Stuart 10H and 10V build thread

I'v never tackled castings in the raw yet, so I'm following this and any other thread on engine building with castings so that if one day I obtain some castings I at least think I know something about machining them.

Ian S C

My only tip for an absolute beginnner, learned the hard way, is not to tackle the cylinder casting too early in the build. I followed the order in "Building a Vertical Steam Engine. The cylinder casting is not easy to set-up and does require some precision, so I would recommend leaving it until some confidence has been gained. I also found during this stage that my lathe wasn't turning parallel, but that is another story...

Looking at the bed plates of the 10H and 10V- The 10V looks like it has a really rough, large grain finish (I have a Stuart kit which is the same) and the bed plate for the 10H looks like it has a very smooth, almost shiny finish. (I have a bed plate for a 10D which has that very smooth finish). The castings in my Victoria kit had a very fine grain finish, like the 10V bed plate above, but very fine (and very nice too).

So that feels like three different casting processes or specifications - The Victoria castings appeared by far the best and most realistic, but not sure Stuart produce that standard of casting any more. My Victoria castings are about 2008/9 vintage.

Can anyone explain the differences? The three forms are materially different - to the extent they could be considered different products.

Steve

Well I never!

Neil

Edited By David Clark 1 on 20/11/2015 19:12:02

David, do you know if they still shell cast them or do Bridport now use an airset sand on the Stuart stuff like they do on other items?

No, no idea but the finish does not look good enough for shell casting.

Could explain the different finishes then. The Stuart site did have a page about the shell casting process used but that has disappeared since Bridport took over.

I believe Stuart castings used to be shell moulded, a process that gives a fine surface finish to the castings like those that came with my 10V back in the 1980s. Presumably this was a process that was used by Stuart Turner for their industrial production but was too expensive to replicate as the model part of the business was sold off to the various cottage industries that have owned the business since. It is very pleasing to see the business continuing and I'm sure the current castings are perfectly satisfactory, they just need a little more finishing. I'm hoping they will re-introduce one of the i.c. engines to their range.

Cheers,

Rod

Edit:  blimey, did it really take me 25 minutes to compose that post!

Edited By Roderick Jenkins on 20/11/2015 20:56:02

Rod, Bridport will still do shell casting but as you say it may not be ecconomic for teh Stuart models they produce. The modern airsets are quicker and easier than greensand so is probably what they use.

J

Thanks guys - and thanks to David, it takes a lot of time and effort to run a build thread which may not be that obvious until you try it.

I have two 10V kits, which I got at a discount price off eBay (took many years of fishing in that pond), so look forward to this build. (The reason I have a 10D bed, is because I'm going to pop the two 10V's on it...)

Steve

Looking forward to this one as I too am at the start of my 10V build, have done the box bed and the sole plate, but the standard seems to have been put off as I found the method a bit daunting! Will now persevere and get back to it!

Can understand doing the feet of it but getting it centred for boring on the faceplate with no real reference for clocking seems odd...

Martin

You need to be sure that the feet are flat and true to the cylinder mounting face. Firstly clean up the faces with a file. Then put the feet on a parallel against an angle plate and clock the cylinder mounting od. Then turn 180 degrees and check the other face. They should be identical readings by within abou 0.005 thou inch. Should be close enough. Then do the same with the feet vertically against the angle plate. Again they should be within about 0.005 thou. You will have to adjust the feet by filing until the feet are correct. This will put the cylinder mounting face in the centre of the legs. Then you can mount on the faceplate and clock the cylinder mounting od and face, bore and skim the mounting face off. It is a bit too cold in the workshop at the moment as there is no heating in it but I hope to continue in the next couple of days.

When the cylinder mounting face is flat clamp it to the faceplate and clean up the feet to size.

Edited By David Clark 1 on 23/11/2015 13:07:11

David, although I have a small wood burner in my shed I am finding I seldom use it at present as it runs best on charcoal which I haven't got much of - if on wood you have to stoke it every 20 minutes! So I have a small fan heater my daughter 'found' for me cheap in a charity shop, a 1kW/2kW model. I only have it on 1kW on a low setting, and it doesn't have to be on for very long before the shed is nice and cozy and it cuts out on thermostat. After it has reached temperature it doesn't kick in again very often, so not too pricy to run plus it's instant heat, plus it's dry heat. Worth considering. Also running a dehumidifier on humid-stat (not continuous) that keeps the chill off the shed as well as dry.

Looking forward to the build continuing!

Chris

Hi Chrish I think I have a dehumidifier in the shed from when I had a wooden shed. I do have heaters but not got round to fitting them. l will do now I am doing the build thread. Damp is not much of a problem as it is a brick built shed with the widows bricked up.

Edited By David Clark 1 on 23/11/2015 14:31:41

I built a Stuart 10H in 1973 (age 14), here is the sales invoice, the castings cost £3-00 + vat !!!!!

Edited By RICHARD GREEN 2 on 24/11/2015 11:10:59

About 1/2 weeks wages after tax.

According to the ''Worth Now'' website that's £38.49 in today's money.

Edited By Roger Provins 2 on 24/11/2015 14:43:48

Edited By mechman48 on 25/11/2015 15:23:15