk,

I have got the bits for you, and will get them away next time the wife takes me out.

It is starting to look very impressive and well made. It is a fairly large engine at normal size, but yours will be a monster.


John
kvom:
I have two questions about the slots that connect the steam ports in the steam chest and cylinder.

1) There are dire warnings about going over the "line".  I know the cylinder ports are close to the top/bottom of the block, but as long as the slot doesn't exceed the bottom edge it doesn't seem there would be a "leak".  Am I missing something?

2) Would it not be equivalent to mill slots in the block?

I plan to follow the plans, but am interested in the whys/wherefores from curiosity.

On another topic, I am currently taking an evening course in CNC lathe programming.  I will be making an actual part on the Haas SL-1 lathe lather this week as the culmination of the coursework.  Over the summer I will be continuing, taking a course that will involve more programming and making more parts.  Rather than use the canned exercises, I have the opportunity to design my own class projects, and so will be making the columns during the class.  I should be able to come up with simething that would be hard to do manually.
bogstandard:
Kirk,

You are quite right, you could cut the slots in the block. You have to visualise how I made this engine. There were no designs or plans for it, it was a matter if making the next bit to fit onto the previous piece made, only going forwards, with very little planned for going back to a previously made piece, hence the slots were put onto the part that was made at the time.

With regards to coming close to the edge. I made this engine to be an easy exercise, so no complicated gaskets to cut, with everything being sealed with a liquid gasket compound, which works much better when no very thin lands are used, so hence, don't go beyond the line as you will start to get into 'blowout' territory.

If you think that by cutting slots into the block would be better for your build, then please do it. Nothing is written in stone, and as I said, I was making it on the run, and as such some things will defy general logic.
 
You are quite right in querying some of the ways I did things, and proves you are thinking about what you are doing rather than doing a 'lemming' build. But as proved by myself, and other people, the engine will run if built as directed.

I think if I went back to it, and really looked at the design, I suppose I would have done a few things a little differently, but hey!, it works!, so being as lazy as I usually am, I left it as it was.

It was the same when I did the refurb on that Marcher steam engine, I found some glaring mistakes in John Bertinat's plans for it, but the engine works if built from plans, but would run a lot better if some slight modifications were done to his instructions and plans.

John


John
kvom:
John,

Thanks for confirming my thoughts.  Personally I think the design is really interesting, and I believe I can see how you developed things as you went along.  That said, there was obviously a great amount of looking ahead, and certainly your experience in both engines and machining went into the process, whether conscious or not.

It seems to me that the slot in the block will be better/easier/safer.  You can start the slot at the height of the steam chest port and use the inlet hole on the block as the "stop point".

One other factor that makes this build enjoyable is the nice mix of milling and turning. 
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