Steam engine without machines and tools. Homemade two-cylinder steam engine How to make a steam engine for models

The reason for the construction of this unit was a stupid idea: “is it possible to build a steam engine without machines and tools, using only parts that can be bought in a store” and do everything with your own hands. The result is a design like this. The entire assembly and setup took less than an hour. Although it took six months to design and select parts.

Most of the structure consists of plumbing fittings. At the end of the epic, the questions from sellers of hardware and other stores: “can I help you” and “why do you need them” really infuriated me.

And so we assemble the foundation. First the main cross member. Tees, bochata, and half-inch angles are used here. I secured all the elements with sealant. This is to make it easier to connect and separate them with your hands. But for final assembly it is better to use plumber's tape.

Then the longitudinal elements. The steam boiler, spool, steam cylinder and flywheel will be attached to them. Here all the elements are also 1/2".

Then we make the stands. In the photo, from left to right: a stand for the steam boiler, then a stand for the steam distribution mechanism, then a stand for the flywheel, and finally a holder for the steam cylinder. The flywheel holder is made from a 3/4" tee (external thread). Bearings from a repair kit for roller skates are ideally suited to it. The bearings are held in place by a coupling nut. Such nuts can be found separately or taken from a tee for metal-plastic pipes. This tee is pictured in the bottom right corner (not used in the design). A 3/4" tee is also used as a holder for the steam cylinder, only the threads are all internal. Adapters are used to attach 3/4" to 1/2" elements.

We assemble the boiler. A 1" pipe is used for the boiler. I found a used one on the market. Looking ahead, I want to say that the boiler turned out to be too small and does not produce enough steam. With such a boiler, the engine works too sluggishly. But it works. The three parts on the right are: plug, adapter 1"-1/2" and squeegee. The squeegee is inserted into the adapter and closed with a plug. Thus, the boiler becomes airtight.

This is how the boiler turned out initially.

But the steam tank turned out to be not high enough. Water got into the steam line. I had to install an additional 1/2" barrel through an adapter.

This is a burner. Four posts earlier there was the material “Homemade oil lamp from pipes”. This is how the burner was originally designed. But no suitable fuel was found. Lamp oil and kerosene smoke heavily. Need alcohol. So for now I just made a holder for dry fuel.

This is a very important detail. Steam distributor or spool. This thing directs steam into the slave cylinder during the power stroke. When the piston moves in reverse, the steam supply is shut off and a discharge occurs. The spool is made from a cross for metal-plastic pipes. One of the ends must be sealed with epoxy putty. This end will be attached to the rack through an adapter.

And now the most important detail. It will determine whether the engine will start or not. This is the working piston and spool valve. Here we use an M4 pin (sold in furniture fittings departments; it’s easier to find one long one and saw off the required length), metal washers and felt washers. Felt washers are used for fastening glass and mirrors with other fittings.

Felt is not the best best material. It does not provide sufficient tightness, but the resistance to movement is significant. Later we managed to get rid of the felt. Non-standard washers were ideal for this: M4x15 for the piston and M4x8 for the valve. These washers need to be placed as tightly as possible, through plumbing tape, onto a pin and with the same tape wound 2-3 layers from the top. Then thoroughly rub in the cylinder and spool with water. I didn't take a photo of the upgraded piston. Too lazy to take it apart.

This is the actual cylinder. Made from a 1/2" barrel, it is secured inside a 3/4" tee with two coupling nuts. On one side, with maximum sealing, the fitting is tightly attached.

Now the flywheel. The flywheel is made from a dumbbell plate. A stack of washers is inserted into the center hole, and a small cylinder from a roller skate repair kit is placed in the center of the washers. Everything is secured with sealant. A furniture and picture hanger was ideal for the carrier holder. Looks like a keyhole. Everything is assembled in the order shown in the photo. Screw and nut - M8.

We have two flywheels in our design. There must be a strong connection between them. This connection is ensured by a coupling nut. All threaded connections are secured with nail polish.

These two flywheels appear the same, however one will be connected to the piston and the other to the spool valve. Accordingly, the carrier, in the form of an M3 screw, is attached at different distances from the center. For the piston, the carrier is located further from the center, for the valve - closer to the center.

