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At some time in my childhood, I had a Mamod Minor 1. I swapped it for a model aircraft engine, and have regretted it ever since.
In the past few weeks, I decided that I need a steam engine again. I stumbled across this forum and, after reading some posts about scratch built engines, I was inspired to build one. I had a few dead floppy disk drives that I hadn't got around to throwing out (yes, I'm a hoarder), so I used the chassis and flywheel from a floppy drive as the basis of the engine. I made the piston and cylinder from brass rod. The steam plate is a piece of 25mm x 6mm steel filed flat and smoothed with an oilstone. I then lapped the cylinder and steam plate using fine grinding compound.
I've run it on compressed air. A benefit of using the floppy drive is that the floppy motor now generates about 3.9 Volts AC, three phase. Now I have to build a boiler. I'm lucky that there is a shop that sells machine tools, kits for steam and Stirling engines and other accessories, just 10 minutes from home.
I have video of the "Steam Floppy" running if anyone's interested.
Peter.
Edit, I just woke up to the fact that I posted links to the thumbnails instead of the pictures. They might be a bit easier to see now.
Manxman
Hi Peter and welcome to the forum. What a great little project and just right for the forum.Get that 'video' downloaded so we can all see your first, of what will become many, engines.
Wallace
Hi Peter and a big welcome to the forums, also from Australia
Sounds like a great project, and really looking forward to the video
Classic
Thanks for the welcome and the encouragement. Here's the video.
Most of the noise is from the little 12V compressor that's supplying the compressed air.
I now have a YouTube account and have edited this post accordingly.
Peter.
Wallace
Video worked no worries
That is great. Well done on building that. Great runner
Would have never imagined using a Floppy drive as a basis for an engine.
So it's an engine and generator all in one?
tmuir
Thats great and runs very smoothly, congrats on having the first steam powered floppy drive on the forum.
I'll look forward to seeing more of your creations.
Also Welcome to the forum.
Classic
Wallace wrote:
Would have never imagined using a Floppy drive as a basis for an engine.
So it's an engine and generator all in one?
The flywheel was the rotor of the motor that turns the disk in a floppy drive, and it has a magnetic strip just inside the outer circumference. When I stripped the drive, I removed the circuit board with the coils on it, and was going to throw it away. Then I woke up to the fact that it could act as a generator, so I put it back in. It also gives me a signal that lets me measure the RPM. It was doing close to 3,000 RPM in the video. I haven't tested the power output yet. I'll wait until I have it under steam. Compressed air is a bit boring.
The idea to use a floppy drive came from looking for a flywheel. My little Unimat 3 lathe won't part off any metal of the diameter needed for a flywheel. Having spent a fair bit of my career as a computer technician, I knew that there was a flywheel in a floppy drive. When I got the drive apart, I then realised that I could save some more time and effort by using the chassis. So, the steam floppy was born from my unwillingness to hacksaw through 50mm steel bar or fabricate a frame. I call it constructive laziness
Wallace
Thanks for that info, really appreciated
Stilldrillin
Hello, Peter.
A big welcome from Derbyshire, UK.
My son stripped several computers some while ago.
I stored the drive parts under my bench, awaiting inspiration..........
Les Marsh
Very ingenius and welcome to the forum.
Classic
Thanks everyone for your support of a somewhat crazy project.
David, if you're thinking about making use of your hoarded computer parts, I found my way around a few problems. After seeing your work on the SE3+, you may find better ways around the traps than I did. Should I start a thread in the Technical tips, details etc. forum to pass on what I learned?
Today I found that I can buy copper pipe in diameters of 50mm, 65mm, 80mm and 100mm and a minimum length of 1 metre at a local plumbing shop. As I'd like to build a few different types of boiler, it's probably worth buying a metre of 65mm pipe. I should be able to press the ends from brass sheet, using a press that I made using a steering rack from a small car. All I have to do is make the punch and die from hardwood. I made the press for folding the cases of guitar effects pedals that I design and build. If anyone wants information on how I made the press, I can post that in the Technical tips, details etc. forum as well.
tmuir
Please do post how you made the press as I've been thinking that at some point I will need a press and was thinking along the lines of a car hydraulic jack but your idea sounds better as it would be a smoother action.
