Steam Engine Base Pattern

[doubleboost]

Hi
Lads
I have been wanting to make a horizontal steam engine for some time now
As i have a cylinder pattern from my marine engine i decided to make the engine around this
It will be a fairly big affair with no bolts smaller than M6
A simple L shaped pattern is needed for the base
In the past i have used MDF as pattern material
The dust from sanding and machining this horrible material has made me feel poorly on more than one occasion
Rob Wilson donated some Birch ply wood and i had some bits of old Oak shelving (Popper wood)


The basic shape glued together



Car body filler is used to blend curves


All internal corners need a nice smooth fillet ,in the past i used car body filler (easy to apply but hard work to sand off)
I bought some fillet wax (bees wax) this is blended in to the corners with a ball bearing on a stick.
Much easier and faster than body filler.


As you add more detail it starts to look something

The Grey bit will be hollow the rest is solid


A coat of high build primer transforms the pattern
John

[RobWilson]

Can i have my ply back marzipan looks like it did the job


Rob

[doubleboost]

(07-01-2012, 03:13 PM)RobWilson Wrote: Can i have my ply back


Rob

Be wanting your Bronze back next
John

[EdK]

John,

Nice job on the pattern. That's going to be a good sized pour.

Ed

[RobWilson]

(07-01-2012, 03:14 PM)doubleboost Wrote:

(07-01-2012, 03:13 PM)RobWilson Wrote: Can i have my ply back


Rob

Be wanting your Bronze back next
John

Rob

[DaveH]

John,

Well that looks good May be you should have taken up woodwork

Marzipan ....... I thought it was cheese

Dave

[Bill Gruby]

Lookin good. gonna have to give that a go one day.

"Billy G"

[TomG]

Nice looking pattern John.

Are we going to get to see pics of the casting process as well?

Tom

[krv3000]

well dun john

[doubleboost]

This base will need 3.5 litres of metal pluss the risers & runners
My big crucible is not big enough
I cant get a bigger one in the furnace
Time for a furnace extension & a even bigger crucible

A couple of bands were formed (bent around a oxy bottle)
These were tack welded to the bench and filled with castable refractory

This gave the furnace 4 inches of extra depth




Now for a bigger crucible
This is exactly the same as the last one only taller


Easy method of work holding a couple of tack welds & a big nut


Machined to size and prepped for welding



I can now melt 5 liters easily
John