ncseverson's Jensen 25

Nick · ncseverson's Jensen 25

This is my newest engine I picked up at a local antique shop today

:

Les

Very nice indeed, all you need to go with it is a cast generator.

Nick

The interesting part of this engine is that it has stayed in Minnesota since leaving the Jensen factory.

johnreid

I will give you $5 for the box

Nick

johnreid

Nick

It has white stuff on it, but here it is:

Les

Nick

A label from Sears in Minneapolis, MN.

(94 miles from me)

johnreid

White stuff? Maybe it made the dealer enough money before you bought it

Nick

Then it traveled 111 miles to Austin, MN.

(38 miles from me)

Nick

Then through several years, it ended up in an Antique shop in Rochester, MN (43 miles from Austin)

Then it traveled from Rochester, 15 miles to it's new home in Kasson, MN.

Nick

Jensen must not have worried about the bases, because the base chosen for this one isn't that nice of a piece of wood.

Les

Nick

I'll post pictures of the base tonight.

The stain doesn't even go on the bottom of their bases.

johnreid

They were all plywood, and just ask Roger, the stain job wasnt all that good, in fact I think that Tom Jr has really improved that part. The plywood is probably BC grade, at least it isnt CDX

Griffin

Nick, that is a lovely #25 you have there, they really are the "must have" jensen.

The box is a real nice touch, and gives the engine some provenance.

I have a couple of new engines, and the bases on these engines are finished to a higher standard, and even complete without sawdust in the varnish

IndianaRog

Nick, if you are lucky you will find Mr. Tom Jensen Sr. fingerprints in the stain on the bottom edges...and NO, the plywood was not cabinet grade, the staining was put on with a broom it seems and if there was sawdust on the wood after cutting, it got stained and shellac sealed with one coat.

A furniture maker Jensen was NOT!!! I believe he put all his energy in the mechanical design...the wood was just something it was attached to

I agree, Mr. Jensen Jr. seems to have upgraded the wood used in new bases to something a good bit better.

Nick

I agree, the wood isn't that great, but the rest of the engine is such high quality. I'm glad he didn't waste his time on the base.

johnreid

That base will clean up just fine, you got yourself a real bargain Nick. It pays to be observant.

Nick

I was walking out the door and just the firebox side was showing. At quick glance, I figured it was only a 35.

Monday I am going to visit a few more shops.

Mister Occlusion

Oh you lucky bugger!

That's a nice looking one. Those iron 25's have to be the sweetest running engines Jensen made... Well, in my own limited experience with a small but representative sample of the lineup from various intervals of time. (someone at work once accused me of compulsively qualifying every statement I make).

Nick

Haven't run it yet, but I can't wait too.

johnreid

Check it with an ohm meter to see if there is a short or blown heater.

Nick

Thanks John, I'll try that before running it.

johnreid

HAVE YOU RUN IT YET!!!

Les

johnreid

WAKE UP!!!

Les

Nick

Nick

Les

IndianaRog

Nick, my standard recommendation the first and every time you run an electrically heated engine is:

1) plug the two prong outlet into a Ground Fault Circuit Interupter type protected outlet

2) run a grounding wire from the metal firebox (use a screw as anchoring point) to the third, round hole in that GFCI outlet.

If you do #1&2...if there is any shorting to the ground, the GFCI will trip instead of YOU

I have been bitten a few times by engines when I first began collecting them...bit of Russian Roulette each time I got a new one...never bitten since GFCI route taken...but have uncovered some shorted heaters that way.

Rog

Nick

Thanks Rog.

Nick

John, will you come over and run this for me?

johnreid

you buying the gas?

Nick

johnreid

OK, you come by and pick me up.

Nick

johnreid

That could be arranged I bet.

Nick

johnreid

Film at 11?

Nick

Nick

The gaskets were shot and the sv and whistle need work, so I replaced them for the first run:

Nick

Les

There is nothing wrong with that at all, runs well, even reverse without having to stop it, I am impressed.

johnreid

That one has a real nice flywheel too! Dont you just love reversing on the fly?
Note of interest too, lost of good whistle blowing with a silent film

That is a real nice one, one to be proud of.

Nick

Nick

John, when you run your 25, do you use your variac? This thing builds steam too fast and wants to fly right away.

johnreid

Sometimes I do and sometimes I dont. The regulator gets mine to run at a snails pace. I probably should as it would make the heater last longer.
I think that you can agree that the Cast Base Jensen 25 is a must have.

Les

Nick

Mine goes real slow with the regulator too, but then the boiler just keeps building steam (a waste of energy).

What I did was plugged it in and got it running at top speed, then unplugged it. I then adjusted the regulator to get it as slow as it would go and it ran like that for a few minutes. Then when it got to the point where the regulator was wide open and it was slowing down, I plugged it back in.

They are so fun to run at slow speeds.

johnreid

Nick

Nick

Les

johnreid

The flywheels on all of them were from the same casting, what would happen is that when the casting was prepared to install on an engine, they would put it on a lather and turn it till they shaved enough off to rid the surface of any air pockets. Thus, some required very little metal to be removed and the result was a real chunky Flywheel, and others were shaved down a lot more. Most ended up somewhere imbetween.

