My 1st Home Built Steam Engine

[sf4jase]

i like the engine but was wondering if you have been able to add a belt system to run an alternator or generator????

[Coolerfantasy000]

pretty good

wondering why someone dislike that ?

[tomalotube]

Where do you get parts for this???

[legoepics567]

That is awesome great work.I wanna learn to make one when i get older =)

[nikepilot]

This is AMAZING man!!!

[apowellz]

@nikepilot  Thanks for the comment.

[gwheyduke]

Well done! I've been known to do a little casting my self from time to time.

Built an ocilating steam engine w/3/8" bore works pretty OK. Your engine sounds good.

[apowellz]

@gwheyduke Thanks. Casting is fun. Check out my other casting videos.

[djpaulk]

@apowellz Cool !! I already have my foundry setup (check my vids).

Thanks to you,i know what my next pattern is going to be :D Nice engine btw

[brycro]

That is awesome. Very cool. well done

[apowellz]

@brycro Thanks

[StevesProjects]

Now thats a nice looking bit of engineering mate. Looks the business! Home made stuff is far more interesting to look at than some tat that someone bought and filmed. Keep up the good work.

[apowellz]

@StevesProjects Thanks for the comment.

[35Berrin]

I got mine up to 3000rpms... took me a month to build.

[toxicwar]

thats freaken amazing. way to recycle and creat something beautiful :D

[apowellz]

@toxicwar Thanks, thats's part of the fun.

[Luckyrob72]

Where can I start leaning about how these devices work? I wish I had some book or something to teach me about what parts are called, how the machinery depends on each specific material,etc. I just have no idea where I can start though.

[apowellz]

@Luckyrob72  Same place I did. The internet. Look at the link in the description.

[Boyntonstu]

Please explain the right angle valve control.

How is the angle taken care of?

[apowellz]

@Boyntonstu Go to the link in the description to see how the valve works.

[adamson001]

congratulation for the finish ,great job .If this is your first engine how is your last final one , please put here down more details or a plan if any plz

[adamson001]

congratulation for the finish ,great job

[apowellz]

@adamson001 Thanks!

[glassfranger]

Nice work, but it's not a steam engine.

[apowellz]

@glassfranger Check out the 10,000 air driven 'steam' engines on You Tube and maybe you figure it out yourself.  It would run on steam if I chose to build a boiler. It's more like a air powered motor, as shown here, if you want to split hairs. A mechanical toy.

[billykey123]

@apowellz how you make it

[MW2dude123]

It looks to me like it is compreesed air but good build

[MrChimochay]

excelent

[Geminimissions]

I'm making one of these in my Machine Tools class! Could you clarify how the valve system works?

[apowellz]

@Geminimissions Check the link in the description. The valve piston is just uncovering a port into the cylinder either to input air or exhaust 90 degrees out of sync with the stroke.

[monkeys1954]

very nice, i like it a lot.

[666SWAP666]

I wana make one! :D

[neonbluen851]

does it have enough torque to power up some motors?

[ewmurphy1]

cool

[frosty992001]

That's ruley cool :)

Good job man. Awesome.

[moleman1961]

Nice engineering Sir! Impressive!

[ourtube4u]

\/eri |\| i c E

[apowellz]

@ourtube4u Thanks.

[jh4dc5s]

nice. thanks for sharing your work with us.

[LNERMallard]

Sweet! That's a cute little engine. Maybe now you should hook it up to a little electric generator.

[mrek94]

What did you use for piston ? How or where did you get that ?

[agisus]

Good work ! really !....I would make the same thing if I can no spend 1 cents ! You can produce some energy now but the turbine is better so the piston engine is mecanical simply ........ Arab from france

[forresthop]

i could grate cheese faster with this!

[Dewayneyork1]

that is really nice. can you sen me a detailed diagram of your machine? I would like to do some scientific experiments with it. I would of course need a list of materials and proper sizes. Yours is fantastic. one of the best I have seen yet.

Way to go.

[maddobbo]

Well engineered, good job.

[apowellz]

@maddobbo Thanks.

[ThomasXp]

I want to try that so bad!

[ToastAndSausage]

Is a steam engine polluting im wondering because I want to make one with our my dad yelling at me

[ToastAndSausage]

@ToastAndSausage Out not our

[apowellz]

@ToastAndSausage Depends on what you use for a heat source, if it's solar no, if it's just about anything else yes.

[Toerme]

@ToastAndSausage Your dad must be a paranoid enviromental-hero-extremist? :C

[partsproduction]

@ToastAndSausage Ask you dad about noise pollution, that's the only kind I worry about.

[scoobydoorocks100]

metal casting is way 2 cool dude!

[MrROTD]

thats pretty neat that you cast the base, I worked in a foundry for a long time. I like it

[apowellz]

@MrROTD  Thanks, metal casting is very interesting and for a first attempt it worked out OK.

[TheXdudez]

This is nice

[skittlesmonkey]

hi i have a question how would your steam engine run if used say heptane as the working fluid, pretty much the same boiling point as water but an about 30% lower heat of vaporization ( per mole that is)? i think it would run faster but i keep being told that high heat of vaporization is desirable in these sort of things.

[apowellz]

I haven't got a clue, but water is much cheaper and more plentiful than heptane I bet.

