Driving steam engine.

[Bob Conover]

 

I have just built a Stuart beam steam engine. I have a Stuart HB4 boiler that I would like to connect to the engine. How do I do this?

Bob Conover.     

[Bob Cleek]

Copper tubing is the usual material for model steam engine piping. Stuart boilers are sold with all required boiler attachments, but apparently without connecting piping (steam supply line, etc.) It is important, however, to make sure you have the proper connecting fittings, valves, lubricators, drain cocks, safety valves, and other equipment. Stuart sells feed water pumps, both manual and steam-driven separately. They also sell fuel tanks separately. (Some boilers are set up to burn bottled propane gas in standard disposable gas bottles, so no fuel tank is needed. Gas valves, connecting fittings, and lines are required, of course.

 

I've restored model steam engines, but am not intimately familiar with Stuart engines and boilers. Everything you might need for installation of a model steam plant is available from the Stuart catalog, including boiler connection piping. See their catalog at: https://www.stuartmodels.com/

 

You will find a wealth of information on the site http://mainsteam.co.uk/ . They have lots of information, a forum, and a YouTube library, including three step-by-step how-to-do-it videos on setting up the boiler connections for your Stuart beam engine. 

 

See the below videos. (Google is our friend.  )

 

 

 

 

Edited December 6, 2018 by Bob Cleek

[No Idea]

On 12/5/2018 at 6:16 PM, Bob Conover said:

 

I have just built a Stuart beam steam engine. I have a Stuart HB4 boiler that I would like to connect to the engine. How do I do this?

Bob Conover.     

Hi Bob if you just need to simply connect the two units together so that it runs you will need to consider a few things. Firstly lubrication will be needed for the engine so an inline lubricator filled with steam oil will be required.  Without this your engine will suffer serious internal damage.  Secondly you will need a way of controlling the steam pressure that arrives at the engine to control the RPM.  There are quite a few commercially available steam throttles that will do the job nicely.  Lastly the pipework can be copper or brass its entirely up to you but all joints will have to be sliver soldered due to the heat.  If you want to fit it in a boat there are many other considerations such as collecting the waste steam and oil so that it does not polute the water.  Here's a company that I have used many times and there components and advice are great.  They know Stuart boilers and engines inside out.

 

 http://www.clevedonsteam.co.uk/products.html#Firetube

[druxey]

No Idea: you have the right ideas!

[No Idea]

Hi druxey thanks - I really do like steam but it has to be done right otherwise its very dangerous not just to the builder but also people around them.  We have very strict regulations over here and all boilers must be certified.  In fact the regulations have just been updated and now all gas tanks must be tested and certified to 400PSI.  Here's a picture of my current steam build.

[druxey]

Yes, I was aware of pressure testing for all steam driven equipment in the U.K.  Far better safe than sorry. Some of those early photographs of steam engine boilers that exploded are sobering to look at.

 

Your picture above is a lovely and neat piece of engineering, No Idea.