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    Mystery Engine (castings)

    Thanks for the help. I do believe it could be a school project that was never finished. The casting quality seems very good. You don't see that smooth of a finish on castings lately. P.S. Thanks for the welcome back Tin. Hope I can get something new finished for the show in January. Frank
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    Mystery Engine (castings)

    Hi everyone, The pics are of steam engine castings my friend has. Some of the engine is partially finished, as you can see. There are no casting identification marks that I could see. The bore is 1 1/2", with 2" stroke (approx.). The engine would have a reversing gear that would mount to the...
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    Material Recomendation & Supplier

    Thanks for the leads. I'll be sure to check them out. Thanks again, Frank
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    Material Recomendation & Supplier

    Hi all, A friend of mine needs to replace a displacer piston in a Sterling Cycle engine. It is a small engine but will be used to power a heat circulating fan, so durability is a factor. Any recommendations will be appreciated. Also I am looking for a distributor / supplier, that handles 00-90...
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    Why so many socket head cap screws?

    I tried locating some 6-32 hex head screws when I was building my Upshur gas engine. I couldn't find any locally or in the standard supply catalogs so I decided to try my hand at making a few. I tried to follow the dimensions of a heavy head 5/16-18 bolt as a guide. These are common on the old...
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    Boiler fittings help required

    Hi Tony, I'm working on restoring a Marklin Powerplant with some of the same problems as yours has. The fitting bushings are threaded for 4mm thread and are soldered from the inside of the boiler. I will need to make a few replacements. This should be easy using the lathe. An external pump...
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    crank size diameter

    My Upshur Vertical gas engine has a 3/4" dia piston, 3/16" wrist pin, and a crankshaft made from 1/2" thk. hot rolled steel with 5/16 dia. journals for both the connecting rod and main bearings. It has been working well for years. Hope this helps, Frank
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    Running a model engine on LP gas

    I have talked with a few people who run their engines on lp gas. One said he will never go back to gasoline again, because it was so much easier to start and cleaner to work with. Another wanted to run his on lp but was having trouble locating a regulator that would regulate in ounces due to the...
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    lubricant for machining aluminum

    A friend of mine used to use automatic transmission fluid for machining brass and aluminum in his automatic screw machines. We used to use a mix of lard oil and kerosene for cast aluminum. Hope this helps, Frank
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    Something Like Babbitt

    Thanks for the help. I don't think it is Zamac, it seems to be softer. It does seem to be a good deal softer than the material used in the gears on my Atlas lathe. It does have the same "finger nail scratch test" qualities as babbitt. I have been comparing with some old "Slush Cast" toys, but...
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    Something Like Babbitt

    A friend of mine showed me an old model steam engine he had picked up at a junk yard. It was apparently home made. The cylinder, steam chest, cover, and flywheel were cast from a material that was babbitt-like. There was a material like this used for making castings for toys back in the early...
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    Hand Tapper

    Not to slight anyone's work or any comercial product on the market, but I have seen a few hand tappers made using 2 old engine connecting rods fastened above one another for the reach arms. Some used connecting rods from large diesel engines and some used rods from Briggs and Stratton lawnmower...
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    PM Lathe Completed

    Great Job Chilli ! Mine is still in the box "climatizing". ;D I hope mine will look as good. Frank
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    My basement shop

    Nice basement set-up. I do like your mill. I could have used one like this for several of the oddball jobs I have done in the past. Welcome to the board, Frank
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    To scrap or not to scrap?

    Depending on the the amount of "shoulder" on the cyl. sleeve, it may be possible to locate the plate in the correct position and rebore to "clean up" the original bore. Then make the corresponding part , cyl. sleeve, to match the dimension in the plate. Some people have a "humble box". I have a...
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    Spark plug boots

    If you want to go really cheap use solderless crimp connectors used for sound systems (speakers). They are basically like a female portion of a waterproof jack. The spark plug end of the terminal fits the champion plugs with a click, and the flexable covering fits down over the porcelain just...
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    microscope on lathe

    We used to have microscopes mounted above our Levin watchmakers lathes at work. I used to use these for drilling 1/32 vacuum holes through 3/32" dia. Elkonite 1" deep. Using the microscope it was like plowing a 1/2" pilot hole on an 18" swing lathe. The key was watching the chip and adjusting...
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    Your Home Lathe Tooling

    My usual lathe tooling is a set of insert holders (like you have pictured). Most of my work is usually done in drill rod or O1. I like the ability to just change the insert if it goes south. I do have an assortment of tools at the ready for my QC tool post. Two sizes of HHS ground to a 90 deg...
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    chip shields

    A heat gun is the best way for the occasional use. I have used a hand held propane torch to bend lexan with good results. Be careful to get only the heat from the torch and not the flame close to the material. Try to heat both sides at the bend point. I always had a quench tank (bucket) filled...
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    First engine finally done - Upshur Twin

    Great Job on the Upshur Twin! I'm sure it will run great. My Upshur Vertical runs very good. I've been up to 7 1/2 hrs contstant idle operation. Too bad I forgot to add more fuel to the tank. Frank
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