PM Research Inc. 5BI

[n4zou]

I traded about an hour of shop time for a new in the box PM Research Inc. 5BI casting kit. The guy I got it from told me he ordered it in March of 1990. He told me he attempted to build a smaller steam engine kit and scraped the cylinder. That put him off doing this kit and put it away. Subsequently he sold the machinery his farther had passed to him. I purchased a Rockwell Drill Press from him so that is how he came to know me and my little shop.

This 5BI is cast of all red bronze. I looked at the PM-R site and discovered this kit all bronze kit is no longer sold. The current 5BI is a mix of bronze, cast iron, and aluminium. Due to the economy I'm covered up with work from people wanting parts made for stuff they would have scrapped out just a few years ago. Machining this kit may take some time.
I'm uploading a couple of pictures of the kit before I remove the parts from the box and start working on them.

 

[b.lindsey]

They used to do that with all of their kits and I have an all bronze 5B also in the box though probably not quite that old. Its on my list to do but not for a while yet... needs a bit more aging i think :big:

Bill

 

[Tin Falcon]

A few years ago when the price of copper went crazy they went from all bronze casting kits to bronze and cast Iron . I have a 3b kit from IIRC 2000 as well as a 2B that I machined and display. They were purchased at the same time from Blue ridge machine.
I have since purchased a dynamo and a 3bi kit. I want to do the bronze up and leave it natural and do up the bI kit paint it and do a clear cylinder.
Tin

 

[bearcar1]

N4, it's too bad your friend did not pursue getting a replacement part from PMR. They are terrific to deal with in those terms. I've done the 5B1 and have another set of the bronze casting sets in the cabinet. I like the quality of their casting sets, they are almost too perfect and do not require a great deal of material removal most times. The hardest step to perform on that engine I think is drilling the holes for the main bearing caps. The holes are in such close proximity to the casting body it requires an extra long drill bit. One can be purchased to perform the job but with some patience and a bit of silver solder, a small brass coupler, and a length of steel rod, one can be made to suit without a lot of hassle. Other than that, it was a delight to machine.

BC1
Jim

 

[n4zou]

I got a little extra time today so I've officially started making chips.
I chucked the frame in the 4-jaw chuck. I used a 1/2 drill to hold the top of the frame centred deep in the chuck as I trued up the base. I faced off the base to size and then ran that 1/2 drill through the hole in the top of the frame to clean it up. I then marked the frame with a sharpie where jaw #1 was clamped. I then loosened jaws # 1 and 2 and removed the frame flipping it around. I then aligned the mark on the frame with jaw # 3 and tightened it up with jaws # 1 and 2 with the machined base flat on the chuck face. The hole in the top of the frame perfectly aligned with drill bit, yea! Everything depends on getting that first cut perfect as everything else must align perfectly with it. I used a large centre drill to prepare the hole for the live centre. I then turned the shoulder at the top of the frame just enough to clean it up. I then put my steady rest on the shoulder and oiled it. I'm now ready to bore out the frame. At this point I was going to take a picture and discovered my battery needed to be recharged. Oh well, that’s how it goes. At least I got one picture out of it before it quit.
This picture was taken just before I started making chips. I'll take a picture of two in the morning and post it later.

 

[DOC123]

Very nice to see. I'm in the process of finishing the more modern version of this engine with Only a few more bits to go. I agree with the comment about drilling the holes for the main bearing caps. I milled the surfaces flat and superglued the caps in place. I then drilled them from below making little holes in the base in the process. I plan on using the holes to mount the frame on the base.
Good luck with the build.

 

[n4zou]

I finished up the Lathe work on the frame today. No issues encountered at all.

First picture shows cleaning up the top shoulder leaving it oversized just a little so I can make a finish cut on it after boring. The reason for this? My steady rest will be used on it of course!

Second picture shows the steady rest in position and ready to bore it out.

Third picture: All turning and boring is finished and I've set the lathe up to mark the centre line of the bore.
Due to the bottle shape of the frame there is no flat surface that corresponds with the bore. Scribing lines on the frame provides an easy way to setup the mill by chucking a scribe in the drill chuck and aligning the part in the vice by using the lines as reference points.

Fourth picture shows the alignment lines.

 

[ileed]

FWIW

It wasn't easy, but I built this model on Sherline equipment.