Nick

Where is mine at on this scale, I can go measure the thickness.

Please tell me the thickness your's has John.

johnreid

Not at that age, the 75 came along later I believe. One could be converted easily though. A 75 Firebox and Esbit tray would do it.

Nick

The spokes on mine aren't even completely flattended, so it must be extra chunky.

Les

johnreid

Nick

I'll get measurements and closeups in about 2 hours. I'm going out to eat right now.

johnreid

Dont eat too much Esbit, it might give you indigestion.

Les

johnreid

Not of that age I do not believe, but all one would need to do is use a model 75 Firebox and convert one.
The electric Fireboxes do not have the ventilation for Esbit. Basically the 75 is a fuel fired 25, so the firebox would fit the boiler. I believe that a prototype was made once to use Meths, and I think Roger converted one, which might have made it to the UK, I am not sure and will have to look on his page to see. I could be wrong but I think the 75 came along after the change over to the stamped metal engine bases in the hobby line.

Les

Thanks for that.

Nick

Wasn't there an early 75 (black firebox with holes) listed on ebay about a month ago?

IndianaRog

Nick, you are correct...there WAS an early Jensen 75 from the '50's on eBay in the past month. It was not the 75 we know of today which is built for Esbit.

The older 75 was Jensen's ONLY alcohol fired engine and it used a Bowman like "banjo" style burner on a wood base. Apparently Mr. Jensen decided the alcohol route was too hazardous, discontinued production and supposedly bought back inventory and destroyed it.
It was a black side firebox with a row of round holes on each side.

The alcohol 75's pop up on eBay occasionally and usually command around $300 USD...at least twice what the more modern dry fuel version goes for.

I did modify a Jensen 25 into a meths burning version by putting a Jensen 25 sized boiler on a new Jensen 75 firebox (holes for flame to breathe)...added a meths burner and it works beautifully, you can see it on my website under the Jensen section. I basically replicated that early 75 in spirit. Shame Jensen deleted the alcohol fired versions...I think they would have carved a bigger UK/Euro nitch if they were kept.

Rog

Nick

Didn't that one only bring about $100?

I think I even bid on it.

johnreid

How thick is your flywheel?

Nick

Nick

Nick

So is my flywheel chunky???

johnreid

Wow
Now we need others to do the same, take a survey and find out what the average thickness was.
Wonder if Mo and Richard have Calipers?

Nick

Did I measure the right spot?

Nick

I like the looks of John's "nickel" chimney.

Should I polish mine like that?

I can always buy another from Jensen.

Nick

Here's a link to his:

http://www.freewebs.com/johnreid/jensen.htm

Nick

This thing is so much fun that I just ran it again.

Now I need a #5 to compare it too. I just may have to bid on the ebay one.

Les

Nick

If anyone is reading this and you own a cast 25, can you measure the flywheel for John and I?

Thanks,

johnreid

I did not measure in the middle, but on the edge, outside of the spokes.

Nick

Going down to the basement to fire it up again. This time it will be powering something. Video to follow.

Les

Nick

Thought about it, but it's something else.

James, wish me luck, if I don't make it back to make one more post, I may have been shocked.

Nick

I didn't get shocked by electricity, but I was shocked how much fun this thing is!

Nick

Whistle blowing some steam:

And this is what I ran, video to follow:

Les

Nice pictures, look forwards to the video and my #15 still hasn't arrived.

Nick

The video is in the dark, so look close:

(When I zoom in on the engine, I was reversing it or slowing it down)

Nick

Guess what I am going to go do again.

Yep, you're right, I am running the 25 again!

Les

Mister Occlusion

More fun than a trouserfull of ferrets

Nick

What is the best way to get these running at the right speed?

I took mine apart, put it together and it would barely run at full steam. I loosened the flywheel and spun that, but held the piston in place. It returned to running very well, but I am not sure if I have it set right just yet.

johnreid

The timing can be a real pain, the little screw on the eccentric and the screw on the shaft should be almost opposite. Start that way and then see how it runs, then move it a little bit ( less than a minute if you imagine the eccentric as a clock face ) and try again, an on and on. It is supposed to be right at 180 degrees apart, but I have found that on some it has to be a little off. You check it by the forward speed versus reverse.
My Cast 25 runs at about the same speed forward and reverse. My Hobby Line 25 runs like a scalded Fog in one direction and about half of that in the other direction. I think the set screw might slip on the shaft with it, so once you have it right, dont mess with it anymore.

Nick

I always have to mess with stuff.

I think I have got it running about right. It does go a little slower in one direction, but not much difference.

I will probably continue to mess with it just for the fun of it and see what happens.

johnreid

IF its right, DONT MESS WITH IT
I think mine is worn on the shaft so it changes timing as it is run, this is why I make the warning. Do as I say not as I do.

Les

Nick