Southworth Engines boiler feed pump

[grandfathertyke]

Thanks Dave, I think I've got it now. I can only admire the mind that first thought that one out!

All the best, and keep 'em coming,

Frank

[ron]

As it was raining this afternoon I made a start to the steam cylinder, that's it faced and bored and the 'easy' holes drilled, not looking forward to the ones going in at an angle.

[engineernut]

Finished shuttle, shuttle valve & pilot valve (pilot valve still has to have spindle rod & drive made for it).
Pieces assembled in steam chest which I hope helps towards explaining its workings.
Two small steam holes in steam chest still have to be blanked off.
Dave

[ron]

Hi Dave, excellent stuff, I've now drilled the first two angle holes from the ends of the cylinder, went well, no problems, quite a relief when they met the other hole, ;D
What are you going to use to blank the holes, I was going to Loctite a short piece of 1/16" brass in? or do you think it would be better threading a small screw in?
Ron

[grandfathertyke]

Hi Dave and Ron,

I've made a start, spurred on by your excellent example! You weren't kidding about the need to be careful-there is just enough meat on my castings to allow for the rough to be machined off. There is quite a deep pinhole in one end of the cylinder casting but luckily it is near enough to the bore that it will come out when I open out to full diameter.

"Measure ten times and cut once," is going to be my guide.

All the best,

Frank

[engineernut]

Oct 26, 2009 20:11:24 GMT ron said:

Hi Dave, excellent stuff, I've now drilled the first two angle holes from the ends of the cylinder, went well, no problems, quite a relief when they met the other hole, ;D
What are you going to use to blank the holes, I was going to Loctite a short piece of 1/16" brass in? or do you think it would be better threading a small screw in?
Ron

Hi Ron,
Yes I have threaded those holes and will add a tiny drop of thread seal as well. Don't want it to seap further down hole as will possibly be difficult to clean it out properly then.
The other two small holes through where the shuttle goes I will probably just start a thread and do the same as above. The top of those holes will be covered by the cover when all bolted together anyway.
Made the drive block for the pilot valve and also the shaft. Bit busy the rest of week so not sure if I will be able to get back onto it until pos Friday. ;D
Dave

[engineernut]

Oct 26, 2009 21:02:54 GMT grandfathertyke said:

Hi Dave and Ron,

I've made a start, spurred on by your excellent example! You weren't kidding about the need to be careful-there is just enough meat on my castings to allow for the rough to be machined off. There is quite a deep pinhole in one end of the cylinder casting but luckily it is near enough to the bore that it will come out when I open out to full diameter.

"Measure ten times and cut once," is going to be my guide.

All the best,

Frank

Hi Frank, Glad to hear you have started it. You should enjoy it and find it very useful when finished.
Dave

[ron]

Another wet afternoon so further progress made, that's the steam cylinder and valve chest now completed, all holes bored and plugged as necessary, it does become more obvious as to what goes where as you progress. The plugs for hole 'b' need to be neat as it isn't hidden by the cover, you can just make it out in the photo.
Thanks to Dave for his excellent pictures which have been a great help.
Ron

[engineernut]

Nearly finished the stainless linkages etc, just a couple more to do.
Hopefully, time permitting, can start on pump casting by weekend.
Background is my small whiteboard marker board. Did not realise how many scratches there are on it as shown in pic.

Attachments:

[engineernut]

When I managed to get back in workshop decided to leave the stainless bits and start work on the water pump casting instead.
Have elected to make the variation with the "Butterfly Valves". Southworths say they are more efficient and looking at the plans the ports are larger so giving better volume of water.
Pic1: Shows facing edge.
Pic2: Shows what happens when a telephone call makes one loose concentration and remember where you are.
Basically ruined one of the port holes. Good excuse to get into the metal shed I put up in the summer to move the silver soldering out into the garden and using the larger braising hearth I also acquired to replace the small one I have.
I silver soldered a GM rod in ruined hole and then re-machined it.
Pic3: Drilling cross holes, similar method as steam chest.
Pic4: Pump casting after two cross holes drilled.

[engineernut]

Just have to tap the top and bottom cover holes 8BA, blow the swarf out of the ports and clean them up and plug the two front & side holes then water pump casting finished.
Hope pic explains where the relevant holes go?
Probably make the four butterfly valves when this casting finished.

