Thread: My first steam engine!

**balsaman** · 09-06-2004, 10:57 PM

ya, you need a 4 jaw.... That's how I did my half sized cylinders. I also rounded my cylinders with just a flat on one side.

You can just bore the center, just less meat for the screw.

Eric

**Swede** · 10-30-2004, 04:24 PM

GDL, any more progress? I'm assuming that you are lathe-only, hence the need for a 4-jaw to bore the off-center cylinders, otherwise a mill would make short work of it with a boring head.

A drill press *might* work if you can accept a reamed bore. Reaming should work OK for a steamer, especially if you use a spiral-fluted reamer.

I think you've already found that even a small V. mill, like a mini-mill or Sherline, would come in really handy for many aspects of this project! Some of the older British M.E.'s did miraculous work lathe-only, and some of the early books from the 40's and 50's tell us how they did it. Your engine looks great!

:cheers:

**gdl357** · 11-01-2004, 05:46 AM

No progress yet. I did receive my 4 jaw chuck and my dial indicator and holder and by boring bar but have been waiting 3 weeks for the backordered inserts. Should be getting them the first week of November.

The chuck is nice.

I will be doing another steam engine after I complete this one. The Double Wobbler engine is a very crude design. Great for begining and getting to know your equipment but it is to plane for my personality. Working on my steam engine and I.C engine web site for this.

thx

**gdl357** · 11-13-2004, 07:59 PM

Finally finished

- Purchased a 4" 4-Jaw Chuck
- Purchased a 7/8" Drill bit
- Purchased a 29/32 Chucking Reamer - al liitle larger than the 7/8" drill bit
- Purchase a 3/4" Drill chuck
- Had to cut the Reamer form 10" to 8 " so it would fit om my 14" lathe

finally Completed my cylinders. The engine is complete. I will be putting a video on my forurmrant.com steam engine and I.C site and also some pics and plans on how to make a Boiler.

gdl357