Lady Stephanie

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Lady Stephanie

This topic has 84 replies, 19 voices, and was last updated 11 December 2022 at 13:52 by Harry Wilkes.

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23 September 2015 at 08:06 #3263
john carruthers
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@johncarruthers46255
starting project
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23 September 2015 at 08:06 #205397
john carruthers
Participant
@johncarruthers46255
As a winter project I'm starting a Lady Stephanie six column pumping engine from A.J.Reeves.
Anyone done one? anything to watch out for?
I haven't seen the drawings yet but what other materials will I require?
Is it worth making governor gears or using stock items? (I have used a pair from an old hand drill before).
23 September 2015 at 10:25 #205421
David Clark 13
Participant
@davidclark13
I think this has been published as a series. Not sure if it was Model Engineer. Popular science or popular mechanics rings a bell. This would have been the UK version published probably in the 1970s. I remember a beam engine in one of the last two mentioned.
23 September 2015 at 18:15 #205493
Roderick Jenkins
Participant
@roderickjenkins93242
Serialised in Engineering in Miniature in 1981.

Rod
23 September 2015 at 21:12 #205519
Neil Wyatt
Moderator
@neilwyatt
I've been half way through one since about 2004.

Some of the ones I've seen simplify the entablature, which is a shame.

My flywheel was badly dished, I've got one laser cut as a replacement.

Neil
25 September 2015 at 13:13 #205653
john carruthers
Participant
@johncarruthers46255
Sorry for the tardy reply, had a login problem.

Thanks for your comments. The castings arrived within 24 hours of order.
I've been giving the drawings 'a good coat of looking at' and started on the entablature.
I shall go through the drawings rationalising the mixture of dimensions, mm, inch fractions and decimal inch fractions :-/

TBC…..
25 September 2015 at 14:13 #205660
Neil Wyatt
Moderator
@neilwyatt
Read Tubal Cain's book on engineering drawing and see how many of his own rules he broke with Lady Steph!
25 September 2015 at 18:50 #205667
Bob Unitt 1
Participant
@bobunitt1
I started one of these in (I think) 1992. One of these days I'll get round to finishing it…

See http://www.bobunitt.me.uk/steph/steph.htm

Edited By JasonB on 25/09/2015 19:56:43
27 September 2015 at 10:17 #205813
john carruthers
Participant
@johncarruthers46255
Thanks Bob, I saw your video when I was researching the project.

Progress so far; filed up and drilled the entablature and beam. I would like to centre the beam bosses on the holes. I can't swing it so I'll make a little annular cutter.

The flywheel had some horrible hard chills, sparks flying off in places. Still got to clean up the spokes, might get a carbide burr as even my best files won't touch them.

Edited By john carruthers on 27/09/2015 10:18:29
27 September 2015 at 13:38 #205843
Roderick Jenkins
Participant
@roderickjenkins93242
Posted by Neil Wyatt on 25/09/2015 14:13:35:

Read Tubal Cain's book on engineering drawing and see how many of his own rules he broke with Lady Steph!

or maybe the EIM illustrator converting them into the house style? Apparantly it can happen in even the best regulated magazines

Rod
27 September 2015 at 13:52 #205845
Neil Wyatt
Moderator
@neilwyatt
The sheets are his own drawings, they match his style. I haven't found errors, just matters of style (and lack of projection symbols).

Neil
27 September 2015 at 16:49 #205868
Bob Unitt 1
Participant
@bobunitt1
You may find this of use, john – it's an index I made to all the Lady Stephanie construction articles.
28 September 2015 at 07:36 #205927
john carruthers
Participant
@johncarruthers46255
Thank you Bob, yes I will look them up. It seems as good an order of operations as any as well.
I'm still gathering materials. I'd like to do as much as I can in brass.
1 October 2015 at 08:31 #206251
john carruthers
Participant
@johncarruthers46255
I've acquired a diamond file and tidied up the flywheel, just needs reaming now and a keyway cut.

Has anyone ever worked out what one of these costs in materials, tooling and time? must run into thousands?
1 October 2015 at 10:34 #206262
Neil Wyatt
Moderator
@neilwyatt
Materials aren't a huge cost, it's a pretty small engine really.

Time is the biggest investment, a lot of fiddly bits.

Neil
2 October 2015 at 11:29 #206334
Ian S C
Participant
@iansc
Time and tooling are the big money, I don't know the charge out rates are in a UK engineering shop, but 50 pounds an hour might not be too much, no wonder every one (well a number) on here want things to go faster.

Ian S C
3 October 2015 at 15:35 #206481
john carruthers
Participant
@johncarruthers46255
Crank done (loctite and 1.5mm pins) and the flywheel.
10 October 2015 at 16:22 #207308
john carruthers
Participant
@johncarruthers46255
Good progress today, made the beam pins and bearings, finished the crank bearings, machined the steam chest except the 4 flange holes – have to make a drill jig for them so all fit the same.
11 October 2015 at 14:35 #207419
john carruthers
Participant
@johncarruthers46255
Getting there, one piece at a time; cylinder bored a thou under size to allow for honing, and the steam passages drilled.
26 October 2015 at 14:28 #209335
john carruthers
Participant
@johncarruthers46255
Steady progress….
26 October 2015 at 18:23 #209365
Neil Wyatt
Moderator
@neilwyatt
Cripes, you're past me already… and I've only be going at it for about 10 or 12 years…

Neil
27 October 2015 at 08:07 #209416
john carruthers
Participant
@johncarruthers46255
Not a race…

Today it's the 1 -1/16" hole in the top plate, then maybe the valve plate.
Then some fancy nuts for the tops of the columns while I wait for a ball end mill.
27 October 2015 at 13:18 #209458
Bob Unitt 1
Participant
@bobunitt1
Posted by Neil Wyatt on 26/10/2015 18:23:31:

Cripes, you're past me already… and I've only be going at it for about 10 or 12 years…

Neil

Not far behind me either, and I've been at it for 20…
27 October 2015 at 17:30 #209482
Howard Lewis
Participant
@howardlewis46836
Take heart! You are all ahead of me. Three reasons:

1) A major lack of courage.

2) Too many other projects of a less fiddly, and quicker, nature keep coming to mind.

3) Awe at the standard of work that everyone else produces!

Keep at it!

Howard
27 October 2015 at 17:47 #209483
JasonB
Moderator
@jasonb
So does not sound like any of you chaps will be in a rush to add a set of cane crushing rollers to the engine in the near future

It's comming along well John.

Edited By JasonB on 27/10/2015 17:48:19
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