Current Projects

One of the projects is staying current with:

"Current Projects"

Stay tuned

My mother used to tell me, "Fools and children should never see unfinished work."

Also remember: "It's hard to make something good out of something that was no good to begin with."

You might want to keep these thoughts in mind as you peruse through this section.

Everything takes longer than you think

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WHAT'S COOKIN' AT YANKEE

Here's a brief smattering in pictures of the madcap goings-on in the create and or fix it department.

2025 projects in the works

Making grates for the steam boat YANKEE

Steaming and bending green white oak to replace a rotted rub rail

One of our launch engines, this one from the 1860's, in for a rebuild

Now rebuilt, this engine from the 1860's will power our circa 1900 steam launch YANKEE

A valve actuating toe for the beam engine project is being fabricated. Note the tiny roller bearing at the tip.

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2024 Update

Last spring we began the task of replacing the Model 70 Stanley's boiler. That quickly turned into a more extensive opera which included, but was not limited to: replacing the superheater, rerouting the water brakes, adding LED headlights (which actually allow you to see where you're going), replacing the reach polls and adding a little pin-striping. We also found a crack in one of the connecting rods. Had we not found the crack and replaced the rod, we might well have been looking for a new engine. Sometimes you just get lucky.

Break in connecting rod section

Omar the Stanley Steamer fix-it guy

When not otherwise occupied by some steam car emergency, our focus has been vacillating between construction of the two big paddle wheels, needed as flywheels for the engine to run, and machining components for the complicated valving. Shown to the right are actuators atop the upper valve chest. Said chest is to the left.

Top valve chest read to be installed on the beam engine

A single eccentric operates the Martial valve gear, controlling the valve timing for forward and reverse along with a variable hook-up.

All components of the engine are designed and fabricated in-house. Various parts of the expansion diaphragms are shown below.

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EIGHT AND SIX FOOT IRON RINGS ARE THE START OF THE PADDLES

Laying out spokes after drilling and bolting outer inner rings together

Eight foot outer Paddle ring, leaning against the engine, gives the viewer a sense of scale.

YSW volunteers, Perry and Jim, drilling and bolting spokes and rings together.

A car lift is used for a trial assembly. Each paddle wheel is expected to exceed 800 lbs. when finished.

Hot rivets replace the nuts and bolts used for the initial assembly's

Time out to fix the Stanley's #?!X#$! super heater!

VOILA!

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Patterns fabricated to produce iron castings for the beam engine project

Below are the cope (top) and drag (bottom) sides of the pattern mach plate.

Valve tube caps / stuffing boxes (round pieces). Valve actuators.

Making a (loose-gate)* pattern for the wet-air pump lid (One of my better patterns I might add)

one two

three

*"Loose gate" refers to the pattern not being on a board or match plate. Less complicated for the pattern maker, but more difficult and time consuming for the molder. Mostly done when few pieces are required.

Castings being machined

Pattern for top of wet-air pump being fabricated

Adding draft so the pattern will release from the molding sand

Using a boring head in the Bridgeport miller to size the lid opening

Cutting out the beam engine eccentric pattern Using a tapered end mill provides draft, so the pattern will release from the molding sand

Finished match plate used for casting eccentric in ductile iron

Lower Valve Chest

These partially machined steel plates will become part of the beam engine's lower valve chest.

Using an indexer patented in the1890's to drill a ring of 5/8" steam ports in the valve tubes.

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Close-up view of the black walnut lagging

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Wet-air Pump / Hotwell

Valve

Valve with packing gland in place

Wet air pump cross-head

Fabricating the

Turning the shaft coupling pattern

assembly parts

wet air piston

Finished parts

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Expansion Diaphragm

High-pressure

Turning the ID

Feed Pumps

Producing ductile iron at Cumberland foundry

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RR

Instillation of new overdrive unit underway in '29 Rolls Royce

I found this slightly used OD unit at the Hershey flee market, during my annual pilgrimage last fall. I had been looking for a way to boost the top speed of the car and this seems to fill the bill.

In 1929 there were scant roads in Britten where one could drive more than 40 mph, so most cars (particularly a stately Rolls) were not capable of doing much more than that.

Times have changed.