Now we make the valve and piston drive. The furniture connecting plate was ideal for the valve.

The piston uses the window lock escutcheon as a lever. She came up like family. Eternal glory to whoever invented the metric system.

Drives assembled.

Everything is installed on the engine. Threaded connections are secured with varnish. This is the piston drive.

Valve drive. Please note that the positions of the piston carrier and valve differ by 90 degrees. Depending on which direction the valve carrier leads the piston carrier, it will depend on which direction the flywheel will rotate.

Now all that remains is to connect the tubes. These are silicone hoses for aquariums. All hoses must be secured with wire or clamps.

It should be noted that there is no safety valve provided here. Therefore, extreme caution should be taken.

Voila. Fill with water. Let's set it on fire. We are waiting for the water to boil. During heating, the valve must be in the closed position.

The entire assembly process and the result are on video.

Steam locomotives or Stanley Steamer automobiles often come to mind when one thinks of “steam engines,” but the use of these mechanisms is not limited to transportation. Steam engines, which were first created in primitive form about two millennia ago, have become the largest sources of electrical power over the past three centuries, and today steam turbines produce about 80 percent of the world's electricity. To further understand the nature of the physical forces on which such a mechanism operates, we recommend that you make your own steam engine from ordinary materials using one of the methods suggested here! To get started, go to Step 1.

Steps

Steam engine made from a tin can (for children)

Cut the bottom of the aluminum can to 6.35 cm. Using tin snips, cut the bottom of the aluminum can straight to about a third of the height.

Bend and press the rim using pliers. To avoid sharp edges, bend the rim of the jar inward. When performing this action, be careful not to injure yourself.

Press down on the bottom of the jar from the inside to make it flat. Most aluminum beverage cans will have a round base that curves inward. Level the bottom by pressing down with your finger or using a small, flat-bottomed glass.

Make two holes in opposite sides of the jar, 1/2 inch from the top. Both a paper hole punch and a nail and hammer are suitable for making holes. You will need holes that are just over three millimeters in diameter.

Place a small tea light in the center of the jar. Crumple up the foil and place it under and around the candle to keep it in place. Such candles usually come in special stands, so the wax should not melt and leak into the aluminum jar.

Wrap the central part of a copper tube 15-20 cm long around a pencil 2 or 3 turns to form a coil. The 3mm diameter tube should bend easily around the pencil. You will need enough curved tubing to extend across the top of the jar, plus an extra 5cm of straight pipe on each side.

Insert the ends of the tubes into the holes in the jar. The center of the coil should be located above the candle wick. It is desirable that the straight sections of the tube on both sides of the can be the same length.

Bend the ends of the pipes using pliers to create a right angle. Bend the straight sections of the tube so that they point in opposite directions from different sides of the can. Then again bend them so that they fall below the base of the jar. When everything is ready, you should get the following: the serpentine part of the tube is located in the center of the jar above the candle and turns into two inclined “nozzles” looking in opposite directions on both sides of the jar.

Place the jar in a bowl of water, allowing the ends of the tube to submerge. Your “boat” must stay securely on the surface. If the ends of the tube are not submerged enough, try to weigh the jar down a little, but be careful not to drown it.

Fill the tube with water. The most in a simple way will dip one end into the water and pull from the other end like through a straw. You can also use your finger to block one outlet from the tube and place the other under running water from the tap.

Light a candle. After a while, the water in the tube will heat up and boil. As it turns to steam, it will come out through the "nozzles", causing the entire can to spin around in the bowl.

Paint Can Steam Engine (Adults)

1. Cut a rectangular hole near the base of a 4-quart paint can. Make a horizontal 15cm x 5cm rectangular hole in the side of the jar near the base.

   • You need to make sure that this can (and the other one you are using) only contained latex paint, and wash it thoroughly with soapy water before use.

2. Cut a strip of wire mesh 12 x 24 cm. Bend 6 cm along each edge at an angle of 90 o. You will end up with a 12 x 12 cm square “platform” with two 6 cm “legs”. Place it in the jar with the “legs” down, aligning it with the edges of the cut hole.

