Newbie To Steam Engines

[steamer]

Hi Craig,

4 feet is fine. A double simple would be my choice, say 3/8 x 3/8 x 3/8 or bigger. Easy and positive starting and reversing. A vertical firetube boiler would be best in keeping with the "real thing" and it would be easiest to build. I believe there is a plan set in the download section for a vertical firetube boiler that just might fit the bill....It would lend itself to gas firing also.....check it out!

And engine driven feed pump and a manual hand feed pump would also be on my list of musts...to say nothing of the mandatory gauge glass and safety valves mind you.

You might also consider a pressure controlled gas valve to control the fire.

All of these items exist on the open market and there are enough plans floating around that you could make all of them if you so desired....the world is your oyster.

Hey Bob, good to hear from another San Pebbles fan....shame the chief cooly didn't put the jacking gear key back when he overhauled her huh : ;D

Been busy with a new job......58 hours last week...with two hours of driving every day........cutting into my steamboat time.

Dave

 

[steamer]

Oh and I have run my sons 14" harbor tug in "REAL" 20 knot winds...not without difficulty, but it wasn't impossible!..if you take off the awning , you will have a great deal less windage

 

[ChooChooMike]

Yep, "Sand Pebbles" was better, except for the poor Chinaman who ended up getting biffo in the crankpit.

The engine used in the Sand Pebbles movie is now sitting in one of the museum holds of the S.S. Lane Victory cargo ship in San Pedro, CA (Los Angeles harbor).

Vid of it turning (electric motor geared to crankshaft) :

[youtube=425,350]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Kz3HVS7ips[/youtube]

Since I volunteer on the ship, I've seen the engine many many times. Gene Allen (the one who makes/sells the locomotive kits/castings) built a small sale model of this engine - WOW !! and brings it on our cruises for the public to see. He also volunteers as a docent for the engine during our day cruises.

http://www.lanevictory.org/laneVtour_museum2.php

Mike

 

[Blogwitch]

If you download this

http://jpduval.free.fr/Moteurs_vapeur_simples/MV deo 10x20.pdf

With a little work, it can be made into this (not the v twin)

It will run on 30 psi and easily power a boat up to 5ft long like this

Same type of engine, different installation.

Blogs

 

[GailInNM]

The movie, "The African Queen ", will be shown in the US on Turner Classic Movies (TCM) at 10 PM Eastern on Feb 14.
It's enough of a love story that you might get away with watching it with SWMBO on Valentine's Day and convincing her that you are giving up your precious shop time just to spend it with her. ;D

Gail in NM

 

[steamboatmodel]

As of 10 years ago, the African Queen had a compound in her.....I helped remove it and diagnose it's problems....mostly operator induced. The owner seemed to have a penchant for a ball peen hammer...
She's sitting in a parking lot in Florida now.....last I heard anyway.
Ironman...looks like she might have a "Shipman" single in her now....
Dave
....and PS...in the movie the steam engine and boiler were fake...there was a little diesel in the boiler case....
I think "San Pebbles" was a much better movie.....but that's just me...

Hi Dave,
Not only did he like to use a ball peen hammer, he didn't like steam oil and when it was up here he was running it dry. I think the diesel was under the green wood box. The Steam Engine was defiantly not connected in the movie.
Regards,
Gerald.

 

[craig00747]

Hello Blogwitch

Thankyou for the info and the photos. I had already downloaded that drawing of the engine,while surfing the Net and havn`t decided if I`ll build it or not.

I`m going to attatch a drawing of a 2 cylinder engine,which I found very interesting and I would like you to give your opinion on it. Actually,anybody can decide whether it would be a good one to try out or not? It also does not require any castings,which makes it easier.

After you guys have viewed the drawing,could you tell me what else needs to be built,EXCLUDING the BOILER? A CONDENSOR or what?

Regards

Craig

View attachment MarineEngine.pdf

 

[charlesfitton]

I think "San Pebbles" was a much better movie.....but that's just me...
[/quote]

Live steam.... dead steam... main steam stop valve...

All that and using a big bejesus hammer to straighten out the engine alignment....

Fantastic movie.

Better book...

 

[Blogwitch]

Craig,

That sure is a large engine. If you were contemplating putting that in a fair hull like the African Queen, the hull would need to be around 6ft long., not only to stay to almost scale proportions to the engine, but to be able to support the weight of the engine and boiler. In say a cargo ship, with a bluff bow and large displacement hull, you might get away with 4ft length.

The engine has the advantage that it is a piston valve, so could be controlled with just a two channel radio. One channel for rudder on the boat and the second for fwd/rev/speed control on the engine.

The only extras you would need to make are a good fwd/rev/speed control and a simple displacement lubricator.

This should explain the hull differences and carrying capacity. Both of these hulls are the same length, just under 4ft.


A fair hull, designed for steam, similar to the AQ. It was perfectly trimmed by carrying just a small engine like the plans I sent you to, and a 3" diameter vertical boiler (1pt capacity). Total weight of steam plant, as a guesstimate, 5lbs max, including water.

