Why don’t we make models of things like this?

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

Neil as far as I know they are casting kits so you machine the metal though I'm not sure if you have to wind your own 'lecy bits or they come ready wound.

TS also do a steam saw which would go well with your hammer

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

Posted by Hopper on 06/03/2017 12:00:32:

Something to do with resonating with the human heartbeat, taking us back to the womb etc etc. So I'm told…

I've heard the suggestion that steam engines remind us of an earlier stage in the process…

N.

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

Posted by JasonB on 06/03/2017 13:22:45:

Neil as far as I know they are casting kits so you machine the metal though I'm not sure if you have to wind your own 'lecy bits or they come ready wound.

TS also do a steam saw which would go well with your hammer

I would be tempted, except I've just had to pay my half for the four leylandii on our frontage to disappear. I've cut down smaller ones in the past, but the biggest one has left a stump about 20" across. The growth rings showed it was putting on 1" of diameter a year over the last ten years! I could have taken it put with a bowsaw when me moved in – I did actually get rid of four or five that way when we moved in in '02.

Neil

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

Maybe stick with something a bit simpler for now, this is a nice little generating plant complete with burner, boiler, engine and generator

[Allan BParticipant @allanb]

Posted by Hopper on 06/03/2017 12:00:32:

Posted by Neil Wyatt on 05/03/2017 21:44:12:

So why don't we (generally) see models of things like this?

Same reason that stone-aged technology V-twin motorcycles outsell the latest hi-tech four cylinder jobbies. One just sits there and very efficiently spins away flawlessly while the other one goes chuffa chuffa chuffa and jumps up and down. Something to do with resonating with the human heartbeat, taking us back to the womb etc etc. So I'm told…

Edited By Hopper on 06/03/2017 12:01:17

Hopper I think this could go into a whole thread on its own there are many reasons for the different engine layouts, horse power and torque being just two of them, yes a strait 4 is somewhere near smooth, but then you have a V4 layout which is smoother again in a smaller area, and if you get into the advanced engines (not availible to the public) where you have a ignition every 180 degrees it becomes smoother gain. where as with a V twin engine, it is designed to give higher torque at low rpm, which is why the likes of Harley need them to pull along their tractors, oh sorry motorcycles

Allan

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

It's not only the Germans that like them, couple of examples from the US

[Brian GParticipant @briang]

Posted by Neil Wyatt on 06/03/2017 11:54:51:

I have gathered quite a lot of information on steam hammers, one day…

Neil

For the workshop or just as the perfect way to crack a breakfast egg?

Brian

[Johan van ZantenParticipant @johanvanzanten]

Some generatorsets made in the Netherlands.

[duncan webster 1Participant @duncanwebster1]

I'll stick my head above the parapet here! I think that small generators have to go really fast to generate any sensible output. I seem to remember that Tubal Cain (TDWalshaw) many years ago described a model Gramme ring generator in ME, he later admitted that he never got any output from it.

Having said that, some of the models shown in previous posts are really nice to look at.

[Russell EberhardtParticipant @russelleberhardt48058]

Posted by JasonB on 06/03/2017 07:40:23:The German ME supplies also sell quite a few generator kits

If Google translate is working correctly those kits are casting sets inside which you can fit a motor to act as a generator.

Russell.

[MikelkieParticipant @mikelkie]

I would like to build a model of a Alldays & Onions steam / air hammer someday if i could find drawings of it,in the meantime keeping myself busy with a Hunslet in 5in.

[MWParticipant @mw27036]

Posted by Russell Eberhardt on 06/03/2017 16:35:41:

Posted by JasonB on 06/03/2017 07:40:23:The German ME supplies also sell quite a few generator kits

If Google translate is working correctly those kits are casting sets inside which you can fit a motor to act as a generator.

Russell.

So, basically playing dress-up with a motor? I thought the idea was you built the whole thing.

Where's the fun in that?

Michael W

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

Posted by Johan van Zanten on 06/03/2017 16:16:08:

Some generatorsets made in the Netherlands.

Excellent Johan, thank you for sharing those pictures.

Neil

[V8EngParticipant @v8eng]

How about this (1/1 scale) set that I saw on a visit to Crich Tramway Musem in 2014? 

Unfortunately the Brush gear was not on there..

I have put some more images in my album.

 

I seem to remember seeing a nice Generator Kit in the Cotswold Heritage adverts.

Stuart Models also make a Generator kit.

Edited By V8Eng on 06/03/2017 20:21:52

Edited By V8Eng on 06/03/2017 20:23:47

Edited By V8Eng on 06/03/2017 20:24:52

[mechman48Participant @mechman48]

Posted by Neil Wyatt on 06/03/2017 07:10:40:

Posted by Georgineer on 05/03/2017 22:55:09:

After I've built the Boy's Own Model Gas Engine of 1895 (detailed design still a work-in-progress) I plan to build the boy's Own Small Generator of 1891, then link the two together.

Does that count?

George

Edited By Georgineer on 05/03/2017 22:56:16

Yep!

Parents must have been very understanding in 1891 to let boys attach handwheels to 'Dining Room Table T'.

Neil

It's a megger!…. grasp the two handles s-s attached to the binding screws of the dynamo, your pal winds the pulley & wallop you get quite a few volts through your proverbials, providing it's way less than 30 milli amps  .Got caught with that one when serving my apprenticeship.

George.