[ron]

Hi Dave, excellent photos, keep them coming, I've just got back from a week away so no progress to report on the pump.
I'm also intending to use the butterfly type valves but I think I'll make the actual valves first, just in case.
Ron

[engineernut]

Listened to footy in garage this afternoon and have made the four Butterfly valves.
Obviously there are numerous ways to machine these but have added few pics of sequence I used.
These could be made of S/S or Brass and as I had a piece of 1/4" dia brass rod on shelf elected to go with that.

Pic1: Shows machining part in lathe, turning length of .218 thou down to .186 thou dia.

Pic2: Chuck removed from lathe and fitted to Myford nose on rotary table on mill bed. On PCD of 1/4" used end mill of 3/16" dia to turn three equal slots .218thou deep.

Pic3: Moved chuck back to lathe and turned the small groove and taper and then parted off. Still have to remove the nipples left from parting off.

Pic4 & 5: Pictures of just one Butterfly valve against ruler.

[redmog]

Nice Project.

Thanks for sharing these photographs.
I'm enjoying following the progress of this project,
although I am not familiar with this pump.
Good quality photos as well.
Chris

[engineernut]

Just logging off before dinner and seen this on eBay.
Very similar to Southworths Pump but plans look different to one I have. Not sure what make this is. Be interesting to see what this part built one goes for.
cgi.ebay.co.uk/Boiler-Feed-Pump_W0QQitemZ120489896333QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_Trains_Railway_Models?hash=item1c0dc1e98d

[ron]

It's very similar, I think it's possibly an earlier version with packed glands and pistons instead of O-rings?? he does say on the drawings I have, 'Do not scale, over the years dimensions have been altered to increase bore and reduce height' so possibly other changes have been made.
Ron

[engineernut]

I purchased my castings about 3yrs ago, although sat on shelf and unopened until a few weeks or so ago, and they show o rings and say the same about scaling.
I bought a new (ready to run) 3" feed pump (fairly similar to these 6" Southworths albeit half the size) from one of the major model engineering suppliers and after initial trouble to get it to work properly (on reflection probably needed a fair bit of running in) it will keep my couple of gas fired boilers topped up but it stands no chance when I run it on either of the larger coal fired boilers. They are very thirsty though.
I know this 6" Southworth pump will fit the bill for the coal fired boilers when it is finished. ;D

[engineernut]

Made the two valve restrictors, (They go in from opposite sides) I think you can see them going through the two ports and they have oblong heads to be able to use a spanner to tighten them up in casting?
The two face holes that required blanking off were tapped 5BA and a piece of threaded brass screwed in with Loctite to seal/secure.
Casting was then accurately levelled in mill chuck and just 1 thou skimmed off of surface so these blanking pieces of brass are level with face.

[engineernut]

Few more pics.

Pic1: Measuring distance to ascertain how long to make valve restrictor / end cap.
Pic2: Restrictor and valve.
Pic3: The version with butterfly valves means the ports are larger (giving much better flow of water) but the casting is the same size as for the original plans with s/s balls. Hence there is very little meat left in some parts and the top and bottom restrictor heads are almost touching the top and bottom pump ends when fitted. No probs just have to get the heads facing correct way.
Pic4: Machining the first of two valve seats/holders for the water inlet valves.

[engineernut]

Few more pics of the progress so far.

Pic1: Base and all valves fitted. The water inlet valve seats need the cross holes facing the main water inlet, to allow the water free access into the pump.

Pic2, 3 & 4: Machine Pistons. My method of doing this is to machine piston but leave about 10thou over size on diameter and front edge.
Then take pistons out of chuck and collet chuck added to machine and piston rod threaded. Piston then screw back on to piston rod and final 10thou machined off dia & face.
I machined steam piston first and then removed it and then did pump piston. This had locktite added to thread as this pump piston will not be removed again.

Pic5: Pump part finished so decided to give it a manual try to see if all valves working properly and giving water feed on both piston strokes.
Bit of a Heath Robinson set up from scrap bits of piping and tubing to water reservoir.
Worked perfectly, and the amount of water pumped out was brilliant.