OLD STEAM POWERED MACHINE SHOP 40 Oversize piston #2

Video #40 in a series showing how a small steam powered job machine shop would have operated in 1925 with line shaft and flat belt power system. Work is continuing on the restoration of an early 1900 Morris Machine Works steam engine built in Baldwinsville, NY. All discussion, questions and comments about steam power and vintage shop work are always welcome here. For more detail on the shop you might want to check my earlier videos and follow my G+ page fro shop news. Thanks for watching.

[@joshsellner7213]

Fascinating stuff, Dave! As I've stated before, I'm only 30, but these old methods are very interesting. Back in the late 19th and early 20th centuries we had a large, nationally known flour mill here in my hometown. I was able to find some information on the engine online in an old issue of "The International Steam Engineer" published in January, 1919. I quote parts of the article below: "Editor, Engineers' Journal "Dear Sir: Permit me a little space to further explain some of the happenings of our state of Minnesota. We have just returned from a trip to the southern part of the state on a tour, taking in a great many of the large flour mills of the state. These are located at different parts of the state where there is really no organization known. In speaking to these engineers most of them are very anxious to organize. "We encountered one mill at Sleepy Eye, Minn., where I think is located possibly the largest steam engine pulling a flour mill in this state. The boiler plant of this mill contains four (seventy-two-inch by eighteen feet) Horizontal Tubular boilers and one eleven and one-half feet by eighteen feet Scotch Marine. All are equipped with Jones under-feed stokers and economizers. The main engine is a cross-compound of the Corliss type, with a forty-eight-inch stroke. The diameter of the high pressure cylinder is twenty-eight inches. The diameter of the low pressure cylinder is fifty-four inches. The flywheel is twenty feet in diameter. This engine has developed, according to her indicator cards, 1,950 horsepower, grinding five thousand barrels of flour in twenty-four hours. The belt that pulls the main load of this engine is seventy-six inches wide. Most of the machinery is motor driven [in 1919; the engine did most, if not all, of the work when the mill was built in 1902] , getting its power from the two hundred kilowatt generator. Beside the main engine there is an auxiliary plant of one hundred horsepower, directly connected to a seventy-five kilowatt generator...There is equipped in this engine room an electric travelling crane. They have an open type of condenser and cooling system forty by eighty feet, using a spray system for cooling. The stack is about one hundred sixty-five feet high, twenty feet square at the base, and ten feet inside diameter... "Trusting that I have not taken up too much of your valuable space, I beg to remain, "NOM DE PLUME, VIC." A history of the City of Sleepy Eye was written by a longtime resident in 1972, and she included more information about the mill engine given to her by a former mill employee: "The flywheel on this engine was 24 feet in diameter [so the writer stated. The writer of the above article stated it was 20 feet] and it had a face six feet wide. The main [crank]shaft to which this flywheel was bolted was 24 inches thick. An endless belt 150 feet long, made of four-ply leather half an inch thick extended from the engine to the pulley on the main driveshaft of the mill. This pulley, too, was six feet wide at the face and eight feet in diameter. The main driveshaft measured six inches in diameter." Apparently, at one time the mill company offered to furnish electric light to the city from their big generator, but the city fathers rejected the offer. This flour mill closed in 1921. The owners had made some unwise investments and business conditions were bad. While the mill building, engine house, and the stack are still standing, the engines were unfortunately scrapped out in the 1930s or 40s. Part of the building was used as an egg drying plant later on. It's currently owned by an antique farm machinery dealer and used for storage.

[@davidrichards5594]

NOW THAT'S WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HERE..........Thanks Josh.............Dave

[@joshsellner7213]

I should add that Sleepy Eye had a population of about 2,400 in 1919.

[@georgeswindolljr.4618]

I used to work at a cane sugar refinery just outside of New Orleans, La. The refinery construction began in 1896 was completed in 1900, the first official product came out the following year in 1901. As of year 2000 there were still some remnants of the line shafts in some building s, along with the wooden patterns for gears, pulleys and such in what used to be a millwright shop!!! This facility was entirely self sufficient, treating it's own potable water, waste water, steam provided all power for work including boiling of sugar, line shafts and later on electricity! This facility was privately owned by the American sugar refining company,under the label Domino sugar, and is still operating today!!!!!