   Make a semicircle of holes around the perimeter of the lid. You will subsequently burn coal in the can to provide heat to the steam engine. If there is a lack of oxygen, coal will burn poorly. To ensure proper ventilation in the jar, drill or punch several holes in the lid that form a semicircle along the edges.

   • Ideally, the diameter of the ventilation holes should be about 1 cm.

3. Make a coil from copper tubing. Take about 6 m of soft copper tube with a diameter of 6 mm and measure 30 cm from one end. Starting from this point, make five turns with a diameter of 12 cm. Bend the remaining length of the pipe into 15 turns with a diameter of 8 cm. You should have about 20 cm left .

   Pass both ends of the coil through the vent holes in the lid. Bend both ends of the coil so that they point up and pass both through one of the holes in the lid. If the pipe is not long enough, you will need to slightly bend one of the turns.

   Place the coil and charcoal to the jar. Place the coil on the mesh platform. Fill the space around and inside the coil with charcoal. Close the lid tightly.

   Drill holes for the tube in a smaller jar. Drill a hole with a diameter of 1 cm in the center of the lid of a liter jar. On the side of the jar, drill two holes with a diameter of 1 cm - one near the base of the jar, and the second above it near the lid.

   Insert the sealed plastic tube into the side holes of the smaller jar. Using the ends of a copper tube, make holes in the center of the two plugs. Insert a hard plastic tube 25 cm long into one plug, and the same tube 10 cm long into the other plug. They should sit tightly in the plugs and look out a little. Insert the stopper with the longer tube into the bottom hole of the smaller jar and the stopper with the shorter tube into the top hole. Secure the tubes in each plug using clamps.

   Connect the tube from the larger jar to the tube from the smaller jar. Place the smaller can over the larger one, with the tube and stopper pointing away from the larger can's vent holes. Using metal tape, secure the tube from the bottom plug to the tube coming out of the bottom of the copper coil. Then similarly secure the tube from the top plug with the tube coming out of the top of the coil.

   Insert the copper tube into the junction box. Using a hammer and screwdriver, remove the center portion of the round metal electrical box. Secure the electrical cable clamp with the locking ring. Insert 15 cm of 1.3 cm diameter copper tubing into the cable clamp so that the tube extends a few centimeters below the hole in the box. Bend the edges of this end inward using a hammer. Insert this end of the tube into the hole in the lid of the smaller jar.

   Insert the skewer into the dowel. Take a regular wooden barbecue skewer and insert it into one end of a hollow wooden dowel that is 1.5 cm long and 0.95 cm in diameter. Insert the dowel and skewer into the copper tube inside the metal junction box with the skewer facing up.

   • While our motor is running, the skewer and dowel will act as a "piston". To make the movements of the piston better visible, you can attach a small paper “flag” to it.

4. Prepare the engine for operation. Remove the junction box from the smaller top jar and fill the top jar with water, allowing it to pour into the copper coil until the jar is 2/3 full of water. Check for leaks at all connections. Secure the lids of the jars tightly by tapping them with a hammer. Reinstall the junction box in place above the smaller top can.

5. Start the engine! Crumple up pieces of newspaper and place them in the space under the screen at the bottom of the engine. Once the charcoal is lit, let it burn for about 20-30 minutes. As the water in the coil heats up, steam will begin to accumulate in the top jar. When the steam reaches enough pressure, it will push the dowel and skewer to the top. After the pressure is released, the piston will move downwards under the influence of gravity. If necessary, cut off part of the skewer to reduce the weight of the piston - the lighter it is, the more often it will “float”. Try to make a skewer of such weight that the piston “moves” at a constant pace.

   • You can speed up the combustion process by increasing the air flow into the vents with a hairdryer.

6. Stay safe. We believe it goes without saying that care must be taken when working and handling a homemade steam engine. Never run it indoors. Never run it near flammable materials such as dry leaves or overhanging tree branches. Only use the engine on a solid, non-flammable surface such as concrete. If you work with children or teenagers, they should not be left unattended. Children and teenagers are prohibited from approaching the engine when charcoal is burning in it. If you don't know the temperature of the engine, assume it is too hot to touch.