 

[n4zou]

I've run into a problem. I 'found' a void in the cylinder casting. No way to fix this as it extends into the cylinder bore. I'm going to contact PM-R and see if they will provide a replacement. I could fix it with JB Weld but PM-R really should send me a replacement cylinder. I could very well find another void should I continue machining this one as the bronze was not at the proper temperature when this one was cast.

 

[Swede]

I understand it's irritating, but wouldn't this void be concealed, and not hinder the functionality of the engine?

Regardless, if you can get a replacement, that'd be better. Good luck with it.

 

[rleete]

PMR is very good about replacement parts, from my experience. I didn't even get the kit from them directly, but through an ebay vendor. They replaced the defective part (same problem, voids) immediately.

 

[ChooChooMike]

Ditto on PMR about replacing parts - I trashed a cylinder end-cap for the 2A wobbler. They replaced it very quickly !

Mike

 

[slkride]

I have a bronze 5BI also in the box awaiting. will be following your build closely good luck

Tom

 

[n4zou]

My first message to PM-R came back as undeliverable-WTF? I used the contact page on the PM-R contact page. I just filled out the form again to ask about a replacement once more. If this one comes back undeliverable again I'll resort to calling them on the phone. If I end up not getting a replacement I'll use bar stock and machine a new cylinder myself.
I went to Enco last night an ordered some shop tools and while there added a #50 6" Aircraft drill for the crank shaft caps. The distance from the caps to the top of the frame is 4" so it'll be perfect and will make drilling the caps and frame much easier.

 

[bearcar1]

Hang in in there N4 about contacting PMR, they DO take care of their customers and in short order. I'm sure that the returned email message was due to a spelling error in the address line or something simple. They are still around I'm sure so do not be discouraged. Besides, without seeing what the inside of that casting looks like, a bit of silver solder will fill that defect and once it gets machined to clean the excess it would be hard to distinguish any sort of flaw existed.

BC1
Jim

 

[n4zou]

Another returned undeliverable message and no one is answering the phone. I guess I'll wait until this holiday season is over. Perhaps they shutdown for Passover? Who knows! You would think the messaging system would at least work. I had been thinking about ordering a 4CI but obviously that's not going to happen now. If they can't maintain a simple message system or an answering machine............

 

[b.lindsey]

From my experience with them it doesn't sound typical at all. I am wondering if that part of the country possibly suffered some of the same storms that rampaged through the southeast and mid atlantic states last weekend. Some areas in the Carolinas are just not getting power back on. If so, that would explain a lot.

Bill

 

[n4zou]

I'm going to ignore the void. I faced that end of the cylinder a little more and just barely isolated the void from the bore. I flipped the cylinder over and machined the other end. I clamped my 4" precision vice on the mill, aligned it, and clamped it down. Here is a photo of the cylinder clamped in the vice with a precision square and a bubble level I used to get the part setup properly before machining it.

 

[n4zou]

Finished the cylinder except drilling and taping the holes for the cover. I can't do that until I finish the cover.

 

[n4zou]

Piston done, Slide done, Inside cylinder cap ready for drilling and taping 2 holes for the gland nut, base fly cut, and the flywheel turned, and I centre drilled both ends of the crankshaft. I started to turn the pulley and found my 3 and 4 jaw chucks were too big to hold it and turn the outside diameter. I subsequently turned a shaft and and made a drive dog for it. I went ahead and drilled the 5/16 hole and faced the boss. I then chucked up a 3/8 rod, centre drilled and turned it down to 5/16 -.002 and threaded it 5/16-18. The dog was made from 1/2 key stock using my mill. I drilled a 5/16 hole on one end and a 3/8 hole on the other. I then cut a 1/4 X 1" slot for a 1/4-20 bolt. I then drilled and taped both ends for 1/4-28 set screws. I drilled through and tapped into the slot so two set screws hold firm on the crank shaft and the shaft I made to turn the pulley. Below are pictures of the parts I've finished so far and the pulley ready to be turned. The dog will also be used to turn the crank shaft between centres. Live centre on one end and then I'll chuck and turn a peace of 3/8 rod to 60 degrees which will become the dead centre. This will guarantee both sides of the crank shaft will be perfectly concentric.