My PM #5 bottle engine

[sobend1964]

I usually never post anywhere, but this engine was a lot of work for me and I finally finished it. I am not very experienced as a machinist and this was my first attempt at an engine from castings. I will say I learned a LOT! Mistakes and screw-ups are great educators and expensive, too. :wall:
Buying new castings after screwing up what I was working on adds up. All part of the process, I guess. I am happy that it runs, but, as it is a first time effort, there were tolerance and alignment issues so it runs with a fair amount of vibration. But, IT RUNS. Best to all

 

[packrat]

Nice work, looks better than the first steam engine I did. Broke the cylinder casting on a big lathe at school when boring it, a friend cast a new cylinder out of brass for me...

 

[Brian Rupnow]

Congratulations on your engine. This is how we learn, and also why I design and build all of my engines from bar stock. Everyone that sticks with it and ends up with a running engine, and learns a lot of "stuff" along the way is a hero.----Brian

 

[10K Pete]

Congratulations!! The first runner is always very exciting and many of us struggle with them.

Keep going, we want to see more!

Pete

 

[sobend1964]

Thank you all for your kind words. Packrat, I relate to you cracking a casting. One of my "learnings" was when I broke a casting in half while trying to mill it. Again. thank you all for your encouragement; makes me want to try more.

 

[Rickl]

Good work. Time for another now.

 

[Cogsy]

It looks great, and it runs - nice work!

 

[vederstein]

Congrats. As you've learned, working with castings is a different beast.

I remember when I machined my #5 I had a hell of a time with the tiny bearing caps for the square valve slide. It was a fixturing challenge for such a small part.

...Ved.

 

[ShopShoe]

That's a good little engine. Congratulations on working with castings to a final conclusion.

Your build is one of the bottle engines I like, and I have to admit that sometimes I don't like the bottle designs as much as some of the other designs out there.

Keep up the good work,


--ShopShoe

 

[packrat]

The larger the castings get, the easier it gets to work on them....

 

[sobend1964]

Nice job. Well done.

 

[Crisptrans]

Looks good and it runs! That’s an Atta-boy in my book! Great job!