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Forum: General Talk
03-30-2014, 02:41 AM
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As I seem to have drifted the Fuji X10/100 photo thread a bit off topic I thought I would create another thread so members can share their other hobbies.
My other love apart from photography (and the wife and kids....) is restoring vintage Stationary Engines, I would explain my need to do this as outsiders don’t really get the need to play with vintage stuff, I suppose it is a bit like playing with old cameras and lenses, just on a larger oilier scale....
I started this odd hobby back in 1991 when my Grandfather started taking me around, he being a founder member of one of the oldest preservation movements in the UK, the Kernow Old Vehicle Club. We very sadly lost him in 2010 to cancer and he is still missed greatly, his loss sent me into a bit of a spiral of depression where I went a bit mental buying this lumps of old iron to try and rekindle what we once had, was never to be so.
This is how I started out well my 2nd or 3rd year:
At the moment I have 9 engines, the one I have had the longest is my Norman S/C, these were used by the military for battery charging duties as part of charging sets, this one coming from about 1940. My grandfather bought this for me in 1994.
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One of my grandfathers engines that has been left to me is this Villiers WX-II which was part of a garage compressor set used for inflating tires, and dates from around 1940 also, fairly late in production for this range of engines. This one need a new big end bearing, not looking forward to that job.....
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The rarest of my engines is my Stuart Turner WD Flat Twin, this dates from about 1938, Stuart Turner was put into competition with 3 other firms in 1928, they were tasked to produce a lightweight generator set for front line use by the British Army to power radio equipment. The Stuart Turner was the only company to meet the requirements and the engine went into production. One of these sets was used on a expedition up Everest and used at the base camp, the highest a Stationary Engine had been used at the time, this was later surpassed by a special adapted Norman S/C.
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Another engine of my Grandfathers I still have is a Sattley TA made by Nelson Brothers of America and sold by Montgomery Ward. This was imported into the UK in recent years (1980’s) and dates from the 1920’s.
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Another of my rarer items is a Scott (as it Scott Motorcycles, Flying Squirrel etc) PAB, which were used with the Bofors Anti Aircraft gun to power the Kerison Predictor self aiming computer, sadly the generator is missing. This engine is from about 1942 and is odd being loop scavenged with a boost port opposite the exhaust port, something that was later used by MZ with the Walter Kaaden expansion chamber. There is around 20 of these remaining.
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Another Scott is from 1930 and was their 1st attempt as Stationary Engines in an attempt to recoup some money from the failing motorcycle sales. Most were sold the the War Department. It has been painted in Scott purple in a nod to its past there is also only about 20 of these left.
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I am currently working on a Stuart Turner P4 500w generator, this was found by the previous owner in a house about 8 miles away, it was used to power the lights. So far the engine has been overhauled having all new bearings and piston rings, the fun part starts with the generator.... This one is from 1938.
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Another project is a Hymatic compressor set, this is odd being a 2 stroke and compressor which share a common crank, don’t know much more about this one.
Last one..... is a Villiers Mar-Vil, these engine were a bought in design when Johnson of America sold the design of their Utilimotor to Jacobson and Villiers. These were used for general tasks pumping water etc.
I’ve bored you enough already so will leave you all in peace now.... will be interested to hear what other people do to keep their mind busy when they are not taking pictures...
Cheers, Steve
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Forum: Canon, Nikon, Sony, and Other Camera Brands
10-10-2017, 12:12 PM
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Hi All, sorry had a bit of time away from posting photos, not really been taking as many as I would like..... been getting my wrist repaired (screwed and glued now) and playing with my engines... some cycling when I've not been broken as well.....
 IMG_20170526_130108 by Stephen Williams, on Flickr
 DSCF0422 by Stephen Williams, on Flickr
Most of my engine pics are taken for a magazine I write for occasionally, so mainly to get a view of the engine rather than a bit of style...
Sadly my X30 gave up the ghost the other week, it still functions but the EVF isn't working which is a nightmare, it's currently sat waiting to go off for repair, so been using my phone, a Huawei Mate 9 with a "Leica" camera.... pushed them through snapspeed.
 IMG_20171004_105236-01 by Stephen Williams, on Flickr
 IMG_20171004_105502-01 by Stephen Williams, on Flickr
 IMG_20171006_114937-01 by Stephen Williams, on Flickr
 IMG_20171006_120913-01 by Stephen Williams, on Flickr
Anyways will send the X30 off and might see if I can get my X10 back in the meantime....
Cheers, Steve
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Forum: Canon, Nikon, Sony, and Other Camera Brands
11-13-2017, 02:12 PM
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Not one of mine but it is of me..... my wife took a snap of me on her Samsung S6 laying a wreath on behalf of the RAF at Illogan Chapel on a Remembrance Day parade this Sunday.
