Hit & Miss Engine - The Original Style Of “Power Saw”

[Vintage Engine Repairs]

It always excites me to start this little model up.

Originally they were used in the turn of the 20th century to power everything from farm equipment, power saws, factory’s and more.

I haven’t got this set up to any model reciprocating drag saw (the original type of power saw), but they would have back in the day.

I hope you enjoy it!

 

[Automender]

Loved these engines even since I heard one firing away at a stem engine show. In Amish area in Ohio I have seen one powering up an ice cream maker.

 

[Vintage Engine Repairs]

Loved these engines even since I heard one firing away at a stem engine show. In Amish area in Ohio I have seen one powering up an ice cream maker.

They really are so unique and charming aren’t they!

 

[Mad Professor]

I knew a wise old gentleman who had an original full size one of those engines. Cast iron flywheels were a foot taller than me. I'm not sure what it originally powered? "Pete" had it set up in his yard, and it still ran. We were youngsters and fascinated with his collections of old wonders.

Every once in while, usually when having a gathering, he'd uncover it and start it. Had the total loss lubrication system with oil cups and a bunch of grease fittings; we learned how it operated.

Under no load it would spin quite a while between between firing/power strokes. Such was the energy stored in the massive flywheels. The exhaust was a large diameter vertical iron pipe.

He had an old paint can just a little bigger in diameter than the exhaust, he'd put that on top of the exhaust pipe between power strokes. When it fired it would launch the can pretty high in the air!

That old sage lived in a 300 year old farm house that was nearly original, timberframed of hand hewn beams, cedar shake roof. It had minimal renovations: running water, a flush toilet, shower, and rudimentary electrical. He heated with a large stone center chimney fireplace and wood stove, also a Glenwood cook stove. Much of the furniture was nearly old as the house. For instance a "rope" bed with feather filled mattress.

The large old original barn was also filled with working tools and machinery. Which we also learned about and got to use.

Pete's gatherings/cookouts were another insight to how things used to be. The food just seem to taste so much better, much of it grown raised or gathered on the farm.....

I miss that old man.

 

[Vintage Engine Repairs]

I knew a wise old gentleman who had an original full size one of those engines. Cast iron flywheels were a foot taller than me. I'm not sure what it originally powered? "Pete" had it set up in his yard, and it still ran. We were youngsters and fascinated with his collections of old wonders.

Every once in while, usually when having a gathering, he'd uncover it and start it. Had the total loss lubrication system with oil cups and a bunch of grease fittings; we learned how it operated.

Under no load it would spin quite a while between between firing/power strokes. Such was the energy stored in the massive flywheels. The exhaust was a large diameter vertical iron pipe.

He had an old paint can just a little bigger in diameter than the exhaust, he'd put that on top of the exhaust pipe between power strokes. When it fired it would launch the can pretty high in the air!

That old sage lived in a 300 year old farm house that was nearly original, timberframed of hand hewn beams, cedar shake roof. It had minimal renovations: running water, a flush toilet, shower, and rudimentary electrical. He heated with a large stone center chimney fireplace and wood stove, also a Glenwood cook stove. Much of the furniture was nearly old as the house. For instance a "rope" bed with feather filled mattress.

The large old original barn was also filled with working tools and machinery. Which we also learned about and got to use.

Pete's gatherings/cookouts were another insight to how things used to be. The food just seem to taste so much better, much of it grown raised or gathered on the farm.....

I miss that old man.

That’s so good, thanks for sharing it with us! You don’t happen to have any pictures of it / the gathering with it in the background? Would be great to put a picture to the story. They really are a thing of beauty. They brought accessible power to the masses after steam which was a very heavy beast, took lengthy start up procedures and constant maintenance.

 

[Mad Professor]

That’s so good, thanks for sharing it with us! You don’t happen to have any pictures of it / the gathering with it in the background? Would be great to put a picture to the story. They really are a thing of beauty. They brought accessible power to the masses after steam which was a very heavy beast, took lengthy start up procedures and constant maintenance.

Sorry Tom, no pictures. This was a long time ago, when any pictures were taken using film, and as kids we seldom had access to cameras. When Pete died, his property/belongings got canibalized.

I will ask friends when I see them if they have any saved memories, but would have to scan any pictures to digitize them.

There is still a local restored water powered grist mill. That I could get pictures of......

Thanks for posting your mini-one lunger!!!

 

[Vintage Engine Repairs]

Sorry Tom, no pictures. This was a long time ago, when any pictures were taken using film, and as kids we seldom had access to cameras. When Pete died, his property/belongings got canibalized.

I will ask friends when I see them if they have any saved memories, but would have to scan any pictures to digitize them.

There is still a local restored water powered grist mill. That I could get pictures of......

Thanks for posting your mini-one lunger!!!

No worries mate! Any old pics of that old iron send it my way, would love to see some old pics rather than new pics of old machines!

Have a great one!

 

[Mad Professor]

No worries mate! Any old pics of that old iron send it my way, would love to see some old pics rather than new pics of old machines!

Have a great one!

How about my Granddad plowing?

 

[HansFranz]

If you ever get a chance, Tom, check out some of the weird-ass steam engine types that have been invented over the years. I once attended this annual "Steam and Gas Engine Show" near here, and there were all kinds of very strange steam engines from the past 150 years or so running, and some of them seemed to have very whimsical and unexpected ways they ran, and they made these crazy stuttering hiccuppy syncopated heehaw sounds as they did so...it almost made you laugh to watch and listen to them, because it seemed like they were a joke. You were tempted to think, "Naw, somebody's pulling my leg here...there was never a steam engine that worked like THAT...was there?" I just wished the owners were around, so I could ask them "what type of steam engine is this?" so I could look them up later on the Web...it seems like there was quite a variety of "cycle types"...

