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[kno3]

Hello,

I have recently acquired this marine steam plant with an oscillating twin engine and a horizontal boiler with vertical fire tubes and superheater.:





Although it says Stuart on the manometer, I think it is not an industrial product. Probably made by someone after a commercially available plan, as I have seen similar ones on the Internet. Could somebody please tell me what it is?

[Circlip]

Looks like the Basil Hartley design for "Miranda", The "Magically Men will give the Myhobbystore ref No's.

   Regards  Ian.

[kno3]

Yes, the Miranda it is! I've been able to find the plan online:
http://www.myhobbystore.com/1934/Colyer-Miranda-Steam-Engine.html

Thanks for the hint!

[SteamboatPhil]

It looks like a very well made boiler, and the pressure gauge was purchased from Stuarts, however you never need to get any where near the 100psi. (more like 20psi)
Still its always good to have a big gauge 

[kno3]

I've been running it last night on 25 PSI (about 1,7 bar) and it worked.

I have polished the cylinder faces as they were a bit scratched and now it seals very well. I still have to take the cylinders apart as I suspect the piston seals to be worn (there is some steam blow-through).

And I have also turned it into an overhead-crankshaft oscillating engine as I am planning to use it in an aviso with paddle-wheels originally built in the 1860'ies.

[gondolier88]

Great idea using it as a paddle ship engine. Look forward to seeing it finished.

Greg

[SteamboatPhil]

Very nice, clever idea 

[Bee]

Model Boats July 1983 and 3 futher issues if you want to see the original articles.

[kno3]

Thanks guys!

[kno3]

Hi all,

here the next step in converting this oscillator in a paddle-wheeler engine. I've disassembled it completely for refurbishment, doing the following (sorry, forgot to take pictures of all stages):
1. Cleaning old paint from cylinders, then blackening them chemically.







2. Changing old worn piston rings with Teflon.
(no pictures)

3. Painting the crankshaft bearings and base.





4. Cutting 7 BA hex head screws to size, to replace all slotted head screws previously used for the cylinders and crankshaft. I had to keep the fine slotted screws for the piston rod connection to the crankshaft, as the were countersunk, so no way of putting hex head there. Adding some feet (4 BA screws) to clear the bottom of the cylinders.









And a VERY short video of the engine running on air:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TqUhyPwO-9Y

[Bunkerbarge]

Could you please tell us what chemical blackening you used on the cylinders?

[kno3]

Hi, bought it from Regner in Germany. http://www.regner-dampftechnik.de/
It's in their catalogue on page 65 bottom-right.