Something new and kinda sorta 100 years old looking

[Dan]

You'll get it. I got faith

har! New category for the RG contest "N.E.W." My jets are gonna be a contender.
Oddly, the failures are exciting. The learning and tinkering.

Keep pluggin'!

 

[bairdco]

wow, fishguts, this is some pretty amazing stuff you're doing. really impressive!

i gotta admit, when you first started this post, i started reading and thought, "wow. a micargi with a four stroke. yaaaawn..." and i never checked back until now.

i know, i know, i'm a bike racist. i'm working on some tolerance.

it's awesome the way you're doing this all yourself, fiberglass work, casting parts, welding, etc... those kinda crafts/skills/trades are pretty much lost these days. it's really impressive.

reading about you adding solder seams and imperfections to your "copper" tank struck me as funny, since on my real copper tanks, i'm striving to get rid of all that.

i can't wait to see this thing spewing steam and chugging down the road.

 

[curtisfox]

You know between fishguts,Louie's 1910 Pierce,and the briggs builds has jared me to realaty. I used to do all my own fab and I have been studing these fourms for the perfict combo. Buying stuff and all this time I could have been making do with what I have. I havn't done any bikes for 50 years and looking to buy but nothing comes like the home builds. THANKS GUYS
Its realy awesome how something so complicated can be so simple ( ball bearing for valve) and the like. JUST AWESOME.....Curt

 

[Goat Herder]

I have been following this build to anxiously and excitedly waiting completion. Thank you for sharing! You have some top notch fabrication skills on your side

 

[fishguts]

Took half of the motor case to the welding shop to get two 1/4" NPT bungs TIG welded on - one on top for a fill plug and one on the bottom for a drain. Should have it back next week.

In the meantime, I used my free time this week to repair a "fallen angel". Someone knocked over a large-sized angel in a creche at church and broke it into a half dozen pieces. I brought her home to glue her back together and she fell off the counter and smashed into a bazillion more pieces! I almost threw it out but decided to see what I could do with it. Two tubes of epoxy and several internal bamboo struts later, she's back in the creche and you can't tell she was ever broken. Must have been divine intervention because I'm not used to projects coming together this well this fast! It kinda got me in the mood for Christmas.

 

[fundreamer1]

I just found this post and you really have some talent!
Just in case you haven't thought about it or I missed it somewhere I just wanted to post this ad I found for an antique bicycle horn if anyone wants to check it out.
antique bike horn*****MAKE OFFER*****

 

[happycheapskate]

Those would look good with a rear rack drive and a pretty engine cover.

That looks like a great streamlined shape for a Ebike too.

These would be nice to motorize but how would you mount the motor to fiberglass?

 

[fishguts]

Here's a little update. Progress got slowed up a bit by my seriously throwing my back out and also needing to divert funds to Christmas presents. My back is feeling some better (had an MRI yesterday) and I've started picking up some needed steam hardware - a solenoid valve to regulate water flow and a pressure relief valve. I still need to purchase a gas regulator valve that is temperature controlled. It's going to be pricey so I'm pacing myself for that one. I need a couple gauges yet and a motorcycle battery. Motor should be together within the week. I need to meet a deadline as I hope to have a display at a steampunk convention in late March. Exhibits are juried some time in January. I at least need to be able to mock this thing up for a photo (along with a steam sculpture piece I'm working on).

 

[Dan]

Glad to hear your on the mend. Pain hurts.
Been meaning to ask you about pressure release from the beginning of your posting. (insert fishguts joke here. I was thinking "sing to the tune of "Sky rockets in flight. Afternoon delight" replace sky rockets with Fishguts, but that would have been in unutterable bad taste. Worse then that now that ^*&% song is stuck in my head! lol)

Please post pics of your sculpture. Was steam driven a passion or was there some catalyst for your efforts?

Your work is trully one of the most interesting things I have seen. Comes up in conversations out side of here.



Now I can't get that song out of my head! "Fish guts in flight....." lol

 

[fishguts]

Glad to hear your on the mend. Pain hurts.
Been meaning to ask you about pressure release from the beginning of your posting. (insert fishguts joke here. I was thinking "sing to the tune of "Sky rockets in flight. Afternoon delight" replace sky rockets with Fishguts, but that would have been in unutterable bad taste. Worse then that now that ^*&% song is stuck in my head! lol)

Please post pics of your sculpture. Was steam driven a passion or was there some catalyst for your efforts?

Your work is trully one of the most interesting things I have seen. Comes up in conversations out side of here.



Now I can't get that song out of my head! "Fish guts in flight....." lol

Certainly don't want to go in flight! Now wait a minute ... that could be cool ...

