Machining a Steam Piston - Big Steam Engine Build, Part 11!

[@OmnieStar]

~Rolls dice~ ⬆⬆⬆↗➡, Ill keep ⬆⬆⬆. ~Rolls 2~ ⬆⬇, well lets go for it ⬆⬆⬆⬆, ~rolls 1~ ⬆, YEAAAH!! ⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆, YAHTZEE!!!

[@droppedpasta]

In US Navy reactor plants many pumps still use packing glands; you adjust them by number of drips per minute. The steam turbines use gland sealing steam.

[@nocturnhabeo]

Number of drips per minute? As in leaking out of the system? If so that's both practical and hilarious

[@droppedpasta]

@@nocturnhabeo Yes, leaking from the gland. Too little and you’d burn up the packing.

[@christopherwiley5859]

Same story in oil refining -- most things are mechanical seals like our illustrious host mentioned, but for some jobs, nothing beats a steam driven reciprocating pump, packing glands and all!

[@TugboatMatt]

Boats use packing glands. Same thing

[@nocturnhabeo]

@@droppedpasta That a really brilliant solution to the problem. I assume that other types seals are impractical to cool enough not to burn up or too expensive for the return?

[@IstasPumaNevada]

Your channel and This Old Tony are my two favorite machining people to watch. Thanks for your hard work (both machining and recording/editing), chill demeanor, well-spokennessitude, touches of humor, and thorough explanations of reasons for things. Also, Sprocket. :D (Because cats.)

[@joevenator5792]

Absolutely they're both top notch educational and entertaining. TOT has been quiet for a while looking forward to a new video

[@robertschulke1596]

The mark of the true expert is how well they fix their mistakes. Excellent!

[@jdgindustries2734]

Or bury them deep inside where they are made irrelevant 😁

[@robertpearson8798]

Parting can be such sweet sorrow.

[@paulskaar8556]

Part of what you say comes off a bit conflicted.

[@robertpearson8798]

@@paulskaar8556 Blame Shakespeare.

[@piotr5455]

I shall bid thee goodbye 'til it be 'morrow!

[@paulskaar8556]

@@robertpearson8798 Is that the machinist that said "There is Parts to be cut and Works to be done"?? Seems partly right anyway...

[@RonCovell]

Well done, Quinn. I'm starting to think you may be finishing this steam engine in the foreseeable future!

[@GraceSerenityK]

I like how you're using 1800s technology with the packing nut, but also using Teflon for the piston rings lol

[@baynson3189]

Greetings all. Packing glands are what you make them literally. If you understand the principal, you can vary the outcome, ie; leakage or say making up for shaft ware. For those that run or ran reciprocating engines any length of time know you were constantly adjusting glands for ease of run as well as lubrication. As a side note, I ran maintenance on steam hammers the largest of which used 10" piston shafts. These work horses required repacking every day and the majority leaked steam past the inlet valve...lots O fun. Love this channel.

[@stevebark4873]

I’ve worked on many large cross-head style air compressors. When setting piston clearance’s we set the piston closer to the rear head. Calculate total piston clearance then adjust piston to allow 2/3in front head & 1/3 on back head. This allows for expansion of piston rod& at full temperature the clearance should be close to equal at both ends. Love your video’s. I’m a beginner machinist & learn something new with video.

[@witzed1]

Interesting, in woodworking we make the mortise first and fit the tenon to fit. Scary parallel huh?

[@ronmurphy9819]

I’ve learned a lot from you and I think no it’s I know I’ll continue to. I retired from USN where I was basically a fixit man (EN). I made a few friends in the machinest job, where I learned a little. I’ve bought a lathe and mill from Grizzly. With you and your friends on KZbin I hope to become a lot more proficient at it. Thanks for being there! Looking forward to the next. God Bless Ron.

[@hjalar]

The joy of seeing a needle not move

[@smellsofbikes]

That low profile micrometer is wonderful. I have two inherited micrometers that people ground down the top to make them fit into smaller spaces, damaging one beyond repairability. This design should be more common but I'd never seen one before.

[@34tab]

I will -- I will- do one of these - I will -I will - follow your videos again and again- I have two lathes and minimal talent but it is on my bucket list ( I'm 74 ) so best not dally too long . Thanks for what you do.

[@JS-th2ho]

I ran out of room on my Bridgeport clones Z yesterday while drilling, all i could suddenly think was how amazing some of your setups are to make your little mill work :|

[@paulthomas3782]

Beautiful machining of piston to match bore well done.

