Vic needs a Steam Punk outfit for running these engines. Some brass rimmed goggles, black leather duster coat, top hat, long leather gauntlets, and bondage boots.
I'm with you friend!! And a friend like Jonathan also. Birds of a feather flock together, it seems to me Jonathan's family and friends share a true bond, I hope for more of that in this world
Almost need a steam hammer kicking around. Next time you're near an old mining town, eh? Attachment for the Bobcat if you accidently buy a huge one, heh heh. That's a heck of a lot of work there guys, well done she's gonna run!
I have no doubt that we'll be seeing this Corliss running! With Vic on the job, you know it's going to happen! Love seeing these huge old engines getting a second chance!
I'm with you. The casting broke because of too much press. The other is it filled with water and froze. Either way that's a nice but huge repair. I wish I could come over and fix those broken out areas for you. I have brazed many large castings on the carpet looms. As long as you have the heat it can be done. Cheers Terry
I like your frozen theory. Ice exerts a lot more force than the steam pressure it was designed to run on, and explains both the tie bolts and the sleeve. Jonathan- iron expands/contracts .00000655 per inch per degree, there's no way that thin sleeve could exert that much force on that massive casting.
Cosmetic casting defects used to be repaired with a product called "Smooth-On" cement. If memory serves it was powered iron and sulfur that was mixed with water and laid in the defects where it hardened. A little cleanup and the defects disappeared.
Well done mate, you have enough to enter the slippery slope of having to find more to get this relic back to work! Get out there with your metal detector and skid steer and hunt for the missing bits, hope they are not too deep! Who knows whatever other treasures may be hiding there!😅
Jonathan, What you and Vick are doing is amazing. I get the feeling when you go back to look for more of the parts, the metal detector is going with you. You guys seem that determined to have fun... 😄😄😄
Boy that's quite a project you guys have taken on. That would be tough enough in a full equipped shop, pretty hard core to be doing it outside in winter. Those Corliss engines are certainly a beautiful thing when they're up and running. I got to work with some of the last working steam engines on the British Columbia coast. They had a pair of 600 hp Corliss engines that ran the newsprint machines. They were gorgeous things, all gleaming red paint and brass. Fascinating to watch.
@@SteamCrane I don't know what eventually happened to them. The paper mill closed in 1980 and everything was auctioned off. They originally had five paper machines run by Corliss engines, but when I was there only two were still running. They had been scavenging parts from the downed engines to keep those two running. I hope one of them at last ended up in a museum or something, but I never heard anything.
Thinking the cylinder sleeve caused the case to split like that is genius. Wish I thought of that as quickly as you did. As always,, I learn something new every episode of yours, Jonathan. Much respect from Texas. 👍
Have you used Evapo-Rust™ Rust Remover. I see people take a large plastic tote. Cut the top an get a 30 gallons of Evapo-Rust™ Rust Remover then all your rusted parts could go in it. Also they put a heater in it to make it work better. The amount of rusty parts you do might help in the long run. It never goes bad can strain and use multiple times. Good Luck. I think you should have been born a Hundred Fifty years ago. Love the old stuff not Chin#### plastic Junk. That’s what made this Country. Thanks
I see now how that design is better than a sliding valve steam engine. In pinkneville Illinois city park used to have a couple of big steam engines.. thanks for showing this
Love these steam engine videos, esp the Corliss! Jonathan, if you have to choose which vid to make, I'll vote for the Corliss. I can find untold numbers of LS swap videos on RU-vid but no one else is restoring not one, but TWO Corliss steam engines! Best regards from Key West, Capt. Blackheart Charlie
Sure seems like whoever was in charge of maintenance and repair on this engine had no idea or totally underestimated the expansion rate of big, thick, heavy pieces of iron like that 14" + piston sleeve. Maybe a high pressure/temperature event caused some excessive heat/expansion too ??? With that big, thick sleeve installed in that casting, I would guess you would want to heat this engine up really slowly so the body casting would have a chance to expand with the sleeve ??? Hard to imagine how much force that sleeve is putting on that body casting while it's trying to expand from the initial steam heat !!
Dang Jonathan, how can you work for somebody like? Vic is a slave driver. He won't let you stop. Hahaha. Everything's looking Good. Oh and tell Vic you need a break.
Well Jonathan, somehow I didn't think you could stay away from that baby, it's a challenge you just couldn't resist🤣 Especially as your good lady likes it so much👍👍
Your back and forth with Vic reminds me of mine with my buddy. He called in and was showing me his new Dremall he'd just bought when he pointed out a couple of nails that had come loose in my fence. I took the Dremall as if to use it as a hammer. For a split second he was taken in...... I guess ya had to be there and easily amused. Best wishes to all long term fans from Australia.
When you have help that wants to do something, you almost have to keep going. I agree with you, that the sleeve is holding the pressure. If it's steel, it should be strong enough. Even cast should be.
they mighta been using long studs in them head bolts to draw in the sleeve and then ran into trouble. It could account for why they was all stripped out as they kept breaking them and using a new pair till they got it pulled in. probably adding torch heat to the outside as well during the process leading to the cracks.
