Member postings for Jon Lawes

I'm currently slowly trundling through my Stuart 10H build and have realised I'll soon have to think about boilers, and all the fun stuff like feed pumps and such. I'd quite like the exhaust from the 10H to feed up the chimney as a primitive blast pipe (Actually more for the look of the thing) so I figure it would be good sense to have a condenser in order to dry the steam a little first. Also it makes sense to pass the exhaust steam pipe through a coil in the bottom of the water feed tank in order to transfer a chunk of heat to the water, helping with the condensing process.

In my mind (and crude sketches in my lunch hour) I figured I would put the exhaust pipe in a coil in the feed tank which would cool the steam somewhat (And pass a few motes of heat to the water) and then feed that into the condenser. I was just planning a pot-type of condenser that would help to separate any steam oil from the mix. The intention obviously would be to try to minimise any restrictions to the steam exiting the system.

Can you see any issues with that idea? I did wonder if it would cause water to collect in the pipe but I guess the constant flow of exhaust steam would keep it moving into the condenser/oil separator.

Thanks chaps,

Jon.

After chasing them a couple of days ago its turned up today. Looks excellent as always.

Nothing arrived yet, a month after being told they would send out a replacement. After a delay of over 6 weeks between paying for the kit and it actually turning up I guess Stuart run a fairly slow moving business. Frustrating, but I understand how low volume manufacturers work.

They have said they will send me a replacement with no quibbling at all. I was a bit worried what their customer service would be like after my original order took some months to arrive but they seem to have good after care.

That has potential; I'll see what Stuart say. I have already taken a couple of cuts so hopefully I haven't weakend it too much.

I don't have a wood burning stove; I guess a night on a radiator just wont cut it!

Can I please ask how many hard spots a casting can have before you consider it unusable? I'm trying to sort out the box bed for my Stuart 10H and I'm struggling as the file just glides over hard shiny sections and makes cutting it really difficult. I've emailed Stuart and await their response.

Cheers,

Jon.

I did my apprenticeship then finalised on D-Squadron! I'm still on site but working for an American company that begins with a B now...

Can I suggest a Tamiya DT-03, its relatively simple to make, with a simple 540 motor and speed controller you can really have some fun.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Tamiya-Neo-Fighter-Buggy-DT-03-58587-Kit/202146068647

Thats the cheapest I found it on eBay, its also the seller I used and it was very reasonable even though it came from Germany.

You'll still need a 2 channel radio (using a modern 2.5ghz system is very reasonable cost and the range is excellent), a battery and charger, and probably a servo for the steering. If you are careful you can do all this for £100 at a guess.

Problem is, then the modifications start....

Great advice, thanks. I've plumped on a Sandvik Ergo set; I've been trying to go for the best I can afford but my budget isn't bottomless. Their reviews both here and elsewhere seem quite promising. That's not to say I won't top up the collection with one or two individual files where required if any of these don't cut it. As for the storage tips thats great advice; I'll sort out some seperated storage in order to make sure they don't get damaged.

Thanks all,

Jon.

Thanks for the tips all. I don't think I can quite afford the Vallorbe, I realise you have to pay for quality but I don't actually have enough spare cash for a set of those!

Thank you everyone, further advice still welcomed.

In the past I've bought cheaper tools for certain jobs and then found the quality wanting. In the case of metal working files I've got a few scrappy ones but I think I should really invest in some proper quality items before I go starting my next project. So here are the questions...

1. Which metal work file brands do people recommend please? Both budget and for the sort of tools I'll end up handing on to my kids.
2. When I did my apprenticeship we used a combination of chalk and file cards to keep them from clogging. Is that still accepted best practice for brass, aluminium and cast iron etc?

Any guidance or advice will be gratefully received.

Thanks,

Jon.

Sorry about the random phone number at the end of my first post, not sure how that got in there!

They come in quite a few different sizes; going on eBay and just typing vaping glass got me a few different examples. I'm going to try and find out what the smallest size is.

First stab finds out that the SMOK TFV8 Baby tank is 22mm deep, 22mm wide and 20mm high. That sounds like it has potential.

I'm not sure if people are aware of this but the glass used in vaping tools use a type of pyrex glass which looks like it would be ideal for model lubricators or home made lubricators for lathes etc. I intend to make some using this technique soon, I'll let you know how it goes.

