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PM Research Unmachined Casting Kits

Tomc938

Ultra Member
Premium Member
Anyone have experience with PM Research steam engine kits? I'd appreciate it if you would share your experiences.
 

deleted_user

Super User
Anyone have experience with PM Research steam engine kits? I'd appreciate it if you would share your experiences.

They're fine for what you pay. I've made a #4 and a #6 but at the time lacked an appropriate boiler to power them, so i ran them on compressed air.

Those are rated 1/4. I found the plans that they were based on. I just wished they were a bit larger. I wanted to have a steam engine that could turn a generator. I have no faith in humanity avoiding the apocalypse. I designed a larger version with the goal to make castings if I ever get my shit together.

For comparison, the PM#5 is about the same as the Stuart V10 at half the cost....
 

YotaBota

Mike
Premium Member
The #5 is on my list once the 10V is done. I like the fittings and might incorporate some into the 10V.
I'm guessing you've watch a bunch of the utube videos on the PM engines.
 

deleted_user

Super User
The #5 is on my list once the 10V is done. I like the fittings and might incorporate some into the 10V.
I'm guessing you've watch a bunch of the utube videos on the PM engines.
actually I haven't really. I was into live stream before youtube became a thing with pretty much everything
 

Tomc938

Ultra Member
Premium Member
The #5 is on my list once the 10V is done. I like the fittings and might incorporate some into the 10V.
I'm guessing you've watch a bunch of the utube videos on the PM engines.
I have been watching videos on MANY things. Would like to give a steam engine a go. Like the Stuart engines, and heard good things about them. I haven't heard so much about the PM Research kits.

Did some checking, and the shipping cost to Canada is a bit off-putting. 50% of the cost of the kit for shipping.
 

Ken Mach

Member
I’ve done 3 of their kits, the castings for the most part are very well made, drawings are excellent and all fasteners are included. Shipping cost are big draw back but if you can swallow that you won’t be disappointed.
 

deleted_user

Super User
Thanks everyone!

I have decided to bite the bullet and pay USPS a crazy amount to ship #3 steam engine kit.
I've always picked mine up during regular visits over the border in the past.

post trump I informed all my US relations that they're all dead to me and I shall never again venture south. Is the USPS any more expensive than Stuart's shipping costs
 

deleted_user

Super User
@TorontoBuilder - Generator size:p


Yes, I used to troll reliable steam often but haven't been back in years.

I have plans, I even started making a few patterns. I need the cast iron casting facility before I can proceed
 

Tomc938

Ultra Member
Premium Member
Yes, I used to troll reliable steam often but haven't been back in years.

I have plans, I even started making a few patterns. I need the cast iron casting facility before I can proceed
What plans do you have? Interested in selling?
 

deleted_user

Super User
I have several old plans that are public domain that I've gathered over the years but I have to get into old desktop to retrieve them. I'll try to remember to pull them out next time I am on that computer. And I have my own design, but it is completely untested and therefore I don't want to share that yet.

At one time I'd hoped to be able to sell the plans and a casting kit together but I have not been able to work out a satisfactory arrangement with a local ontario foundry
 

Tomc938

Ultra Member
Premium Member
I have several old plans that are public domain that I've gathered over the years but I have to get into old desktop to retrieve them. I'll try to remember to pull them out next time I am on that computer. And I have my own design, but it is completely untested and therefore I don't want to share that yet.

At one time I'd hoped to be able to sell the plans and a casting kit together but I have not been able to work out a satisfactory arrangement with a local ontario foundry
If you can locate those public domain plans and post them that would be awesome! I have cast Al in the past, and hope to make the jump to iron in the next couple of summers.
 

Tomc938

Ultra Member
Premium Member
I'll be following your build.
The Stuart 10V with shipping comes to $241.49cdn plus whatever cdn taxes might be added.
I came up with an elegant solution to cut the $50 shipping for the kit in half - I just ordered 2 kits right away! Not sure if it makes sense, but I'd rather pay $25 each to ship two kits than $50 to ship one. I also got the #1 engine.

I'm hoping to be in the UK the summer of 2024 and want to swing past Stuart and pick up a few kits when shipping is free. Long ways away, we'll see how it goes.
 

deleted_user

Super User
If you can locate those public domain plans and post them that would be awesome! I have cast Al in the past, and hope to make the jump to iron in the next couple of summers.
Will do

I should add, you can find many steam engine designs and plans in late 1800s books available on open library. Now admittedly you have to look at many books to find designs with enough of the design to copy and scale down. Sadly in many cases the idiots that scanned books often failed to scan every image fully. They frequently skipped fold out pages. that is how i managed to derive my plans
 
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Susquatch

Ultra Member
Administrator
Moderator
Premium Member
I came up with an elegant solution to cut the $50 shipping for the kit in half - I just ordered 2 kits right away! Not sure if it makes sense, but I'd rather pay $25 each to ship two kits than $50 to ship one. I also got the #1 engine.

I'm hoping to be in the UK the summer of 2024 and want to swing past Stuart and pick up a few kits when shipping is free. Long ways away, we'll see how it goes.

Jezz you remind me of my wife.

She buys all this stuff she doesn't need on sale.

Then she tells me how much she saved me by buying it on sale.

Then she says she is entitled to go spend what she saved me.

Huh?
 
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