estimating sizes and copying a build from a picture or video

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BillWood

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I like this one



Should I be able to estimate sizes and calculate portholes and pivot point for myself and then build something similar ?

Any must read websites or books to help me acquire those skills - only have 1 wobbler build to my credit.

Bill
 
Bill I design and build my own engines all the time. You are too early to the game. Build about 3 more engines from plans. I recommend a beam engine, a double acting wobbler, a popcorn engine. By then you will have a more complete understanding of what you are doing and why. ---Brian
 
Bill, take a look at this site. It's an oscillator simulator that demos the basics of single acting and double acting oscillator type engines and allows you to change dimensions to see the affect on operation.
You can manually layout the ports and pivot points on paper to figure out dimensions and place the crank, crank pin and ports.
http://www.labbookpages.co.uk/metalwork/singleOsc.html
 
Yes, not a stranger to 3d CAD, used a few different programs for many years at work, earthmoving, digging big holes, not tiny little gizmos but I can adapt. Retired 8 years ago and not had any need to use any CAD programs since.
 
Another option is to find plans for something similar and then keep the basic mechanicals the same but alter the outside appearance to more closely represent your chosen subject, If you took Roy Ozouf's Coventry engine stood upside down is not far off.

As for size pick a part such as the flywheel to suit what you can fit on your machine and then proportion all the rest to that, if you can get a square on photo of the subject then drawing a grid over the top makes that easier.
 
Well, I can see why you would want to try, that is a very attractive engine. Do you know anything about it? Cheers, Peter.
 
Well, I can see why you would want to try, that is a very attractive engine. Do you know anything about it? Cheers, Peter.

Deeferfog, I know nothing about it, youtube suggested it to me automatically. Somebody suggested somewhere that its similar to one of the Muncaster engines but upside down, plans available here http://www.plans-for-everything.com/hen_steam_engine_plans.html

JasonB, I agree with you, a large part of the appeal of this one is cosmetic and I should be able to copy the cosmetics and paste them onto the outside of my second wobbler.

One issue is scaling the size up a bit, hence my original question.

Bill
 
Well, not trying to be a smart ass, but I don't see the engine shown in the original post on that link. Which one is it?
 
Click on the Muncaster engine it maybe the A framed wobbler
If so theres a version in book 1 or 2 of Simple Steam Engines by Tubal Cain the UK one not the utube one
The original design needs the pin that pushes the cylinder altering to a spring loaded one to allow for expansion as mentioned in the book
Iv build one and it was a good runner
cheers
 
Well, not trying to be a smart ass, but I don't see the engine shown in the original post on that link. Which one is it?

Chucketn,

My apologies, as my post states it was a suggestion, that I saw somewhere else after a bit of googling, rather than a definitive "This One Is IT" I do not know which one it is supposed to be, havent looked at them all yet, try fcheslops suggestion above.

Bill
 
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