Making a Wood Beam Engine

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Gerhard Olivier:
Hi All I feel a bit better - have to say was abit worried about the wood -Especially as I want to make this like it would have been when wood was about all there was and the metal parts limited to the minimum.

Thanks for kind comments Benni, David, Mad Jack, Nick, Eric and Stew

Just a small bit of progress today

I started with the Base the cross supports where hollowed out with a rasp ( my only yearly exersice)

Then the bearing supports fits on top of that- The bearing i am planning to use is a premade oilite bushing really?? Can anyone see any problems with that???????? The oilite bushing would be clamped to the wood bearing support by a split in the wood and a bolt and nut clamping the parts together. The reason I chose this is that it would look like a greased wood bearing but work like a "propper" bearing

Will post again when I have a pic that would explain better.

Thanks for looking

Gerhard

saw:
I realy like your'e progress. :)

madjackghengis:
Hi Gerhard, it looks like you're moving right along and have a plan, which always helps. I would say that with the wood bored for the oilite bearings, and the bearings then bored in situ, you won't have a problem as long as you keep your wood aligned, by ensuring the grain is well considered, as the wood will move and change with humidity and the like. I'd also suggest you seal the surface the bearings will fit in to minimize the wood pulling all the oil from the bushings, and perhaps put in an oiler for each bearing, just a Gitts type oiler will do, but something to allow you to have oil keeping the bushings full while you're actually running it. I'd also use an oil base finish, something like boiled linseed oil, applied many times, and that way the oil from the bushings would be compatable with the finish, and the wood would already have lots of oil making it less absorbant. I am looking forward with great interest, as few ever consider building engines with wood as main support material, but I expect it will look very much like a period engine when you are done. :beer: cheers, mad jack

Gerhard Olivier:
Thanks Benni and Mad Jack

Mad Jack the oilite do they need oil??? I thought that if you got oil on them they where damaged ?? I think it was John Bogstandard that cut then without any cutting oil as it would have damaged them??? ANy way the way this should have been done was to cut the bearing piece of wood in 2 nearly all the way then put a wedge in the open end and drill the hole with a piece of metal that was red hot , basicly burning a round hole through the wood the burning hardens the wood and slowly rotating the metal keeps the hole round.

As this bearing wears out the open end of the piece of wood would be closed making it tighter again. Animal fat was usually used as grease.

The oilite bushings is only about 3 pound for 16 so I think I will start by making it easy to replace them rather than building in oil cups????? If this is wrong PLEASE shout I would rather change the design now then having to keep messing with it later.

Gerhard

Bogstandard:
Gerhard,

The reason I didn't use any lube, is because oilite bearings contain a thick lubricant actually trapped inside the sintered moulded material, and I didn't want to contaminate that inbuilt lubricant.

They are lubed for life bearings, so shouldn't need any further oiling, unless the bearings overheat, then the lubricant thins out and drips out of the bearing outer skin. The bearing should then be replaced.

For what you are doing with them, I doubt you will wear them out in your lifetime. They are used all over in industry and run in some places on a 24/7 regime, and they can sometimes last for years.

I would suggest you actually wrap the outside of the bearing with something like clear adhesive tape before clamping them in position. A couple of layers at most. This will stop the inbuild lube being wicked out by the wood over time and it will also stop the wood becoming oil stained.

I hope this explains things a little better.

John

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