Build ,walking beam engine

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Woffler

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Hi everyone ,i am in the process of building a walking beam engine from a plan i got ,Gerry's Beam engine.
I am not sure what to build the cylinder and steam chest from, cast iron or Alum Bronze ?

The cast is a lot cheaper and would be easier to hone out after boring ,and i am not sure about using the same metal cast iron for the cylinder and piston .
This is my first steam engine and i am hoping i can get a few opinion's on the material for it .

Thank You
 
From what I have read, cast iron has self lubricating properties and is one of the few metals that can run on like metal. There will likely be an o-ring or packing or something on the piston anyway, and if there is no weight concerns, you should be good.

Cheers,

Tom
 
I think I would use free machining brass, like 360 or Aluminum or Phosphor Bronze. Searching the web for "Gerry's Beam Engine" looks like most people have used brass or bronze. I've built a couple steam engines like this and I have used steel, brass and even 7075 aluminum. I've found that a nicely honed and polished cylinder with brass or aluminum and a stainless steel piston, will show no signs of wear after quite a bit of running! On the engine with the steel cylinder, I used a brass piston. The other thing you can use for a piston is delrin. I have never used cast iron, so I don't know how that would be. Good Luck with building your first engine. Warning, it can be addicting!
 
Thank You for your reply's

I think cast iron with a bronze piston will do the trick and if i need to change the piston material i can.

I just thought i would give this project a go as i have never built one, i manufacture mail box latches that i started a couple years ago and it just keep's on going.
 
The bronze piston should work very well in there.

I have had the plans for that engine for a while and it is on the "list".

I also saw one somewhere on the web that had a wood frame ... it was gorgeous!

Cheers,

Tom
 
Hi Tom , I also saw the wooden frame one and have been considering it.

I am thinking of scaling this thing up to 2.1 it would be a little easier for me to machine the parts .

I was looking at some Rose wood or some Mesquite for the beams ,and maybe some solid brass mortise and tenon joints on corners and ends pinned with steel pin's, i think that would look nice.

I am currently putting together the crank shaft at scale to check run out and such to see how it goes ,if good i will dive in at 2.1 scale after that.

I am going to have to redraw all of the parts in Cad for G code in Inch so i can use them on my machines, I will have some g code available for others when i get done or some DXF. files.
 
Rosewood with brass fittings would be gorgeous!

Cheers,

Tom
 
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