Last night the “D” (slide) valve from one of NMIH’s steam hoists was refinished using a belt driven 1870s planer. After a few passes, the century old valve looks brand new! The work was done by Bill McCarthy of Restoration Millwork in Riegelsville, PA. Video is at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tzXOGJaKRpA

Here is an update on the steam hoists in Bethlehem:
1. The engine can now be turned over manually, using a pipe against the gear.
2. A couple of weeks ago we picked up a few pickup truck loads of used railroad ties. Long switch ties will go directly under the hoists. Regular size ties will be cut up to give additional elevation via cribbing.
3. The second D (slide) valve was refinished last week.
4. Today we annealed some copper wire so it will be soft enough to be used as a gasket between the cylinder head and cylinder. Video of this work is online at:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9-WzWNKXtQE

Here is a link to a steam hoist that was just put up for sale:
http://www.enginads.com/classifieds/showproduct.php?product=6523
It is missing the drum, but can still pull things.

hey mike, maybe you can trade your truck in for that!

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I like that idea! Unfortunately, the trade in value for the truck is nowhere near the cost of the steam engine.

Here is a link to some photos from this morning. Bill McCarthy of Restoration Millwork taught us how to hand scrape the sliding surfaces of the valves inside the steam hoist.
http://news.webshots.com/photo/2646593210095054516IQVXdP
Click next for 10 additional photos. You will see that the valve surface gradually becomes bluer, and thus better fitting. It will take a while to get a precision finish.

Here is an update on the steam hoist restoration in Bethlehem. The valve rods were extremely worn. Over half a century of service left an hour glass shape where the pieces passed through the packing into the steam chest:

Operating the engine as-is would be possible, but not without major steam (in our case, compressed air) leaks. In order to return the pieces to their original specifications, we welded them up today. Ed Hoffman of Allentown, PA, donated his services. As per his directions, I met him at the house with the bomb in the front yard (really a prop from an old ride at Dorney Park) and proceeded to his garage where the work was underway.


He laid three beads of weld, let them cool to prevent distortion of the rod, then rotated the valve rod and repeated the process until the entire circumference was built up. Later this week we will take the valve rods to Restoration Millwork in Riegelsville, PA, who will use a vintage lathe to machine the parts to their original and uniform diameter.


During the cooling periods Ed taught me the basics of MIG welding and let me practice on some scrap steel. By the end of the evening, I was able to write my name in metal!

Nice Mike next you have to try to stick weld then you can weld broken castings if need be for you restoration work.

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Pioneering the next INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION (Preservation ! ). . . Saving equipment (1) mine site at a time.

well done mike. after you master stick, come out to the shop and we will let you have a hand at aluminum building airplane fuel tanks

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Good idea Chris. . . that brings me back to another good point I almost forgot about . . . MIKE when are you going to start on your pilots license too

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Pioneering the next INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION (Preservation ! ). . . Saving equipment (1) mine site at a time.

Thank you both for the replies. I am still figuring out the pilot’s license. I forgot to mention it, but I did get some time in a pilot’s seat today

See Mike you are a third of the way there all you need is a prop & engine + a little duct tape then you are good to go.

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Pioneering the next INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION (Preservation ! ). . . Saving equipment (1) mine site at a time.

sitting in an ejection seat is NOT a good way to start flying!

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It looks like there may be a hoist available in Utah:
http://www.smokstak.com/forum/showthread.php?t=44745
It appears to have started life as a box-bed steam hoist (probably a Flory), but was later rigged to run off automotive power.

Thats gunna be Mike's Heist operatior's chair!

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now were talkin!!!!!

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