David, I love it all. I have to admit that I am a gear head. Everything about your shop fascinates me. It is almost as sexy as Marilyn Monroe. Almost. Not Quite. And I agree with several others about the slide rule. That is what I started Engineering classes with. A calculator had a handle like a slot machine with a hundred push button keys and you didn't drag it to class. Thanks so much for putting these videos about what you are doing in your shop. Too cool!!
Can't say enough how much i enjoy the channel. You have guts in the face of easy and quick, and love to show us how it was done. Thank you for the timeless examples and education. RU-vid will help preserve what you have shared. Camera and sound work are excellent.
My grandfather was the boiler room foreman and head mechanic at Rogers Peet, a clothing store and manufacturer in the Bronx., N.Y. They had their own coal fired steam powered generating plant. He and his crew had to stoke 16 ft. boilers by hand!! I still have some of his books and his pipe threading tools which are similar in appearance to some of yours. I love the slide rule, I have one like that. I learned to use it and do exponential notation before pocket calculators came out. When they did, the other kids ' calculator batteries would die in the middle of a test. and I was still working away and done ahead of time. I still use it! Thanks for posting!
The interrupted cut on that large pulley really gave us a good look at tool deflection each time it picked up the cutting load. Last winter I dug out my old slide rule during a housecleaning binge. It must be 50 years since I used it for any serious work; can't even remember what half the scales are for. Keep up the good work; the old iron is fascinating!
Dave, thank you so much for your videos.In todays world its so nice to see someone who takes their time and enjoys what they do. Its so peaceful to watch you work.
I grew up with slide rules and own three right now. I do not use them every day but for rough-cut calculation they are much faster than calculators, and you can see all the numbers. Never thought I'd see one on YT. As usual, fascinating. Thanks for posting.
You know Dave, when I first saw your shop I didn't think you could make it much better.....but hey going to be 100s of times better. Excellent video as ever. Slide rule....I had one at college, even forgot they existed lol. Really hope it all goes well for you :)
I very much like the video. You do a great job teaching. But I really want to complement your video production. The quality of your intro and exit is just super. Beautifully done. Beautifully understated. Fascinating to watch. Makes you want to get comfortable to watch the video. Thumbs Up!!
I suffer withdrawal pains waiting for your next episode!!!!! Thank you for providing them. I love the steam engine as a power source-----to me is seems so much quieter than electric powered tools, also the old equipment that you use never wears out and rarely breaks down.
Got to love that knob and tube house wiring you put your hand near when winding the clock. when I bought my old house the knob and tube come up in the underwriting for the insurance policy. They were very insistant that if there was any, it had to go. I hope the insulation is up to date or the circuit not energized. That said I absolutely love your content and projects. Great videos! I look forward to each one.
Hi Dave .,.. I have been re-watching all of your videos and am enjoying them all over again. Just wanted to say that I have NO experience with a slide rule but your explanation was so good, I actually Got what you were saying. My hat's off to you, Sir and thanks for all of the entertainment and knowledge. Russ
@@davidrichards5594 Thanks, Dave ... I have had an interest in steam engines of all types since I was a boy in the early 50s. Learning about machining and watching all the Greats, including you, on You Tube has been a pastime for me for the past 10 years. I grew up on a farm and an apple orchard til I was 18 and then struck out on my own to make my own life... I know what hard work and dedication look like and I see it in you through every video. Thank You for taking the time and trouble to show us your work and beautiful shop. Russ
so glad i found your channel !! found it because of a love for steam engines , but have always had a love for machine work ! my grand pa was and Amish black smith .and had some interesting tools for measuring wheel rims and i remember old steam power engines as power units for thrashing ,on wheels , pulled with a team , before they went to cut down john deere s
Dave, thanks for this great video and keep up the steam too you have helped to stoke my interest in steam even more I know one of the first projects for my shop when I get set up will be model steam engines thanks again for keeping the craft and trades alive have a good day and a better tomorrow
Absolutely brilliant - again! Everything about your shop is superb - the clock, the electrical wiring, the scales for measuring your balancing weights, all the little details that make it such an authentic steam-powered shop. Thanks for making such high quality videos.
