Abratool 15th May 2012, 01:30 PM There was some interest in a Model Steam Engine I mentioned yesterday.
This "Scorpion" brand Model steam engine was made by a company in Annandale NSW between 1946 to 1957 approx.
I got the engine new in about 1950 I was 8 yrs old.
The Engine is a simple design, the boiler is heated by a small metho burner.
The original burner had been misplaced, so yesterday, I got to it & machined up a new one using 1 1/2" dia brass tube, brazed the base & handle, & stuffed the centre with cotton wool. Then topped it up with metho. Put some water in the boiler, lubed it all, & fired it up.
What a site, a few minutes later it sprang into life. :U The small crankshaft started spinning, & all was well again. The sound of a steam engine running is marvellous.
The safety valve on the boiler is set to bleed off steam pressure & keep things running sweetly.It even has a steam whistle.
Now to get the grandkids interested. :rolleyes:
regards
Bruce
welder 15th May 2012, 01:41 PM Looks like you had fun with it. My dad bought me a wilesco steam engine when I was around the same age a really good toy.
Scott 15th May 2012, 02:31 PM That's nothing short of awesome Bruce, great to see these things bought to life. Wish I had one :)
Abratool 15th May 2012, 02:33 PM Looks like you had fun with it. My dad bought me a wilesco steam engine when I was around the same age a really good toy.
Andre
A good man your father. I liked the time we spent together in Melb.
I recall the Wilesco, there were a few different brands about.I have another model engine I bought my son ( he is now 44 )
I do not know the brand of it. Heres a photo.
I was thinking as I get older I like more toys. I think this applies to a lot of people also on this forum.
Toys, come under the classification of most tools, lathes, mills shapers, drilling machines, & also woodworking stuff. You name it, but its good to have these interests.:rolleyes:
regards
Bruce
Abratool 15th May 2012, 02:42 PM That's nothing short of awesome Bruce, great to see these things bought to life. Wish I had one :)
Scott
Yes they are nice things, model steam engines.
Sometimes they can be found, probably in old garage sales etc.
I was surprised yesterday in doing a Google search on the "Scorpion" brand that I have, could now be valued up to $450.:oo:
Probably cost a few dollars originally, when it was purchased new 62 yrs ago.
I particularly like your quote from Emerson.
Makes a lot of sense in a mixed up world.:2tsup:
regards
Bruce
HavinaGo 15th May 2012, 02:43 PM Agree with the more "toys" comment.
I'm lucky, my son is 10 so it is the right time to explore these hot, smelly, wonderful devices again and relive my childhood! :).
I think getting the old Mamod donkey engine out would be a start - but Bruce that second engine is in a different class - double acting, cast rods!
Thanks for sharing!
welder 15th May 2012, 03:10 PM Andre
A good man your father. I liked the time we spent together in Melb.
I recall the Wilesco, there were a few different brands about.I have another model engine I bought my son ( he is now 44 )
I do not know the brand of it. Heres a photo.
I was thinking as I get older I like more toys. I think this applies to a lot of people also on this forum.
Toys, come under the classification of most tools, lathes, mills shapers, drilling machines, & also woodworking stuff. You name it, but its good to have these interests.:rolleyes:
regards
Bruce
My Dad is pretty good if it wasn't for his support from an early I probably wouldn't be into engineering and just be "normal " teenager playing video games. He's one year behind you Bruce :U
Gerbilsquasher 15th May 2012, 11:11 PM When I was a boy I used to drool at things like this in Hearn's Hobbies in Melbourne... there was a plethora of attachments, like generators, belt driven machine shops, water pumps etc. This was in the late 70's/early 80's.
There probably are still manufacturers of model steam engines, but I am going to involve my children in building some... after all, I have the gear, and they might learn something- I believe it is a Chinese proverb: "Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime."
Model steam engines were one of those things that my parents never bought me despite my pleadings (nevertheless they were good parents) and along with things like model rocketry (another unrealized childhood hobby) I am attempting to dangle these carrots to keep my children away from the Nintendo I-box (whatever!!!:D) for as long as possible...
The seven year old boy... seems fascinated with computers. Well, programmers (and hackers?) make good money. Could be a CAD/CAM programmer like dad, but will probably get bored, buy a heap of old machines and machine stuff on weekends.
The four year old girl... there may be hope. Here she is helping me undo the tailshaft bolts under my Chevy C50 when I replaced the clutch recently.
http://www.woodworkforums.com/members/58985-gerbilsquasher/albums/apprentice/8894-apprentice.jpg
A Duke 15th May 2012, 11:55 PM For modern ones, check this mob Stationary - Model Steam Engines (http://www.alwayshobbies.com/Steam/Stationary.ice)
while you are there check the link to the kits to assemble your own.
Regards
bollie7 16th May 2012, 09:13 AM We have a nice little hot air (Stirling cycle) at work that we fire up to demo occasionally. Have also been know to fire it up just because its nice to watch. :)
azzrock 17th May 2012, 03:03 AM Scott
Yes they are nice things, model steam engines.
Sometimes they can be found, probably in old garage sales etc.
I was surprised yesterday in doing a Google search on the "Scorpion" brand that I have, could now be valued up to $450.:oo:
Probably cost a few dollars originally, when it was purchased new 62 yrs ago.
I particularly like your quote from Emerson.