This is a bluff bow displacement hull, that not only took a 24AH lead acid battery (like in an invalid buggy or golf cart), but also 3 gallons of water into ballast tanks, just to get it down to a stable sailing level. I should think a total weight of ballast around 50lbs.

Hull choice is fairly critical, otherwise you can easily either overload, or at the other end of the scale, be carrying around excess ballast.


John

 

[Richard1]

Nice looking engine I think i will have to build one of those one day.
Things you will need lubricator either a simple displacement type or a mechanical one. You don't need to run condensing just exhaust up the stack but IF you do want to run condensing then you will have to make a condenser, circulating pumps (maybe not with a keel condenser I don't know enough) wet air pump to keep up the condenser vacuum, if you are going to use this water for boiler feed you will need an oil separator and of course a feed pump to shove it back in the boiler. I'm sure there is other stuff I have forgotten.

Richard

 

[craig00747]

John,thanks once again for your help.I thought that the engine was a small model,but now realize that its actually too big for the AQ.Proves to me that I have got a lot to learn.

If I build the engine,which you sent a photo of,would the 3" boiler in the downloads section work for it? I`ve got a 9 channel transmitter,so have the extra channels.What extra items needed to accompany the engine?

Richard,thanks for your reply.Yes,I would also like to build that engine,because it looks fairly easy to build.Its just the other items,which is required,that makes me wonder what I need?

Regards
Craig

 

[craig00747]

Hi John

I`m attatching a drawing of the Pinasse steam boat and this would be my second choice.My Boss at work can enlarge this to whatever size I require and the drawing gives quite a lot of info.I believe that the little 2 cyl. engine will be sufficient for it?

Regards
Craig

View attachment SteamBoatPinasse.pdf

 

[Blogwitch]

Craig,

I have just been looking for Sandy's 3.5" horizontal boiler in the plans section but I don't seem to be able to find them, just the burner for it.

If that hull could be built to something like 40" to 42" long, a 3.5" diameter by 6.5" to 7" long horizontal boiler would be perfect, and even though it is a 'beamy' type of hull, with it having a round bilge, the displacement wouldn't be too much, and so should require very little lead ballast, if any, to get it to waterline.

Those French engine plans do have a major flaw in them. The steam fwd/rev/speed control valve at the top of the engine requires the operating arm slot to be machined 90 degrees around the disc from where it states it should be. I would recommend, if you do make it, to put the cylinder to face holding springs how I mounted them on mine, it simplifies the whole cylinder build. All you would need extra is a simple displacement lubricator.

That engine is a 10mm (3/8" approx) bore by 20mm (3/4" approx) stroke, and as such, is a long stroke, slow runner, but very powerful for it's size, and could easily cope with a hull that size. I know for a fact that it can turn a 4" 45 degree pitch prop by direct drive at a fair rate of knots.

It is very difficult to guarantee that everything will match perfectly, but looking at what you require, the combination of what I have said does look to be a well balanced set up. A lot will depend on how well you can make the engine, boiler and hull.

My other passion throughout my whole working life, other than engineering, was making and sailing radio controlled model boats. I had to give up the boating bit as I couldn't carry them down to the waters edge and safely launch them after I had an accident, but I still take an avid interest in all things model boating.

I hope this has helped, but please take notice of what everyone else is saying, they could easily come up with an easier and better solution than what I have offered.


John

 

[steamer]

Hi Dave,
Not only did he like to use a ball peen hammer, he didn't like steam oil and when it was up here he was running it dry. I think the diesel was under the green wood box. The Steam Engine was defiantly not connected in the movie.
Regards,
Gerald.

As told to me on the "shake down" cruise with the now rebuilt engine, he was asked why he hadn't lubricated the engine....I was told he took a plastic bottle of automotive engine oil out...opened it and proceeded to dump the contents over the engine somewhat like basting a chicken. When empty, he tossed the bottle overboard. When told that that was a $5000 fine if caught, he just shrugged his shoulders........Sounded like more money than brains..

I saw what he did with the ball peen hammer first hand.....mind boggling....

Dave

 

[craig00747]

Hello John.Sorry for the delay in my response.I had to work late,to get the fishing vessel ready to sail.The 1500 Hp Caterpillar engine had a headache and needed some attention.

I took the drawing to work and it was enlarged to obtain a 42 inch length.The ink in the machine was low and it didn`t print clearly.As soon as it has been replaced,I`ll know if the enlargement process was successful or not?

Thankyou for the advice about the Forward/Reverse system on the drawing. I`ll have a go at building this engine as it seems to have sufficient power.

I managed to download the drawings for the 3" boiler.This should work for this engine - shouldn`t it?

Regards
Craig

 

[Blogwitch]

That should be fine Craig, it will be more than enough to continuously supply that engine with 30 PSI (2 BAR). In fact, most of the people running my engines run at around 25 PSI, and the engines give out more than enough power.

I can't remember if I actually showed a few shots of that engine build on here, or it might have been on another site, I will have a root around the old posts.

John