steamech marine twin

[scoop]

Hi all
I recently found in a post on this site a link to a site called "Steamech".Having had a quick look I thought that the Twin marine engine plan looked like an interesting project and for a couple of quid I bought the plans.They arrived by e-mail pretty quick( a few hours) and looked well done.Having had time to look at a few parts I noticed a missing dimension.I have e-mailed the site from which the plans came and have received no replies in the last week.As the site is based in New Zealand and this is the summer down there I am assuming that the chap is on holiday and away from the computer.

While I await his e-mail reply however I wonder if any of you fine ladies or gentlemen have these plans and can assist me with the missing size?

the drawing concerned is sheet 3.The part I need help with is the "main bearing block".I would like to know the two thickness dimensions missing from the side view(bottom right hand side of drawing).One of these is only really cosmetic but the other one not only gives the finished thickness of the part but also the position of the crankshaft journals.I could probably work out a size from the rest of the plans but would like to know the original designed size to make sure

There is a chance that the dimension is on another plan and that I can't see it for looking,but I don't think it is.

I will probably get a reply from the designer in time but I would like to take a Belt and Braces stance here and try to find this information from another source.

best regards Steve C.

 

[wespe]

Did you check the BOM (Bill of Materials) for that drawing? Sometimes where dimensions are not critical, such as in the thickness of bearing blocks, and where stock sizes of material will be appropriate the draftsman will only give a profile, or a profile and a side view to show the depth of a bore or something along that lines. In these cases the thickness of the part will be the thickness of the stock called out in the BOM.

-Tom

 

[scoop]

No materials list on these drawings.The part concerned would have to be machined as it is the lower half of a split main bearing and the split line is the centre line of the crankshaft journal,hence the thickness of the part is the same dimension as the distance from the base plate to the centre line of the crank shaft.
As this is a very important dimension I think that anybody who builds this engine will need to find this information out.

best regards Steve C.

 

[malcolmt]

Hi Steve

I have just bought these plans and concur with you hopefully we will get an answer soon. I am also astonished at the mixed imperial and metric dimensions ? All of that said i think they are excellently drawn and very clear plans, So i still believe its money well spent.

Kind regards

Malcolm

 

[scoop]

Hi Malcolm
Glad you agree I thought I was missing something.Have not got around to fully checking all parts but I reckon the rest look ok.weird dimensioning indeed, he has even used 1/2" as the cylinder bore but 12.7mm as the locating register on the bottom of the cylinder cover.Perhaps it's just to keep everybody sweet without bias to one system or another.Am not looking to building this for some time but if you get an answer before I do could you pass it on.

good luck

best regards Steve C.

 

[malcolmt]

Hi Steve

Sure will. I have e-mailed him today with that and mentioned the odd dimensioning, Not as a negative just an observation. I also told him where i got his site information from and invited him to visit us here. I think i will buy the laser cut parts as i don't have a mill, but i do want to personalise it all (different design columns, Handwheels rather than T bars on the reversing lever locking), Bits like that. Maybe I'll re-draw it and send it back to him ;D ;D ;D

Kind regards

Malcolm

 

[Blogwitch]

This is an old post, but because I have the same problem, I was wondering if anyone ever got a solution from this guy.

My thing started here

http://www.homemodelenginemachinist.com/index.php?topic=1638.0

I am just going thru all my collections of things to be made, and checking thru the plans just after I first got the parts, I found the same problem. But I have slipped up recently, and I think the last email I sent him about the problem was a couple of months ago.

After continually emailing him about the missing dimension, he seems to have gone blind or computer illiterate to replying to them, but is still not averse to selling his bits whenever he can, as his website changes from time to time.

Has anyone ever got a reply from this chap without buying stuff from him?

There seems to be no way this chap can be shamed into replying, as I have tried it all over the years to get him to give me the missing dimension, which without it, his plans and engine bits are of no use to anyone, unless you want to take a gamble and hope you can guesstimate it.


Bogs

The part plan below shows the offending bit, and as mentioned before, without the exact dimension, getting the engine to run might be a major problem.

 

[radfordc]

There seems to be no way this chap can be shamed into replying, as I have tried it all over the years to get him to give me the missing dimension, which without it, his plans and engine bits are of no use to anyone, unless you want to take a gamble and hope you can guesstimate it.

Most likely the fellow won't supply the dimension because he can't. He may be one of those guys who steals others ideas and material and sells it as his own.

Charlie

 

[Dan Rowe]

Maybe I am missing the point but the missing dimensions do not seam to be a deal breaker to me.

Assuming the cylinder is mounted on the same base plate with some sort of frame, the length of the connecting rod and stroke should be known. The piston rod is either a fixed length or an adjustable length. Either way the piston has to have the same clearence at TDC and BDC.

