Beam Engine - where to start?

Hi Folks,

I've got the castings:

and I've got the drawings. My experience of steam engines is pretty much limited to a 10V made 30+ years ago.. The question is - where should I start? Base? Cylinder? Beam? Column? Crankshaft? Or what?

Advice please.

Rod

That isn’t a Stuart set of castings but The Stuart book starts with the base then the column..

have you got the book Rod?

Rod

I would start on the main structure and then the small bits when you get fed-up with the heavy machining.

Are you going to post a blog? If so the writing takes the time and anyway photographs are more interesting.

JA

never built an engine so perhaps i should keep my gob shut but with any new to me job i do start with the easy bits and work towards the harder bits

That looks like a Sanderson Beam Engine, I have a set of castings for one of those. I have the drawings in PDF format. I think I have a build article done by Stan Bray somewhere as well, I can have a look when I get home.

Meanwhile there are a few previous article on this formum which may help you, just do a search for them.

Phil

I like to start by obtaining the required barstock

Seriously I tend to start all my engines with the base, frame or crankcase as you then have something to check the fit of the other parts on as you build up the engine. I'd probably do column next, beam and pedestalls, crank and pedestalls, cylinder and assoc parts and then cobrod, valve rod and finally linkages, pump etc.

Quite a bit about the engine in this thread including some possible original engines that it is based on

I'd start with the drawings. Understand how the parts fit together, how each part will be machined and how it will be held for each operation. Identify which dimensions are important and which not. Note tools that will be needed but not avaiable, or change the design. Check for drawing errors, especially on important fits between parts.

I expect my parts to fit together even if they are machined months apart, so I make parts in the order than interests me. Early on I made the spur gears for my traction engines even though the engines didn't come together for several years afterwards. If machining in a conventional order I'd start with the base.

Andrew

Hello Rod, hope you are well.

Nice set of castings and they certainly look like the Clarkson(?) Sanderson Beam engine and not a Stuart product.

I've seen a couple made up - nicely proportioned engine.

With what you have made so far you should have no problems. FWIW I'd start with the base and work upwards as you go - just get yourself some good hand cleaner

Good luck with the project

Tug

Thank you all for the input. The consensus seems to be to start with the bedplate and work my way up.

Andrew, I have actually started with the governor drive gears- mostly as a test of my fading intellect(?) to understand the manufacture of parallel depth bevel gears:

They will need some trimming

Tug, the castings are all bronze so the Swarfega can stay in the tub.

I do have the "build log" by Stan Bray and, frankly, whatever qualities Mr Bray has as a journalist, I am less impressed the quality of the work he showcased in ME.

Cheers guys,

Rod

That makes you one up on me; I've never made parallel tooth bevel gears.

Andrew

Further to Andrew's comments about the drawings; Get the drawings scanned and put the copies on your computers, memory sticks etc. If they are large a local computer print firm will be happy to do it.

I have heard to many tales of mice eating drawings (and gaskets) but none about them eating computers (yet).

JA

Tug, the castings are all bronze so the Swarfega can stay in the tub.

Nice score there then Rod - dont forget to save all that swarf though, must be worth more now than the original cost of the castings

Lovely project - hope it all goes well. Have a happy journey

Tug

I have not seen a set of Sanderson castings in Bronze before, I have owned two sets of these and both of them are pretty poorly made cast iron ones, I will have quite a job on cleaning them up to a decent standard when I get round to building it.

I have found the build series, it was in "Brays Bench" Model Engineer starting 18 December 1998, and ran through till October 1999.

Phil