   • Make sure that steam can escape from the top "boiler". If for any reason the plunger gets stuck, pressure can build up inside the smaller can. In the worst case scenario, the bank could explode, which Very dangerous.
• Place the steam engine in a plastic boat, dipping both ends into the water to create a steam toy. You can cut a simple boat shape from plastic bottle soda or bleach to make your toy more environmentally friendly.

Have you ever seen how a steam engine works, not on video? Nowadays, it is not easy to find such a functioning model. Oil and gas have long replaced steam, taking a dominant position in the world of technical installations that set mechanisms in motion. However, this craft is not lost; you can find examples of successfully working engines installed by craftsmen on cars and motorcycles. Homemade samples more often resemble museum exhibits than elegant, laconic devices suitable for use, but they work! And people successfully drive steam cars and set various units in motion.

In this episode of the “Techno Rebel” channel you will see a steam two-cylinder machine. It all started with two pistons and the same number of cylinders.
Having removed all unnecessary things, the master increased the piston stroke and working volume. Which led to an increase in torque. The most difficult part of the project is the crankshaft. Consists of a pipe that has been bored for 3 bearings. 15 and 25 pipes. The pipe is cut down after welding. Prepared a pipe for the piston. After processing it will become a cylinder or spool.

Leave 1 centimeter from the edge on the pipe so that when the lid is welded, the metal may move to the side. The piston may get stuck. The video shows the modification of the timing cylinders. One of the holes is plugged and narrowed to a twenty tube. Steam will come in here. Steam outlet.

How the device works. Steam is supplied to the holes. It is distributed through the pipe and enters 2 cylinders. When the piston moves down, steam passes through and falls under pressure. The piston rises. Blocks the passage. Steam is released through the holes.
Next from 5 minutes

Source: youtu.be/EKdnCHNC0qU

How to make a working model of a steam engine at home

If you have been interested in model steam engines, you may have already checked them out online, the shocking thing is that they are very expensive. If you are not expecting the price range, then you can try to look for other options where you can have your own steam engine model. This doesn't mean that you only need to buy them, as you can make them yourself. You can watch the process of creating your own steam engine model at WoodiesTrainShop.com. There's nothing you can't do and find out without doing a little research of your own.

How to build your own steam engine?

It sounds amazing, but you can actually build a model steam engine from scratch. You can start by building a very simple tractor pulled by an engine. It can easily carry an adult and will take you about a hundred hours to complete construction. The great thing is that it is not that expensive and the process of making it is very simple and all you have to do is drill and work on the lathe all day. You can always check out your options at WoodiesTrainShop.com where you'll find more information on how you can get started making your own model steam engine.

The rear wheel rims are homemade, the model steam engine is made from gas cylinders, and you can buy ready-made gears as well as drive chains in the market. The simplicity of the DIY steam engine model is what makes it attractive to everyone as it offers you very simple instructions and quick assembly. You don't even need to learn anything technical to be able to do everything yourself. Simple drawings and pictures are enough to help you with your workload from start to finish.

Hello everyone, kompik92 is here!
And this is the second part of creating a steam engine!
Here is a more complex version of it, which is more powerful and interesting! Although it requires more funds and tools. But as they say: “The eyes are afraid, but the hands are doing”! So let's get started!

I think everyone who has seen my past posts already knows what will happen now. Do not know?

Safety regulations:

1. When the engine is running and you want to move it, use tongs, thick gloves or non-heat-conducting material!
2. If you want to make an engine more complex or more powerful, it is better to ask someone else than to experiment! Incorrect assembly may cause the boiler to explode!
3. If you want to take a running engine, do not point the steam at people!
4. Do not block the steam in the can or tube, or the steam engine may explode!

Is everything clear?
Let's get started!

