Calling all machinists

Who has a machine shop (and time and skill) to help me with a project? I've got $5,000 I can pay someone to start.

The long-winded description is below, email me if you are interested. kyleborghini@gmail.com



Pressure vessel (13 lbs steam storage).
Comprises:
7" OD / 4" ID stainless steel pipe, capped/plugged at both ends. Length about 2 feet. Not much machining required but its freakin heavy.


4 cubic inch Engine.
Comprises:
Predator 212 bottom end and cylinder (used as crosshead). Crank stroke is 2.16".
Cast iron (machined) steam cylinder, 3.5" OD iron bar stock, having a 1.1" or 1.5" dia piston (depending if double-acting or single uniflow, tbd).
Mounster cylinder head(s) - Tom Kimmel has the castings.
The heads, steam cylinder, valve(s), etc will be machined to Mounster blueprints.


Engine will be 4 cid and use 13 lbs/hr (steam conditions are 2500psi/995F).

I'll supply all materials, you do the machining.

This will be built as a one-shot device for some quick testing and nothing more.
I won't be condensing the steam or doing anything to make the engine useable in, eg., a car.
It will have a fixed cutoff (about 4%) and just one cam profile.

I have investors standing by with contracts If I can get the engine to produce 6 HP or more.

Who wants to help?



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 01/23/2019 10:08AM by kyleborg.

The best place to start with custom CAD 3D model and assy drawings. Where your going to run into problems is that the the machinist will like to make a large batch say one hundred of each piece.

At least if you have drawings, you can shop around.

I have the Mounster blueprints (from the SACA archives) for the steam cylinder/head. There isn't much to do other than those things. And, I'd much rather have an experienced steam club person do the machining, rather than some super high tech machine shop that doesn't know the first thing about steam.

Ok I will try to post again...

The final say is fit and function. this falls with the operator and designer. I have ALOT of parts but I just take the part and do final machining. I have "blanks" that require final machining and is done "in house".

Thanks for the info Jeremy. But I don't quite understand the meaning of it. Perhaps you mean any old shop can machine something, but making it all work really falls to 1). the designer and 2). the operator. ??? I guess I would be considered the designer and operator. So I just need to find a competent machinist.

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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/30/2020 06:13AM by IronChief.

Hi Kyleborg,

Quote
Kyle
all work really falls to 1). the designer and 2). the operator. ??? I guess I would be considered the designer and operator.

this rule comes from any steam code. For example being the operator without understand limits. I have read quite a few boiler operator prep guide. They will discuss things like "boiler trim" .

That considered steam automobiles, do not generally require a certified operator, but it is very good to have intimate knowledge as a whole.

Even so, as per other threads the boiler is a critical part of a complete engine assy. based on engine design the boiler and the engine must be properly matched.

Alot of people use compressed air to dynamically test new engines.

Mono tube heat exchanger is notoriously difficult to control. But it has been done many times.

Running such a system (thermodynamics) is key aswell the the construction.

Feel free to ask more questions

Ron thanks for the reply. I won't be building a boiler, those things are a mystery to me. Most of the work is just the Mounster cylinder head. I'm trying to get a set of castings from Tom K but he's been too busy to mess with me lol

Let's keep in touch

- Kyle B

Jeremy thank you. You can bet I'll have more questions, you guys are much more knowledgeable than me.
I plan on being at the Spring meet in March, I'll bring my questions with me

Cheers

- Kyle B

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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/30/2020 06:12AM by IronChief.

Hey Ron, could you give me an idea whereabouts you are located? I have 4 addresses - in TX, AR, KY and MT.
I'm acquiring raw materials and I think it would be best if I had them shipped to the address of mine that is nearest to you so I have less re-shipping to do.

Cheers,

Kyle B

Hi Kyle,
A gentle correction, the Mini Meet as we call it, this will be the first weekend in May. May 4-5, 2019 at Tom's shop as you have referred to him before. I'm going to the meet and can bring reasonable sized materials to Ron if you would like. I drive by Ron on my way to Western Michigan from upstate NY (Finger Lakes area).

There's another guy, Tony, he might be willing to help also.

Looking forward to meet you and shooting off steam

Kind regards,
Rick

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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/30/2020 06:03AM by IronChief.

Hi Rick, thanks for the info. I intend to be at the Mini Meet. Hopefully I'll get my engine built before then.

- Kyle

IronChief Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Kyle,
>
> I'm in Detroit. Let me know.
>
> -Ron


Hi Ron,

I should have all my raw materials by the end of the month so I'll give you a shout when I'm ready to go.

- Kyle

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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/30/2020 06:02AM by IronChief.

Hi Ron,

I estimate that 80% of the job will be machining the Mounster cylinder head casting to blueprint specs. Tom K has both the heads and the blueprints. The blueprints are paper and the CNC lathe runs off a digital data file. I wouldn't have the first clue how to convert one into the other. Any ideas?

- Kyle



IronChief Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------

> I have CNC mill, CNC lathe, MIG, TIG, Arc welding
> capabilities, torch brazing. silver soldering. 3D
> modeling and surfacing, engraving etc. I'm the
> Swiss army knife of machinists
>

> -Ron

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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/30/2020 06:01AM by IronChief.

Ron
Some printing Co can scan paper drawings into cad format.
I do not know all the particulars involved but I know it’s been done. You may have to scan them into one format and then convert them into another.
Rolly

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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/30/2020 06:00AM by IronChief.

This is why I use Solidworks, I had some parts made a year or two back, I just sent them the files and they made the parts. Im not sure who mentioned another cad program that was cheaper.

It took me years to catch up to the learning curve.

Kyleborg if you have the drawings you will need to copy and draw them.

Does that sound right

Quote

Quote: "The blueprints are paper and the CNC lathe runs off a digital data file. I wouldn't have the first clue how to convert one into the other. Any ideas?"

Not sure what you mean exactly. There are prints and G-code (digital data?) for the same parts? I really only need the drawings of the parts - and the castings of course.

Hi Ron,

I meant that I have paper blueprints and the CNC machine requires G-code, so I was confused.

Your answer cleared everything up completely.

Would you care to communicate by email? If you email me at kyleborghini@gmail.com I can send you the (PDF) blueprints I have and you'll be able to see what's ahead.

Regards,

Kyle B

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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/30/2020 05:59AM by IronChief.