I had thought the same thing about the flywheel about the same time you said it. That’s the best part of running these, memories of burnt fingers 50 or so years ago!
I just got an old version of this that has a brass wheel and crank that's embossed with mamod.The only difference is that it does not have a water overflow and never did.Thanks for sharing 😊
I still have my Mamod - just like this one (except it has a lot more paint and much less rust). As children we used it to power many Meccano models - from cranes and trucks to cable cars that stretched from one end of our room to the other. I find it incredible that we seemed to have so much spare time to do such things back then. (No TV and tech I suppose?) I remember the Doctor came to see me once (for some or other minor childhood illness) and stayed for at least 1/2 hour to play with a remotely controlled electric powered dockyard crane I had built. You won't find that happening these days! (The Doctor visiting you at your home I mean!)
My toy steam engine is marked Mechano. It is similar to this Mamod. Using parts from my Erector set, I mounted wheels under the base plate and had my first try at a steam car.
try vinegar instead of evaporust 6-24 hours, use a stiff plastic brush and do not mix metals, or your steel gets a green sheen from brass I cannot recommend it enough for steels
I'm sure you've already been told but evapo-rust can be reused. Just filter out any sediment before putting back in the bottle. The only real way to know it's exhausted is to test it, but a good rule of thumb is that once it is jet black crude oil colour, it's probably exhausted.
When I restored some old cast iron skillets, I used a vinegar, water solution. After soaking for a few days, the rust was dissolved. But, the surface of the cast iron had softened. So, I learned that I needed to neutralize the acid, with a baking soda/water solution. That prevented further oxidation so that I could season the skillets. I imagine that "Disolvo Rust" is very acidic as well. Great job on getting that Mamod engine running again.
"Evapo Rust" contains some sort of reducing agent. It converts hydrated ferric oxide, AKA rust, (Fe2O3.nH2O) into magnetic iron oxide (Fe3O4). The product enjoys an excellent reputation. Lemon juice will give you both a mildly acidic action, along with reducing, which is very good on rusted ferrous material. Lemon juice contains citric and ascorbic acids. Ascorbic acid (Vit. C) is a reducing agent. Don't use lemon juice on aluminum or zinc alloys.
Hello Keith, Have you tried white vinegar to remove rust? I restore classic cars for a hobby and find that soaking the assembly in white vinegar does a great job. I can dilute it as much as 50% with distilled water and it still seems to work well.
i use electrolysis for rust removal. super cheap and 100 % effective . but you mustn't have any other metals present in the electrolyte other than ferrous
Useful - and surprisingly entertaining. I think I would have been apprehensive about running this old engine but I have no engineering knowledge. I just like running steam engines.
Keith, I to reuse my Evaporust until it no longer is useful due to its cost, but it is worth it for me. It does leave a smut-like film that needs to be brushed off when rinsing the Evaporust off though. I'm not enough of a Chemist to guess at what the film is, but it comes off easily, at least it has for me, so far. I've always heard that Evaporust wasn't compatible with aluminum/aluminium, but another UA-cam channel in the UK is restoring a Teletype and has never had problems with the (few, I think) aluminum parts a Teletype has being attacked in _any_ way when he uses Evaporust. This makes me think that it simply has to be a "mystery" alloy issue where Evaporust causes corrosion. Perhaps Mamod used something cheap like Zamak for the flywheel?
There are liquids available for cleaning brass cartridge cases that home reloaders use in ultrasonic cleaners, they might be of some use to you. Henry Krank in Pudsey may be a suitable supplier local to you if you are interested.
That funnel looks alike the one that came with a Wiseco steam roller that Santa brought me in 1967 or so. I ran it so much with Sterno in the burner, that the piston valve is totally worn out! Took it to school in the 6th. grade to explain how a steam engine worked for a science project, & got an “A”, to boot! Do kids even do this kind of shit anymore?
I had one of these as a child. one of the best Christmases ever.
Me too }:-)))
I had thought the same thing about the flywheel about the same time you said it. That’s the best part of running these, memories of burnt fingers 50 or so years ago!
I can't get enough of these videos. I wanted an engine like this when I was a child.
There are a lot more of them at www.patreon.com/keithappleton
I just got an old version of this that has a brass wheel and crank that's embossed with mamod.The only difference is that it does not have a water overflow and never did.Thanks for sharing 😊
To clean i use Dawn powerwash works a treat. I use vinegar also good on chips.