Everything we need is here:

• 4 liter jar (preferably well washed)
• Jar with a capacity of 1 liter
• 6 meter copper pipe with a diameter (from now on “dm”) 6mm
• Metal tape
• 2 tubes that are easy to squeeze.
• Distribution box made of metal in the shape of a “circle” (well, it doesn’t look like a circle...)
• A cable clamp that can be connected to a distribution box.
• Copper tube with a length of 15 centimeters and a diameter of 1.3 centimeters
• Metal mesh 12 by 24 cm
• 35 centimeters of elastic plastic tube with a diameter of 3 mm
• 2 clamps for plastic tubes
• Coal (only the best)
• Standard skewer for barbecue
• Wooden dowel with a length of 1.5 cm and a diameter of 1.25 cm (with a hole on one side)
• Screwdriver (phillips)
• Drill with different drill bits
• Metal hammer
• Metal scissors
• Pliers

Uhh.. This will be difficult... Okay, let's get started!

1. Make a rectangle in the jar. Using pliers, cut a rectangle on the wall with an area of ​​15 cm by 5 cm near the bottom. We made a hole for our firebox, this is where we will light the coal.

2. Place the grid Bend the legs at the mesh so that the length of the legs is 6 cm each, and then place it on the leg inside the jar. This will be a coal separator.

3. Ventilation. Make semicircular holes around the perimeter of the lid using pliers. For a good fire, you will need plenty of air and good ventilation.

4. Making a coil. Make a coil from a copper tube 6 meters long, measure 30 cm from the end of the tube, and from this place measure 5 skeins dm 12 cm. Make the rest of the tube 15 skeins of 8 cm each. You will have another 20 cm.

5. Attaching the coil. Secure the coil through the vent. Using a coil we will heat the water.

6. Load the coal. Load the coal and place the coil in the top jar and close the lid well. You will have to change this coal often.

7. Making holes. Use a drill to make 1 cm holes in a liter jar. Place them: in the middle on top, and two more holes on the side with the same dm on the same vertical line, one just above the base and one not far from the lid.

8. Secure the tubes. Make holes with a diameter slightly smaller than your layer. tubes through both plugs. Then cut the plastic tube into 25 and 10 cm, and then fasten the tubes into corks, and squeeze them into the holes of the cans, and then clamp them with a clamp. We made the entrance and exit of the coil, water comes from below, and steam comes out of the top.

9. Installation of tubes. Place the small one on the large jar and attach the upper 25 cm wire to the coil passage to the left of the firebox, and the small 10 cm wire to its right exit. Then secure them well with metal tape. We secured the tube outlets to the coil.

10. Secure the securing box. Using a screwdriver and a hammer, unhook the middle of the round metal box. Lock the cable clamp with the locking ring. Attach a 15 cm copper tube with 1.3 cm diameter to the clamp, so that the copper pipe extends a couple of cm below the hole in the box. Round the edges of the exiting end inward using a hammer to 1 centimeter. Secure the reduced end into the top hole of the small jar.

11. Add a dowel. Use a standard wooden barbecue skewer and attach either end to a dowel. Insert this structure into the top copper tube. We made a piston that will rise when there is too much steam in a small jar; by the way, you can add another flag for beauty.

In O. Kurti’s book “Building Model Ships,” which can be downloaded in full here depositfiles.com/files/3b9jgisv9, there are a couple of interesting drawings of machines for driving model ships.
Here they are:

STEAM ENGINE WITH SINGLE ACTION OSCILLATING CYLINDER AND STEAM DISTRIBUTION PLATE (VALVED CONTROLLED)