[@Bob_Jones_]

love this channel..makes it worthwhile getting up on a Saturday

[@Clackvalve2]

Hello Qinn, Internet here..... Another great video of course. You couldn't have made this one at a better time, I am just about to construct the parts for the cylinder and piston. We love your work here. Thanks for your help. Best Regards, Ian

[@jameshodgson1609]

Just watching this at uk Steam rally ( Langport -Somerset) just as dusk falls looking at a single crank compound Burrell that has taken us around a few local pubs in Somerset uk. I’m sure Charles Burrell was aware of the importance of the correct piston fit !

[@mw8246]

That was by far the best turkey baster appearance; in focus, great sound, job done.

[@huddleberryfin]

Don’t forget boats! Prop shafts use flax seed packing, although there is some more modern “drip less” packings.

[@crabmansteve6844]

As a guy with long hair, I've used binder clips the same way! Had my ponytail holder break while I was working so I scrounged it up. I've also used O-rings.

[@patton446]

We still use gland packing nuts in shipping. We use them on most standard centrifugal pumps, include the boiler feed pumps. Turns out, sealing a moving surface is a pain so we use what works. At least it isn't asbestos anymore...

[@ron827]

Not only is the machining valuable information but I also found the reason for the Industrial Revolution to be very educational. :-)

[@brewster3987]

Loving this whole series and the inside peeks at the warts and whoopsies. I do think, however, that "Doing engine-y things" deserved a place in the cold open...😁

[@MrCrankyface]

It's honestly so satisfying watching the chips you're getting. A whole nother dimension from the birds nests I'm always dealing with. 😄 Love this whole steam build series, really tempting to give something like that a try sometime.

[@Jtretta]

The US navy still uses graphite yarn packing for some pumps and most valves. It works well and is not as finicky as mechanical seals. Turbines and larger steam valves tend to use gland sealing steam and an exhaust system. The exhaust is drawn to a condenser via a steam eductor, typically the same condensor assembly that handles the main condenser air ejector exhaust.

[@alex4alexn]

super pumped for the next vid in the series!

[@bbrockert]

Gland packing is also still used on some inboard boat propeller shaft seals. I'm not sure why, I'd expect modern seals to work better, but maybe it's that you can tighten it down as it wears without having to take it apart. If you ever have cause to take apart a cryogenic ball valve you'll be amazed at how straightforward it is inside, the stem seal is typically just a PTFE bushing that is compressed with a nut. It's incredibly low tech aside from the existence of fluorinated polymers.

[@petergrowse4152]

Love your work and your honesty, we all make mistakes, I have a bucket full of things that haven't worked, but I'm not telling anyone.It's about time you threw that dial indicator away, and make a saddle stop and use the top slide to determine the depth, it would make an interesting video

[@32thedoctor]

Regarding parting. I find that (on my lathe, tool post, etc.) parting some materials over about 1.5" in diameter tends to cause the parting blade to walk around slightly upon first contact with the part. I assume parting blade extension (and blade width) is the culprit here. My go-to technique is to make contact, cut to a depth of 10 - 20 thou and then back off. Then adjust the horizontal position of the blade as necessary to insure it's perfectly aligned with the initial cut. Then re-engage. This pretty much insures the blade won't skew as the cut progresses. Perhaps your setup was perfect, but your blade just went for a walk. Parting blades are a little like cats (mind of their own). Great video, BTW!

[@yowie0889]

Regarding the short cylinder casting, another way to compensate for undersize parts is to drive a big red sports car...

[@EmyrDerfel]

I hear large black pickup trucks with raised suspension are a popular alternative.

[@kmet2000]

10:30 - if you have a precise hole like that - put the gauge pin in tailstock chuck and hang the part on it. Push the assembly in the lathe chuck and than you can just bump in the jaws to touch the workpeace. 16 minutes since publishef and my like was 97-th. Great job again 👍 Now to see the rest of the video 😁

[@firebird8600]

Yay!! It's Blondihacks time!!

[@BadgerBishop]

That gland packing technique is used for PTO driven water pumps in water trucks, ai've had to dig the failed seals out and put in new ones.

[@jeremylastname873]

Love a good rogue shop cat. 😼

[@andrewjames7616]

Thankyou 👍

[@JoshuaNicoll]

I have one of those Starrett Mul-T-anvil micrometers, they're an absolute joy to use, beautifully made too, I love mine.

[@wayupnort6271]

12L14 is beautiful material to work with! Nice job Quinn!

[@tarehjernetarehjerne4082]

8:30 if only there was a way to get different size 60 degree V pulleys! Great video again Quinn

[@earlledoux9824]

Sweety you ROCK !!! I love the precision of your work. Your are very impressive. 👍

[@randallcleaver6990]

It really makes my day when you drop a new video.

