Information on Coles Corliss Model

[Richard Hed]

For the moment, you can start on the parts that are properly dimensioned. There are some parts that are a bear to dimension that I actually never got around to doing. Let me know what ever you needs and I will work on them and send them to yhou.

 

[Richard Hed]

Its my understanding that Coles did a generational shift thing, it the original Coles guy handed the business off to the next generation.
Due to whatever reasons, Coles did not make it as a company, which is unfortunate. Does not really matter why; they are no longer in business.
They had a very large model engine offering, and some hard to find casting kits.

I have some Coles drawings for various engines, and they are not great by today's standards for drawings, but for back then they were pretty good I think, depending on which engine you had drawings for.
Sometimes it seems the drawings for a given engine were redrawn over time, and often improved by Coles.

No CAD back then; everything was hand-drawn.

Edit:
As far as the lack of castings available these days, I bypass that problem by making my own gray iron castings, using 3D printed patterns, from 3D models that I develope using photos.
I often hear that the technology needed to make your own iron castings in the backyard is beyond the cababilities of any hobby person, but I can say from experience that this is a false statement.

You may not save any money making your own iron castings, but it is certainly within the ability of many hobby folks to make their own iron castings, if someone has the desire to learn the iron melting/casting process. I have posted extensively here about how to do this.
We can make our own high-quality iron castings in a backyard setting, so the situation with Coles and others going out of business is not hopeless.

.

I don't know if what you are saying is true: viz, the cost of foundry equipment vs, the castings. That Mery engine we are following has castings for 800$, the first I am considering since I bought the Coles castings 40 years ago at 200$ (my estimate for 200$ 40 years ago is something like 1600 in todays $$ or even more). Not to speak of the fun and excitement of making your own castings. I suppose foundry equipment can get quite expensive, but it is still my belief that in the long run it would be cheaper to do ones own. Could you please tell us your experience on that score? Thanx.

 

[GreenTwin]

I have drawings that I did up. However, they are pretty crappy as far as professional goes. Often I am missing details and dimensions. As I did the drawings for myself without thimpfking of other people. Usually, however, a dim can be measured off the paper and often the dims don't really matter. Cylinders, pistons, cranks, bearings and some other stuff matters and usually, those are properly dimmed.

I am happy to send you evereything I have.

I use AutoCAD if I need powerful program but I have found Alibre Atom works for most everything I need. I like it also because I can make pdfs so easily and they can be sent across the wires so easily. AutoCAD is a bear to dim but Alibre is very simple.

I have also consolidated some parts as I can not understand why they are in two parts. Namely the steam bonnet and the exhaust bonnet. Also the cylinder front and back heads I have consolidated the heads and a ring. I have also made several changes particularly where a simple change can effect a more laminar flow of steam and get rid of steam "bounce". I doubt that I even have any CAD drawings of the absolutely originals any more. The originals are known as Coles/Ray drawings or just Ray. A.W. Ray has a "copyright" on his dwgs of 1946. I doubt that they were actually copyrighted, but maybe.

I really like those drawings as they are a work of art, even tho' by today's standards they are absolute crap, not because they are crap, they really are art,. but rather because, the drawings are cramped and over dimensioned. I find up to 4 dims on the same item which just creates MORE cramp and confusion. However, the work is a great work in my not so humble opinion. If I have a problem, I have to refer to them.

Those are nice drawings !

.

 

[Richard Hed]

Those are nice drawings !

.

Thanx, but they are incomplete. They came directly off Alibre.

 

[GreenTwin]

I don't know if what you are saying is true: viz, the cost of foundry equipment vs, the castings. That Mery engine we are following has castings for 800$, the first I am considering since I bought the Coles castings 40 years ago at 200$ (my estimate for 200$ 40 years ago is something like 1600 in todays $$ or even more). Not to speak of the fun and excitement of making your own castings. I suppose foundry equipment can get quite expensive, but it is still my belief that in the long run it would be cheaper to do ones own. Could you please tell us your experience on that score? Thanx.

