The Steamboating Forum

Other than the Scripps Navy B & K castings( if they are still available), are there any suppliers of castings for engines in the bigger sizes? Like a 4+4x4 or 4+4x5 or???

Not ready to buy or build just curious as to what is available when you know who to ask.

Frank

Not exactly the answer you may want, but if you can make a pattern you are only about 100 miles away from Cattail foundry.

They do small/single batch castings.

-CB

Frank, you came to the Nockamixon steamboat meet and now your thinking engines.....your hooked.

Bob Scripps passed away a couple years ago. His son has a lot of the patterns but is unaware of which ones are for which engine. When my father and I were there this winter picking up patterns for the 3+5×4" compound we didn't see any of the k size patterns at all.

The only other "large" engine castings that I am aware were available were the "Lowe" compound which was 3.5+7×5" I believe. Last time I talked to Mr. Lowe he sounded interested in selling a set of castings, but that was a couple years ago.

TahoeSteam wrote:.... patterns for the 3+5×4" compound ....

OP seems to be after a twin, but this is a similar size to the Leek compound, I dont know how available castings are for that at present?


Daniel

I'm kind of curious if anyone on this forum has tried making their own castings ?
I've taken up metalworking as a hobby and have contempalated setting up to do small castings to recycle metal instead of buying it all the time.
I know cast iron and othe hard metals are out of the range of small hobbyists, but brass and bronze are possible.
I did just order Ray HasBrouck's book on making steam engines that do not require casting on machining.
According to the info on the website (http://hasbrouck.8m.com/), it contains what I'd call a couple mid to larger size engines.

Moin,

yes, Rainer made his own castings and he reported this on his page in german an, so I guess it, also in english.

Best greetings
Nic with co

jpigg55 wrote:I'm kind of curious if anyone on this forum has tried making their own castings ?
I know cast iron and othe hard metals are out of the range of small hobbyists, but brass and bronze are possible.

I know someone who has cast there own new bronze bearing, largish split bearing, for the big end of a semi-diesel engine. Took a few to get it right, but it went ok in the end.
As someone who is not super patient, and typically has less time than money, I wouldn't case something that was commercially available, that I could cost effectively have cast elsewhere, and proberbly wouldnt start with engine blocks. But equally, if thats what you want to do, almost anything can be done with enough time/effort/etc.

Daniel

jpigg,

For home metal casting, have a look at this guys videos.

Myfordboy

https://www.youtube.com/user/myfordboy

He never speaks, but his videos are very informative.

-Ron