Sawmill and Timber

The wood shop => Projects and Plans => Topic started by: joasis on March 09, 2019, 07:36:09 AM

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Title: Steam and Sterling
Post by: joasis on March 09, 2019, 07:36:09 AM
Besides milling wood, any other machinists here? Or I guess you don't have to be a machinist.....just love the iron.

I was school trained in the 70s as a machinist....not NC or CNC, but old school, tool steel, set up and operate any and every machine kind of training. And during that time, I made a few steam engines, one, a Stuart #1 my grandfather wanted me to build. Good times.


So, a few years ago, I was thinking about building safe room doors /panic room doors, and began collecting a few machines....bought a lathe, and then another one, and a Bridgeport J Head mill....and the fever is cranking up. Looking for a shaper now to complete the home machine shop........and, did I mention I am building a furnace to teach myself casting?


So to the subject: I already have plans for different steam models I want to build, but a guy stopped by the local gun shop and he brought a "Lake Breeze" hot air fan to show to another guy he was meeting. And I was hooked. I am going to build a few variations of the Stirling engines...and maybe find a Lake fan I can disassemble and copy, even making the castings.

Anyone else share this interest? Know where a Lake Breeze fan may be? Have any plans or prints of interesting stuff? Have a metal shaper taking up space?

Maybe we will add a board for the home machine shop......
Title: Re: Steam and Sterling
Post by: Ox on March 09, 2019, 08:36:39 AM
That kind of stuff is right up my alley, but I have yet to get the nice machinery.  I can't help you one bit on any of your needs but wanted to let you know you ain't the lone ranger.  :)

I hope to follow your progress and hopefully a few pics along the way.
Title: Re: Steam and Sterling
Post by: furu on March 09, 2019, 11:07:31 AM
I really enjoy fab work with metal but don't have many tools (Mill/brake/etc) beyond the obligatory set of welding units. 
I tend to try to make do with what I have and am constantly learning. 
An acquaintance/friend that is about 2 hours away has a full shop of things (he is a retired iron worker) that I have access to but big projects and distance cause that resource to be used less than I would like.

I would enjoy reading about your exploits as you manufacture/fab the items.
Title: Re: Steam and Sterling
Post by: Crusarius on March 09, 2019, 01:23:51 PM
I have a nice mill at home here. I just bought a bigger one and sent my old one to my dads shop. I would like to get a lathe but thats out of my budget right now. so for now I have a rotary table I just picked up.

Hopefully I can get my shop built this summer and actually be able to separate my steel shop and my wood shop. I hate the mess I have with both.
Title: Re: Steam and Sterling
Post by: Ox on March 09, 2019, 02:15:31 PM
I feel your pain.  I have a single shop for metal fab, mechanical repair, woodshop, sharpening shop, and anything else.  One shop.  24 x 40.  I'm working on upgrading the mill and keeping on sawmilling to build a duplicate shop alongside for woodshop/blacksmith/sharpening shop, and possibly some parking of machinery in winter.  This'll turn the original shop into metal/mechanic shop. 
Title: Re: Steam and Sterling
Post by: kbeitz on March 16, 2019, 06:31:06 AM
I got a machine shop and I love steam... This is the last steam toys that I built...

Title: Re: Steam and Sterling
Post by: Crusarius on March 16, 2019, 07:21:33 AM
you build it 100% or just rebuild it? that is pretty kool.
Title: Re: Steam and Sterling
Post by: bandmiller2 on March 16, 2019, 09:55:13 AM
I was pretty heavy into steam some years ago. Had an AB Farquhar portable locomotive style boiler and an Ajax 8 1/2 X11" engine mounted on it.  It ran my circular saw summers, winter I converted to diesel. I also ran a Chase shingle mill with it but used a 35 hp gear reduction turbine to get the needed 1000 rpm's. Fired the boiler with pine slabs. If you google "Granger steam engine" on youtube theirs a short clip of it running. I swapped it for the Ajax which was a better mill engine. The big problem with steam is the boilers, most of the locomotive style are close to 100 years old now and high pressure steam is nothing to take lightly. Those looking for smaller boilers should haunt laundries as they still use small boilers for pressing machines.
Title: Re: Steam and Sterling
Post by: kbeitz on March 16, 2019, 06:33:38 PM
The picture above I built it all... This one I restored...

Title: Re: Steam and Sterling
Post by: kbeitz on March 16, 2019, 06:35:08 PM
This one I built it all...

Title: Re: Steam and Sterling
Post by: moodnacreek on March 16, 2019, 07:56:00 PM
Always played with old junk; I cyl. enginrs, 2 cyl. J. D. and that led me to sawmills. Never went to steam.Can't do it all.  My sawmill takes a lot of time and it has not been a hobby in a long time. A close, long time friend who helps on Saturdays has a rather impressive hobby machine shop and 2 miles in the other direction is an automotive machine shop owned by another friend [how lucky can you get] so I won't venture into machine tools. Right now I am restoring a ww2 jeep, but enjoy reading about your projects.
Title: Re: Steam and Sterling
Post by: kbeitz on March 17, 2019, 07:36:26 AM
Something like this one?

Title: Re: Steam and Sterling
Post by: moodnacreek on March 17, 2019, 09:01:22 AM
Only worse. It has been used as a tractor on a small property for 50 years. Prior to that somebody beat the hell out of it. Never been on the road. Speedo last worked @ 5000 miles. Motor is Willys, rest Ford. Have it all apart. Putting trans back together today. A 2 year project at least.
Title: Re: Steam and Sterling
Post by: Ox on March 17, 2019, 09:12:55 AM
Quote from: kbeitz on March 16, 2019, 06:35:08 PM
This one I built it all...

Those flywheels look like the ones off an old New Holland square baler kicker unit!
Title: Re: Steam and Sterling
Post by: kbeitz on March 17, 2019, 05:55:48 PM
Quote from: Ox on March 17, 2019, 09:12:55 AM
Those flywheels look like the ones off an old New Holland square baler kicker unit!

Yep....