Some things that inhibit people from making their own castings is a lack of understanding of how to make patterns, starting with a 2D drawing that shows as-machined dimensions.
I had to figure out how to add machining allowances to the surfaces that would be machined off.
And a pattern has to have draft angle for all surfaces that are perpendicular to the direction that the pattern will be pulled from the sand.
So one has to envision parting lines.

Then you have to apply a shrinkage factor, since the casting shrinks as it cools.
I use a multiplier of about 1.015 or sometimes 1.020, to make the pattern larger than the as-machined size.

Then one has to understand the melting process for iron, and how and when to skim it (this is not complex, but it needs to be understood).

All these things are pretty easy to learn (maybe not so easy to learn 3D modeling for 3D printed pattern applications).

As far as cost, I would guess an iron setup for a #16 crucible could run perhaps $1,000.00, depending on how much scrap steel you have laying around for building lifting tongs, skimmers, outer shell, etc.
But lets say worst-case $2,000.00 to include furnace, burner, leaf blower, fuel tank, plumbing, valves, leathers, facemask, gloves, etc..

Compared to the cost of castings these days, a furnace would pay for itself pretty quickly.
What I am not factoring in it time to learn 3D modeling, an $800.00 Prusa printer, filament, and time to construct the foundry.

You can get Alibre relatively cheaply for a 3D modeling program.

You would have to build your own burner, which is not too difficult.
I use muffler pipe for burner tube, or stainless thin wall pipe for a delux burner.

.

 

[Richard Hed]

Some things that inhibit people from making their own castings is a lack of understanding of how to make patterns, starting with a 2D drawing that shows as-machined dimensions.
I had to figure out how to add machining allowances to the surfaces that would be machined off.
And a pattern has to have draft angle for all surfaces that are perpendicular to the direction that the pattern will be pulled from the sand.
So one has to envision parting lines.

Then you have to apply a shrinkage factor, since the casting shrinks as it cools.
I use a multiplier of about 1.015 or sometimes 1.020, to make the pattern larger than the as-machined size.

Then one has to understand the melting process for iron, and how and when to skim it (this is not complex, but it needs to be understood).

All these things are pretty easy to learn (maybe not so easy to learn 3D modeling for 3D printed pattern applications).

As far as cost, I would guess an iron setup for a #16 crucible could run perhaps $1,000.00, depending on how much scrap steel you have laying around for building lifting tongs, skimmers, outer shell, etc.
But lets say worst-case $2,000.00 to include furnace, burner, leaf blower, fuel tank, plumbing, valves, leathers, facemask, gloves, etc..

Compared to the cost of castings these days, a furnace would pay for itself pretty quickly.
What I am not factoring in it time to learn 3D modeling, an $800.00 Prusa printer, filament, and time to construct the foundry.

You can get Alibre relatively cheaply for a 3D modeling program.

You would have to build your own burner, which is not too difficult.
I use muffler pipe for burner tube, or stainless thin wall pipe for a delux burner.

.

Well I've been intending to do alum casting to start but haven't gotten around toit yet. Do two, maximum 3 sets of castings and you'v paid for your equipment. I did it in college and really liked it, howeveer the instructor was a racist fascist jerk--even so, he was still a good instructor. I didn't like him but I certainly enjoyed the class.

 

[GreenTwin]

I got to tour a foundry when in school (International Harvester), and I recall it being fascinating, but they never actually taught us how to do it.
That would have saved me a tremendous amount of time.

The local metal museum gives casting lessons, and they basically showed me the basic steps of foundry work for free.
I gave them a donation for the time they spent with me.

.

 

[Richard Hed]

Try this one. It has more info

 

[Ohly]

I have drawings that I did up. However, they are pretty crappy as far as professional goes. Often I am missing details and dimensions. As I did the drawings for myself without thimpfking of other people. Usually, however, a dim can be measured off the paper and often the dims don't really matter. Cylinders, pistons, cranks, bearings and some other stuff matters and usually, those are properly dimmed.