[@Paulman50]

What a shame that thing was scrapped. To day it would be a major tourist attraction.

[@davidrichards5594]

Great account George, thanks for the comment....Dave

[@tubeu28]

I really appreciate the way you are always doing something to improve your equipment. Very impressive, and with the steady had hand of a surgeon after drinking coffee!!!

[@johnbarham7718]

The shots of the workshop , belts and pulleys are Motion Poetry. The sounds of the belts and joints seem therapeutic. I also admire the work you do with the tools and machines.

[@davidrichards5594]

Thanks John, glad you are along with this channel...Dave

[@warrenjones744]

This is the best channel on You Tube if you ask me. Dave's demeanor, presentation of his work and the work itself all adds up to a great way to spend a half hour or so avoiding my work! Another well done and interesting job Dave. We will most likely never cross paths in life, but if we do....I know I would enjoy a few hours talking shop with you.

[@davidrichards5594]

Thanks Warren, you just never know....Dave

[@roleic7246]

Thanks Dave for this interesting video. It reminded me again of the stories my grandpa told me that were happening right around the time your shop is set to. He was born 1899 and was in his apprenticeship as a metal worker about 1916 to 1919. (And we enjoyed his company until 1990.) One of his stories was about the foundrymen working in the same factory. They were doing large castings like engine blocks for ship diesel engines. About 10 years before they had switched from steam engines to diesel engines and they had employed the inventor Rudolf Diesel for a few years to advise them during that initial phase of taking up diesel engine production. For such huge castings they did not use cope and drag as known for smaller parts. They used a huge pit in the foundry floor for which they used long ladders to climb down. The molds were done with sand but in sections that were assembled by delicate precision crane work next and on top of each other. At that time petrobond sand was not known yet. And green sand could not be used because they worked for weeks on one of these large molds and the green sand would dry out and crumble. So they kept word in the streets that they would pay some money if school boys would bring in horse dung from the streets (at that time horses were still common place in the streets). So school boys did just that to get a little pocket money. The founders then mixed the horse dung into the sand for two reasons: 1. Even if the dung dried out it still kept the sand together so it would not crumble and fall down from overhangs. 2. The horses were mainly fed whole not threshed grain still wrapped in the two hard leaves which would be removed by threshing for human consumption. These tiny but hard leaves ended up in the horse dung and with it in the molding sand. During casting the hot liquid iron would burn those leaves instantly leaving tiny cavities in the mold allowing the gases to more easily escape and avoid voids. The old boys were not stupid... Therefore they were a proud folk. When the sand was reused it accumulated graphite from the cast iron. So in the evening the foundrymen climbed out of the mold (literally) with their exposed body parts black as coal. They did not want to go in the street like that so the companies provided showers for them. So they cleaned up and changed to a clean set of clothing for their way home. But not just any clean clothing: The proud bunch put on tuxedos and cylinder hats which were not uncommon in the streets of those times but were worn by business men, bankers and the like (and foundrymen :-) )

[@davidrichards5594]

That is amazing, and how in the world did they figure that out? Great story Rol, I think everyone here appreciates it....Dave

[@wollaminfaetter]

I know very little about machining, but really enjoy watching this kind of thing... people who loves and care about their work :) Very therapeutic!

[@dannyl2598]

Very nice, great job. I love the steam powered shop. I was surprised by the sound, so quiet, like music or a cradle rocking. It must be a joy to work in that shop. Thanks.

[@robevans8555]

What a great set up, something magical about steam power

[@chuckthebull]

You would think a steam driven shop would be a lot louder, I'm impressed how it has this wonderful rhythm and you can almost still here the clock ticking even when the camera is behind you and the engine. A testament to your engineering skill, thanks again for a wonderful video.

[@davidrichards5594]

I need to take some time to tighten belts and adjust a few things, the belt joints make noise going through the shifter forks.....Dave

[@willybee3056]

Chuck Itall Throughout the years, steam engines have been referred to as ( alive ). The term ( live steam ) is still used. There is something about governor controlled steam engine that gives the impression of a thinking being that responds to the work that needs to be done. Almost poetic? If money were no object, I would have a steam shop....