 IMG-20171112-WA0002 by Stephen Williams, on Flickr
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Forum: Canon, Nikon, Sony, and Other Camera Brands
10-28-2017, 02:47 PM
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Thanks, she did a great job inspecting the engine, though she wasn't too impressed that the pump seals were made from Hippo leather, I dread to think how many hippos were killed other the years for pump leathers for mine pump engines :eek:
 IMG_20171026_160654-01 by Stephen Williams, on Flickr
 IMG_20171026_153925-01 by Stephen Williams, on Flickr
I do like a bit of Cornish history, I have connections to the mines in some parts of my family, the Great Great Grandfather went to South Africa for the gold mines and was never seen of again, left his wife and children in Cornwall, we think he got caught up in the 2nd Boer War or started a new family.....
Some of his sons went to America, Beaver Meadows, Pennsylvania IIRC, my Great Gran had a very tall American visitor turn up out of the blue in Army Uniform which turned out to be here Nephew who was over for D-Day, how he found her in rural Cornwall I would like to know. he did make it through the war.
They say where ever there is a hole in the ground there will be a Cornishman at the bottom of it.
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Forum: Canon, Nikon, Sony, and Other Camera Brands
10-28-2017, 02:07 PM
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Took the kids to East Pool mine on Thursday, East Pool and Agar mine in Pool near Camborne was one of the last active Tin mine sites in Cornwall (South Crofty was the last) It was opened in 1922 after and continued until 1945, it would have closed soon but the government subsidised the mining of Tungsten during the war for artillery shells. Once the subsides had finished the mine close and the steam engine and pump turned off, this caused flooding in South Croft, turned out they were having shafts pumped out for free! So they had to buy the engine to pump out their shafts for another 9 years until converted to electric. The engine was built by Harvey's of Hayle in 1892, EPAL (East Pool & Agar Ltd) bought the engine and engine house from a near by Carn Brea mine and dismantled it and brought it too the new site about a mile away as the crow flies no mean feat in 1920! it thought to be one of the largest beam engines in situ in the UK with a 90" piston and 31 1/2" beam. The largest which was also built by Harvey's of Hayle is in the Netherlands and has a massive 144" piston! IIRC the President Engine house in America had a 110 1/2" piston.
Sadly like many engines in Cornwall it has been locked off so no longer turns under steam, very few turn on Electric, I can only recall one that still turns by steam in Cornwall.
For those interested here is how it used to look down here about 1890 before we had to rely on tourism.... Carn Brea on the right east Pool mine is thought to be the furthest stack in the left. Photo was taken on a Sunday or feast day as there is no smoke from the chimneys so no one at work.
Anyways my photos..... again Mate 9
The formidable engine house
 IMG_20171026_150224-01 by Stephen Williams, on Flickr
Valve gear
 IMG_20171026_155746-01 by Stephen Williams, on Flickr
The operators position.
 IMG_20171026_160934-01 by Stephen Williams, on Flickr
A view from the beam floor
 IMG_20171026_160505-01 by Stephen Williams, on Flickr
An oiler on the 90" cylinder.
 IMG_20171026_155725-01 by Stephen Williams, on Flickr
And the engine inspector for the day.....
 IMG_20171026_160821-01 by Stephen Williams, on Flickr
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Forum: Canon, Nikon, Sony, and Other Camera Brands
10-27-2017, 01:08 PM
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Still you and the iP7 done a great job, bought a Zenit B just for the Helios 44-2 the other day tempted to put film through that, it's the developing that makes it expensive now... I've got a developing tank in the attic because I had some crazy notion of using coffee to develop the film but thats as far as I got..... shame as I have a few nice working film cameras....
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Forum: Canon, Nikon, Sony, and Other Camera Brands
10-22-2017, 01:34 AM
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We've had some nice mornings down here recently, winds have been up to 45kts and raining sideways the rest of the day but the mornings have been nice....
 IMG_20171019_075542-01 by Stephen Williams, on Flickr
Cheers, Steve
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Forum: Canon, Nikon, Sony, and Other Camera Brands
10-17-2017, 01:00 AM
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Tail end of a tropical storm hit over here in England, lovely and warm just windy! We go off fairly light compared to Ireland, surprising as Cornwall stick out into the Atlantic. I was going to go to Porthleven where most of the iconic storm pics are taken in Cornwall, in really bad seas the waves go over the clock town on the mouth of the harbour. But decided it was too cliche so went up to Rinsey to take some of the mines. I mainly used my X-Pro 1 and tripod but took a couple on the phone when I could stand up!
 IMG_20171016_112158-01 by Stephen Williams, on Flickr
 IMG_20171016_112341-01 by Stephen Williams, on Flickr
 IMG_20171016_112041-02 by Stephen Williams, on Flickr
non-toy camera photos here if interested...
