Lady Stephanie

[john carruthersParticipant @johncarruthers46255]

starting project

[john carruthersParticipant @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).

[David Clark 13Participant @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.

[Roderick JenkinsParticipant @roderickjenkins93242]

Serialised in Engineering in Miniature in 1981.

Rod

[Neil WyattModerator @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

[john carruthersParticipant @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…..

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

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

[Bob Unitt 1Participant @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

[john carruthersParticipant @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

[Roderick JenkinsParticipant @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

[Neil WyattModerator @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

[Bob Unitt 1Participant @bobunitt1]

You may find this of use, john – it's an index I made to all the Lady Stephanie construction articles.

[john carruthersParticipant @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.

[john carruthersParticipant @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?

[Neil WyattModerator @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

[Ian S CParticipant @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

[john carruthersParticipant @johncarruthers46255]

Crank done (loctite and 1.5mm pins) and the flywheel.

[john carruthersParticipant @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.

[john carruthersParticipant @johncarruthers46255]

Getting there, one piece at a time; cylinder bored a thou under size to allow for honing, and the steam passages drilled.

[john carruthersParticipant @johncarruthers46255]

Steady progress….

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

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

Neil

[john carruthersParticipant @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.

[Bob Unitt 1Participant @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…

[Howard LewisParticipant @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

[JasonBModerator @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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