[@chuckthebull]

David Richards I thought all that clang was music HA! Yeah I did kinda notice that when you shifted but I would not know if its supposed to be that way... Yeah as with anything you love you are always looking for tweaking things just so...it's satisfying to get things right.. You should be very proud of what you have accomplished here and that so many people love your shop. And your a pretty good cinematographer as well.. And I like hearing that song come on in the intro after you start the injectors..

[@chuckthebull]

Willy Bee ,,yeah Wil..I have heard that before about them being alive. They breath and huff and chug. Something so life like about them..maybe we build some soul into them when we lovingly machine things, I so want to build a steam engine shop too..ah time and money... Cheers.

[@georgeswindolljr.4618]

The rythm of your shop is music to my ears, reminds me of the automatic packaging machines I used to operate!!!!!

[@lesthompson5907]

good to see the ues you put hat lantern-post to work & do so much with it & correctly to not seen so much today . .

[@tinkmarshino]

I am to old and not enough space to do these things any more.. But I still love to watch others working and remember the fun and frustration of days gone by... thanks I must go an watch more...

[@KohalaIronWorksCase]

I seriously love your work...your shop is awe inspiring. I have never had to opportunity to work in a shop like yours. I have...however worked with WWII era machines when I was in prison. I believe machining helped to turn me around from the BS of my past & help to de-institutionalize me.

[@davidrichards5594]

Good for you man, I think there is something satisfying and worthy about doing good manual machine work, different from other trades...might just be me....Dave

[@captainhgreen]

As always I enjoy your projects and watching as you machinie the old way with old machinery. What a fun shop!!!! Thanks David.

[@paulduffey7975]

A Williams boring bar. I've had a hand full of Williams wrenches. They were quality tools. I guess that's why they grew legs. Thank you very much.

[@valley2118]

Managed to get a haircut during this too 😉 old guys rock 👍👍

[@N4JAB]

This was a great project and video edit. You showcased most of your belt driven machinery.

[@rallymax2]

This may be your best video yet! Love the ambient footage while boring and the shaper setup and usage was very captivating.

[@normanfeinberg9968]

I liked the video.I'm going to watch it again to make sure I completely understand all the techniques.Something about those old engines...........

[@davidrichards5594]

Good to hear from you again Norm....Dave

[@gerilarryogle970]

Thanks, Dave. Including the line shafts during the boring and truing on the lathe gave me a very good feeling for working a line steam powered machine shop. This was my favorite machining video, yet. l have enjoyed all of the previous videos of the boiler, the steam engines, different machines and how they work and views of the line shafts. But, this one really gave me the sense of your working in the shop and how all of the pieces run together. Thanks, Larry.

[@davidrichards5594]

Thanks, I'll try to get the camera back more often....Dave

[@agusnit1952]

I like a lot your post Because I learn for my small working shop Congratulations for your amazing work Thanks for sharing

[@davidrichards5594]

Hi Agustin, Learning from each other is what youtube is about, thanks for watching.....Dave

[@Abom79]

Enjoyed Richard, thanks for sharing your shop this week.

[@dananelson3534]

Thanks for sharing Dave, I like tapered pins. Glad you got the clapper box fixed.

Love to see those machines running. Thank you for sharing sir!

[@c00lamah]

I just love what you do.

[@PatrickPoet]

Took a machine shop class at the local community college last semester. Now when I watch I have a feel for what I'm seeing instead of just a vision;)

[@bcbloc02]

Need to get that modern nut replaced on the Richards it looks funny. :-)

[@glennmoreland6457]

Hi Again from England... Another nice installment Mr. Richards... Thanks.

[@mectechman1]

Beautiful work Dave. I'm sitting here grinning with a big cup o' joe having quality time and dreaming of how things used to be and real stuff were made by professional people full of skill and know-how. Thank you Dave, for sharing all this with us. All the best to you!