Edited By mechman48 on 07/03/2017 08:03:14

[Ian S CParticipant @iansc]

We use a Canning generator ex an electroplating shop similar to this one on the water turbine at our museum. It's 12" to the foot scale, so 6 volts at 600 amps is what the specs plate says, we run it into a couple of 12V incandescent light bulbs.

the turbine it's self would make a good model, I have built a fairly rough model that we use on site to explain the working of the full size turbine.

Ian S C

[Steve AddyParticipant @steveaddy35670]

Love your engine etc, Phil. I knew Arnold as he was a member of the Sheffield Club. Nice bloke and a character too.

Steve

[Mike PooleParticipant @mikepoole82104]

This was the compressor house at Cowley until 2001 when they were replaced with boring hydrovane boxes. There were four compressors, one is not shown. The two far ones were 2 stage 3000cfm, the motors were 600hp synchronous the exciter is the small unit on the end. They were started by a brine starter which is just a big tank of salt water with electrodes in it which provided the resistance to limit starting current. The piston of the low compression stage was 3ft diameter if I remember correctly. Outside was a chiller unit to cool the air and dry it to avoid problems with valves, it was also filtered to clean oil from the air as it was used for all purposes from paint spraying to weld guns. Next door was a substation which when I was an apprentice had open busbars, very scary place. I Don't think compressed air is used on the scale it one was, assembly was just the constant shriek of windy tools. Today battery tools are more convenient with no trailing hoses or cables. The big reason for replacing the compressors was modern robot  welding guns use 12bar air and the old machines were a 6bar setup. No doubt the new ones are more efficient but these were 60-70 years old when they were retired and I doubt the replacements will last that long.

Mike

Edited By Mike Poole on 07/03/2017 21:11:41

[Phil PParticipant @philp]

Posted by Steve Addy on 07/03/2017 18:43:47:

Love your engine etc, Phil. I knew Arnold as he was a member of the Sheffield Club. Nice bloke and a character too.

Steve

You will know a friend of mine, Bob Potter then.

Bob was the person who I got the Uniflow engine from, Peter Southworth inherited it from Arnold and then left it to Bob, it was Peter and Arnold who were working together on the generator part of the project with a view to an article appearing in Model Engineer back in the 80's.

I have all the drawings and patterns made by Arnold and Peter, they are a work of art in themselves. I personally never knew either of them, but my dad knew Peter through making the model of "Agnes"

I hope I can do both engines justice in their memory.

Phil

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

I'm really glad I asked this question!

With such a pedigree I hope the Arnold Throp generator does make it into ME at last.

neil

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

Mike has widened the search out to compressors. Other thing that spring to mind are waterwheels and water turbines, I have seen a couple of windmill & waterwheel models.

Various types of industrial hammer are interesting (remember Dave Lamma's small spring hammer?)

Then there are machine tool models – you don't see many but they always get a lot of attention.

There was a lovely 1:12 industrial bandsaw (big enough to use!) at Bristol.

PUMA-type robots might appeal to the younger modellers.

We see very few 'engineered' RC cars, the recent 3/4 landrover and Alex du Pre's experimental car being honourable exceptions.

I have a soft spot for canal cranes, I have only modelled one but I have another two prototypes in mind.

Simple farm implements deservemore attention. Phil Haining drew up an apple scratterr(?) I like models of hand tools and suchlike, I've made a couple of model billhooks and have considered doing a set to show different types from around the country.

A model chainsaw woudl be 'interesting' as would a working scale outboard motor.

Models of large artillery pieces always fascinate me.

Then there are various bits of shipboard machinery like winches and hoists.

I could go on

Neil

[Ian S CParticipant @iansc]

Here you are Neil, it's a railway platform crane at Ferrymede Historic Park in Christchurch NZ. It's not working, missing some parts, other bits assembled wrongly.

Ian S C

[paul rushmerParticipant @paulrushmer83015]

Hi Neil

You mention artillery pieces I bought this of a dealer some time a go, its 3 1/2 inch gauge and would look good behind Southam! It is a 12inch howitzer the main components are cast aluminium, the problem is no drawings yet must try the artillery museum and no time!

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

Posted by Neil Wyatt on 08/03/2017 07:15:56:

We see very few 'engineered' RC cars, the recent 3/4 landrover and Alex du Pre's experimental car being honourable exceptions.

Maybe not so many cars but recent years have seen a big following in models of heavy plant eg diggers and trucks. These often need a lot of "engineering"

Also worth searching for some of the large RC cars with the 1/4 scale conley V8 engines in them.

J

PS John Haining did a Scatter mill

[GeorgineerParticipant @georgineer]

Posted by mechman48 on 07/03/2017 08:01:28:

It's a megger!…. grasp the two handles s-s attached to the binding screws of the dynamo, your pal winds the pulley & wallop you get quite a few volts through your proverbials, providing it's way less than 30 milli amps .Got caught with that one when serving my apprenticeship.

Well spotted. In fact the author noted:

"By connecting two brass handles to the binding-screws by wires, you will get a powerful shock if you hold them while some one turns the wheel connected with the pulley; in fact, the shock is too powerful, and the person turning the wheel must be prepared to stop when the victim has had enough."

However, he does go on to describe how it will power two 6-volt, 5 candle-power bulbs. Sourcing Victorian light bulbs will be an interesting challenge. Is there a glass-blower in the house?

George

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