Main Bearings! Big Steam Engine Build, Part 4

This episode on Blondihacks, I’m making main bearings for my big engine! Exclusive videos, drawings, models & plans available on Patreon!

Here are links for many of the tools that you see me using:
(I earn small commissions on these links)

Want more content like this? Try these places:

As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

[richardc]

I’ve never done any turning, wood or metal but I enjoy your videos immensely. Your level of talent mixed with a little humour is enjoyable. “Tappy tap-tap gets me every time!👍🇨🇦👨‍🦳

[taranson]

When this little machine is finished you should make a generator to power the lights in your shop. It looks like a fun project. Thanks for sharing your time and talents with the group.

[evanbarnes]

Yay, new Blondihacks! Always a highlight of my Saturdays

[Lyrainthevalley]

I'm watching this build right after your "little engine" build, and it's so cool watching you teach things that I watched you learn back then - like making sure the bore is well centred on the two halves of the block. It's really neat to directly see the benefit of the experience you gained in that build.

[michaelschwartz]

I've never seen a machine with the option to cancel out screeching sounds for soothing seaside sounds! I'm going to ask my machine rep. for that kit!

[holgerreimer]

I learned turning from 1973-1976. Today I am retired and have a small workshop in my basement with everything I see in your workshop. I am very surprised that a woman also lives out her hobby in this way and obviously with a lot of expertise. It's great fun to watch you. Keep it up and I have already left a subscription there. Greetings from Berlin Germany Holger

[donaldsimmons]

You may want to lightly scrape the bores of the bearings to give the oil room. Given the high polish or finish of the bearing bores, it is possible to actually make them so smooth that the oil has nothing ton "hold" it on the bearing surface. I've had that problem in the industrial world.

[ashcla]

26:09 it already looks so cool! I was not prepared for how big-heavy-duty-machine it would look, I am very excited to see the final product

[old_guard]

Seems like a sound choice to add the bearings. I would also be nervous about steel on iron without a pressure lubrication system. Nice visual touch also.

[ericlotze]

6:28 No need to apologize! You know more than a pile of us *AND* by documenting your learning process + all these builds we will be able to learn from your mistakes as well.

[jimsvideos]

Those bronze bushings are gorgeous, thank you for going to the trouble of sharing the process with us. Do please give Sprocket whatever she enjoys for us too; she is a good cat.

[larry_g]

Lets hope this gets to you ahead of the two week window...I made some modifications to the one I built that have proved worthwhile to me. On part #23 upper linkage thread the hole instead of using the pin to hold the #26 upper valve rod. Then thread the upper valve rod to screw into the upper linkage, This gives you a place to fine tune the valve to the ports. I extended the length of #23 and shortened #26 a bit to allow for some depth of thread and enough engagement of the rod to get a fair bit of adjustment. I also added a lock nut to the mix.

On part #14 upper eccentric instead of drilling all the way through from the top I only drilled for the threaded hole and then moved the oil hole to between the brace and clamp rod hole. This allows you to reach through the eccentric with a hex key to adjust the eccentric position without disassembling the eccentric.

lg

[crabmansteve]

This is my favorite series yet.

I was always confused by steam engine people but I count myself among them now.

[meterPeter.]

You made Main Bearings. I made a cheese sandwich. Same same. Both bought us joy! Love your videos. 🙂🇦🇺👋👍

[Todestelzer]

I think oil channels inside the bearing caps and on top an oiler would have been a nice feature to add.
Nice metal working, love the vids ❤

[Cooliemasteroz]

Your skill level and videos are getting better, even the boring parts were good. When you were contemplating the use of locating pins I immediately thought of where you can get some 1.6 mm pins from. The replacement turbines for dental hand pieces come with a blank bur. I'm kicking myself now for not collecting them when I was in the industry, I must have thrown out hundreds of them.

[gcl]

Enjoyed this video. Steeled myself for bearing this video to the end; it passed muster beyond the boring bar. Excellent subject organization, diction, and work shots.

[zhubajie]

A thing of beauty. Your dad joke of "bear with me" did not go unnoticed.

[seandelaloe]

I may have squeed a little bit when i saw that this was part 4 of the new engine build! Sunday morning, a brew and a Blondihacks video...can it get much better?

[robertmcfarland]

What a fantastic job you made of the bushes