[@lewiemcneely9143]

I just sit here and grin almost all the way through every video. I remember the inside of the old machine shop in town with all the shafts and pulleys and belts flapping. I'd also stand and watch the linotype machine the paper had. Old stuff just gives me a charge that the new stuff won't touch. Thanks again, Dave! Wonderful job!

[@davewilson1591]

That old Richards Iron Works is a real work horse. It's doing you a good job and the Morris is coming along nicely. Really enjoy your videos. Dave

[@davidrichards5594]

Thanks for watching Dave, I appreciate your interest....Dave

[@cliffordfender1159]

I wanna work in your shop !!! Smile, Smile.

[@sidecar147]

i can hear the wall clock tick tocking,,,,,,,awesome

[@zmxl1020]

Fabulous work on the keyway !

[@pilgrimm23]

thank you Dave. You mande me want to go out to my shop and BUILD something!

[@charlescompton4495]

Waitin' for steam...patiently so keep up the good work Dave. It'll be good to see the old Morris in operation; thanks for all the good videos and instruction, Greg.

[@MalcOfLincoln]

Always a great pleasure Dave, not only seeing your shop, but your skill as a machinist. I'm sure those parts are more accurate than they ever were, even when new.

[@davidrichards5594]

Thanks Malc, glad you are watching...Dave

[@byrnejr]

Nice to see you Dave! Enjoyed the video thanks for sharing

[@jonka1]

@45:03 love to see you tap the main pin back like that. To me that shows real empathy and engagement with the situation.

[@douglaslodge8580]

Glad to see your still working the steam.

[@g41thomas]

Wonderful shop great engineer 😀

[@raincoast2396]

For those youngun's that don't know that last photo of the desk, shows an honest to goodness "telephone". The kind where you used to talk to an "operator" to connect you to the person you wanted to talk to. I remember our old phone number, "Granite 43" or GR43.

[@chuckthebull]

Rain Coast I still have one of those too, I'm going to hook it into the line at some point..kinda cool that the system is still backward compatible to ring a phone like that. To think we send the data for this video over something that was only designed to be two wires for just voice. Human ingenuity in all its formes represented here.

[@willybee3056]

Rain Coast 506 R

[@pilgrimm23]

I have a rotary phone. I ONLY have a landline I do not own a cell phone. Luddite? perhaps, but I am a retired IT professional with a background in security. What does that tell you?

[@willybee3056]

Grey Pilgrim Is a person , paranoid, if they KNOW the there IS a monster under the bed??? I was in a cell phone store , and the guy on the other side of the counter noticed the tape on the camera lense. He laughed and asked , why. And I said , security. What do you mean , he asked. And I told him that there are programs that can take pictures with out asking or notifying. And he said, but they would never do that.. I left the store, to never go back. And I thought, so a company gives money to a software engineer to write a program that they will never use.... WHO IS DELUSIONAL?

[@pilgrimm23]

Scatman Caruthers once said: "Don't look back! Somethin might be GAININ on ya!" or: Just because you are paranoid doesn't mean someone isn't following you.

[@auburnfolsom]

Thanks for another Great video Dave !! You have Great talent too ! I enjoyed watching you practicing your craft as always. I love watching the old machines do their work & your panning away & strolling around the shop / outside during the lathe work. A special video as mentioned by one of the other commentor's. It will be interesting seeing you make the piston rings for the Morris engine. Keep up the Great video's. You & your shop are a national Treasure ! I wish my dad & grand father were alive to enjoy your videos, because I know they would have.

[@CraigLYoung]

Another grear video! Thanks David.

[@jimwilloughby]

I've been waiting for progress on the Morris for a while. So mush so that I started to think you had abandoned the project. I'm happy to see I was wrong. Thank you, Dave, for another great video .

[@sky173]

Amazing. Love the shop!

[@jimsword1625]

Great Video Dave as always, you are a true Craftsman

[@tetekofa]

Fantastic shop, thank you!

[@flatusinteruptus]

Thank you for making these fantastic videos Dave , my favorite youtube channel by far.

[@davidrichards5594]

Thanks Scott, glad you are a "regular.".....Dave

[@smo3241]

It is interesting how were made spindles and other rotary parts of the first machine tools in the world

[@growingknowledge]

Great to see the steady progress - can't wait to see that engine run !

