Mike Brown engine

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reubenT
Posts: 107
Joined: Wed Dec 24, 2008 11:04 pm
Location: Spencer TN USA

Mike Brown engine

Post by reubenT »

It seems someone in town we know ordered one some time back, one of the 3 HP 2 cylinder versions. His life has since changed pace and he no longer wants it. But it's coming in anyway. So he's giving it to my neighbor, should arrive any day now. My neighbor lives back in the woods off grid, could use a little portable power for things. But it will need a boiler. I built my own ofeldt and it works good, running a 15-20 HP old high speed Westinghouse designed engine. So I guess another boiler build is in the works. I will probably make a vertical fire tube boiler this time out of some of the scrap stuff I have laying around. It's heavy enough steel to be significantly overbuilt for a welded boiler. Got a piece of mild steel pipe 16" dia and half inch thick. half inch plate steel for the tube sheets and either 1.25" or 2" sch 40 steel pipe for the tubes. I've had the Brown's engine manual for 20 years, it says it will make 4 HP at 250 psi, but I will probably put a 200 relief on it after testing to at least 500 cold. Might set it up to run a kenetic log splitter, generator for portable electric, like electric chain saw for firewood, whatever needs some portable power. Someday I hope to get into making my own custom steam engines being I have everything needed to do it. But that's an extra hobby thing I can't find time for yet.
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