They also had some really large locomotive-type steam engines in farm tractors and fire engines, and to hear the exhaust steam CHUFF-CHUFFing out of those things was truly impressive, it was almost scary because you could just hear the power and your brain was like "LOOKOUT!"

One cool thing about steam engines is that you can run a lot of them as slow as you want, and they're like bulldozers...the harder the work resists, the harder they push. Ain't much in the world that's stronger than water and heat!

 

[Vintage Engine Repairs]

How about my Granddad plowing?

View attachment 999521

Fantastic picture, thanks for sharing

 

[Vintage Engine Repairs]

If you ever get a chance, Tom, check out some of the weird-ass steam engine types that have been invented over the years. I once attended this annual "Steam and Gas Engine Show" near here, and there were all kinds of very strange steam engines from the past 150 years or so running, and some of them seemed to have very whimsical and unexpected ways they ran, and they made these crazy stuttering hiccuppy syncopated heehaw sounds as they did so...it almost made you laugh to watch and listen to them, because it seemed like they were a joke. You were tempted to think, "Naw, somebody's pulling my leg here...there was never a steam engine that worked like THAT...was there?" I just wished the owners were around, so I could ask them "what type of steam engine is this?" so I could look them up later on the Web...it seems like there was quite a variety of "cycle types"...

They also had some really large locomotive-type steam engines in farm tractors and fire engines, and to hear the exhaust steam CHUFF-CHUFFing out of those things was truly impressive, it was almost scary because you could just hear the power and your brain was like "LOOKOUT!"

One cool thing about steam engines is that you can run a lot of them as slow as you want, and they're like bulldozers...the harder the work resists, the harder they push. Ain't much in the world that's stronger than water and heat!

Steam is such a beautiful means of powering and as you say very unique in the ability of it to be very low rpm but huge torque. Friend and fellow member here @trains loves his steam locos (the name gives it away) and he initially got me looking at them and shortly after that I was invited to a friends 60th birthday where
she rented out “The Decoy” a fully functioning steam paddle boat where you could see it working.

I recorded this video for trains, but I hope you enjoy it too.

 

[uniballer]

I like it, but isn't this the "original" power saw?

 

[Mad Professor]

I like it, but isn't this the "original" power saw?

Some of the beams in my house were cut with one of those. Can tell as the saw marks are straight rather than arced from a circular sawmill blade.

 

[HansFranz]

Pretty cool 1982 documentary about a water-powered sawmill here:

Ben's Mill
https://www.folkstreams.net/films/ben-s-mill

 

[copen]

There's a steam and gas show that takes place in Berryville, Va every year at the end of July. They have a boat load of originals as well as scaled down models and antique farm equipment that makes the ground shake. Plus a heck of a flea market. https://svsgea.org/

 

[pioneerguy600]

Tom, you really should find a real cast iron one lunger to play with, they came in small hp versions for utility duty. I count myself lucky in that I got to work with the big heavy versions that were powering small saw mills in my home area when as a young lad the one lungers were still plentyful chugging along running lath machines, shingle mills, ricker rotary saws and firewood tilt table cut off saws. The big heavy flywheels stored a lot of energy and once fired up the engine only needed to fire occasionally until a load was applied then the governor would allow the exhaust valve to close and the engine would come alive firing on every stroke as long as there was a load that kept the RPM down the mechanical governor would allow the exhaust valve to operate normally. The big bore 8" and 10" engines would nearly rock themselves over when they fired, they needed to be firmly bolted down to a heavy timber or solid foundation to keep them in place. A local friend had 10 of them in running condition plus a bunch that needed bearing work, he taught me how to run babbit bearings, something that has largely been forgotten about these days.

 

[BrettS]

When Pete died, his property/belongings got canibalized.

Know that one well, when my grandmother died the not so nice in the family went to her house and took all they could despite what was written in the will. I was lucky enough to get my grandfathers grandfather clock he built as an apprentice at the railway workshops. I still remember him telling me how he would crawl into the steam engines boilers and knock all the scale off the insides with hammers.

 

[Mad Professor]

That’s so good, thanks for sharing it with us! You don’t happen to have any pictures of it / the gathering with it in the background? Would be great to put a picture to the story. They really are a thing of beauty. They brought accessible power to the masses after steam which was a very heavy beast, took lengthy start up procedures and constant maintenance.

Tom, this one is up for sale local.

Want me to check shipping to Aus?

 

[KASH]

I have two hit and miss engines a A Fairbanks Morse and Ottawa engine built in Canada.When I started on the railway for CN signals in 1975 the motor cars we had were equipped with Fairmont hit and miss two cycle engines. The enclosed cab with two bucket seats we had was flat belt driven with a 5hp Fairmont.Top speed on a down grade 45 miles per hour.The section crew had a larger model seating 8 and a 8hp motor.Later we got a new one with a 25hp Onan.Strictly against the rule book which stated you must be able to stop in half the distance you can see I wound that car up to 75 miles an hour many times on a cold winter night I would tail the passenger train home breaking more rules.
Kash

 

[Trailsawyer]

Anyone in the Northwest interested in old equipment should try and attend "Steam Up" !
It's a great event with hundreds of old tractors, hit and miss engines, and more!
https://www.antiquepowerland.com/steam-up