[@andybelcher1767]

Hi Dave, another brilliant video, thank you. I really liked the panorama shots of the whole workshop with the work being done in the background. That is not to say that I don't appreciate the close-ups, showing how you actually do the work, as well. Best wishes and keep them coming. Andy

[@Larrabeeman]

Dave your shop is great! I have a few early machines also. You really have fantastic layout. Keep those machines alive!

[@terrycannon2061]

As always Awesome Dave !

[@duggy788]

love it, could watch it all night .

[@donnowakowski4224]

Very impressive!

[@IronClad292]

Great video! The engine is really coming along now. Oh, the old telephone looks great sitting on the desk. I have an old 1930's wall hanging telephone. It worked great a few years ago. However, I don't have a land line anymore, LOL.......

[@MIGASHOORAY]

Great video as usual Dave, cheers.

[@davidellenbaum1229]

awesome found your channel really enjoy watching . thanks

[@davidrichards5594]

Thanks for the comment Dave.....Dave

[@jayhiz3514]

Just finished and I can't wait for another one.

[@ruperthartop7202]

Great work David. Thanks

[@donwoltz712]

keep up the good work I watch all your videos

[@MrGeroth]

Dave another great video. I just love your shop.

[@williamcallaway2245]

Thank you Dave, another interesting program, and as always looking forward too the next.

[@mattthescrapwhisperer]

Outa the park again Dave. Thanks for all these great videos.

[@goldeee666]

nice work doctor dave. thanks for posting

[@brianfitzgerald6142]

Fine video, Dave. Good to see the shape in operation. Nice repair on it.

[@walterjoncas12]

Thanks Richard. Greetings from Cazenovia NY. Key fit nice. Love the sounds of the shop.

[@user2C47]

Including the beeping?

[@henkvanderwal2424]

Great video as always. Greetings from the Netherlands

[@spnynorman5519]

Great stuff as always, Dave. Good to see some shaper action in this one, as well. Regards, Jeff

[@yokomzare201]

Taper pins are what I grew up with , working at Kingsbury machine in Keene NH. Any timing shafts where tapper pinned. Any very fussy or accurate location alignments this pin was used. I'm still in the machine industry, but never see them used. What a waste of old great technology. Thanks for the vid.

[@ClassXIRoads]

I work with people that used to work at Kngsbury

[@machiningbasics1729]

Nice video . All the water valves on the old b&t pumps are peeneed on the end. When it’s cast iron on cast iron you spend many happy hours filing away coating it in diesel and praying it will come free!

[@coleenlofgren6385]

Dave I think this was your best vid yet!!! I have a hendey 12 in shaper and do my key ways with it however I'm a upside down guy. Thanks for sharing with us!! Mark

[@josephmagedanz4070]

Why is it better to disable the clapper box when doing keyways? Just curious before I cut my first keyway with my shaper...

[@gh778jk]

I have that same book...but the 1945 edition....it's a great resource ! Paddy

[@robertkutz]

David cool video.

[@billyring4]

MR. Dave as usual awsome video and I always learn something. I would oneday like to have a shop similar to yours. I started taking machineshop when I was in High School and I really enjoyed it but I let people talk me into doing something else and I often wonder what might have been. Once again thank you for all your videos I love them all. What I wouldn't give to come and learn the trade from you.

[@Mercmad]

I was working on a car built in 1913, a few years ago. Basically redoing work done by someone else. A lot of the engine and so on nuts were secured with taper pins , Including the pedals and brake shafts. I knew what they were but previous alleged engineers didn't as most had been replaced with bolts and nuts... It took me quite a while to find new pins here in Australia and even longer to track down the correct reamers to clean the holes up again. Not too many people today would have come across tapered pins at all.

[@davidrichards5594]

The trick is, to figure out which end is the smaller so you can drive them the correct direction.....Dave

[@glennmoreland6457]

Mercmad A lot of my vintage machine tools use taper pins..

[@Mercmad]

As my Dad owned some bakery's I often had to punch out taper pins on the bread plant ,so i learned pretty young which end to hit first...after driving one that had to drilled out. pretty hard when the part was right inside a machine that had run a bearing.They are secure,I've never seen one fall out .

