Okay, to start the ball rolling, I'm throwing down the glove to any MadModder foolish enough to take this on. I don't exactly yet know what the prize is going to be, but it's likely to be something truly worthless!
The contest will go through February 13 (before Valentines Day), and polling for the winner, by popular vote will happen on the 15th and 16th (after Valentines day!).
The rules:
Build any kind of engine using any of the following raw materials:
pipe
pipe fittings
tubing (must be round)
a single 6" long by 1/2" dia bolt (or similar metric size)
nails (any size or type)
All materials must be ferrous (steel, iron, stainless)
If you need accessory stuff like spark or glow plugs, coils, (or tubing for compressed air or steam engines) that can be non ferrous where needed. And you can braze or solder.
But the main idea is to make the engine out of these everyday common ferrous materials. With those you can perform any machining, melting, casting or welding operation you want. As long as you started with the contest materials.
No sheet, plate, rod, block to start with (though you can create them from the contest raw materials with a forge if you want).
Fasteners of any kind are okay, if used as fasteners.
It would be great if you could take a picture of what you started with, and definitely you can post pictures of what you finish up with (running videos especially appreciated) here in this thread.
If you want to do a separate detailed build thread as you go along, that also would be very cool. (But not necessary.)
I really want to build along, but I'm disqualifying myself from winning. But If someone else proposes a different Mod-Up, too, by gum, I'll be there with a sharpened drill bit straight from my Drill Doctor, so look out!