A finished project – at last!

[Ramon WilsonParticipant @ramonwilson3]

Hi – I have just finished this engine after an elapsed time of three years – thought someone might be interested in seeing it.

It's built to the Arnold Throp design first featured in Model Engineer in the eighties and the build is described on Model Engine Maker forum

I guess it has taken about 18-20 months in total over that three years or so. There are some mods made to personalise it in areas – all described on MEM here should you want more info. There is also a video on there of it running on page 39 post #581. For some reason this computer will not post the video url.

I've had the castings for many years and did come close to parting with them but a change of heart saw a tentative start on the machining and now I have a finished engine as a result. Just goes to show – never part with something on a whim.

Regards to all – Ramon (Tug)

Missed one – the overall view – the base is a little over a metre long btw

Video Added

 

Edited By JasonB on 04/01/2021 19:50:56

[Ramon WilsonParticipant @ramonwilson3]

A corliss valved tandem condensing compound

[BazParticipant @baz89810]

Absolutely beautiful, did the Arnold Throp design go on to become the Southworth range of engines?

[Robert Atkinson 2Participant @robertatkinson2]

Very nice! well done.

[old martParticipant @oldmart]

Superb quality, could you show us the machines you used in making it?

[Roger BestParticipant @rogerbest89007]

Brilliant!!

[Joe McKeanParticipant @joemckean81940]

Beautiful looking engine, you should be very proud of the workmanship involved.

[Nigel Graham 2Participant @nigelgraham2]

Magnificent work!

An unusual touch, too, the planking. We see most miniature mill-engines with open flywheels.

It was fitted to some full-size engines to reduce wind noise created by the faster engines. It may have reduced drag, too, but I don't know if the manufacturers had that in mind, and that effect was probably insignificant anyway.

[Nicholas FarrParticipant @nicholasfarr14254]

Hi, be nice to see it at one of the major exhibitions, if and/or we get anther one, but really looks good.

Regards Nick.

[KEITH BEAUMONTParticipant @keithbeaumont45476]

That is one superb piece of work Tug. Love the close ups on the video. You can think you are watching a full size engine..

Keith

[DMBParticipant @dmb]

Wow! What a lovely model. All the studs poke out of the nuts by the same amount, piping very nicely executed, painting and brightwork excellent. Well done, really worth entry to MEX, if it happens, must be an award winner. Wish my efforts were half as good.

[SteviegtrParticipant @steviegtr]

Absolutely stunning. That is a piece of art.

Stebve.

[Ady1Participant @ady1]

Wow. Looks fabulous

[Tony Wright 1Participant @tonywright1]

Excellent work , nice to know models are still being built .Most of this site seems to be preoccupied with making tools and jigs etc . Sometimes I think people have lost the the original message model engineering ie making models !

[Bill PudneyParticipant @billpudney37759]

Beautiful work Tug!! I would love to have followed the build, but for some reason I have been banned from the MEM site!!

cheers

Bill

[John PenfoldParticipant @johnpenfold74932]

A good feeling then. Nice

[Colin DParticipant @colind]

Wow ! Brilliant job, very inspiring.

I will definitely have a read of the build diary.

Colin

[Brian HParticipant @brianh50089]

What else could I add? Absolutely stunning. What's next?

Brian

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

Bill, they had a few members get the banned message due to some spam issues a few months back, e-mail the contact address and they should be able to get you back in, If not PM me your e-mail and user name and I'll ask Jo to sort you out.

Old Mart if you follow Ramon's link you can see his machines in action over the 40 odd page build thread.

[KettrinboyParticipant @kettrinboy]

A very nicely finished engine just like the real ones were back in the day , I admire the patience of builders who stick with these long projects , I haven't got much patience so haven't done a big project yet.

[J HancockParticipant @jhancock95746]

A beautiful piece of work.

As we know , starting something is easy, only the end is The True Glory.

[Ramon WilsonParticipant @ramonwilson3]

'Morning Guys – Obviously pleased to know you enjoyed a look – thank you for all your comments though I had to take a break at times it certainly was an enjoyable model to make.

As Jason says (thanks for posting the video BTW Jason – real problem for me at the moment) most of the build is over on MEM but thats a lot to go through so

Baz – The original design was Arnold Throps who did it at the behest of Terry Fleet of Fleet Engineering. Terry produce patterns for all versions but lost all of them as well as a serious amount of money when the foundry closed overnight and everything inside 'disappeared'. Arnold made patterns for the single cylinder he described in ME and these were bought by Peter Southworth at the sale of Arnold's estate. Peter did not intend to offer these for sale but a chance conversation with him lead to him providing me with a full set of drawings and then making patterns for the rest of the engine parts to sell.

Old Mart – I have three machines – my Super 7, a truly faithful servant bought circa 1980 and still in good condition today

An old – possibly wartime – Linley 'Jig Borer' that I bought in 1978 or so. Mechanically sound on the ways and spindle it was in a bit of a state

but after some considerable work – a new table made at work to increase the capacity, DRO and, the last improvement a VFD drive it too is a faithful ally.

It's only drawback is the limited head room and the inability to move the head at an angle. Seventieth birthday pressy was an Amadeal mill. This has proved to be far better than anticipated but is used mainly for initial machining

Apart from a Fobco drill which predates the lathe and bought from Reeves the rest is just basic accessories made or purchased over the years.

Nigel Graham 2 – I don't think it was to reduce the noise per se but more the windage itself but of course it would have had a huge effect on noise too. We see our models gracefully ticking over but when these engines worked the speed was quite alarming to that perhaps expected.

Tony Wright – Each to his own I suppose – I've made a few tools over the year but very early on I showed a slotting tool to a very well thought of model engineer in our club whom we all looked up to. He commented that 'it would do' with a smile but then asked why I had painted it. "Doesn't make it work better "he said, "just time spent that could be on the model instead!" Couldn't appreciate that concept at the time but then it began to make more and more sense.

Bill good to see you here – hope Jason can get you sorted out on MEM.

Thanks again for all the other comments guys, all much appreciated

Regards – Ramon (Tug)

I know some like to use my given name but to most if not all I'm 'Tug' – I chose to use my name initially as there are quite a few 'Tug Wilsons' about. I have no issue with either so it's a choice thing.

[Mick B1Participant @mickb1]

Outstanding work. Leaves me distressed with the quality of my own work… !

[Bo’sunParticipant @bosun58570]

As everyone has said, what a stunning piece of work. Maybe, without any sense of scale, it could be confused for the real thing. At least by me anyway, as I'm not familiar with the engine. It looks extremely complex, what would it have been used for "in the day"?

[egaParticipant @ega]

What is the history of that oversize saddle hand wheel on the Myford, please?

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