Material terminology / abbreviations

[Alan DonovanParticipant @alandonovan54394]

Hello All.

I am considering building the E.T. Westbury ‘CORSAIR’.

I have been studying the plans and all is OK except for the connecting rod.  The drawing states the material as L.H.  I assume this is a drawing error and it should read M.S.  But I thought it prudent to check with the forum members that I am not missing something obvious.

I am confident that L.H. for ‘left hand’ doesn’t apply in this case.

Many thanks in advance for your input/advice

Alan

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

Could be Light Alloy where an H has got in.

[Rod ClemettParticipant @rodclemett60985]

It looks like CORSAIR was described by Westbury starting in Model Engineer volume 132 (1966), in the series ‘Single-Acting Steam Engines’.
Part#6 of the series (ME issue 3299, 17th June), seems to confirm Jason’s suspicions.

I’ve attached a couple of images which I hope are sufficiently cropped to avoid copyright problems!

Clem

 

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

That would confirm it Rod, it will be 2014 in new money, the old HE15

The single sheet drawing that I have has the LH “Light Hlloy”

 

[BazyleParticipant @bazyle]

Never heard of Hiduminium before (so much for a degree in material science! ).
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hiduminium

I wonder if any of our ME related suppliers at the time of the original design were offering it and ETW was using the term LH generally in conversations with fellow machinists.

[HopperParticipant @hopper]

Modern aluminium alloys popular for such use are 6061 and 7075 grades. Probably not critical in a steam engine though.

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

The nearest to Dural is 2024 but that is not easy to get hold of in small amounts but the 2014 that I suggested earlier is stocked by quite a few of the ME suppliers though some may still list it as HE15. which is another copper containing alloy, it so often used for conrods in model engines (IC and high speed Steam)that don’t have room for bearing shells such as this engine

Once linked up to a flash steam boiler and doing several thousand rpm a lesser alloy may start to streatch and you will get an oval big end.

[HopperParticipant @hopper]

Yes it might be a bit more critical in that case!

[Alan DonovanParticipant @alandonovan54394]

Hello again.

Thank you all for your input.

My drawing is as per Jason B’s image.  It all makes sense now, even though I have never heard of Hiduminium either.

Every day is a school day …….

Again, thank you all for your input.  Best regards.   Alan.

[JAParticipant @ja]

Hiduminium was a trade mark for a range of high strength aluminium alloys produced by High Duty Alloys Ltd of Slough. The advert I have in front of me has a picture of a DH Comet’s landing gear leg made from R.R.77 which was included in the range.

Edgar Westbury liked using high quality (strength) aluminium con-rods in his engines.

JA

[Mick B1Participant @mickb1]

High Duty Alloys Redditch factory was still operating as Mettis Aerospace around 2017 when we moved away.

I’d heard of Hiduminium but wasn’t aware of the connection, or the other sites.

Thanks for the snippet of industrial history.

[Author]

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