Ray Hasbrouck Steam Engine

[Jack]

A few weeks ago I asked about scaling down a set of plans, well I have been working on a Ray Hasbrouck #10 steam engine which is actually for a full size boat. This thing is huge 2 1/4" bore and a 3" stroke and it is about 18" high. Well I'm not into boats of any size so I decided to build it one half size. It is a little more manageable and the pieces of stock needed are a little easier to handle and purchase.

The fasteners so far have been the biggest challenge but doable, think a 1/4-20 bolt becomes a 5-40.

I should take more pics of building and setups but I sometimes forget to stop and take pictures, but at least I take some photos at the end of the day.

 

[steamer]

Nice ! do take more pictures! th_wwp

I can tell you....Ray would have approved

Dave

 

[RonGinger]

Nice job. Yes, Im sure Ray would have liked it.

Please take more photos, and contact George Bullis of HOME SHOP MACHINIST. They are doing a book that will include all of Rays engines, with the full plans for each. He is now looking for photos of engines, both finished and under construction.

The book should be out late this year or early next year.

 

[Jack]

Just so that you all can get a handle on the size of this project, I am posting a new photo.

Thanks for looking...

Jack

 

[tvoght]

Here's another request for more pictures. I have a couple of Hasbrouck plans on file and I may never get to them. So I'll have to do a build vicariously through you!

--Tim

 

[Jack]

I accomplished a little bit more today on the #10 I made the top cap and then drilled the 8 holes in it and the top of the cylinder and tapped them all 4-40 then took a little off the top just to make it look pretty and then assembled it so that I could see what a days worth of work in the shop looks like.

So far everything is going smoothly so obviously I am over looking something.

 

[Philjoe5]

Jack,
Very good progress. I recently finished the #10 and I'm happy with the way it runs and I particularly like the reversing feature. BUT, the completed engine weighs nearly 50# and it's a bear to move around. I'd be very interested in how your engine turns out.

Phil

 

[Jack]

Hey Philjoe

Thanks for the compliment, I didn't want to build the engine full size for several reasons:

I have a difficult time picking up 50 lbs.
When running it would consume a great deal of air, assuming its run on compressed air and not steam
Small pieces of metal are less expensive than their full size counterparts

I purchased a full size set of plans from the Ray Hasbrouck site and I am working from them along with a good calculator to divide every dimension in half so far it hasn't been that difficult, but I find that I have to write the numbers down or I forget them very easily.

This morning I made the piston rod and bearing assembly

 

[Philjoe5]

OK, I can change the scale by straight calculation. I'll let you know if any of the fastener sizes puzzle me since scaling them can put you between common sizes. I think at one point I bored the readers of this forum to tears by posting several different scales of Ray's #3.

Good luck with this build Jack. I'll try to look in now and then.

Phil

 

[b.lindsey]

Its looking very good Jack. How long have you been working on it thus far?

Bill

 

[Jack]

I have been working on this project for a couple of weeks, I am making pretty good progress. This particular engine doesn't have anything really tricky so far but then I have only finished the easy parts.

I am sure that some part in the future will frustrate me but if it does I'll just turn out the lights in the shop and let it sit in the dark for a while until it learns to cooperate. This is a hobby not a job.

I worked under very tight deadlines and impossible customer demands all my life now I only work in the basement shop when I want to and I am in the mood and its fun when it stops being fun I spend time doing something else.

Jack

 

[rebush]

Jack: Enjoying you're build log. Nice work. You have a great attitude about enjoying a hobbie. It's amazing how ready to cooperate metal becomes after being left in the dark and ignored. Have to wonder did we change or did the metal? Roger

 

[steamer]

I have been working on this project for a couple of weeks, I am making pretty good progress. This particular engine doesn't have anything really tricky so far but then I have only finished the easy parts.

I am sure that some part in the future will frustrate me but if it does I'll just turn out the lights in the shop and let it sit in the dark for a while until it learns to cooperate. This is a hobby not a job.

I worked under very tight deadlines and impossible customer demands all my life now I only work in the basement shop when I want to and I am in the mood and its fun when it stops being fun I spend time doing something else.

Jack

YES SIR! That is the way to do it! :bow:

Dave

 

[Jack]

I have been busy spending time in my shop whenever possible, my little engine is actually starting to look like something. I still have quite a few parts to make but hopefully I will get this finished soon.

Jack

 

[Philjoe5]

Looks good Jack. Seems like you've gotten through much of the tricky stuff....like scaling down the reversing linkage. Bravo! Thm:

Phil

 

[ironman]

Looks like you are doing a great job on Ray's engine.

I have the Nr7 Two Cylinder Engine. It was pretty straight forward and Ray's plans are real easy to read.

Keep up the good work. Be glad to see and hear it run.

Ray

 

[Jack]

I had just a few more parts to make and then this showed up...

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IoU0XSaY_Ug&list=HL1344478646&feature=mh_lolz[/ame]

Jack

 

[Herbiev]

Looks great. Can we see you operate the reversing lever please

 

[RonGinger]

All you guys with any of rays engines please contact George Bullis at Village Press., [email protected] He is doing a book with all of Rays engines and needs photos, both of work in progress and finished engines.

Hopefully the book will be out by the end of the year. Until the book is out I will still be selling copies of Rays drawings, but once the book is done I will stop selling the prints. see http://hasbrouck.8m.com for plans info.

 

[Philjoe5]

Great work Jack. Sounds and runs great. Thanks for sharing your work with us. :bow:

Phil