Rinsey | Flickr
Cheers, Steve
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Forum: Canon, Nikon, Sony, and Other Camera Brands
10-17-2017, 12:41 PM
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TVM!
I didn't notice I left my phone in square format.... Had a go with the "HDR" effect today on the Mate 9, sky was quite nice on walk back from Parent Evening in the school.
 IMG_20171017_183259-01 by Stephen Williams, on Flickr
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Forum: Canon, Nikon, Sony, and Other Camera Brands
10-23-2016, 02:34 PM
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Ahhh Mini's! I will get flash backs to when I put mine through the air onto it's roof.... was a very lucky boy!
Been to a small crank up today of quite a lovely single cylinder diesel with a 6ft flywheel. Took the Fuji X30 with me.
I kind of miss my Pentax fisheye in these situations...
 DSCF7648 by Stephen Williams, on Flickr
 DSCF7639 by Stephen Williams, on Flickr
 DSCF7645 by Stephen Williams, on Flickr
 DSCF7646 by Stephen Williams, on Flickr
I took one of my small ones... my tow vehicle had an issue so couldn't take the one I wanted to take.
 DSCF7621 by Stephen Williams, on Flickr
Nice couple if Marshall single cylinder 2 stroke diesel tractors turned up.
 DSCF7671 by Stephen Williams, on Flickr
Some more here if people are interested.
https://www.flickr.com/gp/2strokesteve/1xB72R
Oh and my 4yr old daughter took charge of my little digital Diana I bought some time ago, lovely and simple of the kids.
 DSCF0126 by Stephen Williams, on Flickr
 DSCF0154 by Stephen Williams, on Flickr
 DSCF0162 by Stephen Williams, on Flickr
I think she did a good job.
Cheers, Steve
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Forum: General Talk
09-05-2016, 01:51 PM
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Well found out today my great great uncle (on my mothers side) was the third officer on the Titanic.
Herbert John Pitman : Titanic Third Officer
Found it quite an interesting read, especially his account of the sinking.
I hope others enjoy it.
Cheers, Steve
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Forum: Canon, Nikon, Sony, and Other Camera Brands
09-05-2016, 01:48 PM
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Was.... we had a few nice days, the Outer Hebrides can be quite beautiful, only problem when its sunny is the midges come out and you get eaten alive!
Not got a clue what they are Rupert..... we normally use streaky bacon keep chicken/turkey moist or wrap around sausages. We normally have back bacon as day to day bacon.....
Harris and Lewis was very nice (sorry not toy...)
 Harris & Lewis 2016 by Stephen Williams, on Flickr
 Harris & Lewis 2016 by Stephen Williams, on Flickr
Cheers, Steve
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Forum: Canon, Nikon, Sony, and Other Camera Brands
05-31-2016, 03:03 PM
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Nice work! Keep meaning to play more with Macro....
Been pushing the X30 hard this weekend, reaching the limits of what the 2/3rd sensor can handle in terms of noise in low light. Though I have to say it nailed focus where my X-Pro 1 would hunt like a hound. We were camping on Roadford lake activity centre.
Playing with toy mode...
 DSCF6838 by Stephen Williams, on Flickr
Some old stuff kicking about, this is an old box of sheep dip tablets and a rusted out oil can... there was also what looked like mill, root cutter and grain mill.
 DSCF6818 by Stephen Williams, on Flickr
I quite liked this one but it's come out quite watercolour like, I did try some noise reduction so that might be the issue, but without it was a mass of noise.
 DSCF6790 by Stephen Williams, on Flickr
Try again, I didn't add any vignette.
 DSCF6791 by Stephen Williams, on Flickr
 DSCF6793 by Stephen Williams, on Flickr
 DSCF6774 by Stephen Williams, on Flickr
Had to convert one to B&W
 DSCF6788 by Stephen Williams, on Flickr
The most I've pushed the X30, still performed OK.
Cheers, Steve
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Forum: Canon, Nikon, Sony, and Other Camera Brands
05-24-2016, 01:35 PM
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Managed to get out with it today! Took a trip up to Padstow with the kids as they were evacuated from school at lunch time..... apparently a bomb scare in a sleepy little village in the back end of Cornwall.... All the other parents were wondering about in their own little panics where as I (Military Background) and my wife (Northern Irish) were cool as cucumbers, the fact they had evacuated to the pub made me think the teachers just wanted a beer in the summer sun..... I suppose you can't be to careful in this sort of thing. Any way photos... didn't take much really, just got an Ice cream and waited about for my wife friend who is down on holiday, I really don't like Padstow, panders too much to holiday makers for my taste.
 P1030823 by Stephen Williams, on Flickr
 P1030824 by Stephen Williams, on Flickr
 P1030825 by Stephen Williams, on Flickr
 P1030803 by Stephen Williams, on Flickr
There photos came out quite pleasant the ones took inside were not so good....
Cheers, Steve
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