1/6th scale 1890's 30ft navy steam cutter (live steam)

[tghsmith]

this project started 10 years back when I found the plan book for navy boats 1900,, 2 years ago I came in contact with a full scale steam expert who had the engine and engineering plans.. the 30ftr and 1/6th scale was decided on because a Stuart Turner compound twin engine block is very very close in size.. brass lost wax castings have been completed to convert the ST engine kit to the navy type engine.. while waiting on things, work on the hull brass and fittings has been started.. hope fully the arrival of my LMS 3990 mini mill will speed things up in the engineering dept..

 

[tghsmith]

casting for the engine conversion.. some of the hull brass.. hull will be 60"

 

[tghsmith]

ran the new mill today!!!! started working on the steam chest that will be 1/8" thicker than the ST kit's parts.. the new mill works great..

 

[macardoso]

This is so cool. Please keep pictures coming!

 

[tghsmith]

did some mill work today,, after making a set of support blocks the casting for the engine bed was leveled and trued.. frame mount pads and crank bearing surfaces machined along with the upper bearing blocks,, valve chest and covers received more work .. this maddness might work..

 

[tghsmith]

machined up a jig block to build the engine frames,, added some bolt holes and made clamps to hold everything in place will milling and soldering.. still need to make the truss rods.. waiting on a hardware package from the UK.. might as well keep it all the same tread type..

 

[tghsmith]

frames got a quick bead blast,, truss rods made this morning.. need to find my bag 4-40 brass washers.. "Groat" the saber-toothed dust bunny floor monster most likely ate them..

 

[macardoso]

Looking good! Will this actually run or is it a model?

 

[tghsmith]

plans are for this to be live steam,, running as a true compound engine.. if it was just a model it would have done years ago.. my "normal " work is in 1/96th scale R/C ships..

 

[tghsmith]

needed to work on some small (and round) parts,, clamped my unimat SL's milling table to the mills table,, used the spindle threaded t-post to mount a 3 jaw chuck,, what would have been an iffy job on the unimat was done in about 2 minutes..( the part is back on the unimat getting the final lathe work done..)