Home / Series / Hand Tool Rescue / Aired Order / Season 1 / Episode 93

Antique Vertical Steam Engine [Restoration] (1)

This restoration is on a 1920s Orr & Sembower vertical steam engine. It was apparently found in a river in Kansas, USA before being shipped to me. This steam engine is one of the worst condition items to ever come across my workbench. I have not worked on a steam engine before, so this will be a fun learning experience. In Part 1, I completely disassemble what is remaining of the steam engine and start to work on remaking all the missing parts. At some point, it was stripped for bronze or brass scrap metal, so almost all of those parts will need to be replaced. This includes the bronze shoes on the crosshead, as well as all the steam fittings and fasteners. After rust removal, I can see the steam engine used to be black and that there is significant wear in all of the babbitt bearings, so they will need to be re-poured. The piston and piston rings are damaged and will both need to be replaced. The main shaft is too deteriorated to be salvaged and the eccentric has an improperly fit repair. At this point, if this steam engine can be brought back to life, I will be very impressed.

English
  • Originally Aired August 5, 2021
  • Runtime 26 minutes
  • Network YouTube
  • Created August 6, 2021 by
    stever4376
  • Modified August 6, 2021 by
    stever4376