[@ChrisHiblerPinball]

Congrats. That was a big step toward successful completion. Well done.

[@BarntecCNC]

Nice Building thanks for showing

[@johanback5659]

Another delightfull Saturday video. Cheers

[@jdgindustries2734]

I do t know why, but that piston really draws me in. Well crafted!

[@henrikstenlund5385]

From my own experience I know that using a small machine pours more challneges to machining. It requires more accuracy and care to succeed with both small and big parts. Your job is many times at the edge of capability of your machines. Thanks for this one and don't feel bad if everything does not always succeed like for those guys owning really big machines.

[@terrytopliss9506]

Lovely job Quinn.👍👍

[@rpavlik1]

I really enjoy these large scale projects where you still manage to make interesting progress every video. Thanks for sharing!

[@jamesbrussels5776]

Looks good

[@arkadybron1994]

Nearly all boats with an inboard engine, until very recently, sealed the prop shaft with something called a stuffing box. Same principal.

[@paulmorrey733]

Thanks Quinn

[@WatchmakerErik]

Yay! I love this channel. I'm glad to see more of the big steam engine. I am going to look into a micrometer like that for my own shop 😁 Great content as always.

[@manythingslefttobuild]

The engine is looking great Quinn!

[@Alex_whatever]

I can't wait to see when you update your intro to show your new chuck key instead of the old one!

[@mauserkk98]

Very impressive as always .

[@reddnmilla]

Skills on display. Thanks for sharing Quinn 👍

[@dass1333]

Another well done Quinn! Just enough explanation to convey what you want with out ......

[@Thats_Mr_Random_Person_to_you]

Hope the move is going well!!!!

[@1958johndeere620]

Boats still use a packing type seal on many inboard shafts. Called a stuffing box.

[@AmateurRedneckWorkshop]

Looking good in fact looking more like a steam engine. Great job done as usual. Keep on keeping on.

[@howder1951]

Great work and very nice filming (?) Quinn. The beast that is that motor is shaping up nicely, very nice fitting jobs. Anyhow, cheers and keep well!

[@adelheidsnel5171]

Not too rogue, very well done!

[@JDubbsadventure]

The factory I work at we still use graphite yarn and seal water to seal pump shafts… give it most of the equipment is from 1888-1980s

[@frrapp2366]

i have a 9n ford tractor wiht a backhoe on it that has gland packing on all the hydraulic cylinders

[@FreezeS]

The official term for what a steam engine does is: "it chooches".

[@johnmolnar2957]

Another great one, thanks for sharing your work !

[@piotr5455]

Remember to stagger the joins on the packing! {well you need to in my boat's stuffing box.)

[@ErnieNoa3]

Nice work!

[@Jagdtyger2A]

I always enjoy watching your videos. Do you have one involving a triple expansion steam engine design? I have always dreamed about a scale inverted V triple expansion design, having worked out such a full scale design for a mid-19th Century ship engine for an armchair war gaming project

[@braddobson2060]

Very good video you must be exhausted by the time you are done recoding the voice over Thanks

[@rickmellor]

My sailboat has gland packing on the prop shaft.

[@hefy2jefy]

I wonder if it would be better to arrange that the piston sits at such a position in the cylinder that the volume above the piston at TDC is equal to the volume below the piston at BDC, thus allowing for the volume displaced by the piston rod at BDC?

[@allenhunt3070]

Very nice video!

[@steveskouson9620]

Quinn, I've worked on gas engines that have basically graphited yarn as rear main oil seals. (Except, these were split seals.) steve

[@kimber1958]

Nice work

[@basvalkema4532]

Could the rings in the piston also be a bit off now? Or was the toolpost unsquared during installation of parting blade?

[@yalmaboxer6878]

Круто. Спасибо

[@aaronpaul5990]

fail gracefully= boiler explosion ;) but ok thats one specific failure that has nothing to do with the piston and the cylinder ^^

[@experienceoutdoors6279]

Boats stern glands are still packed and the majority of steam used in food industry still use packing in the valves

[@foxwood67]

The only problem I have with these videos is they end way to soon . 👍

[@clementfortin4315]

Very nice. Good videos. What are the grooves on the piston for? And isn't the piston and cylinder going to get hot and damaged by friction, how does it work? Thanks

[@Rustinox]

Of course it works. And if it doesn't, you will make it work :)

[@joshclark44]

Not to downplay the precision ground and machined metal parts, but this made me curious about uf you could make a functional steam engine out of plastic, like if you 3d printed one. I would assume that a lot of the very precise components like the piston head would require a much finer resolution than the smallest layer thickness of a filament printer, but could you machine plastic to the right size without having things bind and crack? I'm also not sure what plastics you should use. I really only know of the major recyclable kinds and delrin. I'm not a machinist and I'm not looking to try this myself, but I was wondering if it would be at all possible

[@bo0tzz]

That sounds somewhat feasible to me, although I would never expect it to work particularly well.

