Need some plan help!

[rodbuilder]

I have decided I would like to build a steam engine for my first engine. I would like it to be efficient and powerful enough to use in a rc boat. I am going to find a plan or design a boat from scratch for the engine that is built. I would like to be able to run decent size boat at a decent speed. Does anyone have suggestions on a plan?

 

[ksouers]

Hmm, you might want to think that through a little bit.

This is one area where you may be better off working up to it in stages. You might want to start with a stationary engine just running on compressed air.

Building a steam powerboat is more than just building the engine. You will also have to build a boiler and fuel system, plus the controls that go along with it. I'm not trying to discourage you. Just letting you know what you are in for.

Firstly, boilers are NOT toys. It is not a task to be taken lightly. Improperly built or operated they can be very dangerous. Even deadly. You will probably spend more time and money building a safe and proper boiler than you will on the engine itself.

Search for and read some of the posts about boiler safety. There are also a couple build threads. In particular Firebird has built a very nice boiler. His build thread starts HERE

After you have studied all you can on boiler building, operating and safety by all means go ahead and enjoy every minute of it. Post your progress here so we can all see. We like to see successful builds.

As far as engines, a twin wobbler is about as simple as you can get and have plenty of power, especially under steam. Try one of Elmer's Engines. You may have to make modifications to make it drive a boat, but they are good designs.

There are many knowledgeable people on this board. They are a wonderful resource. Make use of them, ask lots of questions.

 

[Tin Falcon]

The first one that comes to mind is Rudy Kouhoupt's Marine engine. The plans are available in book form with some other plans $20 Published by Village press. This is a twin cylinder double action engine so it is a self starter. At the shows Rudy would blow into the engine to make it run so if well build does not need high pressure. It is 5/8 bore by 5/8 stroke.
IIRC Tiny Power sell a similar engine in kit form Bronze Casting set. Another option wold be the DA v twin from PM Research but IIRC this is only sold as a pre-machined kit.
Tin

 

[dparker]

Rodbuilder: You might consider the Stuart 10V as a driver if the size is acceptable. This is a proven design and I believe more efficient than a "wobbler" style engine. There is a book on "Experimental Flash Steam" if you can still find it by J. H. Benson and A. A. Rayman from MAP Technical Publication that may help. Ksouers comments are well worth looking into to keep yourself safe, I have built a few "steam" engines but never had the nerve to build a boiler.
I bought my castings and plans from Cole's many years ago. I understand from other posts that the new owners are dependable to work with.
Check on the Engines from Castings section of the forum to see the one I built run, posted around the first or second week of September or a still picture posted there more than a year ago to see what it looks like.
Not too hard to build, but I also purchased the "How To Build the Stuart 10V" book and followed it closely.
Good Luck-------don

 

[Cedge]

Rodbuilder
Understand... no one here is trying to discourage you. We've all experienced biting off more than we could chew. Getting in too far over one's head can become a frustrating thing. It can and has discouraged many an amateur machinist enough to give up the hobby. I was just too stubborn to be beaten, but the urge to quit did come too close once or twice.

Start simple and build upward as your experience levels increase. You'll still enjoy each build and you'll soon be building much more complex systems. I know this to be true from personal experience. Get a couple of learning projects finished and you'll become unstoppable.

Listen to the wise old guys... or maybe it's old wise guys..... and ask questions by the bucket load.

Steve

 

[mklotz]

This is my version of Rudy's marine engine (the one Tin mentioned in his post).

This was the first engine I attempted to build when just getting started in the hobby.
I can testify that, while an excellent example of the protoypical marine engine, it's not a good choice for a first engine. I had to backtrack and build some smaller engines to develop my skills before I was able to complete it.

Also note that the engine is nearly 6" tall so the boat to contain it would need to be quite large. That's not all bad since it means there would be ample room for the boiler and ancillary equipment needed to power and control the vessel. In addition, the engine has no reversing gear so, if that is required, you would need to supply it via some other means.

A better, and simpler to construct, choice might be Elmer Verburg's reversing wobbler.

Not as tall, plenty of power and built-in reversing make this a good choice for an introductory project that could, one day, power a reasonably sized boat.