Every time I watch your videos. Jonathan, I keep thinking to myself. This is a fella I can hang out with. This is a fella I could be friends with Abby Normal 😂🤣🤣😜😜😂 very funny I get it Young Frankenstein
Man you are prolific! To bad you live towards the far coast , I could use some of your help would love to hang out with you and maybe help you a little! I like your virtual stuff!
I ain't there so l really can't say but from what I'm seeing - the committee in my head is saying the sleeve went in after the fact(damage)as a repair...l think something got in there & slammed brakes on the pretty flywheel & that's how that valve rocker thing got broke as well - whole engine assembly probably tried to lift the foundation off the ground...& truth be said I'd druther face that 'issue' than the boiler blowing up...maybe somebody was mad about how the civil war was going & wanted to sabotage something 🤔 l don't know...even though he did promise that he would not get angry - l think some of the sedagive scene was still lingering on when he found out about Mr A.B. Normal...l just hope you're not upset with me..l mean, it could be worse - could be raining
I know you have a job. But, your passion for the steam engine shows in the enjoyment of repair, rebuild and running that you do. Vick is having fun too it seems. Interesting video.
Jonathan, another thing that works great at freeing up rusted parts is 5% acidity white vinegar. Usually if something is soaked overnight in vinegar, it is easily freed up if it isnt already freed up just from the vinegar.
Great videos. Maybe you could talk about what you do with the boiler when you shut the engines down. My Great-Uncle had a relative who came to work in a factory, probably around the turn of the century, and the boiler had run dry overnight and when he added water to it, it exploded and he was killed. Sad story.
Killing me with the normal, I call it looking at it from a mechanical and safety perspective and making a good solid solution for what you need and want to do.
Vic can turn out a real good engineer coz he knows how to use an axe, but he needs to concentrate on his learnin's and give up stripping. He''ll have to leave that to less suitable rivals.
That's the great part about RU-vid we can go back and look maybe we got a good enough image somewhere in a video to tell if the Bates engine had a sleeve
Thanks Jonathan, 😳 Now I'm gonna to be haven nightmares about... "Dirty Vic The Stick Down" in Fayetteville, up on stage... sripping off his 😎 ZZ Top leather tuxedo jacket not spinning his a guitar around something else 😱 LOL 😆 This is the last time I watched one of your videos before I go to bed lol...
Looks like you fellas have some fun there. I've never been lucky enough to find a friend who's interested in helping with my oddball mechanical projects...
I do enjoy the steam engine and equipment videos, but I really miss the automotive videos.. What ever happened to the Elcar? 59 Ford? Nash? Studebakers? Rat Rods? Etc? It would be great to have videos on them coming out again
I've started a bigger Corliss cold, not proud, we all had a late Saturday night. Didn't warm properly. I heard the water sloshing down the exhaust holes. Very forgiving engines if some water inside. Good thoughts on the broken bolts and clocked head. Bless you two.
I have loved steam engines for years, I’ve made a couple model steam engines and had a few factory made models I even have a steam whistle attached to the side of my roof that I run off a compressor. However the blackforest wild fire of 2013 took my house and everything in it, 10 years later I’m just getting the desire back and have picked up some tools to get back at it. Anyway I love your man size toys
My dad used to bring me to hit and miss engine shows, and I'd see the old steam engines, which always fascinated me. I've learned so much about them watching your videos. Thank you for the education and your determination to bring these old engines back to life.
I like that comment everyone should be blessed with a friend like Vic and I'm going to talk for Jonathan and say you don't know the half of it but yeah it's good having friends that you can rely on and enjoy to be around and he makes great content like I really loved the comment about Ellie bent the crank on that pulley with his head thanks Jonathan ciao for now
I think that engine was decommissioned let's say maybe100 years ago fully in-tacked. It was then stored really badly and froze dozens of times which cracked it. Someone then came along a half century later or so, with a view of putting it back to work either as a museum piece or a personal project. The head was found to be seized on along with the rest of it because of the way it was stored possibly. The damage to the threads, machine flanges etc then occurred whilst trying to pry it apart. Once stripped down the damaged cylinder/steam chest was re-sleeved to a smaller bore, easiest and cheapest solution, the piston and head were cut down to size then the welding and reinforcing cage was built around the steam cylinder and chest . The flanges/threaded holes etc around the cylinder head area that were snapped off, were done whilst prying on various parts to remove them. The head once cut down was then clocked in an attempt to avoid the weakest areas and hay Presto! Now I would be interested to know how this really happened and if it ever was pressed back into service at some point once the work had been done or did It simply have all that done by a Man or woman t-he just like yourself let's say a back yard enthusiast just for the pleasure of working on such an iconic feat of engineering. . Either way thanks for all your hard work and great videos
Vic deserves a pat on the back for all his work on the engine. No doubt that this engine will also be a runner. Great Job you are doing getting them up and running again.
Great history I am sure it's alot of work it has to give you a sense of peace nobody rushing thinking about the work those engines did to help build America 👍
