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Author Topic: Inside-Out Steam Engine  (Read 35983 times)

Offline DaveH

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Re: Inside-Out Steam Engine
« Reply #25 on: December 17, 2011, 10:23:50 AM »
Chuck,

That does look good. :clap: :clap: :clap:
 :beer:
DaveH
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Offline cfellows

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Re: Inside-Out Steam Engine
« Reply #26 on: January 07, 2012, 11:11:12 PM »
Thanks, all, for the kind comments.

After a brief hiatus to work on my mill / drill and add DRO's on the x and y axes, I got back to work on my engine today.  I finished up the two connecting rods.  Here in the first picture you can see the fixture I made to hold each connecting rod for machining. 



I first milled the edge of one side, then took out the screws, flipped the rod over and did the opposite side.  After finishing the edges on both rods, I changed end mills to a 3/16" and milled the groove down the center of each side.  Finally, I rounded the outside edge of the small end.

Here are the finished rods...



And an idea of what they will look like on the engine...





The whole process was a good exercise in using DRO's for positioning.  Makes for much more precise locating than trying to machine up to scribed lines and marks. 

I think I only need to make and install the crank arms to be able to test the engine.  And of course I'll need to make a base for it sooner or later.

Chuck
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Offline NickG

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Re: Inside-Out Steam Engine
« Reply #27 on: January 08, 2012, 03:08:46 AM »
This really is looking great, love the proportions of it as well as the theory behind it. I must admit, I've only just got around to looking how it works ... should be powerful and sound interesting as it'll have full bore pressure to the cylinder from TDC!

 :thumbup:
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Offline cfellows

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Re: Inside-Out Steam Engine
« Reply #28 on: January 10, 2012, 09:51:33 AM »
Thanks, Nick.

Well, the good news is that I got the engine together enough to try running it...



The bad news, it doesn't run... at all.  Doesn't even look like it's trying.  I suspect there is too much binding and too many air leaks. 

Chuck
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Offline saw

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Re: Inside-Out Steam Engine
« Reply #29 on: January 10, 2012, 10:27:44 AM »
Well isn't not always like this the word is adjustment  :smart:
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Offline Stilldrillin

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Re: Inside-Out Steam Engine
« Reply #30 on: January 10, 2012, 11:52:54 AM »
Don't bother trying to make it run, Chuck.  :scratch:

It looks perfect, just standing still!  :thumbup:   :D

David D
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Offline cfellows

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Re: Inside-Out Steam Engine
« Reply #31 on: January 10, 2012, 04:27:41 PM »
Quote from: saw on January 10, 2012, 10:27:44 AM
Well isn't not always like this the word is adjustment  :smart:

At this point I'm thinking about changing the whole valving arrangement to something more conventional.

Quote from: Stilldrillin on January 10, 2012, 11:52:54 AM
Don't bother trying to make it run, Chuck.  :scratch:

It looks perfect, just standing still!  :thumbup:   :D

David D

Thanks, David.  Even though it will spend most of it's life on the shelf where I can look at it, I would still like to hear it run...

Chuck
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Offline John Hill

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Re: Inside-Out Steam Engine
« Reply #32 on: January 10, 2012, 06:09:04 PM »
Hmmm, the cylinders appear to have a quite small diameter and the effective surface area of the pistons is further reduced by the cross section of the central bar so I think this would be a 'high pressure' engine. 

I am sure you will get it running. :thumbup:
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Offline cfellows

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Re: Inside-Out Steam Engine
« Reply #33 on: January 13, 2012, 07:33:10 PM »
Thanks, John.  The cylinder bore is 3/4" and the central rod is 3/8". 

I did get the engine running!  Here's a short video...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GFW1I0_33XM

Still got some air leaks to fix but I know where they are and how to fix them.  Also gotta build the base.

Chuck
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Offline saw

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Re: Inside-Out Steam Engine
« Reply #34 on: January 14, 2012, 06:08:34 AM »
YES beautifully, you made it  :clap: :clap: :clap:
CONGRATT  :bow: :bow: :bow:
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Offline DaveH

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Re: Inside-Out Steam Engine
« Reply #35 on: January 14, 2012, 06:17:51 AM »
Chuck,

Well it seems to run very nicely :clap: :clap: :clap:

Really looks good  :thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup:

 :bow: :bow: :bow: :bow:

 :beer:
DaveH


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Offline sbwhart

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Re: Inside-Out Steam Engine
« Reply #36 on: January 14, 2012, 07:33:09 AM »
Champion Job Chuck  :thumbup:

 :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap:

runs real smooth.