[jaxpower1]

@skittlesmonkey yeah but pressurised water vapour (superheated steam) gets a lot hotter than normal steam at atmospheric pressure, pretty sure it would get close to if not a lot higher than the ignition temperature of heptane. so probably not a good idea.

[DontScatter]

VERY cool valve design!!! 5****!!!!

ive never seen that before

[superfunnyman123]

No exhaust?

[apowellz]

@superfunnyman123 It exhausts out the port the the valve rod goes in.

[IYloney]

Scratch, scrap, scratch, scrap, man you havent seen thing that can be called scrap or scratch. You have very good place and stuf.

Btw, if it is realy youre fristh attempt then its realy well built engine!

[imikewillrockyou]

Nice looking engine! Good job.

[apowellz]

@imikewillrockyou Thanks

[stevenr4]

Very nice engine!

I wish to build one someday!

BTW, what is that song in the

background in the beginning?

it sounds cool and i wanna get it XD!

[jeanxD1994]

very nice engine ;D

I want to make one at my own

but I dont understand how the not the cylinder works byt not that other thing, can you explane ?

repley please

[apowellz]

Read info about this video above and follow the link.

[hlbpr]

Wow! All we need is rotary motion to make a generator work (spin) and free electricity indefinetly. This give way to a whole bunch of different ideas!

[futurepredator8]

nice how u make it.

[apowellz]

Yes, I have a hobby machine shop and foundry - check out my other videos to see other engines and how I made them.

Thanks

[elmav]

Its running on compressed air. Same principles though (sorta).

[novachevyguy]

ok , since you commented i will return the gesture...., once again please explain how this is a "steam engine"

where is the boiler..?? where is the fire box..??

[MartyMartin87]

Really good! To rebuild the steam machine like from the Titanic would be also a great project, but I don't have the machines to make that dream true! :( But maybe in the future!

[apowellz]

Thanks - you sure set your goals high!

[MartyMartin87]

It should only be a machine 'like' from the Titanic, principal

[SthealthRaider]

how u made this?? lathe?

[novachevyguy]

could you please explain to all of us how the hell you concider this to be a steam engine...??? thanks...

[apowellz]

Check out the 10,000 air driven 'steam' engines on You Tube and maybe you figure it out yourself. It would run on steam if I chose to build a boiler. It's more like a air powered motor, as shown here, if you want to split hairs. A mechanical toy.

[1puglife]

thats friggin cool

[freesailer]

Well done ,thanks for sharing.

[30GB]

i bet its really heavy

[apowellz]

Not so much, made mostly of aluminum.

[cod4madass]

wow i had a very early meccano model 1 of these and that was 10 years ago and it still runs today very nice peice of engineering and hope you have a nice time making more nice peices 5 stars

[thewebmaster93]

it has been a whyle! thx for all your help and check out my latest 2 cylinder creation :)

[thimpsy]

have you tested it with any resistance yet? if so what kind of power are you getting from this?

[rwhendrix]

Nice work! Much nicer than mine. But making these is alot of fun.

[apowellz]

Thanks, it is fun. Sort of like making a kinetic sculpture.

[rocky989871]

will pls. tell me how to make it because i am an engg. and i have to make a project

[apowellz]

Check the link in the 'more info' box to fined the basic design used for this engine.

[evereddie]

Amazing piece of work, With regards to the valve mechanism at the back.. i understand the concept of the piston letting air in/out but how does the pressure coming into this area not restrict the piston from moving??

I'm currently in the design process of a pneumatic engine and was just curious.

[apowellz]

Thanks, the valve piston blocks air coming from the inlet and lets air exhaust out the tube the valve actuating rod is moving back and forth in as the engine piston rises. A lot simpler then I make it sound! The is but 1 small hole in the head that the valve piston moves back and forth across. This hole is blocked at TDC and BDC.

[spark300c]

interesting value train set up.

[mpioman9]

Dude! you must be one heck of a machinist to be able to make all of those parts that nice. What is the base cast from? Aluminum? Iron? looks like a sand casting. What method did you use?

[apowellz]

Hey, I'm just learning! The base is sand cast from aluminum - fun to do.

[rullatorn]

very cool, can I buy it?!:D

[pyr0tecnick]

how does the valve mechanism work at the back of the piston

[apowellz]

It is a small piston moving back and forth across a hole in the head letting air in or out.

[mecrazy5]

beatuful sund, that cud probably run on one piston tho! 5*

[ijerry1]

beautifully done!

[apowellz]

Thanks!

[454bigboss]

nicely done

[NORMANDIE1935]

so nice

[neimad19]

wow that ran so perfect real nice job, now all you need is a little brass whistle for it

[apowellz]

Thanks, a brass whistle would be sweet!...or maybe tweeet!

[Pepperoni]

very nice, i am impressed

[apowellz]

Thanks, though you must be easily impressed. :o)

[Spongebob11223344]

Is that double or single acting?

[apowellz]

Single acting

[ianjrab]

...and that's your first? Beautiful and smooth. I can't wait to see your second.

[chesterfield44]

Thats a beautifull engine Allen

What air presure is it running on

[apowellz]

Thank you. I don't really know. The compressor regulator ia set at 90 PSI. I really have the needle valve choked down to control the speed. I would guess it would run on about 15 - 20 PSI

[daboomonline]

Awesome. I wish I had access to a workshop to make some stuff like that.

[johnrob281]

Very nice...good workmanship.

[apowellz]

Thanks.