I'm putting a 100 psi relief valve on it, which is really mild, but it's what the limit is usually set at for steam meets. The Stanley Steamer ran like 400 psi. 100 psi might be plenty since this steamer is so light. Guess we'll find out.

 

[corgi1]

I would think total weight ,cylinder volume and tank reserve volume would dictate that somewhat

 

[fishguts]

I would think total weight ,cylinder volume and tank reserve volume would dictate that somewhat

There are so many variables it's mind boggling, so I'm just giving it my best shot using a lot of estimates and guess work and about a half ounce of common sense.



Which is a lot more than what I usually go on.

 

[happycheapskate]

YouTube - Steam Bike (steam powered bicycle)

Steam powered bicycles have been done, and some done well. I'd like to see a resurgence of them, esp with a small piston engine and roller drive or gearbox type setup, and more streamlined look.

 

[fishguts]

YouTube - Steam Bike (steam powered bicycle)

Steam powered bicycles have been done, and some done well. I'd like to see a resurgence of them, esp with a small piston engine and roller drive or gearbox type setup, and more streamlined look.

I'd like to see a resurgence too, but don't expect it as they really aren't practical or inexpensive. They're interesting and fun as big toys, though.

 

[fishguts]

Got the engine case back from the welding shop with the top and bottom bungs TIG welded in place. I cleaned up the welds with my Dremel tool. Here's how it looks with the plug and drain installed finger-tight.

Also put it in the frame for a trial fit with my fingers crossed to see if there was room for the check valve. Looks like everything will fit.

In the next several days I'll get the motor properly assembled and bench test the intake valve setup with compressed air and see if I can get it to run.

 

[happycheapskate]

That is so cool we need a new word for cool.

 

[happycheapskate]

I will be interested to hear how this turns out!

I am busy calculating for building a MB to run on propane (happytime conversion) http://motorbicycling.com/f3/propane-conversion-5349-7.html#post245493

I have planned to use the stock carb as a oil injector, or use a small hose inserted into the carb to relay a oil supply. I have thought about using a
mix of 30wt oil or 2cycle marine oil, and window washer fluid (methanol and water). Some people thought it sounded nuts, but people are using methanol water injection in race cars and even heavy trucks now for turbo cooling.

If steam doesn't damage piston systems (obviously it has worked for 100years), then I think that it won't ruin the HT because it will constantly get oil.

I could use some advice on this one. I want to use a carb as an oiler. I will run steam oil in the supply water but that still leaves the crank, etc. in need of oil. The challenge is to get a carb to do the job. Could I run a much lighter oil such as trumpet valve oil and larger jets perhaps? Anybody know the viscosity of the 2-stroke's gas/oil mix?

Any input appreciated.

 

[happycheapskate]

Does the copper coil go inside the wood stove? Is that a 4 stroke happytime? I thought they were all 2stroke. If it is a 2 stroke, will it have some kind of constant oiling system?

Thanks for sharing your build with us!

If you get stuck, don't give up or destroy the bike. It looks really cool even just for an art/parade bike, and I'm sure that there are plenty of people who like the idea, which might just help you find a missing part or make a critical adjustment. If all fails with the steam engine stuff, you know the bike will look super with a conventional ht on it. I think your bike is very unique.

 

[Allen_Wrench]

That is so cool we need a new word for cool.

I agree. This bike is Waycoolawesomradd!

 

[fishguts]

Thanks for the support. I actually think this silly thing might actually run. I'll mess with it until it does anyway.

The coil goes inside the black "can" which is actually an insulated section of stainless steel chimney pipe. The coil will be heated from the bottom with a propane burner.

It's a 2-stroke engine. 4-stroke's aren't as easy to convert to steam.

Oiling will be through a chainsaw carb plumbed for oil through the old gas inlet. A tank will supply the oil. I'll remove the choke, so no throttle effect, just oil being sucked through as needed. I chose a chainsaw carb because the jets are adjustable so I can mess with it to try and get it to work. Theoretically, oil will be sucked in like gas/oil used to be, tossed around the crankcase and sucked into the cylinder on the intake part of the stroke. Oil has a much higher viscosity, of course, so I assume I'll be cranking open the jets to get it to flow. I have to look into steam oil yet to see what makes it unique, so I may end up using that. Haven't crossed that bridge yet.

You'll notice I had a fill bung welded on top of the case. That's my "Plan B" in case the chainsaw carb doesn't do the trick. I figure I can run a wet crank if need be and put steam oil in the water tanks to take care of the cylinder.