Hey Dave, another fabulous video. Love the idea of putting a steam trap inline with the new engine... Always looking forward your next video. Thanks too much.
Great video. I have a slide rule, not that I ever used it. I acquired it from the estate of a man that really did use it. I remember the slide rule from high school and my failed attempt at drafting or mechanical drawing class. I'm 79 and most of those brain cells have been put to use on other projects. I salute you sir and all you do in your line of work. Makes my heart jump when I see you have uploaded another video, they never get old or boring....Ken
ahh yes, slide rules! back in 1967 I started Engineering classes at Youngstown (Ohio) University. my very first acquisition was a top of the line Pickett slide rule. then later on I had to take a 1 credit course in how to use a calculator - the good old days indeed!
Glenn Martin Haha, David has quite few things I have never seen in my life. The clock is the most easy to understand. I have an old Cold War era ICBM bunker clock... Property of US government even :o) and that one wind up clockwise, prolly like most clocks do :o)
Eric Corse Come on guys it's a time machine you wind it clockwise for the future and anti-clockwise for the past , else how does the steam power workshop function 😊 Just joking guys great video again Dave Boy that slide rule made me feel old , started with one then used logs until these silicon based thing came along , remembers having to put a margin on the page for the logs to show the examiner how you derived the answer if you where pushed for time in the exam making your answer slide rule Stuart old codger
G'day Dave just when you thought algebra was a forgotten maths out come a "slide rule". Seriously Dave very interesting video and how you set up the pulleys, there's more to it than I imagined. Thank you once again John
Love your videos, the feeling the clock, the topics are all really entertaining and relaxing actually. I cant believe you pulled out a slide rule, I've never seen one much less the way you whip it out and casually use it like nothing!
David, I love your shop. I am 28 and have had a fascination with anything steam powered. Watching you work in a steam powered shop makes me giddy like a little girl with new clothes and candy. My only thought process is I hope you move exclusively to working on steam powered everything and continue posting videos. Seriously thank you. For taking the time and posting the videos.
Hello from Australia. I have been watching your channel for a long time now and think it is great. Your shop reminds me so much of how I used to work. I did a Fitting and Machining apprenticeship back in the early 70's for a company called Ross Robbins. They got a contract/Licence to make Dreadnought industrial Valves shortly after the start of WW1 and they just kept on making them. In the shop I worked in there was an old Ward (I think 3 ) Capstan lathe that we would start up from time to time to produce Gas Cocks. It was overhead belt driven with exposed 4" lather flat belt. The drive had been modified from a overhead common shaft to an electric motor mounted above the lathe. When we engaged the drive pulley it would make the same sound as the Door bell on the Adam's Family TV show. Why we used this lathe ? it had Bronze bushing in the head stock so when we machines the long tappers in the gas cocks we got perfect seats (no chatter). Here is another thing .. we all had mostly our own machines, we knew how to work them to get the best out of them. You have a very good channel.
Thanks for the comment Charlie, Sounds like you all really"knew" your machines. I've heard that plain bearing spindles produce better work on some things. I've never owned a roller bearing lathe....Dave
I liked this before i even saw it...he he...You really bring so many people joy for making these great videos... Your passion and smarts are inspiring! Personally I cant thank you enough for taking the time to make all these for us. You really are one of my favorite shops. Its such a treat and i know the videos take quite an effort..and you are doing a great job with the production too... The shots are beautiful and well framed and thought out...Cheers!
It's such a delight to see you working in your shop with the old machinery and also improving it staying true to old style and ways. Thank you so much for sharing!
