Steam engine from the North Caucasus

A special section just for steam engines and boilers, as without these you may as well fit a sail.
Freezerrr12
Warming the Engine
Warming the Engine
Posts: 96
Joined: Tue Aug 25, 2020 6:36 pm
Boat Name: Anastasia

Re: Steam engine from the North Caucasus

Post by Freezerrr12 » Tue May 25, 2021 11:24 pm

I managed to buy bronze for two clamps for eccentrics. I made two such clamps. Two more are on the way. My challenge is to make a steam engine without complex ball bearings, which were rare in the 19th century and were not used on small steam boats. I don’t know what will be the effectiveness of the bronze clamps, it is possible that the crank shaft will not rotate well. Perhaps someone will have some information on this issue, please share. Ingvar.
Attachments
IMG_4372.jpg
IMG_4369.jpg
IMG_4368.jpg
User avatar
DetroiTug
Full Steam Ahead
Full Steam Ahead
Posts: 1863
Joined: Fri Nov 27, 2009 5:56 pm
Boat Name: Iron Chief
Location: Northwest Detroit

Re: Steam engine from the North Caucasus

Post by DetroiTug » Wed May 26, 2021 2:57 am

Make them fit good and keep them greased and they will work very good.

Ron
User avatar
PeteThePen1
Full Steam Ahead
Full Steam Ahead
Posts: 553
Joined: Thu Nov 19, 2009 11:53 pm
Location: Aberystwyth, Wales, Europe
Contact:

Re: Steam engine from the North Caucasus

Post by PeteThePen1 » Wed May 26, 2021 9:46 am

Nice to see you are still making progress.

That bronze looks lovely. Such a nice metal.

Regards

Pete
Freezerrr12
Warming the Engine
Warming the Engine
Posts: 96
Joined: Tue Aug 25, 2020 6:36 pm
Boat Name: Anastasia

Re: Steam engine from the North Caucasus

Post by Freezerrr12 » Wed May 26, 2021 7:30 pm

Ron! Thanks for support. I hope your opinion is based on extensive technical knowledge. It inspires me. Pete! After such words, I immediately bought another piece of bronze for making clamps. The cost of such a piece of bronze in my region is 350 US dollars. I have heard that bronze is much cheaper in the UK. Best regards Ingvar.
Attachments
IMG_4379.jpg
IMG_4375.jpg
User avatar
fredrosse
Full Steam Ahead
Full Steam Ahead
Posts: 1906
Joined: Fri Nov 20, 2009 5:34 am
Boat Name: Margaret S.
Location: Phila PA USA
Contact:

Re: Steam engine from the North Caucasus

Post by fredrosse » Thu May 27, 2021 8:41 am

When building the Margaret S. engine, I calculated bearing pressures far above recommended practice found in handbooks. I made brass bushings for the walking beam bearings, running well lubricated on hard steel pins. In a few days running these brass bushings were already showing unacceptable wear, so I made new bushings of bronze. Those new bushings are ten years old now, and still holding up well. The point here is that bronze bearing material, with proper lubrication, is able to exceed most published recommendations.
User avatar
DetroiTug
Full Steam Ahead
Full Steam Ahead
Posts: 1863
Joined: Fri Nov 27, 2009 5:56 pm
Boat Name: Iron Chief
Location: Northwest Detroit

Re: Steam engine from the North Caucasus

Post by DetroiTug » Thu May 27, 2021 2:53 pm

"I hope your opinion is based on extensive technical knowledge.''

No, just experience. Lightly loaded rotating or sliding components work well with bronze. Most common is ''aluminum bronze'' general purpose type which really isn't considered a go to bearing bronze but works well for that purpose as long as it is kept lubricated. Bearing bronzes are 800-900 series or Ampco types. Which are much more expensive. Although I've seen these much harder bronzes damage steel shafting. Pick your poison as they say.

Wow $350 USD for that much bronze.. That amount in the picture would be around $60 here in the US. For now anyway.

I have to revise this, I didn't realize how large those were, it would be about the same price here. It has went up quite a bit just recently. Lumber has tripled in price in the last year.

Ron
Last edited by DetroiTug on Fri May 28, 2021 2:10 am, edited 1 time in total.
User avatar
PeteThePen1
Full Steam Ahead
Full Steam Ahead
Posts: 553
Joined: Thu Nov 19, 2009 11:53 pm
Location: Aberystwyth, Wales, Europe
Contact:

Re: Steam engine from the North Caucasus

Post by PeteThePen1 » Thu May 27, 2021 4:42 pm

How nice to be able to get slices of bronze in large diameters. I have had a quick Google here and nothing came up anywhere near 25cm diameter. I will investigate further!

Nice pictures!

Regards

Pete
steamboatjack
Full Steam Ahead
Full Steam Ahead
Posts: 283
Joined: Fri Nov 20, 2009 8:02 am
Boat Name: grayling
Location: Cumbria U.K.

Re: Steam engine from the North Caucasus

Post by steamboatjack » Sat May 29, 2021 7:33 am

Leeds bronze have this but it is an expensive way of doing it, a simple pattern would allow a casting, much cheaper.
Jack
Freezerrr12
Warming the Engine
Warming the Engine
Posts: 96
Joined: Tue Aug 25, 2020 6:36 pm
Boat Name: Anastasia

Re: Steam engine from the North Caucasus

Post by Freezerrr12 » Sun Jun 27, 2021 7:13 pm

Dear Jack! I cannot even make castings from bronze. Therefore, it is necessary to resort to mechanical processing, despite the fact that it is more expensive. Perhaps in the future I will be able to make bronze castings when I have access to the necessary equipment. In the meantime, here are some new photos that Pete will probably like. Ingvar.
Attachments
IMG_4409.jpg
IMG_4398.jpg
IMG_4396.jpg
User avatar
cyberbadger
Full Steam Ahead
Full Steam Ahead
Posts: 1123
Joined: Thu Nov 07, 2013 9:16 pm
Boat Name: SL Nyitra
Location: Northeast Ohio, USA

Re: Steam engine from the North Caucasus

Post by cyberbadger » Sun Jun 27, 2021 9:22 pm

Freezerrr12 wrote:
Sun Jun 27, 2021 7:13 pm
Dear Jack! I cannot even make castings from bronze. Therefore, it is necessary to resort to mechanical processing, despite the fact that it is more expensive. Perhaps in the future I will be able to make bronze castings when I have access to the necessary equipment. In the meantime, here are some new photos that Pete will probably like. Ingvar.
Sir,

I make you the same offer I have given to other international steamboaters. If you need something specific that I can get over the internet in the USA that you can't get where you live, I can buy it and ship it to you, and I will take your word that you will send me the money once the item arrives.

Previously I did this for a few steamboaters who wanted steam rated stainless steel flexible hosing for connecting a steam engine so the piping gets some dampening from any engine vibration. That was from mcmaster carr, but I am willing to buy it for you from any website that ships to the US.

Online metals has some bearing bronze - https://www.onlinemetals.com

Just email me with what you want and I can make it happen. (andrewjalics@gmail.com)

-cyberbadger
Post Reply