I am happy to send you evereything I have.

I use AutoCAD if I need powerful program but I have found Alibre Atom works for most everything I need. I like it also because I can make pdfs so easily and they can be sent across the wires so easily. AutoCAD is a bear to dim but Alibre is very simple.

I have also consolidated some parts as I can not understand why they are in two parts. Namely the steam bonnet and the exhaust bonnet. Also the cylinder front and back heads I have consolidated the heads and a ring. I have also made several changes particularly where a simple change can effect a more laminar flow of steam and get rid of steam "bounce". I doubt that I even have any CAD drawings of the absolutely originals any more. The originals are known as Coles/Ray drawings or just Ray. A.W. Ray has a "copyright" on his dwgs of 1946. I doubt that they were actually copyrighted, but maybe.

I really like those drawings as they are a work of art, even tho' by today's standards they are absolute crap, not because they are crap, they really are art,. but rather because, the drawings are cramped and over dimensioned. I find up to 4 dims on the same item which just creates MORE cramp and confusion. However, the work is a great work in my not so humble opinion. If I have a problem, I have to refer to them.

Thanks for the drawings. Will check them, If I'm able to manufacture the parts I'll start next year. In the meantime I am working at a Stuart Beam. Got a lot of scrap, but can handle that.

 

[Richard Hed]

Thanks for the drawings. Will check them, If I'm able to manufacture the parts I'll start next year. In the meantime I am working at a Stuart Beam. Got a lot of scrap, but can handle that.

Did you get the latest pdf? It has 22 pages.

 

[TonySteamHobby]

Richard, I just returned from a trip to the Henry Ford museum. I saw a Corliss running on air. It was inspiring! Of course I went looking for drawings. I looked over your drawings, very nice. Would you be willing to share your Alibre files? I have Atom.

 

[Richard Hed]

Richard, I just returned from a trip to the Henry Ford museum. I saw a Corliss running on air. It was inspiring! Of course I went looking for drawings. I looked over your drawings, very nice. Would you be willing to share your Alibre files? I have Atom.

yES, I can do that. I will try to put them here for anyone who wants them. With a warning: I have changed lots of parts, usually consolidating two pieces that can ( and IMNSHO should be) made as ONE part.

 

[Richard Hed]

I've put these Alibre Atom files in self-extracting files. But they will have to be sent, I believe, by email, as this forum will not allow *.exe files. Send me your eddress and I will send to that.

 

[L98fiero]

I've put these Alibre Atom files in self-extracting files. But they will have to be sent, I believe, by email, as this forum will not allow *.exe files. Send me your eddress and I will send to that.

Doesn't the forum allow .zip files? 7zip is free and available for Windows/ReactOS, BSD, macOS, Linux

 

[Richard Hed]

OK, I tried zipping these self-extracting executables, probably should have just zipped the original files.

Hope it is all there.

 

[L98fiero]

OK, I tried zipping these self-extracting executables, probably should have just zipped the original files.

Hope it is all there.

The files are good, but they try to reconfigure my installed Alibre if I try to open directly from file explorer, I had to open them only through Alibre.

 

[Richard Hed]

The files are good, but they try to reconfigure my installed Alibre if I try to open directly from file explorer, I had to open them only through Alibre.

I hope they work.

 

[plipoma]

I can't open the files! I don't have Alibre, I have Draft Sight that uses .dwg files. Is it possible to those files that would respond to .dwg.

 

[Richard Hed]

I can't open the files! I don't have Alibre, I have Draft Sight that uses .dwg files. Is it possible to those files that would respond to .dwg.

No, definitely not

 

[vk7krj]

Richard, I found this when searching for a way to read the AD_PRT files- would you consider exporting them as step files-

"To export an AD_PRT file as a STEP file, open the file in Alibre Design's part designer. Then, select Save as... and save the file as a STEP file. This will allow you to use the part in other CAD programs."

Thanks, Ken.