Graham-Jilly
hi Peter welcome to the forum
great projects you have there
must go through our junk computer parts now
Classic
tmuir wrote:
Please do post how you made the press as I've been thinking that at some point I will need a press and was thinking along the lines of a car hydraulic jack but your idea sounds better as it would be a smoother action.
Yeah, the action is smooth, and the mechanical advantage is enough to fold 1.2mm steel. I bought a 3 tonne hydraulic jack, but decided that the steering rack was better. I thought seriously about using a power steering system, but safety interlocks were a big issue.
It will take a few days to put the info into useful form, but I'll post details in Technical tips within a week.
In the meantime, here's a picture of the press in action on a 0.8mm guitar pedal case.
Peter.
IndianaRog
Hi Peter and welcome to the forum from Indiana, USA. I love your steam/floppy drive...what a great idea!!!
cheers,
Roger
Steve_S
Welcome to the forum Peter! I'm very interested in what you say about pressing parts... that's something I've been meaning to try. Someone I spoke to recently (at STIA) told me that he used aluminium punches and dies that he had turned himself, and that he used his bench vice as a press. The boiler endcaps that he had made this way looked very good. I've been meaning to try something similar but with hardwood punches and dies, as I can make those on my woodturning lathe.
johnreid
Taking the Stepper Generator to the next level, I love it.
Please do post a how to in the tech section.
Nick
from Minnesota!
Your project looks great!
Les Marsh
Look forwards to seeing the post.
toxx
... hello, Peter! And a big Willkommen from Austria, the country postal people the world over keep mistaking for Australia!
Wow, your floppy steam engine is awesome! I'm looking forward to your new posts!
Cheers, mate!
Says Tom
mogogear
Greetings from the West Coast ...... of the US- sharp first project --!!
Welcome
greg
barry1946
A big from Bonnie Scotland!
Griffin
Welcome to the forum Peter.
Very ingenious use of a floppy drive there.
Dave B
Hi Peter, and welcome from western Canada! Ingenious project, and great thinking behind your tooling! I look foreward to more posts from you!
TRAPPERKEEPER
Nice design, welcome to the forums!!!!!!!!!!
markos
Welcome from the bottom end of the country Peter. Looking forward to tech posts!
Classic
Once again, thanks to everyone for the great welcome. In the coming week, I shall get some photos together of both the Steam Floppy and the press and post them with some how-to instructions in the appropriate place. My press is welded in a couple of places, but could be built completely with bolts and threaded rod (allthread) instead of welds. My next project will probably be something more conventional than the floppy drive, unless I find more junk around the place, that I can turn into a steam engine.
Mamodman123
Welcome to the forums!
Look forward to your posts
MM
johnreid
Cant wait for the instructions, welcome aboard
Kritika
Hi Peter – a big welcome to the forum from the South of England
steamgranny
Bienvenu
MTA
Welcome from Sussex, Classic
I really do like the use of the floppy disk as the basis for a steam engine.
Ingenuity and recycling at its best
xlchainsaw
welcome from brisbane from glenn and liz
Cranko
Big welcome from New zealand mate
kusuchi
big warm welcome from Richard in the US Virgin Islands.
_________________
Andrew
A not quite so big, but equally warm welcome from Andrew (age eight) in the US Virgin Islands.
Classic
I'm amazed at the wealth of talent on this forum, particularly the guys who manage to build and restore things without any special machinery. Although I'm lucky enough to have a very small lathe, I believe I have a lot to learn from all of you.
Richard and Andrew, I'm watching your marine build, because I've always loved boats. Reid, your thread about music box movements has given me an idea for a future project.
My thanks to the members who have contacted me about the local group here in my area.
Peter.
steamyman
Peter.
you'll love it here.
barry1946
from Bonnie Scotland!
Andy
welcome to the forum, and a very strage yet great engine you have come up with
