The new project has arrived. in the form of a Stuart 10V steam engine. This is a replica of an starndard steem powered external combustion engine of the type used to convert steam power into rotating mechanical force such as pumps and locomotives. This comes as a full set of castings which are very rough, i.e. straight out of the moulds with all the frogs, flashings and casting defects still with them. They need to be all machined down to exact tolerances from teh plans which, deliberately, only have the very minimum data on them to allow the engine to be built. This means that you need to work out a lot of the technical details yourself in order to understand the dimensions required to complete the engine. The kit comes with some parts pre cast, such as the Boxbed, Soleplate, Standard, Cylinder, Valve chest and cover, Top and bottom cylinder covers and Flywheel in cast iron, the Slide valve, Piston, Connecting rod, Eccentric rod, Valve operating block, Glands, Crosshead and Crankshaft bearings in brass and the Crankshaft, Crankwebs, Eccentric sheave, Crosshead pin, Piston and Valve rods. in steel.
All dimentions are in Imperial so all screwthreds are in BA (British Association) or even ME (Model Engineering) which can be a bit of a challenge to get taps and dies for these, especially bottoming taps.
The sizes of the finished model is Height: 6 Inches, Flywheel Diameter: 3 Inches Diameter. Bore: 3/4 Inch Diameter. Stroke: 3/4 Inch.
This is a completed engine with the optional reversing lever and associated pivots. The pipe on the left is the steam input from the boiler, the various pipes and valves on the piston box body at the top are for condensate drain and water inputs. Not sure why this model, that must have taken many hours to do, has been nailed onto a bit of old driftwood to finish it off….. deserves better than that.