Model Marine Engine

Requires No Castings
EXHAUST PORTS No. 29 DRILL

CROSSHEAD-GUIDE
No. 31 BRACKET
DRILL
REAM
No. 29
DRILL
(STEAM
PORT)
CYLINDER BLOCK

R
CYLINDER COVERS

No.29 TAP
DRILL 6 - 32
(STEAM
No.31 DRILL PORT) CROSSHEAD
VALVE LINER GUIDE
CYLINDER SUPPORT
VENT,
No.50 DRILL

STEAM INLET.
DRILL FLYWHEEL

18
5 - 40 THREAD
THREAD
REAM

GLAND
5 - 40
THREAD

MAIN BEARING

ENGINE ASSEMBLY

10 - 32 TAP

10 - 32
THREAD COLUMN
4-46 TAP

No.51
DRILL

BASE STEAM MANIFOLD

(INTAKE)

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 Building this power plant looks
tricky, but it is just a series
of simple operations. Follow
them in photos from A to Z.

HEX
SCREWS

5 - 40
6-32
TAP TAP
DRILL
WASHER.
VALVE CROSSHEAD
SPINDLE EYE

CRANKSHAFT
No.31 DRILL

By C. W. Woodson
(UPPER)
TAP 6 - 32
PISTON
A LTHOUGH the little two-cylinder steam
engine above has been simplified for
easy construction, this does not show in
TAP (LOWER)
18
performance or looks. The model has two
CYLINDER COVERS double-acting cylinders with inside-admis-
6 - 31
THREAD sion piston valves. Bore is 1" and stroke .875".
Steam is exhausted through ports drilled in
the cylinder walls, greatly simplifying the
valve gear.
TAP
5 - 4O TAP 5 - 40
Reverse gear has been omitted for sim-
plicity, but the engine can be made to run
in either direction by resetting the eccen-
REAM trics. Slip-eccentric reversing could be
PISTON ROD added easily.
ECCENTRICS
With 75 lb. of steam or air the engine
DRILL will kick over at about 1,100 r.p.m., provid-
ing ample power for a 48" to 60" model boat.
V - GROOVES
All parts are machined from scrap-bin
pieces of brass, bronze, dural and steel.
After the final assembly, pour a bit of water-
DRILL diluted Noxon silver polish into the cylinders
and valve liners and rotate the crankshaft
REAM
by hand to lap the moving parts to a smooth
fit. Then wash the polish out, oil all parts,
PISTON VALVES CONNECTING ROD and full steam ahead!
Please turn the page for A-to-Z photos.
JANUARY 1953 215
 Base and main bearings. Crankshaft webs are cut from
Brass base plate, ¼" thick, is steel bar stock, .188 by .375.
cut out for two crankcase wells. Shaft holes are drilled .437
Large holes, tapped 10-32, are apart, using jig to assure uni-
for supporting columns; small form spacing. After drilling,
Here are the 26 steps holes, tapped 4-48, are for the webs are cut off, stacked
bearings. Main bearings are in a drill-press vise and reamed
in the construction two pieces of ¼" brass soldered to make absolutely certain
of the engine. together for machining, then holes are spaced right. Ends
unsoldered to form upper and of webs are machined later in
lower sections. the lathe.

C r a n k p i n s and crankshaft Web ends are finished and Completed crankshaft is set
ends are made from .312 drill brought to dimension in the up between centers and tested
rod. Turn both ends of the pins lathe. As each web is forced for accurate alignment. Crank-
and the inner end of the shaft onto a shaft or crankpin sec- pins are set at 90°, giving shaft
sections .002" oversize for a tion, it is chucked and turned a smooth-running quality with
force fit in the .188 reamed to an .687 radius from the four evenly spaced impulses
holes in the webs. As no tru- center of the far hole. It is not to each revolution. This allows
ing cut is made on the crank- necessary to pin the force- it to run without a flywheel,
p i n surfaces, the d r i l l rod fitted webs to the shaft, but although performance is im-
should be held in a collet or driving pins in undersize holes proved if one is used. Chances
indicated true. is extra insurance. of stalling are also lessened.

