Modeler’s Corner

By Staff
Published on May 1, 2005
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Above: A close-up of the finely detailed webbing cast into the Samson’s main base.
Above: A close-up of the finely detailed webbing cast into the Samson’s main base.
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Left: The Little Samson prototype with the full-size Samson in the background.
Left: The Little Samson prototype with the full-size Samson in the background.
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Above: A set of patterns for the Samson.
Above: A set of patterns for the Samson.
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Above: The first 17 castings for the Marion 25.
Above: The first 17 castings for the Marion 25.
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Top: Loosely assembled Samson. Note the 12-inch combination square at right.
Top: Loosely assembled Samson. Note the 12-inch combination square at right.

Hello again, everyone. I’m still waiting to finish repairs on my
old milling machine, so I haven’t made the progress on the Gade I’d
hoped for. I expect to be back on track in a few weeks, and once
I’m moving ahead I’ll continue my report on building the scale Gade
from Morrison and Marvin.

Last issue I mentioned that Lester Bowman was continuing work on
his scale Samson. Lester has provided an update on the project,
which appears below.

In the meantime, I’m still planning on being at the 2005 North
American Model Engineering Society show (NAMES), which will be held
April 23-24, in Southgate, Mich. I’ll have a full report in a
future issue, and I’m still planning on having the Gade ready by
NAMES.

We don’t get a lot of news in this hobby, but I recently found
out that Rich Dickey, who wrote the five-part scale Redwing buildup
series that first started in the November 2004 issue of Gas
Engine Magazine,
has bought Redwing!

Vic Greenwood has been running the company since 1999, but he
decided it was time to exit the business. Rich had so much fun
building his engine, he decided to make scale engines a full-time
part of his life. So congratulations to Rich, who’s discovered
quickly what the rest of us already knew, and that’s how much fun
building scale engines is. Is this hobby great, or what?

This month’s tip for model and scale parts sources:

Rich Dickey is the new owner of Redwing Motor Co. Contact him
at: P.O. Box 581, Lead Hill, AR 72644; (870) 436-3921;
info@redwingmotor.com The new website is: www.redwingmotor.com

Have a tip other model makers should know? Send it to
Rusty Hopper at Gas Engine Magazine;
rustyhopper@hotmail.com

Scale Samson Webspoke

The little webspoke is taking shape as you can
see in the form of gray iron castings. Although not perfect, I
believe they will serve their purpose very well.

The foundry used fine grain sand leaving a nice, smooth finish,
so the castings file up and machine easily. I’m very happy with the
end results, although I may modify the cylinder pattern somewhat to
provide a little more material to machine.

Comparing the castings with the wooden patterns reveal more
information than any book could ever teach. Every question I had
about pattern making is answered by the casting. It is wonderful to
see that this worked and the draft was correct.

You remember the frustrating curves in the base pattern when you
see the smooth flowing lines in iron. You forget the hundred
C-clamps purchased to hold wood together and the Bondo fumes and
glue all over everything … and the sawdust, the never-ending
sawdust! All these things become insignificant when you hold a
perfectly formed iron flywheel in your hands. It’s as if one has
just painted a Mona Lisa!

Now the fun begins. I can’t begin to express how excited I am to
begin the machining and assembly of Little Sam. It’s as if I’m
working in the Samson Iron Works itself when I handle these little
castings. It’s like reaching back through time itself because, in
essence, I am facing the same challenges they did, though on a
smaller scale.

Shrink fits, tapered gib keys, machined cams, babbitt bearings,
solid turned rod with brasses and an igniter – Oh, the
challenges!

Above: A close-up of the finely detailed
webbing cast into the Samson’s main base.

But soft spring days and warm summer nights are best when
combined with lathe and file. It’s the song that has been sung by
many men who dream of power in flywheels and controlled
explosion.

I will send an update every three months or so as progress
allows. It appears to be about a two-year project. After the basic
engine is completed with all four cycles taking place, the
secondary patterns will be made and machined. There is no deadline
on Little Sam. No need to hurry, just enjoy.

Contact engine enthusiast Lester Bowman at: 175 N. Santa
Ana, Modesto, CA 95354; (209) 527-4665;
samsonironwks2003@yahoo.com

Rusty’s Mailbag: Scale Marion

I love building models of old engines, and last
year when I finished my Corliss steam engine model, I started
looking for a new subject. I didn’t have to look far, as there is a
very fine collection of old engines almost in my own backyard. As a
member of the Texas Early Day Tractor & Engine Assn., I have
met some collectors of some really interesting old iron, and it
didn’t take long to get really interested in an old Marion 25.

The engine is a sideshaft design, with a 12-inch bore and
19-inch stroke. It has 66-inch diameter flywheels, but one of the
more unusual features is its use of exhaust and intake boxes. These
are square, almost cubical. The intake box is in the side of the
head, and the exhaust is on the front. Not much is known about the
Marion’s manufacturer, and if anyone has information I would like
to hear from you.

The model I’m building is a 1/5-scale, and in this size model,
it’s possible to scale a lot of detail quite precisely. All total,
there will be 22 castings. I have enclosed a picture of the first
17, just back from the foundry. Patterns for the piston, three
bearing caps and base are still in progress.

The basic specifications are:

Bore: 2-3/8 inches
Stroke: 3-13/16 inches
Flywheel: 13-1/2-inch diameter
Base Overall Length: 16 inches

Contact: Maury Uebelhor, 111 Valley View Drive E., Leander, TX
78641; (512) 260-8215; maury@ecpi.com

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