[@robertschulke1596]

Define “steam”, and “plastic”. As long as the working medium and temperature are compatible with the materials, it can work. Look up “organic Rankine cycle”.

[@MrRedstoner]

I've seen it done with compressed air, but the main trick is to finish the important surfaces e.g. by sanding, as that can make them flat and accurate, without needing excessive print quality (and thus print time)

[@knickebien1966]

3:14 .50 BMG

[@jpiccari]

How similar is gland packing to the rope crank seals? Seems related but the rope crank seals definitely don’t see much pressure (actually a bit of vacuum due to PCV valves).

[@jpiccari]

Actually on second thought possibly more related than I thought? Even though it’s not much pressure, water is much more viscous than air. And those were used at least into the ‘70s.

[@gringoanon4550]

That looks like it could be a useful steam engine, not a toy.

[@NicholasMarshall]

Can't wait for the inevitable fight between rogues. Who will win Cat Hair or Chips?

[@squelchstuff]

When you aligned the piston, you said it needs to be centred on its range of travel. Have the differences in volume between the top and bottom strokes of the double acting cylinder been accounted for in those calculations? ie the volume of the connecting rod. [Edit] I phrased that poorly. What I meant to say, was that given the compromise you made to the length of the piston, the displacements will be unequal if the bottom pocket dimensions are to the drawing. Slightly off centre on the piston stroke could compensate for the difference in displacement. Great work once again Quinn. This engine is shaping up to be a good'un.

[@Vagolololo]

You make my saturdays

[@JasperJanssen]

Given that it’s brass, I’d expect the piston rod to be polished smooth by the packing gland over time.

[@Tammy-un3ql]

👌✔👍

[@bernieshort6311]

Hi Quinn, that had to be a satisfying milestone, seeing the whole Assembly Piston through piston rod, crosshead, connecting rod and main end bearings with the whole unit operating as it should. I do have a question please, will the piston rod be pinned to the crosshead or secured with lock nut? It’s really starting to look like a steam engine now, its sweet, nice one Quinn. Valve gear next - maybe, I can't wait to see whats next.

[@AndreasWB69]

Hallo, wie heißt das Teil bei 1:18 1:23 um den Innendurchmesser zu nehmen und dann mit dem Mikrometer zu messen . Hello, what is the name of the part at 1:18 to take the inside diameter and then measure it with the micrometer.

[@richardmorton1310]

Blondie, My memory informs you once were more of a fan of hss over carbide lathe tools. Over time it seems to me you're using more carbide. Is that right? Would you list your favorite carbide holder and inserts? Yes, hss for form tools still rocks.

[@paulskaar8556]

HSS wins for versatility until you have a grinder for carbide. Case in point is the ad hoc scraper insert from the recent Keyway episode.

[@charlesballiet7074]

honestly I would have substuted that brass rod for a piece from the stock bin. you've done such an amazing job why compromise now?

[@utidjian]

I forget if I asked this before but are there any hints on what the boiler will be like for that engine?

[@philipbrutz2175]

I love machining 12L14 but I find that corrosion is a big problem on the freshly machined surfaces. Is this going to be a long term issue for the piston? Would electroless nickel plating the piston help?

[@32thedoctor]

I have had the same issue with 12L14 which I think is exacerbated by my location on the Atlantic coast. I have found 1215 to be an excellent substitute (which is carried by Speedy Metals and McMaster-Carr as well). It doesn't machine quite as easily as 12L14 but it comes pretty close. However, I don't know if the lead content in 12L14 is a factor in its selection for the piston in this project. (Lubrication properties perhaps?) dunno. Perhaps Quinn would have some input on this.

[@philipbrutz2175]

@@32thedoctor Also the use of a brass rod in direct contact with the 12L14 could cause galvanic corrosion.

[@TandaMadison]

Like walking in the rain and the snow When there's nowhere to go And you're feelin' like a part of you is dying And you're looking for the answer in her eyes It 's 10cc Sprocket, 10cc, and we'll be there soon. I know, I know, but it's better than flying. Just keep singing.

[@thomasesr]

0:25 the word you're looking for is Chooching