Machines of this type are most often used in ship modeling (Fig. 562, a, b). Typically the parts are made of brass; the cylinder, so as not to be lubricated, is made of phosphor bronze, and the piston is made of steel. The machine is mounted on a square or rectangular foundation, depending on the installation location in the housing. An L-shaped post is placed on the foundation, to which a steam distribution plate with holes (windows) for inlet and outlet of steam is attached. These windows are placed along an arc, the length of which is equal to the circular path traversed by the swinging cylinder. The cylinder is made from a piece of brass tube and soldered to the base plate. There is a hole in the middle of the plate and cylinder through which steam is admitted and released. The bolt in the plate, which serves as the cylinder's swing axis, has a spring. Its tension is adjusted with a nut, thanks to which it is possible to achieve a good fit of the support plate to the steam distribution plate.
A rod is screwed into a piston made of a round piece of bronze and attached to the crank with a bolt and nut.
The drive shaft is made of a round brass rod, the ends of which are threaded. One end of the shaft is screwed into the crank, then the shaft is passed through a hollow screw that supports it in an L-shaped rack, and a flywheel is screwed onto the other end.
Steam tubes for supplying and discharging steam are made of brass or copper tubes and are attached to small fittings, which, in turn, are soldered to the steam distribution plate. The parts of a steam engine of this type have the following average dimensions:
cylinder: internal diameter - 12-15 mm, length - 30-45 mm;
stand: height - 40-60 mm, width - 40-50 mm;
flywheel: diameter - 35-45 mm, thickness - 12-15 mm;
pipelines: 5xb mm (internal and external diameters).
In Fig. 562, c and d shows a steam engine similar to the one described, but with a double-acting cylinder, so two more small holes are drilled on the steam distribution plate for the inlet and outlet of steam, and a second small hole is drilled on the cylinder.

Rice. 562. Steam engine with an oscillating cylinder for the model: a) - structural drawing; b) – view in detail; c) – type of machine with a double-acting cylinder; d) – fundamental operation of a machine with a double-acting cylinder.
1 – foundation slab; 2 – stand; 3 – plate of steam distribution windows; 4 – detail for fastening the inlet and outlet pipes; 5 – cylinder mounting base plate; 6 – cylinder; 7 – cylinder cover; 8 – piston; 9 – rod; 10 – bloodworm; 11 – hollow screw; 12 – drive shaft; 13 – flywheel; 14 – spring with nut; 15 – tube for steam supply; 16 – tube for steam removal; 17 – fitting for connection with the steam supply pipe from the boiler; 18 – control bolt on the cylinder; 19 – steam output; 20 – steam supply.

STEAM ENGINE WITH A FIXED, SIMPLE-ACTING CYLINDER AND A SLEEVE STEAM DISTRIBUTOR

The machine is designed so that it can be installed in both horizontal and vertical positions (Fig. 563, a). The cylinder is mounted on a base plate and is a rectangular brass block with through holes for the piston, as well as for the inlet and outlet of steam. At the top of the cylinder there is a steam distribution box with a spool. The side of the cylinder is closed with a lid mounted on four bolts.
The piston is made from a piece of round bronze. The inside of the piston is hollow. One end of the connecting rod is connected to the piston using a piston pin and two support rings; the other - with a cylindrical brass bloodworm.
The drive shaft rotates in two support brass bearings, which are secured to the foundation with through bolts. On the drive shaft, in addition to the crank, there is an eccentric connected to the spool rod by a fork, and the movement of the eccentric is shifted in phase relative to the movement of the piston. At the end of the drive shaft there is a flywheel. Make the spool as seen in Fig. 563, easy.
Steam inlet and outlet piping is usually made from copper or brass tubing.
Average dimensions of machine parts:
cylinder: length - 45-55 mm, height - 35-45 mm, width - 35-45 mm;
foundation slab: length - 100-120 mm, width - 65-85 mm;
flywheel: diameter - 45-50 mm, thickness - 12-15 mm.
pipelines: 5x6 mm.
It is easy to change the direction of rotation of a steam engine; to do this, it is enough to use a reversing valve (Fig. 563, b).

Rice. 563. Steam engine with a spool steam distributor: a - structural drawing; b - reversing valve to change the direction of rotation of the machine; s - details.
1 - cylinder; 2 - cylinder cover; 3 - piston; 4 - connecting rod; 5 - flywheel with a connecting bolt for mounting on the drive shaft; 6 - cylindrical bloodworm; 7 - fastening of the crankshaft support bearing; 8 - eccentric; 9 - piston pin; 10 - steam distribution chamber; 11 - spool; 12 - oil seal for sealing the spool rod;
13 - sealing ring; 14 - spool rod; ment plate for horizontal positioning of the machine; 15 - drive shaft; 16 - fork for connecting the rod with the eccentric; 17 - foundation slab for horizontal positioning of the machine; 18 - additional support plate for vertical positioning of the machine; 19 - steam supply; 20 - back; 21 - forward; 22 - steam output.