Edited By Jon Lawes on 07/11/2017 10:40:13

Edited By Neil Wyatt on 07/11/2017 19:34:24

Thanks chaps, I'm in Gillingham, so about an hour from you Martin, your hospitality is welcomed and may just be taken up on; thank you.

Howard; I'd heard the same about the rigidity of the VS, but as you say I think it's a matter of going gently. However this is the reason I was favouring the 10H; smaller bed to machine.

Nige, thats excellent news; I suspect it will be the 10H I go for. I like the look of the 10V but prefer a horizontal. Maybe when I make a steam launch I'll make a vertical setup.

Speedy Builder; the intention in the longer run is to make a boiler as well; my grandfather was a boiler maker/inspector among other things so have some great advice to draw from there. I like the idea of a cornish/lancashire style. All part of the fun is the drama of building up steam. To start with however I'll see about running on compressed air. I can run an engine without a boiler, but a boiler on its own may be a little redundant! I'm enjoying the process of researching it. I'd like to make a boiler that is suitable for any future models I may make; this means I may end up making something a little over the top for my first model but that future proofs me for things I make later.

My eventual goal would be to make something along the lines of a scale Foden overtype steam wagon, but I still haven't decided yet. I've got a long time before I need to decide...

Thanks for the warm welcome, and the advice is gratefully received.

Many thanks, I do have a vertical slide but haven't actually used it before. Thats largely why I'm doing this; to improve my knowledge and skills. Thanks for your advice.

Before I go any further I have put an "Introducing myself" post up but it's awaiting moderation!

My very modest workshop has just a Myford ML7 and a Walker Turner pillar drill, I have no space for a mill (or budget!). For my first Model Engineering project I am currently debating either the Stuart S50 or the Stuart 10H. Both appeal in their own ways. The S50 has more physical size, which I think is nice, and I think a bigger bore and stroke so may be more suited to "doing work" in the future. However the more compact dimensions of the 10H may make it more suitable for machining using my more modest equipment, and not having an overhung crank does appeal. I would prefer a horizontal engine to a vertical engine, partially because I prefer the looks but also because machining the upright sections looks like it my be a bit beyond me at first!

Can I ask which of the two people engines stated people think would be more suited to making using only my ML7? I have been watching Keith Appleton's videos and I think my filing should be ok for some of the less critical parts and dimensions (MoD apprenticeship at Boscombe Down many years ago!). If there is another possible engine type that would be in my budget, either Stuart or from another manufacturer, I would welcome your suggestions.

I would welcome any opinions; so far the only engine I have built was a flame gulper I made as a child out of scraps scrounged from my grandads workshop whenever he wasn't looking. I'm aware the debate around the small Stuart engines is quite often talked about but I couldn't find any info on which would be more suitable to a mill-less build.

Thanks very much in advance.

Hi there, just introducing myself before I start asking the daft questions!

My name is Jon, and I've grown up doing small machining jobs with my Grandfather for as long as I can remember. I don't actually recall when I started using his Myford ML7 but I am told I was pretty small. Over the years it has been pressed into service helping with the manufacturing of parts for the cars we have rebuilt together, but I always wanted to do some proper live steam model engineering. His main interest is the practical applications of stirling engines (including one he designed as a solar powered irrigation engine for africa way before I was born). His eyesight has now got so poor that he recently gave me his lathe, which i have carefully transferred to my workshop. I don't have much in the way of tools but I'm slowly building up a collection, and he supplied me with a huge array of Myford accessories for most eventualities. My day job is in Aircraft Engineering, and in the past I've been lucky enough to work on a large array of experimental aircraft types. I've also worked in motorsport, again getting to play with lots of interesting toys. I've been very lucky.

I'm about to embark on my first project, and like many others I think I'm going to start with a Stuart engine (primarily because unlike most of the models available it actually fits my budget). I will try to make sure I scour the previously written posts before asking any daft questions; I'm currently carefully watching Keith Appletons videos on youtube and feel I've learned a lot already. My biggest challenge ahead is my lack of milling machine; I won't be able to fit one of those into my very modest workshop. Part of the reason for these projects is introducing my two kids (12 and 13) to machining, although they have made a few things themselves they have yet to embark on a serious project (the first thing my son made was a steering wheel boss for my GT6).

Thanks for reading, I look forward to enjoying the forum.

Jon.