Stuart Models Beam Engine

[Mark]

I've been lucky enough to be able to buy a machined kit of the Stuart Models Beam Engine. They say it's completely machined, just needs hand tools and paint to finish it off.

It's a big, heavy box! All the parts are machined nicely, and it comes with a full set of engineering drawings, and exploded diagram and some fairly brief instructions. Fortunately I'm familiar with steam engines, so I should be able to fill in the gaps that the instructions!!

So, what do we get?

Exploded diagram and instructions.

Untitled by Mark Wakelin, on Flickr

Here's a snippet of the drawings showing the detail and style. I presume that these are the drawings you get if you purchase the engine as a set of castings and materials to machine yourself. Most of the parts are drawing full size, but the larger parts are drawn 3/4 scale.

Untitled by Mark Wakelin, on Flickr

Here's the base plate, with a 6" rule for scale. This is one big and heavy piece of cast iron!

Untitled by Mark Wakelin, on Flickr

All the parts are nicely mounted on a card and vacuum sealed which keeps all the parts safe. This card contains the flywheel, main bearings, the parallel motion, con rod, piston rod, valve rod, etc.

Untitled by Mark Wakelin, on Flickr

Then we have the pillar, entablature, eccentric strap, and the gasket set hiding underneath the beam.

Untitled by Mark Wakelin, on Flickr

Crank shaft and beam are in the same pack.

Untitled by Mark Wakelin, on Flickr

In the 3rd and last pack we have the cylinder, pulley and pedestal.

Untitled by Mark Wakelin, on Flickr

And the valve chest, cover and a box of nuts and bolts!

Untitled by Mark Wakelin, on Flickr

A closer look at the nuts and bolts!

Untitled by Mark Wakelin, on Flickr

I also bought the governor kit. Not because I need a governor to control the speed of the engine, but because swinging brass balls looks neat!!

Just one card of parts for this.

Untitled by Mark Wakelin, on Flickr

and a smaller, but more interesting box of fasteners and other diddy bits. The phosphor-bronze spring looks nice!!

Untitled by Mark Wakelin, on Flickr

My plan is to assemble the engine with a minimum of finishing, just deburring and making sure everything fits. Then make sure it works. Once it's all assembled and tested, then I'll strip it down and paint or polish the parts.
I haven't made much of a start yet, but these are the parts I'm going to start with. The cylinder, piston, valve chest and valve.

Untitled by Mark Wakelin, on Flickr

I'm also trying to make a YouTube video of the project to see how that goes. I'll post links here of course.

[Morris]

Oh wow.....

[steve131]

Very nice welljell

[Mark]

Thanks guys. It took me all evening to go through the parts, and I found a couple of fixings missing. Editing the unboxing video is being more challenging than I expected too!

[royjess]

I'm well Jell too Got my popcorn ready

[Mark]

I've created the video now. My first proper YouTube video, so please let me know if you have any comments or suggestions. It would be great if you could subscribe to the channel too!

https://youtu.be/JIY8mPfvmjA

[steve131]

Very nice ,love the governor. Strange hearing your voice after all these years can't place your accent.

[Morris]

Same, it was cool hearing you...

[royjess]

Great video there Mark, very professional and informative

[Mark]

Thanks guys. My accent is Surrey to the age of 3, the Cornwall. I always think my voice sounds horrible on recordings, but of course, you don’t hear your own voice the same way others do. It took me ages to edit out all the ears and ups

I’ll make a start on it soon.

[Mark]

On with the build. I've assembled the piston and cylinder now.

These are the parts use (plus parts for the valve which I didn't get to yet.)

Untitled by Mark Wakelin, on Flickr

Here's the bottom cylinder cover. This didn't fit properly, and I had to file a chamfer on the bottom of the cylinder and ease the screw holes a tad.

Untitled by Mark Wakelin, on Flickr

Here's the top cover. This didn't fit properly because the circle scribed by the studs (aka the PCD) isn't concentric with the cylinder. Easing the holes with a fractionally larger drill sorted that problem.

Untitled by Mark Wakelin, on Flickr

Here's the completed cylinder.

Untitled by Mark Wakelin, on Flickr

You can see all the trials and tribulations on my YouTube video. Bloopers at the end too!

https://youtu.be/LXPoEaG2_XM

Valve chest next!!

[Morris]

Video is cool, Mark.

[Mark]

Thanks Morris, glad you’re enjoying the videos.

[royjess]

Really cool engine, loving the videos too, I can't wait to see it working

[Mark]

Thanks Roy. I’m happy to have any suggestions to improve the videos.

[Mark]

The next YouTube video has been published.

https://youtu.be/hgaQpHC_cgg

I've completed the vale and valve chest now.

The completed valve chest assembly looks like this

Untitled by Mark Wakelin, on Flickr

and is fitted on the base, thus!

Untitled by Mark Wakelin, on Flickr

Do you chaps like watching the YouTube videos, or would you prefer a more detailed photo diary? I'm trying to build up a YouTube channel as I'm (hopefully) be retiring sometime in the next 12 months, and it seems like a good way to spend time; sharing your hobbies. I did do some model engineering before I was exiled to Asia (not that I'm complaining, I've enjoyed living out here!) and I'd like to get back to it. There seems to be a lack of MFH builders on YouTube too, and I do have just a couple of their kits in my stash.......

[Morris]

Awesome work, Mark. Think it’s a cool idea about the U-tube thing.

[Mark]

The next video is up now. The valve motion. This is fairly simple, but there was a minor issue of some holes not drilled quite perpendicular to sort out.

https://youtu.be/6cpGRzzeRrU

This is the result of this section.

[Morris]

Awesome stuff again Mark. Looked a tad hard, sorting the crooked holes..

[Mark]

Thank Morris. Hopefully this is the last of the crooked holes!! I think I would have struggled if I hadn't had some experience with steam engines.