3D printing

[Hans SA]

dear Members, has anybody got experience with creating a steam engine?

 

[PrintingPredator]

dear Members, has anybody got experience with creating a steam engine?

yep, a long time ago. I can tell you that a true steam engine requires high pressure and heat, which is tough for plastics.
you need to start with a compressed air engine first! It uses the same mechanics but skips the heat/pressure nightmare. and if you do use steam, you MUST print the piston and cylinder in ABS or PC Max, not standard PLA, or they will melt/fail immediately.

 

[Hans SA]

yep, a long time ago. I can tell you that a true steam engine requires high pressure and heat, which is tough for plastics.
you need to start with a compressed air engine first! It uses the same mechanics but skips the heat/pressure nightmare. and if you do use steam, you MUST print the piston and cylinder in ABS or PC Max, not standard PLA, or they will melt/fail immediately.

Many thanks for your advice. I've done the "Wobbler" recently, printed everything in PETG, and used Viton O-rings to seal all the ports and piston. Of course, I used compressed air; it runs like a dream, to put it mildly. What kind of steam engine did you make? Have you perhaps got any drawings? Would love to hear from you...