Makes a lot of sense in a mixed up world.:2tsup:
regards
Bruce
you have just got me dusting mine of.
simonl 17th May 2012, 04:00 PM Andre
A good man your father. I liked the time we spent together in Melb.
I recall the Wilesco, there were a few different brands about.I have another model engine I bought my son ( he is now 44 )
I do not know the brand of it. Heres a photo.
I was thinking as I get older I like more toys. I think this applies to a lot of people also on this forum.
Toys, come under the classification of most tools, lathes, mills shapers, drilling machines, & also woodworking stuff. You name it, but its good to have these interests.:rolleyes:
regards
Bruce
I remember we had a similar looking kit in the physics room in high school. I used to love firing it up, mostly on open days. It was similar to this model but it drove a small generator and it would light up a lamp, probably around 5 watts or so.
From memory it used to run on small tablets, similar to hex amine tablets used in stoves....
Cheers,
Simon
Abratool 17th May 2012, 07:07 PM I remember we had a similar looking kit in the physics room in high school. I used to love firing it up, mostly on open days. It was similar to this model but it drove a small generator and it would light up a lamp, probably around 5 watts or so.
From memory it used to run on small tablets, similar to hex amine tablets used in stoves....
Cheers,
Simon
Yes, Simon I would like to get a small generator to light a lamp.
I do not know where to start looking ?
regards
Bruce
Dano48 17th May 2012, 07:31 PM Hi Bruce, check this ebay link, it's full of good things:2tsup:, I have some kits to be made of the machine tools that he sells, he was very helpful, to save money on postage he re-pack everything for me to get it in a flat rate box, I have yet to start, if only I didn't have to work for a living :rolleyes:, great engine you have there, a word of warning, once you click on the link, be prepared to spend some money:U
cheers, Richard.
Live Steam Engine Machined Dynamo Generator DYN-1M | eBay (http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Live-Steam-Engine-Machined-Dynamo-Generator-DYN-1M-/130436266868?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item1e5e9b7b74)
simonl 17th May 2012, 08:04 PM Hi Bruce, check this ebay link, it's full of good things:2tsup:, I have some kits to be made of the machine tools that he sells, he was very helpful, to save money on postage he re-pack everything for me to get it in a flat rate box, I have yet to start, if only I didn't have to work for a living :rolleyes:, great engine you have there, a word of warning, once you click on the link, be prepared to spend some money:U
cheers, Richard.
Live Steam Engine Machined Dynamo Generator DYN-1M | eBay (http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Live-Steam-Engine-Machined-Dynamo-Generator-DYN-1M-/130436266868?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item1e5e9b7b74)
That's awesome. looks brilliant.
Simon
beer is good 17th May 2012, 08:25 PM Seeing the steam experts are gathered here, I have often wondered if it would be possible to make or buy a steam powered rotary lawnmower? :?
I see it as a good way to use up the offcuts from my woodwork efforts, and using a steam powered mower appeals to my slightly eccentric nature. I'm sure Spike Milligan was a steam fan.
Dano48 17th May 2012, 09:04 PM Seeing the steam experts are gathered here, I have often wondered if it would be possible to make or buy a steam powered rotary lawnmower? :?
No expert here, I build an engine from plans but I can only run it on compressed air, the boiler doesn't get hot enough to build the pressure up:((, mainly because I did not researched the way to make one properly:doh:, but I know better now:rolleyes:, good luck with the lawn mower :D
Richard.
kwijibo99 17th May 2012, 09:16 PM I think I can trace my interest in old engines (and all things mechanical) back to when I was a kid helping my dad work on old cars.
I can still remember when he used to fire up a Mamod steam roller and we would watch it doing laps around the kitchen, us kids used to love it.
I have a few old model engines myself now and my kids love to watch them running and often ask to fire them up.
This is a clip of my Vacuum Rotor Corp flame eater engine running:
Vacuum Rotor Engine - YouTube
And here's some before and after restoration photos of my oldest toy steam engine, an 1898 Ernst Plank Ideal engine.
Cheers,
Greg.
Gerbilsquasher 17th May 2012, 09:34 PM Anyone heard of the Pritchard Steam Car?
Memory just triggered by "Beer is Good" (I like your name!).
Now this is one guy I'd buy a beer... Ted Pritchard.
....and you have to admit an XL Falcon is somewhat more stylish than a Toyota Prius! No doubt you could run the boiler on LPG....
Steam Powered 1963 Ford Falcon - YouTube
jhovel 17th May 2012, 09:53 PM I know a fellow eccentric who built and regularly uses a steam powered two cylinder outboard from a vintage two cylinder Victa motor..... (in Venus Bay)
So no reason you couldn't build one - and leave the motor on the Victa...
I reckon a small vertical boiler in top would work.
Now the cynic in me would suggest you make it a petrol fired boiler for compactness of fuel storage, using the Victa tank :)
Joe
Steamwhisperer 17th May 2012, 10:11 PM Seeing the steam experts are gathered here, I have often wondered if it would be possible to make or buy a steam powered rotary lawnmower? :?
I see it as a good way to use up the offcuts from my woodwork efforts, and using a steam powered mower appeals to my slightly eccentric nature. I'm sure Spike Milligan was a steam fan.
You could do it like Joes mate but use a steam generator. Way less damage as they don't blow up.
Phil
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