A slide rule?I haven't used one since 4360's were pullin 3500 brake horsepower at 247 Ft lbs of torque NACA day.Yes now your getting us to think.Yes I'm that old.Thank's for the trip down memory lane
Hi Dave, I really enjoy your videos and look forward to each new installment. I recently restored a 1913 Vulcan Engineering Sales Co. Q &C Standard Power Hack Saw. Cast into the top of the saw bed was “60 RPM”. The saw appears smaller then yours but has the same stroke. The saw along with tools for a complete metal working machine shop, wood working tools for a pattern making shop, and blower and equipment for a cupola foundry for casting iron were all purchased from Sears in one order in 1913. Amazingly this was for a small farm shop located in north central South Dakota. The family, still has the original invoice listing every item down to the individual drill bits. A 6hp Economy engine, purchased at the same time provides the power. I have included a link to a drop box containing information on the shop, the equipment, and the families patents and inventions. The shop is now located at Prairie Village near Madison SD. www.dropbox.com/sh/iu15wflsw1y64fj/AABB3ByEdq_-DL3VNqHiFqQZa?dl=0 password: 1913 The research and information contained within the drop box was compiled by the original owners great granddaughter.
David, the "dial gauge" you used for centreing in the four-jaw chuck is wonderful. Things such as that would encourage young chaps to be careful with their tools.
Bonjour David, Why do you use a 4 jaws chuck for round pieces instead of a 3 ? It is always a great pleasure to watch your videos. Amicalement, Raphaël
Hi Dave, Everybody has already made my comments: fascinating topic, great video work, relaxing to watch, and it just flew by. Always ready for the next one. Joe PS I for one would be more than happy to support you on Patreon if you ever decide to go with that. Just let us know.
Gear trains and pulleys.. one place where a slide rule is better than a digital calculator. It allows you to see at a glance what combinations will give the desired result... especially if you have an assortment of gears or pulleys and want to see if what you have will work without the expense of new components.
First slide-rule demonstration I've seen, and I'm not a kid. Makes me wish I had learned to use one. Odd question--That angled tool rack you've got in the middle of your shop. I'm curious what the philosophy/history might be of that thing. At first glance I thought the slots were to be used like some sort of French cleat system, but it looks as though you've just driven a nail wherever you want something. So is it just a convenient mini-wall built to a design that assumes no sheet goods? Thanks as always for the great content. Big thumbs up.
It is a much smaller version that was totally inspired by the one in the end of the East Broad Top Railroad machine shop. It could have gone back to 1882 then when they put up a shop or 1904 when they "modernized" it. Thanks for watching....Dave
Looking forward to the Racine Saw. I have one that is almost identical but with cast iron legs rather than the cast iron pedestal box you have. Mine is of WW II vintage and has the War Ordinance department tag still on it.
Mine is WWI vintage and you would think yours with cast iron legs would be older, maybe the box base was for models with coolant, mine has a reservoir in the bottom....Dave
It hasn't been all that many years since I ran an old paper machine that was built in 1901 and it was driven by one small steam turbine. In addition the 125 foot line shaft had 7-8 drive belts running up though the floor above. The newest of these machines was built in 1964 but now the whole thing has been scraped and the site is nothing but a field in the banks of the Mississippi River.
Another great clip Dave thanks! It will be good to see the hack saw running off the line shaft as well as the shaper when you get to that . Could you maybe show a bit more detail in how all the shafting is hung , like how the bearings are held in the hanger you had cast? Looks like you should store your step stool you were on at the end over by your clock for winding it.. OH ya it may of been 7th grade algebra when we went to school but now I am afraid it is college level common core math.
Dave, I recently found a working Waltham watch company grandfather clock in excellent condition using three liquid Mercury weight vessels. Unfortunately the gentleman that owns it isn't interested in selling. Top to bottom is roughly 9 1/2 feet with a long timing weight. I used to work for the Boston and Albany Railroad and the clock has printed on the clock master clock for the Boston and Albany Railroad. He said he bought it They were demolishing the building and the demo foreman said you want it ? Get it out of here , you have one day. It's gorgeous. And it still has the electrical contacts that the telegraph was hooked up to to time all the other clocks on railroad property used that signal to be accurate time wise. One of these days I'll find one for myself.
