zeeprogrammer
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- Mar 14, 2009
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I now have two steam engines. I need to think about displaying them. (If they're good...people say 'ooh, aah'...if they're bad...it's a progression to 'ooh, aah'.) Right now I'm up to "that's neat...what do you do with them"?
Anyway...the idea is to mount them in such way that I can easily demonstrate them. Eventually though, the means to demonstrate them can also become 'points of interest'. For example, I've seen some references to 'wrapping in rope'. I imagine that has to do with insulation...but I don't know enough yet. In any case, detail adds interest.
My thinking is some kind of brass fitting on the engine. I've seen some neat things made from hex. Silver solder some copper piping to that. Route the pipe to the edge of the display. Silver solder some kind of fitting there. Attach (somehow) an air line to that.
I know nothing about silver soldering (well not nothing, but let's start with that) but I see it all the time on this forum.
Silver solder brass to copper?
How to specify the copper tubing? By OD? By ID?
Where to get it? Is Home Depot's copper suitable?
Don't assume an air compressor. Maybe hook up a boiler someday. Does that change the choice of copper? Of solder? Of modeler?
Common sizes of fittings? One engine uses a 3/16-40 thread, the other uses 8-32.
Tell me about the rope.
What about valves?
Favorite books on the subject?
In the meantime I have to lay my hands on a router and table. Figure out wood...finishes. I'm starting to realize a software engineer doesn't know a whole lot. Or at least...this little software engineer. (Not quite true...I've played with these things before...but that's just it...play.)
Thanks.
Anyway...the idea is to mount them in such way that I can easily demonstrate them. Eventually though, the means to demonstrate them can also become 'points of interest'. For example, I've seen some references to 'wrapping in rope'. I imagine that has to do with insulation...but I don't know enough yet. In any case, detail adds interest.
My thinking is some kind of brass fitting on the engine. I've seen some neat things made from hex. Silver solder some copper piping to that. Route the pipe to the edge of the display. Silver solder some kind of fitting there. Attach (somehow) an air line to that.
I know nothing about silver soldering (well not nothing, but let's start with that) but I see it all the time on this forum.
Silver solder brass to copper?
How to specify the copper tubing? By OD? By ID?
Where to get it? Is Home Depot's copper suitable?
Don't assume an air compressor. Maybe hook up a boiler someday. Does that change the choice of copper? Of solder? Of modeler?
Common sizes of fittings? One engine uses a 3/16-40 thread, the other uses 8-32.
Tell me about the rope.
What about valves?
Favorite books on the subject?
In the meantime I have to lay my hands on a router and table. Figure out wood...finishes. I'm starting to realize a software engineer doesn't know a whole lot. Or at least...this little software engineer. (Not quite true...I've played with these things before...but that's just it...play.)
Thanks.