Stew
« Last Edit: January 15, 2012, 03:01:44 AM by sbwhart »
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Offline Bernd

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Re: Inside-Out Steam Engine
« Reply #37 on: January 14, 2012, 08:11:14 AM »
Have to say Chuck that's an interesting steam(?) engine to watch run. Nice job.  :thumbup:

Bernd
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Offline Stilldrillin

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Re: Inside-Out Steam Engine
« Reply #38 on: January 14, 2012, 08:15:10 AM »
Well done Chuck!  :clap: :clap:

It can only improve from here on......  :thumbup:

David D

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Offline Divided he ad

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Re: Inside-Out Steam Engine
« Reply #39 on: January 14, 2012, 09:17:35 AM »
I would appear to have completely missed this thread Chuck  :doh: 

Brilliant variation on the theme  :smart: 

Looks great running too. Didn't quite understand how it'd valve properly till I saw the video.

While reading this whole thread I came up with a different valve arrangement to yours and the original.... Maybe not as neat as yours but it might work? CoC to be sketched to figure it out?

 Anyway, I'm wandering off....



Very neat looking engine and should be a belter once it's leaks are sealed and mounted on a nice base  :beer:




Ralph.
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Offline Henning

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Re: Inside-Out Steam Engine
« Reply #40 on: January 14, 2012, 01:10:44 PM »
 THAT is a very nice job indeed! Great work!
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Offline NickG

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Re: Inside-Out Steam Engine
« Reply #41 on: January 15, 2012, 02:58:12 AM »
Nice work Chuck, like the motion and sound ... it makes it a bit different when there's a mechanical impact in the valve mechanism, i've got a flame licker like that!

Why wouldn't it run the first time out of interest?
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Offline cfellows

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Re: Inside-Out Steam Engine
« Reply #42 on: January 16, 2012, 01:14:33 PM »
Quote from: NickG on January 15, 2012, 02:58:12 AM
Nice work Chuck, like the motion and sound ... it makes it a bit different when there's a mechanical impact in the valve mechanism, i've got a flame licker like that!

Why wouldn't it run the first time out of interest?

Thanks, Nick.  The proble was some binding and massive air leaks in the inlet air supply.  Had to completely redo them.  I've got one more air leak to fix then I'll post another video and some pictures.

Chuck
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Offline cfellows

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Re: Inside-Out Steam Engine
« Reply #43 on: January 16, 2012, 02:45:32 PM »
Sometimes I look at a part I've just made and have a "What the H*LL were you thinking"!   :doh:

This is the sliding rod that the piston is fixed to and the cylinder slides on.  The two radial holes are the ports which admit the compressed air into the cylinder.  The piston is solidly fixed to rod right between the two holes.

I had originally planned to fasten the piston to the rod with a set screw.  So, I milled a flat in the rod as a seat for the set screw.  Unfortunately, I milled it too wide, connecting the two holes and providing a convenient passage for air to transfer from one side of the piston to the other. 

So, what you see here is what is my final fix to air leaks in the form of a dollop of soft solder which I'll file and sand to the OD of the rod before re-attaching the piston.  By the way, I abandoned the idea of set screws in favor of loctite 620 (love that stuff).



I'd like to think I learned a lesson here, but I'll probably wind up doing something else equally as obtuse in the future!!!

Chuck
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Offline cfellows

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Re: Inside-Out Steam Engine - It's Finished!
« Reply #44 on: January 18, 2012, 07:38:17 PM »
After a few trials and tribulations I'm considering this engine finished.  The final piece was the birds eye maple base.  Went down to my local Woodcraft store and found a little piece 24" long x 4" wide by 7/8" thick (small in size, big in price - $22.00). 

Here's the glamour shot...



Here's the remainder of the pictures, the video is at the bottom...

















And the video...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r2Ku5yF4EsM&list=UUZB8pRNp9Plbd0-T9RmyR9g&index=1&feature=plcp

Chuck
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Offline rleete

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Re: Inside-Out Steam Engine
« Reply #45 on: January 18, 2012, 08:18:41 PM »
Quite the mover & shaker, isn't it?  Sounds nice.
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Offline saw

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Re: Inside-Out Steam Engine
« Reply #46 on: January 19, 2012, 04:39:23 AM »
Nice work  :bow: :bow: :bow:
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Offline Divided he ad

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Re: Inside-Out Steam Engine
« Reply #47 on: January 19, 2012, 05:01:44 AM »
Top job Chuck    :beer:   


Looks the business on the base too  :thumbup:


When you turned it up I couldn't  help but think in a Scotty from star trek kind of way   "she's gonna blow captain!"   :lol:



The valving works really well and gives this engine a very distinctive sound.






Ralph.

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Offline andyf

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Re: Inside-Out Steam Engine
« Reply #48 on: January 19, 2012, 06:46:27 AM »
Just watch her go  :thumbup: And to think that a week ago you despaired of getting her to run at all!

I really love the deceptively simple look of the engine. If you hadn't explained how it worked, I could never have worked it out from the pics and videos of the finished job.

Andy

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Offline Bernd

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Re: Inside-Out Steam Engine
« Reply #49 on: January 19, 2012, 09:11:36 AM »
Nice work Chuck.  :thumbup:

Engine sounds great.  :thumbup: :thumbup:

Obviously not a fast runner.  :bugeye:

Bernd
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