Grasshopper Engine

[Kevin NormanParticipant @kevinnorman48306]

Does anyone know where I can obtain castings for the Grasshopper Engine by Sydney Owen, I know that Brunell do a similar engine but I do not really want to go down that path.

Kevin

[Kevin NormanParticipant @kevinnorman48306]

[David Clark 13Participant @davidclark13]

Hi Kevin

Why don't you talk to Grahame?

He may have it in stock.

Give him a chance, see if you can do a deal.

regards David

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

How similar do you want it to be?

Bruce engineering do the Easton & Anderson that Anthony Mound described

Stuart Models also do a grasshopper

Or you could just make it from scratch possibly substituting a cylinder and flywheel casting from one of the other beam engines that Reeves do. I'm well on my way to completing a scratch built E&A at double the size of teh bruce offering with a lot more detail added, see here

J

Edited By JasonB on 30/01/2013 13:01:47

[Kevin NormanParticipant @kevinnorman48306]

Thanks for your answers,

I already have the drawings for the Syd Owen Grasshopper Engine and the two that have been mentioned from Bruce eng & Brunell do not fit the bill.

My question was does anyone know of suppliers of castings for this particular engine , if not I have found a suitable flywheel and would machine the rest of the components from solid.

Kevin

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

I've never seen castings available but they may have been in the sixtys when the article was writen

J

[Ian PParticipant @ianp]

Kevin

Sorry I cannot help you find an answer but I think David C has already mentioned the name of a potential supplier, he replied just few minutes after you first posed the question

I must admit that its not a supplier I know of, so you will have to Google it (or as DC again)

Ian

[Kevin NormanParticipant @kevinnorman48306]

Thanks for your answer Ian , the supplier that David mentioned was Brunell and the Grasshopper Engine they do is not what I require.

Kevin

[Ian PParticipant @ianp]

My reply was meant as a dig at DC!

I was not sure whether he was being ultra neutral as a moderator (in that he did not show any bias to any one supplier), but also, his reply meant absolutely nothing to anybody that did not know anybody called Grahame.

I know two people called Grahame but niether of them knows anything about casting, on the other hand one of them does go fishing,

Ian

[David Clark 13Participant @davidclark13]

Hi Ian

I misunderstood.

I thought you did not want to use Brunel for reasons posted on another thread.

I did not realise the engine was not what you want.

One of the Model Engineer contributors made it from the solid + a flywheel casting I think.

I think he wrote it up in ME but not dead sure.

That engine was an update of one published in ME back in the late40s, early 50s I believe.

It was also originally metric.

regards David

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

Would that be the one by A. Ebeltoft from March 1949? I have the drawings for that which are indeed in metric. Kevin, PM me if you want a copy.

Looks to be quite doable from solid and possibly a 5" Stuart Flywheel, bit on the small side for me but doubled up with a 10" wheel would be nice.

J

[David Clark 13Participant @davidclark13]

Hi Jason

I think that is the one.

regards david

[Kevin NormanParticipant @kevinnorman48306]

The original design was by Ebeltoft but the drawings that I have are for the one serialised in ME Nov -Dec 1965 , I have the extracts from these issues.

The size of the engine is 13" long x 13" high x 61/2" wide and has 8 1/4" diam flywheel.

Kevin

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

Happened to be looking at Hit & miss engines and remembered that Canadian Model Engineering do a Grasshopper that is a dead ringer for the Owen one but looks to have been scaled up 50%. from the earlyer design, I had assumed they were the same size

 

Edited By JasonB on 31/01/2013 16:42:42

[JoParticipant @jo]

All the dimensions of that Canadian Grasshopper match the 1965 Sydney Owen design.

Jo

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

Thanks Jo, another one to add to the collection?

J

[Kevin NormanParticipant @kevinnorman48306]

Thanks Jason,

It matches the Syd Owen one to a tee , I will e-mail Canadian for more details.

By the way what size of boiler would I need to power this size of engine?

Kevin

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

Probably 4-5" dia the capacity is largish but hopefully it won't want too much steam as it should be quite slow running.

I have heard that their Hit & miss castings are good quality so the same should apply to the steam engines.

Make sure you post some pictures of progress.

[JoParticipant @jo]

Jason,

I am still trying to be good and not buy any more castings. I already have my eye on something very sexy to add to my collection, something that I have no doubt will be both challenging and I anticipate will find very rewarding .

Jo

 

Edited By Jo on 31/01/2013 18:53:50

[Kevin NormanParticipant @kevinnorman48306]

Thanks Jason, my GLR 4" vertical should be OK then.

Kevin

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