Carl Miller
New Member
Hello Machinists
Hi I am Carl Miller, retired engineer deep into building model boats. I live in Hawaii and nowhere near a model boat club with experts in model boats of any kind. Up 'til now,I have built all RC sailboats-- but I got a crazy idea for a steam dream so I started making the 73" steam launch Jax-- a boat inspired by the Windermere launches from the early 1900's. I modified a set of sailboat hull forms to make a skinnier hull and strip-planked in western red cedar and I have a nice boat-- and a steam power plant to put in it. Sorry I am no machinist (but many helped my career as a manufacturing engineer) so I didn't try to make the engine, but I saw the steam engine projects on your forums, and see there is a lot of steam expertise maybe I can tap into. I am newbie tto steam power (except for the Midwest fantail launch) and learning how to operate the steam engine the hard way maybe.
I bought a beautiful Mildura 2 cyl slide-valve engine with 4" boiler from John Godfrey at Miniature Steam Models in Australia. What I hope to gain most in this forum is contact with some Mildura steam engine owners who have one installed and operating in a boat. John and his assistant Stuart Rowe have been a big help, and persistently helping me improve the performance. But I am totally lacking comparison data for the Mildura operating in a boat. More about that later in a subsequent post. I have some advisors from RC Groups-- all experts in steam-- but nobody so far has said they have or know a Mildura and what it can do.
Jax is 73" LOA and will displace about 29 lbs. It has 70mm 3-blade cast prop. In a few days it will be on a maiden voyage in a small pond nearby. Here is a view of the boat during construction-- an early float test (the engine here is a cardboard mock up). Lower picture with Mildura installed.
I hope there are steam boaters out there that can share experience with the Mildura engine. I look forward to hearing from you!
Carl
Hi I am Carl Miller, retired engineer deep into building model boats. I live in Hawaii and nowhere near a model boat club with experts in model boats of any kind. Up 'til now,I have built all RC sailboats-- but I got a crazy idea for a steam dream so I started making the 73" steam launch Jax-- a boat inspired by the Windermere launches from the early 1900's. I modified a set of sailboat hull forms to make a skinnier hull and strip-planked in western red cedar and I have a nice boat-- and a steam power plant to put in it. Sorry I am no machinist (but many helped my career as a manufacturing engineer) so I didn't try to make the engine, but I saw the steam engine projects on your forums, and see there is a lot of steam expertise maybe I can tap into. I am newbie tto steam power (except for the Midwest fantail launch) and learning how to operate the steam engine the hard way maybe.
I bought a beautiful Mildura 2 cyl slide-valve engine with 4" boiler from John Godfrey at Miniature Steam Models in Australia. What I hope to gain most in this forum is contact with some Mildura steam engine owners who have one installed and operating in a boat. John and his assistant Stuart Rowe have been a big help, and persistently helping me improve the performance. But I am totally lacking comparison data for the Mildura operating in a boat. More about that later in a subsequent post. I have some advisors from RC Groups-- all experts in steam-- but nobody so far has said they have or know a Mildura and what it can do.
Jax is 73" LOA and will displace about 29 lbs. It has 70mm 3-blade cast prop. In a few days it will be on a maiden voyage in a small pond nearby. Here is a view of the boat during construction-- an early float test (the engine here is a cardboard mock up). Lower picture with Mildura installed.
I hope there are steam boaters out there that can share experience with the Mildura engine. I look forward to hearing from you!
Carl