The only other bit that is effected by the center of the crank is the valve eccentrics but the valve gear usually has a method to set it on assembly so that can not really be the issue.

Dan

 

[Blogwitch]

Charlie,

A few years back, there was a Chinese company producing this engine, and I thought they had copied his design, but looking at it now, it just might have been the other way around.


Dan,

With a little work, I could most probably work it out to the nearest thou, but why should I?

This engine appeals not only to experienced people but also ones with less experience, in which case, they most probably would get stuck once they start to machine that area. If I worked it all out and put it about on here, what would happen with all the other people who don't visit this site, but have most probably tried to contact him, with no success.

The missing dimension most probably won't be found until a fair way down the line. Much too late to do the following.

Which brings me to a way to force him to give the dimension or lose money from the sale of the plans, as that seems to be the only thing he is interested in.

Because you can use Paypal to purchase the plans, you can get your money back (up to a certain time period), by stating the item is not fit for purpose, because a critical dimension is missing. Once he has a few digitally sent plans returned, and Paypal demanding your money back, I am sure he will soon start to put the dimensions on the plans, or replying to emails sent to him, or even put the dimension on his web site, so that people can find it for themselves.

I still have three emails to send. One to Steamech with a link to this post, another to a model shop he seems to have got himself involved with somehow, and the last to Paypal, informing them that he is knowingly selling defective goods.

Leeches like this need to be got rid of, or forced to toe the line and offer a decent service, I have plenty of time on my hands at the moment, and if needs be, I have a lit cigarette poised to burn him off the skin of the internet.

I will send the first email today, then if still no reply within a week, I will send the second, and so on.


Bogs

 

[scoop]

Mr Bogs
Never did hear from this bloke about the dimension,to be honest I had forgotten all about this plan.As is has been said, it should not be too difficult to calculate the size but that does really negate the point of buying the plan in the first place as if he had just sent a blank piece of paper I could have filled in all the shapes and sizes myself from scratch,(probably wouldn'nt have worked but I hope you see the logic).

Good luck with your quest but somehow I think the bloke is just a chancer without the knowledge to produce the information.Just another knob with an E-bay account and too much time on his hands.

best regards Steve c

 

[doubletop]

I just looked to see if I could find a phone number but there doesn't seem to be one available on the site or in the directory. However, I did a whois on the domain name and now have name address and phone number I'll give him a call in the morning for you. I won't post the details here but anybody can go to www.nzs.com and find out for themselves.

I'll also ask at our club to see if anybody knows about him. NZ is such a small place you can always find somebody who knows someone or another. Club meeting isn't until early June though.

Bogs suggested that these plans were available from China at one time, for all we know the guy could be importing these parts and plans from China and re-branding.


Pete

 

[Blogwitch]

Not the plans Pete, just the engines from China.

John

 

[doubletop]

Bad news from whois I found the company name "Boost Product Design" and went to the companies register and they were struck off 19 August 2008. So the emails will be onto the "don't care" pile

However, the website is still up and I assume your emails aren't being bounced so that bill must have been paid so I'll still try to call the guy tomorrow.

Pete

 

[Majorstrain]

Hi Guys,
I just purchased the plans, I'll start 3D cad-ing them when they arrive and see what we come up with.
$10AU no big deal and it looks like a nice little engine.

Could be a couple of weeks b4 I complete it.

Cheers,
Phil

 

[kf2qd]

Looks to me like it is like it is either 1/4 In. or 6MM thick and 22 + 6 + 6 or 34 MM long.

 

[Blogwitch]

kf2qd,

That is the problem.

The differemce between 6mm and 1/4" could cause it to lock up or not.


Bogs

 

[doubletop]

Spoke to the guys wife this morning and she suggested I call back after 6:00pm. I've tried 3 times without luck so far but will keep trying.

Pete

 

[Blogwitch]

So he is still above ground then!!

Wouldn't have thought it.

Thanks for your troubles


Bogs

 

[Majorstrain]

Hi Guys,
The drawings arrived the morning after I ordered them.
I've managed to get the CAD work finished.

Here is a YouTube video of the engine in 3D and turning.

[youtube=425,350]<object width="640" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/YDFcuqEtJB8&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/YDFcuqEtJB8&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="640" height="385"></embed></object>[/youtube]

When I had completed the CAD work I noticed that the piston hit the cylinder top covers. The piston rod needed to be shortened by 2.6mm.
The error was not caused by an incorrect bearing block dimension because the valve gear operated correctly.

Here are some drawing excerpts with amended or added dimensions.

Bearing Block - dimensions added

And corrected the erroneous 21mm dimension on my part.

Cylinder plate _ Included the dimension for the bore holes.

Cylinder plate outer profile - just some useful dimensions.

If you need any more dimensions just yell or PM me.
Cheers,
Phil