cylinders

The very machining of cylinders and pistons (6mm O.D.) required a lot of patience.
First, I prepared cylinder sleeves, approx 2 times too long, bored with a 5.5 drill, O.D. 8mm. Then on a milling maching I bored steam ports. Then I I tured the inside diameter and honeyed. At the end I cut the cylinder to lenth.
Pistons with piston rods are likeways of brass. I turned the O.D. for a interference and then honeyed.

Unfortunately, I was deceived by the computer model, as I planed to make the sheet metal plates so small, that I was unable to cut them, at least with a pair of scissors. Fortunately it seems that the copper wire I used instead works well, and I have succeded with forming the steam ducts.
In the firs soldering attempt I took wrong order of operations. I soldered the sleeves into frames and then the lids. While soldering the latter the sleeves moved laterally and destroyed the steam ducts.

Fortunately I maneged to unsolder all the parts without damage.

At the second, sucessful, trial I first soldered lids, closing thepistons inside. In the picture the subassembilies are pickled in the acetone.

In the picture cylinder block during soldering can be seen. The frames are separated with a sutable metal piece (black between the jaws) and hold via several layers of paper (to provide thermal insulation) in the vice. Into the frames the cylinders are inserted. The piscture was taken just before soldering the steam duct. On the left you can see the extension of the copper wire used for enclosing the canal.

The cylinder block is ready. Pistons move according to the stting of slide valves.
You can see the wires used for enclosing the steam ducts.