New Member from Tennessee

[marfordtnParticipant @marfordtn]

Just joined with the hope to get some advise on a new chapter in my life, Making a portable steam engine in 2-3″ scale as a first project.

Since making parts for People when I was in UK for some steam engines, I always thought to myself, I will make a model of a steam engine one day, well that day has come, just took a lot longer than I thought.

I live in Tennessee U.S.A. but spent 40+ years of my life in Cambridgeshire UK, I have since leaving school at 16 worked on machines, had my own company with multiple CNC machines which I programed, set and ran and have recently sold almost everything to move into early retirement, fully familiar with all machine tools and how to use them, worked on medical devices to Racing parts, high pressure pneumatic and hydraulic devices up to 10,000 psi.

I still have a manual 13″ swing lathe and a 3 axis CNC mill.

So, advise, I don’t seem to find anything much on model engineering outside of railroad and some small engines in the USA, the obvious choice would be a Frick or Case, especially that I have to think about the cost of shipping, if there is anything USA based that people are aware of please let me know, otherwise I will need to look at something like a Ramsomes, Ruston etc from UK, The only casting sets and drawings seem to be for a Marshall in 1.5″ which is smaller than I would like, any input would be appreciated.

 

[noel shelleyParticipant @noelshelley55608]

Welcome Sir, one thought you may consider is to fabricate by welding or brazing to create fake castings Jason on here has done it with great success. You can always press in a castiron cylinder liner if that’s needed. It will work out MUCH cheaper and no postage to pay. Best wishes. Noel.

PS see the thread, Welded/fabricated castings of a few days ago on here.

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

I can’t think of any US model designs, in the UK as well as the Marshall there is a 2″ Ransomes Sim & Jefferies and 2″ Sissons and a 4″ Orcop Yeoman. But portables much like traction engines and cars come in a range of sizes – A 2″ scale mini would be a lot smaller than a 2″ scale Volvo estate so maybe pick the sort of size engine you want and then scale to suit that which is often governed by the largest dia you can turn such as the flywheel.

I’d be tempted to find what portables are about locally and take some photos and a few key dimensions and build from those, you have a good range to choose from as well as Frick and Case there re the likes of Russell, Port Horon, Rumley, etc

With the CNC mill you should not have too much of a problem cutting the few castings needed such as flywheel, cylinder and trunk guide from solid cast iron. For a one off it will be cheaper than making patterns and getting them cast, I’ve just got a price for a couple of items from a new foundry I want to try and it would be just over double what I could buy the CI bar for.

Most of the brackets to support the crank, rear axle and perch bracket can all be fabricated by welding and/or silver soldering. Wheels with the typical rod spokes found on US engines are just a suitable tube or rolled hoop, hub and some threaded rod.

That just leave sthe boiler which will depend to some extent on your state boiler code and the size of engine you choose. Often with portables it can be better to have a working boiler within a decorative outer skin so that the prominant rivit detail can be reproduced but an easier welded or silver oldered method used for the pressure vesle.

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

Way out of my league … but idle curiosity got me here:

https://americanhistory.si.edu/collections/object/nmah_857023

MichaelG.

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

I like the cast iron “tractor seat” half way up the chimney, no doudt you sat astride the lowered chimney when driving the horses to move the engine.

 

I’ll have to see if I have the magazines but the Orcop looks quite doable and from the photos online I don’t think Haining used any special castings, maybe pinched the flywheel from something else. Comes up about 3ft long.

[marfordtnParticipant @marfordtn]

Thank you everyone for your input, I think 3-4 ft long would be a nice size and doable with the machines I have, to be honest I have never done any foundry work, that’s one thing I never needed before, but could be interesting to learn.

You would think a Case or Frick would be the easiest being US made, but I have never seen a full size version and there is no where one is on display anywhere near me.

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