1880's Floating Steam Donkey Pile Driver by Keith Black - 1:120 Scale

[Keith Black]

8 hours ago, Knocklouder said:

Keith if it goes South  it's @Glen McGuireaka SIB  fault . He's upset because I made Dimples look like a brahma bull instead of a Texas longhorn.lol

 I for one want to thank you for all your help and ideas,  all though my Donkeys will look different the enjoyment will be the same.

Again thanks for adding two years to my build lol.

 Can't wait to see it started,  in for the long journey  my friend. 

 Thank you, Bob. Having you hanging about makes my day.

 

 

32 minutes ago, KeithAug said:

Keith, is your steam donkey going to get a name? I think we could all suggest names for you to choose from. My suggestion is "Donkey Oaty".

 Oh how cleaver, Keith. It would be appropriate as I've been known to go tilting every now and then. 

[wefalck]

Oops, Keith, you beat me to that subject ... a floating pile-driver (or a floating derrick) with a donkey-engine or a portable steam-engine (locomobile) has been on my project list for decades. I have collected quite a bit of civil engineering literature from the 1860s to 1890s on that subject.

 

There have been quite a few configurations in use, probably depending on availability: vertical boiler to supply horizontal engines, vertical engines attached to vertical boiler, and the classical portable engine configuration with the steam-engine sitting on top of a horizontal locomotive-type boiler (either on a kind of skid, or with the wheels wedged tight). I think the 1881 date refers only to the design with a skidded engine with vertical boiler and winches in one frame. The principle has been in use at least since the 1860s to power cranes, derricks and pile drivers, both on land and floating.

 

I remember seeing and hearing(!) pile drivers as a little boy in the early 1960s, when they extended the quays for the Scandinavian ferries in Kiel (Germany). They drove sheet-piling though.

 

BTW, 1/120 is an established model railway scale over here in Europe. There werent too many manufacturers in Western Europe, but it was a popular scale in Eastern Germany. After the Wall came down it saw a kind of renaissance due to people hankering after the good(?) old times of GDR. Now there are several manufacturer catering for this scale. Figures are also available at that scale.

 

In HO-scale there would be various white-metal kits for donkey-engines on the market, I think. Dito for portable steam-engines.

 

Perhaps you should get yourself a small lathe to do justice to all the working parts of the engine etc.

 

I will follow that log with interest too 👍🏻 

Edited 23 hours ago by wefalck

[BANYAN]

1 hour ago, KeithAug said:

My suggestion is "Donkey Oaty".

Love it  

[Keith Black]

9 hours ago, wefalck said:

Oops, Keith, you beat me to that subject ... a floating pile-driver (or a floating derrick) with a donkey-engine or a portable steam-engine (locomobile) has been on my project list for decades. I have collected quite a bit of civil engineering literature from the 1860s to 1890s on that subject.

Eberhard, I do hope you carry out your driver project. I'd love following a build log by you on the subject. 

 

9 hours ago, wefalck said:

Perhaps you should get yourself a small lathe to do justice to all the working parts of the engine etc.

I've not enough sand left in the glass to justify buying a lathe now. I'm pretty cagy with a drill and I enjoy the challenge. Thank you for following along.

 

 

After aa page of comments I though it high time to provide POS. Nooo, not that POS, proof of sawdust.

 

 The hull 2.0 is close to having most of its elements attached. I'm not happy with the driver tower base so that'll get remade before making the hammer. The hammer needs to get made before the head log which adds a lot of stability. Once all the driver elements are added it'll be very sturdy.

 

 The hull measures 26 by 56 feet and the tower is 65 feet tall. The figure is to scale. When I worded on the pile driving crew I did not like climbing up to the head log. Heights is not my cuppa. 

  

 

 

 

 Thank you to all for the kind comments, the likes, and for taking the time to follow along.

 

  Keith

[wefalck]

Was the prototype hull actually wood or steel? 

[Keith Black]

11 minutes ago, wefalck said:

Was the prototype hull actually wood or steel?

 Wood. 

[KeithAug]

18 minutes ago, Keith Black said:

I've not enough sand left in the glass to justify buying a lathe now.

Boys are never too old for new toys. And I bet in your head you are still young! Ask Bob his advice.

Edited 13 hours ago by KeithAug