[@erikjohansson1814]

In the marine industry, tapered pins are used frequently. Both to lock something in place or to align parts with. I think tapered pins are more common then you think 😊

[@PeterWMeek]

My dad was a fan of military surplus (when it was really left-over war materials). Among other items were a number of bombsights (Sperry or Norden, I forget). These were mechanical analog computers with hundreds of small (under 1/4") shafts, bearings and gears. They were set up and adjusted using set screws and fiddled with until they worked smoothly and properly, at which point all the gears were permanently fixed in place with taper pins. All the bearing mounts were also screwed down through slightly over-sized through-holes, and when they were deemed to be in the correct position, they were also fixed in place with a couple of taper pins. I don't think any of those taper pins were over about 60 or 80 thousandths, and some of them were MUCH tinier. He bought them as a wonderful supply of SS filister head screws, shafts, gears, bearings and the like (including tiny taper pins).

[@bobfuller9759]

Love It Thanks

[@jamesmcalarney2991]

I enjoy wish I was there to help

[@1jtolvey]

GREAT VIDEO !! BIG FLYWHEEL NEEDS PAINT , PIN-STRIPPING OPTIONAL .

[@johnnyholland8765]

Great repair and series. Couple questions...... What is the history on the little lathe mounted indicator and where can I get some of those cone shaped shop lights? Would love to have some for my little shop. Can't wait to see it plumbed up and running. That little pump was a hoot too.......

[@bobvines00]

Another great video Dave! I really enjoy watching how it was done back in the early- to mid-20s. If you get a chance, could you do a video on how to hang & adjust the line shafts? (I don't recall whether all of the "shafts" driven directly by your steam engine or driven by _those_ shafts are properly called line shafts.) I'm still thinking about running a small line shaft to power my 1911 South Bend lathe, but haven't found anything that goes into the nit-pickin' details about how to properly install the line shafts and adjusting them to run properly.

[@davidwilkie9551]

The work seems slow and deliberate in the old ways, but it took a lot of thinking about, and so many of the people who did this kind of work didn't talk much because they were very active mentally. Watch, wait and see was what I was told. Talking discouraged.

[@keithnoneya]

Thanks David, got my fix for the week, LOL! Love the center line marking method at 36:00 in the video, simple and effective. Hey could you do a video on you and a shop walk around? You've done short one here and there but never a complete one. Include line shafts tool benches, engines and machines. I think it would be a nice for all the folks, eh and me too. Thanks for sharing your cool job and shop. Best Wishes n Blessings. Keith Noneya

[@davidrichards5594]

OK, thanks Keith....Dave

[@davidmicheletti6292]

I’m always surprised just how quiet your machine shop is.

[@joemuellerleile5544]

It's amazing how quiet the engine is, all that power can hardly hear it.

[@davidrichards5594]

Joe, It's getting quieter as we go along, fixing and adjusting things....Dave

[@bustednuckles2]

Eh? What's this?! Is that an ELECTRIC drill press I am hearing at 5:18? Heh, you are so busted Dave. Thanks once again for teaching me something I didn't know, those old machinist books you have are full of priceless information.

[@davidrichards5594]

Yup, 1937 Craftsman, I think my Dad bought it new....Dave

[@THEIRONWORKER]

Hey Dave my Rockford Shaper has a spring loaded stop on the clapper box . Where you can adjust the spring or lock the clapper box down when you need to Great Video

[@jamesmcalarney2991]

Pins are still used on steam and gas turbines today I like them below surface then pin prick them on three sides which is standard ops on turbines millwright mac Las Vegas nv

[@zygmuntthecacaokakistocrat6589]

As a very amateur metalworker, and someone who subcontracts most of my machining to my brother (who has an old Myford lathe and Hercus mill that he is happy to do jobs for me on), I find the pace of your videos just right: giving me time to wonder "Why did he do it like that?" and work out a sort of answer for myself, as I continue to watch, which I can check later on, the ones you don't offer explanations for. I am a semi-retired shop teacher (woodwork and bike mechanics) and I wonder, this teaching/learning approach, in the absence of example and instruction right up close, are what people need, nowadays, to get them skilled in all sorts of manual arts. Thankyou for prompting my thinking about this sort of approach. (p.s. Have you ever taught in a training organisation?)

