Build Your Own 1/4-Scale Steam Engine
Scott Carroll has the plans and parts needed to build your own 1/4-scale steam engine. Carroll couldn’t find plans when he wanted to build his own. When he finally located them, he couldn’t find the castings needed. When he did, he decided to make them available to others as well.
“I looked for castings for 6 months before I was told about molds for making the parts in Canada,” says Carroll. “I located a foundry. They keep the patterns and pour high quality castings for me.”
Carroll sells plans and castings for a Case 65 hp., 1/4-scale steam engine. A DVD with boiler and steam engine plans as either PDF’s or blueprints is priced at $300. For $5,000 a wannabe steam engine operator gets a kit of more than 50 grey iron castings, not including pieces like a water pump or other off-the-shelf parts.
These are not bolt together parts, but pieces that require extensive machining to exact dimensions. They also may require slight modifications, not to mention certain skills and special tools.
“To build a steam engine, you have to know how to weld, use a vertical mill and use a 14 by 40-in. metal lathe,” says Carroll. “You also need to build your own boiler or have someone do it for you. I use a boilermaker who has been doing it for more than 35 years. Kits can be ordered with or without a boiler.”
Carroll advises customers to build the boiler first and then get a set of wheels under it so it can be moved around as needed. “Then you add pieces to it as you turn them out on the lathe or mill them,” he says.
It is a lengthy process. “I sold a kit to a man who is a diesel mechanic,” recalls Carroll. “He has a 15-year old son he wanted to teach about steam. They have a project to work on together for several years, but when they are done, they will have accomplished something together.”
Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Scott Carroll, P.O. Box 133, Erskine, Minn. 56535 (ph 612 865-4193; scalesteamtractors@gmail.com; www.scalesteamtractors.com).
Click here to download page story appeared in.
Click here to read entire issue
Build Your Own 1/4-Scale Steam Engine TRACTORS Made-It-Myself Scott Carroll has the plans and parts needed to build your own 1/4-scale steam engine Carroll couldn’t find plans when he wanted to build his own When he finally located them he couldn’t find the castings needed When he did he decided to make them available to others as well “I looked for castings for 6 months before I was told about molds for making the parts in Canada ” says Carroll “I located a foundry They keep the patterns and pour high quality castings for me ” Carroll sells plans and castings for a Case 65 hp 1/4-scale steam engine A DVD with boiler and steam engine plans as either PDF’s or blueprints is priced at $300 For $5 000 a wannabe steam engine operator gets a kit of more than 50 grey iron castings not including pieces like a water pump or other off-the-shelf parts These are not bolt together parts but pieces that require extensive machining to exact dimensions They also may require slight modifications not to mention certain skills and special tools “To build a steam engine you have to know how to weld use a vertical mill and use a 14 by 40-in metal lathe ” says Carroll “You also need to build your own boiler or have someone do it for you I use a boilermaker who has been doing it for more than 35 years Kits can be ordered with or without a boiler ” Carroll advises customers to build the boiler first and then get a set of wheels under it so it can be moved around as needed “Then you add pieces to it as you turn them out on the lathe or mill them ” he says It is a lengthy process “I sold a kit to a man who is a diesel mechanic ” recalls Carroll “He has a 15-year old son he wanted to teach about steam They have a project to work on together for several years but when they are done they will have accomplished something together ” Contact: FARM SHOW Followup Scott Carroll P O Box 133 Erskine Minn 56535 ph 612 865-4193; scalesteamtractors@gmail com; www scalesteamtractors com
To read the rest of this story, download this issue below or click
here to register with your account number.
