Straightening copper pipe.

[Stilldrillin]

I need to straighten (re-cycle) some pieces of 1/8" copper, toy steam engine piping.

3 straight pieces, to run along side each other, equally spaced. Just an engineers eyeball thing.

Now annealed & rough straightened, they need the little wiggles removing.

Any ideas, please?

David.

[Stilldrillin]

Picture?

Hmmmm....... Sorry! 

I need to  connect the exhaust ports on the rear of the cylinder blocks to the chimney base.

[John Hill]

Are they just short lengths?  What I would do is lay them on a nice smooth board then put another board on top and use it to roll the pieces back and forth while applying some pressure, the boards need to extend right to and cover the ends of the pipe.

If its a really long piece, and I have only done this with wire, I anchor one end to something strong for instance my bench vice and using vice grips or somesuch I grip the other end pull it straight. For recycled copper wire you can feel when the wire begins to stretch and it only does that after all the kinks have been straightened, almost.

[sbwhart]

Hi David

Annealing the copper will make things easyer, heat it up to red let it cool down or quench. Johns' is a good idea.

Cheers

Stew

[Stilldrillin]

Mr. Hill,
You`re a star! 

Your system worked very well...... 


Rolling between anvil & piece of floorboard, showed up the high spots.





Knock the shiny bits with lead tup, & roll again.





A rub with steel wool gives the required surface finish.





This engine has been developing for some time now, using Mamod parts whenever possible.
The `less than new` finish of the pipes will blend nicely with it`s well used character.

Thank you! 


Not ignoring you, Stew...... 

I had already annealed the pipes. 



Right nice `ere innit! 

David.

[John Hill]

David, I am pleased it worked for you.

Am I to understand that you are going to route the exhaust steam from three cylinders a la Mr G. Stephenson's steam blast?  That should make an interesting sound with one cylinder not synced with the others.

[Stilldrillin]

John,

The 3 pipes will just dump condensate into the pot, and hopefully this will then drain out the larger pipe.

Originally the twin cylinder system discharged onto the top of the boiler & trickled into the meths burner.  ..... Messy!
Then I added another cylinder.


This is it`s last incarnation.....






I don`t know about Mr. Stephenson`s theories, I have enough of my own on the go!
The cranks are equally spaced, and any exhaust beat is only in my imagination..... 





I`m just aiming for something different, but recognisably Mamod..... 

David.

[John Hill]

Thanks David. 

George Stevenson routed exhaust steam to a nozzle at the base of the funnel and the exhausting steam shot up the funnel causing extra draft as it did so, and of course the 'chuff-chuff' sound.

I misunderstood your engine layout, I thought it was a two cylinder engine and a single cylinder engine but I now see it is three cylinders so please disregard comments regarding non-synchronised exhaust beats!