All set up. Prior to installing Crosshead-guide support, Cylinder block is solid chunk
crankshaft, main hearings are shown with columns, is cut of brass or bronze. Lay out
aligned by slipping them on a from ¼" brass plate. Three centers for cylinders and valve-
straight piece of .312 drill holes are drilled first, using the insert holes and bore out 1"-
rod and clamping in position. base as a spacing jig, and then dia. cylinders in lathe. Make
Holes are t h r u drilled in base layout of shape is made, using final pass with a honed, round-
for mounting screws. All hex- holes as reference points. Col- nose boring bit fed slowly for
head screws are turned from umns are ¼" drill rod cut to maximum smoothness. Cylin-
.125" steel hexagon rod and length, shouldered for ¼" at der is lapped with Noxon silver
threaded 4-48. Corners of hex bottom, .375" at top and threaded polish after assembly, then
heads are rounded and polished. 10-32 at both ends. washed and oiled.
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Valve-insert holes are reamed Cylinder covers are turned Packing glands (at right in
½". Intake and exhaust ports from 1½" brass rod. Inside face photo above), are turned from
are drilled. Valve liners—½" of upper and lower covers are .625 brass rod and threaded to
brass tubing—are drilled in one turned to a snap fit in cylinder fit lower cylinder cover. Gland
wall. Liners are then turned bore, using cylinder as gauge. is drilled and reamed .156
180° to line up holes with Then they are cut off, reversed for piston rod and upper end
ports and locked with set- in the chuck and finished. of hole is counterbored for
screws in block end. Steam- Piston-rod packing-gland hole packing. Four .063 holes in
inlet holes are drilled through should be drilled and tapped flange are for adjusting pin
block and one wall of liner in lower cover before cutting to tighten flange on graphite
from front of block. off. packing.

Valve eccentrics are made in Piston valves, turned from Cylinder-block support is cut
two parts and joined by a sin- mild steel, should be perfect fit from .188 brass plate. Holes
gle setscrew. The body or bear- in valve liners. Oil grooves are for supporting columns must
ing was turned in the three- cut with V-shaped cutter bit. match those in base. Support
jaw chuck; the cover plate Lower ends are slotted and is chucked in lathe and bored
with off-center collar, in four- drilled for adjusting eyes, to receive the .375 collars of the
jaw chuck. The collar is drilled which are threaded onto ec- lower cylinder covers. Six No.
in the lathe, then used as a jig centric rod and held in proper 38 holes for the screws that
to locate the hole in the body. adjustment by lock nuts. Rods join plate to underside of block
Straps are thick-wall tubing of are threaded into eccentric are then drilled according to
proper inside diameter. straps. the layout.
Connecting rods, developed from lengths of end drilled for the two bearing-cap screws. The
steel bar stock, are made in successive stages: bearing cap is cut off the big end, the m e e t i n g
(O) The steel bar is centered in the four-jaw surfaces smoothed, and then joined with the two
chuck, centerdrilled at the free end, and support- cap screws.
ed by the tailstock center while the middle sec- The crankpin hole is then drilled and reamed
tion is rough-turned. (P) The big end is then .312. ( S ) The big end is clamped on a
clamped in a vise, the rod heated almost white mandrel and turned to shape, and the little
hot and the small end bent at right angles to the end is drilled for a .125 rivet that links it to the
big end. ( Q ) When cool, it is set up in the lathe crosshead. (T) The finished con rod looks like
again and turned to finished size. ( R ) The little this after machining.
end is then cut out and filed to shape and the big Turn the page for the six final steps.
Crossheads are shaped from ¼" brass and a Trial setup. Smooth action of moving parts is
slipper of .063" brass is soldered on foot. Any checked by setting up lower half of engine and
error in the crosshead-guide support can be rotating crankshaft by hand. Crosshead-guide
made up by altering the thickness of the slipper support should be placed in proper position on
plate. The heads of two hex-head screws ride in columns to check crosshead travel in slot. Upper
slotted crosshead guide; setscrew and washer ends of guides are later supported by bracket on
hold assembly together. upper assembly.

Pistons are turned from brass or dural rod to an Cast-iron piston rings, of standard 1" size, are
easy fit in the cylinders. Parting tool is used to purchased commercially and fitted to pistons.
cut groove for piston ring. Center of piston is Lower end of piston rod is threaded 6-32 to fit in
drilled and tapped for 6-32 thread on upper end crosshead. Lock nut is tightened against top side
of piston rod. Piston is then faced, cut off and of piston after upper end of rod is threaded into
reversed in the chuck for facing opposite end center hole to prevent piston from working loose
and bringing to dimension. on piston-rod threads.

Upper assembly is tested for smooth action, Petcocks on cylinder covers are dummies but
bracket for upper ends of crosshead guides is could be drilled and used as gravity-feed oil
cut from brass angle. Setscrews holding washers cups. A displacement oiler should be fitted for
to crossheads have shoulders turned to length model-boat use. Caps for valve liners are drilled
that will bring washers up against slotted guide No. 50 to vent space above valves; they are
without forcing them tight. Setscrews join cylin- turned to a snap fit. Intake manifold is ¼" tubing
der support to cylinder. soldered into turned fittings. END
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