Kimric Smythe is exploring the steam engine not with an intent to expose a "supressed technology" but something that can make use of varied fuels, and easily assembled parts. Few people can assemble a gasoline engine from found ,assorted parts. Much less machine them. Kimric on the otherhand ,with a pair of plastic calipers and an old air compressor assembled a working engine out of a used air compressor. The goal was to use as little custom machining as possible.
Kimric did almost all the work on a drill press, using a lathe only on some deepdrilling work, but could have done it without that. The inlet valve assembly is the part that gives people some pause. He was able to use an off the shelf "whistle valve" as his inlet valve. The project took about 40 hrs but half of that was trial and error time.
He built a boiler using a similar approach. The boiler produces about 3 hp at 125psi and has been pressure tested to 240psi. Much higher than required Kimric later found out.
http://dorkbot.org/dorkbotsf/archive/200706/
