Bits and Pieces in old magazines

Was reading a heap of old ME Magazines (2000 to 2007)- found various bits and pieces that may be of interest.

Bourdon Tube Engine - There are some other interesting variations of engines on this web page - worth a look.

Twisty Steam Engine - on the same page as previous - very clever I thought - gotta have a go at that.

Laminar Flow Stirling Engines - seems interesting - worth a google if you are interested in stirling engines.

Interesting variation on Norman toolpost - with the toolholding block and the post both threaded 20tpi to provide fine height adjustment

A chap made a boiler by tapping a hole in the lid of a pressure cooker and putting a line out to his engines - carried on using the safety valve built into the lid of the pressure cooker. Seemed like a surprisingly easy and cheap way of getting safe steam if there is an unused pressure cooker in the cupboard.

When I was a kid those pressure cooker safety valves were just a heavy lump of metal that wobbled around on top of a vent. Are they a bit more sophisticated nowadays ?

Was pondering this and I realised that those little octagonal coffee pots come complete with safety valve - the springs inside those must be quite small and quite strong .... Do you chaps buy springs or make them on your lathe ? I have got the WP Springs book will have a read. Am currently waiting for springs and tiny balls to finish my safety valve for my tiny boiler.

Making a multi cylinder engine by putting a heap of wobblers in a row

Magnetic drive clock - photo looked surprisingly simple and elegant with a distinct lack of complicated nests of toothed wheels. Magnet in the base gives the pendulum a nudge as it swings past.

Hypocycloid model engine - looked quite snazzy

There was lotsa other things beyond my understanding at the moment nevertheless am thoroughly enjoying browsing this lot and adding items to "the wish list"

Anyway - have a look at those first two engines above.

Bill

This is where the best bits are found.

The ancient 'Popular Mechanics' magazines on this site rclibrary have some fascinating articles from well over 100 years ago. Very enjoyable reading.

* Danny M *

Only part of the site devoted to helping modellers world wide, Good on yer Steve.

Regards Ian

Hi Bill, I guess they were very well calibrated, never seemed to be prone to fail to me. My mother had two, one of which was smaller than the other. As I remember on the larger newer one, the "lump of metal" was made in three sections, so you could cook at different pressures, there was a ring that unscrewed so that you could make it lighter and was also used for hooking it off when the cooking time was up and you wanted to depressurize it.

Regards Nick.