A new engine for fall---

[brian Rupnow]

Duffy--I counterbored both ends of the pipe 1/4" deep, so there was no galvanized right where I was silver soldering. However, I had to redo the solder joint at one end because it leaked, which is a bit unusual for me, so perhaps the zinc vapour caused it.---Brian

[brian Rupnow]

I have been asked by a machining magazine to present an article on this engine for publication. As a consequence of this, I have had to put together an "overview" drawing of the engine with the maximum envelope dimensions and information about bore, stroke, etcetera. This morning I took the time to add the gas tank and a couple of minor components that were not shown previously. The build of this engine is finished, but since I have never actually posted this final information, I am attaching it to the end of the build thread.---Brian

[J. R. Williams]

Excellent project brought to completion. Next step is to master the art of piston rings for small bore engines.

JRW

[brian Rupnow]

J.R.--It isn't going to happen. I fought that battle with the Canadian Cub engine. Although it eventually did run with cast iron rings, it didn't run well. I do this as a hobby to please myself, not as something to flog myself into frustration with I will not be making anymore engines with cast iron rings.---Brian.

[EddyCurr]

Any possibility of testing the SLS/DMLS waters by trying
Selective and/or Direct Metal Laser Sintering or at least
sending out an RFQ if a future build has a part like the
"Connecting Arm - Opposed" that Toolguy supplied for the
"A different opposed piston engine" of 2013?



There was push-back generated in response to the suggestion
at the time. I appreciate that you responded then to express an
openness to using modern approaches.

As one scrolls through the photos associated with these
builds, one sees the images of the bars and plates purchased
to be whittled into components and swarf. I believe it fair to
say the latter outweighs the former.

Your proficiency with CAD, the rapid development prototype
nature of these projects, material costs of subtractive
machining, the advances in sintered material strength and
declines in SLS/DMLS service prices would seem to open the
door to giving such services a try. Not to mention expanding
creative possibilities for your projects.

.

[brian Rupnow]

Eddy --Machining is a hobby. If I wanted to outsource my machining I have many places I can do that. On the parts that are more complex than I want to attempt, there are other blessed souls out there with cnc capability who volunteer to help me out.---Brian

[brian Rupnow]

Has anybody had a problem downloading the plans from the web hosting site I use, filefactory.com? I have a chap in Wisconsin who says it is not possible for him to download them. I don't now if there is something wrong at the download site of if it is a security setting on his computer.--Brian

[Deja Vu]

Hi Brian,
I'm from Wisconsin and downloaded the plans without a hitch. I'm not sure if I'll be actually attempting to build your engine, but just appreciating the work you put into the drawings was reason to download them. Just getting my mojo back after getting quintuple bypass several weeks ago.
John Meissner

[brian Rupnow]

Thanks John----Brian

[brian Rupnow]

-I am going to have to find a different site to upload my drawings to --there is just too much horse #### involved with the site I am currently using. The reason I don't upload them here is that I post on four different machining/modelling sites, and I want the downloads to be available to all of them. I don't make any money from posting these plans, so I try to use free sites, but it seems to be becoming more and more difficult to find a free site that is not over-ran by spam-ware and misleading advertisements.---Brian

[brian Rupnow]

Hooray for my side!!! Just as I was about to go bonkers from terminal boredom, I got a call ten minutes ago for some design engineering work starting tomorrow. I have been thinking about using my new engine to run a lighting plant, using an old bicycle generator, the kind with the friction wheel that ran off the front or rear tire. Dearie me!!!---Time has moved on in the last 55 years since I had a bicycle. I went into 3 bike shops and Canadian tire asking about generators for bicycles, and they all looked at me as if I had two heads. Apparently now, if you want a light on your bicycle, you use batteries and LED's. I see many of these generators (also called dynamos) on ebay but I don't totally trust buying used electrical things from people I don't know in places I have never been to. I will pursue this a bit more though, because I would like to have my new engine power something.---Brian

[ulav8r]

Aren't there small motors that can be driven to produce current? I am not electrisically knowledgeable but I think there are a DC RC motor could be used.

[brian Rupnow]

A very kind gentleman from Michigan who built my Muley style Sawmill and exhibits it at shows around USA has just "volunteered" me a bicycle generator. It will be sent here by snail mail (I assume) and then we will go about building a "lighting plant" for my newest engine to run.---Brian

[brian Rupnow]

Perhaps a bicycle dynamo requires more energy than a small engine puts out, or perhaps it's just that I have bad google-foo. I have done numerous web searches looking for a bicycle dynamo driven by a small engine to make a "lighting plant", but there really is very little out there showing others doing it successfully. I did find one video of somebody with a Namod steam engine hooked to one, and he was getting voltage across a Voltmeter, but not actually running anything. My latest engine with a 1" bore seems to have considerably more power than any of my model steam engines. It hits it's power band at about 1500 rpm, and my home grown math tells me that the bike dynamo's like to spin at around 3000 to be quite efficient in terms of lighting a bright white light. It will be interesting. I will probably rig something up "temporarily" to see if it is going to work at all. If it does, then I will probably put some more time into the project and start a separate thread on it.---Brian

[RichR]

Hi Brian
A stepper motor will generate power. Turn the shaft on one and you will feel a slight cogging force. Short two of the leads, and it becomes a lot harder to turn.