Elmer’s #16 “baldy”

[Blacksheep]

Yesterday was a rainy day and I had a couple of hours to spend in the workshop so I decided to start my next project: the Elmer’s engine #16, called baldy because it has a sphere instead of a cilindrical piston.
This will be the hardest part to build I think because I have a sphere attachment that I built in the past but it’s all but accurate.
Anyway I will try to do my best.

 

[Blacksheep]

I started with the base.
I did it round instead of square because it’s easier to make it in the lathe.
I made it from a chunk of mild steel that I had in the shop.

 

[Blacksheep]

The flywheel it’s made in stainless steel. Very simple to make.
I drilled the center hole and added two grooves on the two faces, then I drilled the hole for the pin that lock the flywheel and threaded it.

 

[Blacksheep]

It’s time to use the milling machine to build the frame.
It’s made of aluminium, squared up and drilled for the cilinder screws, the bushing and the air/steam passage.
Then I flipped upside down, drilled and threaded the 2 holes for the bolts that hold it on the base.
The final pic it’s the resume of today’s work.

 

[Andrew Stroud]

That's good progress for a day's work. Looking forward to the spherical piston.

 

[ZebDog]

good start I will be watching

 

[Blacksheep]

Another part done: The crankshaft.
I took a stainless steel 6mm bar and I center drilled it to make the air/steam passage and turned the sides.
Then I moved to the mill and machined the outside passages

I made the other part too from a bar of ss.
Turned OD, center drilled and set up on the mill to get the required shape.

My set up is not so good but it worked, this is the final result:

The only thing that’s missing is the hole for the pin. I will do it later.

 

[Blacksheep]

Another part done: the bushing.

Next part will be the steam inlet that will be joined to the bushing but I have to decide between soldering or threading it.

 

[Blacksheep]

As soon as I have five minutes I spend them in the shop.
Two more little parts done: the pin and the connection rod.

 

[Blacksheep]

Today I found my old homemade ball turner.
Ok ok I know...its a piece of rust but it worked.
I’m thinking on some improvements for it but it needs a little polishing before.

I chucked the piston rod and I tapered it.

 

[ZebDog]

Good work
I'm still watching

 

[Blacksheep]

Thank you it’s almost finished.
Only the cylinder and the steam inlet to go.

 

[Blacksheep]

Almost done. Only the cylinder has to be machined but I’m thinking to add a part to support the air/steam inlet because the bushing has a nice fit without any play but the weight of the inlet tends to rotate it.

 

[Blacksheep]

I made very little progress in this past two days, I just found the time to make the little extra support.

 

[Blacksheep]

That baldy head is waiting for a cylinder!

 

[Blacksheep]

After some bad days for me and my family today I went back to the workshop and made some little progress on the cilynder.

 

[Blacksheep]

It’s alive!
After making some machining on a set of brass bolts, that I recently bought, to make them fit I reamed to 10 mm and lapped the bore of the cylinder.
The piston sphere went out to be 10,02 mm so I sanded and polished it to fit exactly the required size.

All the parts are made now and that’s the result.

I tested it and it runs smoothly even at low pressure.
I noticed that if I put the piston in the right position it starts to run even without manually spinning the flywheel.
Next steps will be the polish work and a wooden base.

 

[Blacksheep]

Polishing done.
I don’t want a mirror surface so I think it’s enough.
The wooden base will be made out of a piece of olive root.

 

[Blacksheep]

I’m Getting close

 

[lathe nut]

that is a cut little engine, you did a good job and its going to look great on that piece of Burl, thanks for sharing.