Bonjour David, Alawys a pleasure to watch you videos; I am familiar with metric measures and I am not able to understand yours. Never mind as soon as you can :+) Amicalement, Raphaël
lol, only 2 or 3 countries in the world, left that haven't switched to metric. Come on america you don't want to come in last do you? (Even your world famous space agency nasa has switched to metric)
Bonjour Billy, I have been several times to America and have been a bit lost with gallons for my rental cars and tips to be added after the taxes (In France, when you pay a bill, everuthing is included) :+) Amicalement, Raphaël
Hi Dave - Love the videos! You have inspired me to get a lathe and start learning - I am in the process of buying a South Bend 9" Junior nearly identical to the one you showed in your first video. Any chance you could spend a few minutes in one of the videos showing it in use? Thanks for all you do - its an inspiration to us folks just getting started!
Great video David! Thank you. That helps me a lot in figuring out speeds on my own line drive. Is there a reason for running the main shaft at 240 rpm or is it just what you happen to use? I'm also wondering what the horsepower requirement is for an engine to run your size of setup?
Jim, I'd suggest 240-260 for a large lathe. You can run faster on a small lathe like a 9". The small 5 HP steam engine ran the whole shop with no trouble at all. A 5HP electric motor would probably be minimum. The big shop engine is 60 HP, but I run it at 90 RPM with only 70 psi so You can see it's very big "overkill".....Dave
What is the make and model of the small blue drill press? I'm looking for something similar but having trouble finding anything. Love your videos and you have inspired me to build a similar but smaller steam shop.
Absolutely brilliant, can't wait for the next one. You are the best. How easy is it to get hold of pulleys? Are they still being manufactured? Are any youngsters interested in carrying on the work in your shop? Will your existing boiler provide enough steam for the big engine? Any plans for a superheater? Do you treat the water for your boiler with, for example, tannin or do you use rainwater? Did I tell you that I am making a model Yarrow boiler?
Colin: To answer a few of your questions, I get old pulleys I like at engine show flea markets, etc. and I'm pretty sure you can buy new stamped steel "split" flat belt pulleys from industrial suppliers that have the different 2 piece hub bushings for different size shafts. I'm using one of those on my big lathe drive. At the load it will be running against. the hoist boiler will be more than adequate to run the bigger engine. I use a boiler treatment called "Boiler Saver" from Jim Conte, you'll find it on line. I use rain water adjusted to about ph of 9. ...Dave
Great video Dave. Dave had you thought of buying a commercial steam trap? I know it's new, but they are very efficient. Another thing is steam pressure, what pressure will you be running? Can't wait for that new engine to be up and running. Sorry another question, is the shop going to be full when you get all that equipment up and running?
hey pretty cool set up dave. you are a wild man on that slide rule. is there a book on steam engine design that you could recommend? thanks for posting.
Hello again Dave, Are you sure that you should have used circumference to work out the RPM? A power hacksaw cuts linearly not circumferentially, so on a 6" pulley you have the saw's connecting rod going through 6" from the 3 O'Clock to the 9 O' clock positions. Every rev gives you 6" (ignore the non-cutting return-stroke) so for 135 feet per minute you need 135 x 0.5 ft = 67.5 rpm. Not a world of difference in the real life, so nothing to worry about. Am I correct or have I missed something monumental here? Keep up the good work I simply love your videos. Steve
Hey Dave I was watching your video . When you were putting oil in the lathe oilers I was wondering what type of oil you use . And how many drops per minute you use . I have a 1941 Southbend with the top oilers and I use way oil and about one drop per minute . It would be neat to see your HBM running on the line shaft
Could you plumb that so the condensation goes back into the barrel? Or, just not enough water to worry about? I've heard good things about Catail. Liked.
Good question, that water (unlike the exhaust) could be recycled because there wouldn't be cylinder oil with it. I don't know if there will be enough to bother with, it would be mostly on start up, we will see.....Dave
Dave: Great video, again. Every time a new one comes out I drop what I'm doing to watch. To drain the condensate out of your steam separator (which I what I would have called that device) wouldn't a bucket type steam trap do the trick? It'll only open when there is enough condensate to activate it. I haven't bought one in forty years, but I bet your plumbing wholesale supplier can put his hands on one, no? Carry on, brother!