[@davidrichards5594]

KZbin, these days seems to be the best way to educate one's self on almost any skill. Thanks Zyg.....Dave

[@machiningbasics1729]

Do you know if there’s any info on greens steam economisers on here ? If not il do a video on them. Excellent job!! I’ve seen some old photos of rotary pumps that where fitted with governors later on and they’re just driven from the flywheel!

[@phillipyannone3195]

Thanks Dave, I really enjoy your videos, this is a great project. Can't wait to see it run. Do you have a flywheel balancer?

[@davidrichards5594]

I have a rig for balancing pulleys that I used in earlier videos, might work for the flywheel.....Dave

[@jeremyfrydenlund6888]

Dave, I'll be honest in that I have watched most of your videos, and that I was anxious waiting for the last two to post! I'm a welding/machining student and I really enjoy the videos and I am fascinated by your work shop. I had a question about your cylinder work, the main question I have is about the brass added and machined down. Will that brass not wear away quickly since it is soft? Also on a long term how do you think it will perform after some use? Please keep the channel going, and I hope some young guys who are interested in machining can apprentice with you some day. Truly a fading art you have going for you! -Jeremy

[@davidrichards5594]

Jeremy, my thinking is this: The brass I used is probably not the ultimate alloy of brass to use for this purpose but brass has very good bearing qualities when placed against iron or steel. It is very slippery when you try to file it. It's a little like babbitt metal against steel. It wouldn't handle a lot of abrasion but it shouldn't have to. It will live in a clean smooth 260 degree temp. cylinder with water, steam and steam cylinder oil to lube it and sort of an experiment......Dave

[@jeremyfrydenlund6888]

Very cool, looking forward to seeing it put back together and thanks for your wealth of knowledge. I found your channel looking up anything about babbitt metal, I recently bought my grandfathers 1940 chevy pickup and the main bearings and rod bearings are centrifugal poured babbitt and was trying to learn how much I was getting in to.

[@davidrichards5594]

I'd recommend sending the rods out to Pauls Rod and Machine in MO. Have the crank ground first. They will rebabbitt yours undersize or exchange. Good folks. The mains are just insert shells.....Dave

[@jamesmcalarney2991]

We would drill end of key for a mother pull

[@rhavrane]

Bonjour David, Happy to see you again. A little question about the water injector. When it operates, the pressure in the boiler drops down, from which is the range of use of the injector ? Amicalement, Raphaël

[@davidrichards5594]

Hi Raphael, I have two injectors on theat boiler. A Hancock "inspirator" injector that works well above 25psi and a Metropolitan injector that needs about 30 psi to start. These are considered low pressure injectors and I don't know what the high end of their operating pressure would be since I operate with a maximum of only 60psi.....Dave

[@jimwilloughby]

What are your plans for the engine, once it's finished?

[@johnhill5856]

Hi Dave. It is curious to me that the axle on the clapper box is a tapered pin. Unless the mounting holes are tapered the same, it seems that the clapper would wobble unevenly.

[@infoanorexic]

Makes me think that I need to do a bit more polishing and looking for a lock on my shaper. At present, I don't see any sign of one. The clapper really does need to come out and be cleaned up, but without a manual for that particular machine (all I can find is for a newer one) I'm reluctant to try much to remove the pin for fear of ruining it. Someone has already tried it at least once ... with a pipe wrench :-|

[@harrysappington2951]

Dave is your lathe have the capability of using collets? Would that have been easier to setup and indicate in? Just curious.

[@dale436]

Great video David.Did they ever make belt driven fans for shops back then? Seems like someone must have since they didn't have air conditioning yet.

[@davidrichards5594]

Sure Dale, belt driven everything....Dave

[@stratocaster1greg]

Dave do you ever refer to the Henry Ford Trade School book? Nice repair on the piston.

[@davidrichards5594]

I have a Ford Trade School "Shop Theory" 1934 and it is a great shop manual.....Dave