I still have my Mamod - just like this one (except it has a lot more paint and much less rust). As children we used it to power many Meccano models - from cranes and trucks to cable cars that stretched from one end of our room to the other. I find it incredible that we seemed to have so much spare time to do such things back then. (No TV and tech I suppose?) I remember the Doctor came to see me once (for some or other minor childhood illness) and stayed for at least 1/2 hour to play with a remotely controlled electric powered dockyard crane I had built. You won't find that happening these days! (The Doctor visiting you at your home I mean!)
Mazak flywheel like most die cast toys. Goes brittle with age as well. Hornby O gauge driving wheels go loose on axles and end up breaking up.
My toy steam engine is marked Mechano. It is similar to this Mamod. Using parts from my Erector set, I mounted wheels under the base plate and had my first try at a steam car.
I bet that flywheel is made of Zamak, which is a zinc alloy and very common on cheap castings. Evapo-Rust attacks zinc.
try vinegar instead of evaporust
6-24 hours, use a stiff plastic brush
and do not mix metals, or your steel gets a green sheen from brass
I cannot recommend it enough for steels
I'm sure you've already been told but evapo-rust can be reused. Just filter out any sediment before putting back in the bottle. The only real way to know it's exhausted is to test it, but a good rule of thumb is that once it is jet black crude oil colour, it's probably exhausted.
Nice to see just a very basic steam engine on channel 👍
Evap-O-Rust also makes a gel that sticks to vertical surfaces, and can be wipe off.
Always watching the classics
Some Mamod flywheels were made from mazak alloy (zinc, aluminium and maybe copper or nickel)
Watching that corroded unit churning away is both impressive and frightening. Thanks for reminding us all to not judge on appearance.
Thanks Mr. Appleton. This little Mamod reminds me of the Wilesco I had as a kid.
When I restored some old cast iron skillets, I used a vinegar, water solution. After soaking for a few days, the rust was dissolved. But, the surface of the cast iron had softened. So, I learned that I needed to neutralize the acid, with a baking soda/water solution. That prevented further oxidation so that I could season the skillets.
I imagine that "Disolvo Rust" is very acidic as well.
Great job on getting that Mamod engine running again.
"Evapo Rust" contains some sort of reducing agent. It converts hydrated ferric oxide, AKA rust, (Fe2O3.nH2O) into magnetic iron oxide (Fe3O4). The product enjoys an excellent reputation. Lemon juice will give you both a mildly acidic action, along with reducing, which is very good on rusted ferrous material. Lemon juice contains citric and ascorbic acids. Ascorbic acid (Vit. C) is a reducing agent. Don't use lemon juice on aluminum or zinc alloys.
Hello Keith, Have you tried white vinegar to remove rust? I restore classic cars for a hobby and find that soaking the assembly in white vinegar does a great job. I can dilute it as much as 50% with distilled water and it still seems to work well.
i use electrolysis for rust removal. super cheap and 100 % effective . but you mustn't have any other metals present in the electrolyte other than ferrous
Useful - and surprisingly entertaining. I think I would have been apprehensive about running this old engine but I have no engineering knowledge. I just like running steam engines.
I call it baptism with holy F**k hot water
Keith, I to reuse my Evaporust until it no longer is useful due to its cost, but it is worth it for me. It does leave a smut-like film that needs to be brushed off when rinsing the Evaporust off though. I'm not enough of a Chemist to guess at what the film is, but it comes off easily, at least it has for me, so far. I've always heard that Evaporust wasn't compatible with aluminum/aluminium, but another UA-cam channel in the UK is restoring a Teletype and has never had problems with the (few, I think) aluminum parts a Teletype has being attacked in _any_ way when he uses Evaporust. This makes me think that it simply has to be a "mystery" alloy issue where Evaporust causes corrosion. Perhaps Mamod used something cheap like Zamak for the flywheel?
There are liquids available for cleaning brass cartridge cases that home reloaders use in ultrasonic cleaners, they might be of some use to you. Henry Krank in Pudsey may be a suitable supplier local to you if you are interested.
You can keep reusing the evaporust until it stops working entirely. Add water to replace evaporation.
I guess that flywheel is made from zinc.
⭐🙂👍
The flywheel may be pot metal, which has a lot of zonc in it.
can you filter some of the rust remover to clean it up?
Yes, but I don't think it's necessary. Please see the other comments.
That funnel looks alike the one that came with a Wiseco steam roller that Santa brought me in 1967 or so. I ran it so much with Sterno in the burner, that the piston valve is totally worn out! Took it to school in the 6th. grade to explain how a steam engine worked for a science project, & got an “A”, to boot! Do kids even do this kind of shit anymore?
That one came with a Mamod SP3 Twin Cylinder Stationary Engine.
I miss the paint drying part... not going to paint the baseplate?
No, it's hardly worth the time it would take.
Could the flywheel be zinc alloy? It looks a bit "zincy".