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There is something I did not consider. Cast will fracture [I am picturing like glass] when exposed to rapid changes in temperature. Interesting. Thanks for your insight

I would love to read that article. I will do some more research and see what pops up. Thanks for the replies. I did find this.. www.cyclonepower.com

I am not sure. I came upon this thought while thinking about positioning the cylinders in the exhaust stream to help keep them up to temperature. Doing so would perhaps aid in the need for less robust lagging. That led me to, why not heat the cylinders directly and use them to flash the system...

I am working on a model steam engine and was considering building a flash boiler. Question arose in my mind, why not heat the cylinders and flash to steam inside them? I am sure someone has thought of this before, but I cannot seem to find any discussions on the subject. The cylinders and...

Methusalah was a whipper snapper. I turned out the new pistons today, I made them from cast this time [ it was in the scrap bin] so far, I am liking the results. Waiting on the graphite packing to arrive to turn out the rod seal seats and nuts. I am still pondering the valve setup and whether to...

Well, it looks like you have talked me into changing to the labyrinth seals. I will also try the hacksaw blade tooling that was mentioned. Always game to learn something new. [Even at my age]

Thanks for all the information. It just so happens that the cylinders I am utilizing are hydraulic brake cylinders. The last model I made had no rings, cast cylinders and brass pistons. It was a much smaller model and was built just as a learning experience. I will try this with the Vitron...

I visited the website provided [thank you] It seems the smallest amount they sell is 170 feet. I need just a few inches. It is also out of my budget

This build is almost completely scratch built. The cylinders are repurposed from parts of a vintage backhoe that I own. Hardwar will be store bought for the most part. It is to be used in a radio-controlled sternwheeler approximately 7feet in length. This is not my first scratch build motor nor...

I believe I bought that very package [although a different size] from a local ACE hardware store. I tried using it on a previous build but had some issues with it. After cutting the material, and stuffing the gland, I applied a drop of 3+1 oil to the shaft. [figuring it would be exposed to the...

I am working on a 2-cylinder steam engine build. both cylinders are double acting. Stationary cylinders with crossheads. The bore of the cylinders is 1.250 inch, and the stroke is 2 inches. I am looking for a source to get some packing for the connecting rod fitting and to use on the valve...

Thanks for the info. I will need to grind a tool, [like a parting tool] to cut this. Would there be any advantage to making the groove with a rounded bottom to match the O-ring? I think I remember reading somewhere that a O-ring has to have some lateral movement to work properly. I do not think...

The rings I ordered are 1-1/4" OD x 1" ID x 1/8th diameter. These are nominal measurements.

Thanks again, I bought some Vitron O-rings, but now I am looking for a chart or calculator to determine the groove dimensions in the pistons. Any leads on one?

Thank you for the reply. I will do some research on Viton O-rings. As I think this over another piston questions came to me. Is there a formula, or ratio for the thickness of a piston? My last engine was a smaller wobbler type, and I did not give this topic much thought. This engine will have...

I am in the beginning fazes of building another model steam engine. I have the cylinders fabricated, they are made of cast iron, 1-1/4 bore, and it will have about 2-inch stroke. Given the choice of; aluminum, brass, cast iron, or cold rolled steel. What do you think would be the best choice...

I would gladly post plans here, but I work without drawings. I can do work from plans, but usually on small, fun build things just kinda wing it. Thanks for the complement. I will hopefully start on the boiler build soon, but I have this cast iron 2-cylinder air compressor head, just mocking me...

Well, I have made some slight progress on this build. The piping is all silver soldered, and the reversing valve is in place. I ran it on air yesterday, but did not have a pressure gauge and regulator in the line so I do not know what pressure it was running at. I still have some cleanup...

And here are some more recent pictures. I silver soldered the fitting in today. The last picture is the results of getting too close with the torch. I had to remove and replace that fitting. All is going well so far.

Hi thanks for the all the replies. I have made some progress on the build. After some input from several forums, I did indeed remove the cylinder covers and scribe the position for the ports. For now, I have them the same size as the ports in the cylinder and will enlarge them if needed. The...