Stuart Tuner Oscillator, build feb. 2003

Normally you start building this machine first. I thought I was smart enough to build the Stuart 10V first, than the Weir steampump, and than this nice little engine.

If I was  just a little smarter I would have build this engine first.  Although small and simple, there is a lot to learn from building this engine.

Because there are no adjustments to make in this engine, you will be punished for every mistake you make.

Lessons learned:

Every hole should be exact at the right spot, every surface should be exactly square or parallel. 

I made the piston and the piston rod too tight, so the resistance was too high. The flywheel is not big enough in this case to pull it through the upper and lower ' turning point' .

I learned the most important lesson for every steam engine builder:

• The hole for the cylinder should be 100% parallel to the bearing of the piston rod.

• Piston that are screwed on the piston rod, should be machined together with the piston rod, meaning that you first make the piston rod, than screw it into the piston and turn it down on the lathe untill the right size. Only than the piston wil be absolutely parallel to the pistonrod.

• Always first machine the hole, that the part that goes in it.  It is much easier to adjust this latter part that it is to increase a hole.

• If you ream a hole, you have to put the reamer completely through the hole, if you do it only half way, the hole will be slightly smaller at the beginning. (few hundreds of a millimeter).

• It is almost impossible (for me) to polish the surface on which the cylinder is attached, and the cylinder surface itself, by hand. Machining them is more reliable.

I stop listing up further mistakes I made, I think this is painfull enough.