Author Topic: French Beam Engine  (Read 46409 times)

Offline andyf

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Re: French Beam Engine
« Reply #50 on: June 06, 2011, 09:42:01 AM »
That looks really good, Pete!

It looks really interesting when running - the beam and all those linkages mean there's a lot to watch. Thanks for the build log.

Andy
Sale, Cheshire
I've cut the end off it twice, but it's still too short

Offline PekkaNF

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Re: French Beam Engine
« Reply #51 on: June 06, 2011, 10:57:24 AM »
Beutiful engine. Looking it running is mesmerizing! I found myself thinkking: How are all those joints and bearings lubricated?

Thank you,
Pekka

Offline DaveH

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Re: French Beam Engine
« Reply #52 on: June 06, 2011, 05:32:52 PM »
Pete,

That's a very nicely made engine - runs very nice too :clap: :clap: :clap:

Liked the video :thumbup:

 :beer:

DaveH
(Ex Leicester, Thurmaston, Ashby De La Zouch.)

Offline doubletop

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Re: French Beam Engine
« Reply #53 on: June 06, 2011, 05:40:36 PM »
Thanks Arnold - Something for your new lathe?

Andy - Thanks yes a lot of little parts needed to be made and I must admit I had to psych myself up when it came to doing some of them them. Mostly it was all in the mind and once I'd started a part they went quite well.

Pekka - An oil can; I squirted a lot of oil on all the joints and then ran it on air for about an hour. Degreased and cleaned it all up and then a little more oil and a coat of WD40. Its going to spend more time sitting around looking pretty than running, so will be oiled as and when it needs it.

Dave - I got a bit carried away with the video. After seeing Ton Soms video Bogs had posted it made me realize Windoze Movie Maker did a bit more than I was used to using.

Thanks again guys

Pete

 

Offline NickG

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Re: French Beam Engine
« Reply #54 on: June 06, 2011, 05:54:59 PM »
Really impressive Pete, that's made me want to do the French beam engine more, should I promote it further up my list?!  :lol:
Location: County Durham (North East England)

Offline doubletop

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Re: French Beam Engine
« Reply #55 on: June 06, 2011, 06:55:14 PM »
Nick

As I think I had said earlier in the post, this guys plans are excellent and nicely detailed. I found one error on the crank and the dimensioning on the A frames wasn't sufficient that I had to re-draw them to work out the cutouts. (see attached). I also converted all the threads to BA as I have a stock of small head BA screws.

The place where things could go wrong, and I only realised this after I finished it and was reading an article on a grasshopper in a recent ME. The geometry of these engines is such that if it is not built accurately enough it can lock up as there is no cross head on the piston so there can be a tendency for it to cock over. The piston yoke is adjustable so I think that's where any errors are resolved.

That's two of his I've done now and will no doubt do another at some point.

Pete

Offline PekkaNF

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Re: French Beam Engine
« Reply #56 on: June 07, 2011, 06:12:57 AM »
Pekka - An oil can; I squirted a lot of oil on all the joints and then ran it on air for about an hour. Degreased and cleaned it all up and then a little more oil and a coat of WD40. Its going to spend more time sitting around looking pretty than running, so will be oiled as and when it needs it.

What kind of oil do you use? Does it leve any solid residue and gunk up when left alone long time? I have had bad luck with so called sewing machine oils. Some g#n oils dried up too.

One further question about cylinder lubrication: Do you have a mist lubricator on pneumatic line or do you spray a little of oil before each run and spin it before power up?

Pekka

Offline doubletop

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Re: French Beam Engine
« Reply #57 on: June 07, 2011, 06:43:15 AM »
I used mountain bike "wet" cycle oil, as that is what I had. I just gave a generous squirt down the inlet port before I connected the airline. It wasn't on there very long as I cleaned up after the run and then sprayed with WD40.  If I build a boiler I'll make a displacement lubricator like the one on this other engine of mine (which incidentally is also from JP Duval plans)



John Bogstandard provided the link for the lubricator to me some time back

Quote

http://www.roundhouse-eng.com/faqs.htm#14

Go down the page on here, and it shows everything you need to make a working displacement lubricator. You can make either the inline or offset, they both work as well as each other. You could even modify it a bit and put a drain in the bottom, to save having to use a syringe to get the water out.

http://modelsteam.myfreeforum.org/ftopic7859-0-asc-15.php


Pete



Offline nel2lar

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Re: French Beam Engine
« Reply #58 on: February 23, 2019, 10:00:22 PM »
It down right sucks when people use photo host to use their photo and when something happens the PICS disappear. It should be a must that the group take control over all photos that they stay intact or delete the whole thread.
That is my rant, Good day
Nelson C

Not the other Nelson

Offline awemawson

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Re: French Beam Engine
« Reply #59 on: February 24, 2019, 02:59:15 AM »
It's a difficult one Nelson. I was always banging on about not using external hosts but keeping photos on the forum server even before the debacle with a well known photo host site.

But some threads whose pictures have been lost this way still contain useful information in the text so just to delete such threads would be a shame.

Andrew Mawson
East Sussex