2 1/2 pound engine - Warnnig, lots of pictures!

[CallMeAl]

Hello everyone,

I started this engine over a year ago and am now just finally getting around to getting it going. I would like to blame many things for my rate of progress, but it just comes down to procrastination!  Their always seems to be something else to work on or fix.

I posted some of these pictures on another forum, but to refresh your memory I'm re-posting them here since as I said it's been over a year ago I started this thing.  The whole idea was to use a 2 1/2 pound weight from a barbell that I found at a scrap yard and design an engine around it.

I started with a wooden pattern for the base:

 

I cast that in aluminum:

 

Made a few of the parts - crank axle, counter weight, cylinder, piston, and rod:

 

Here is where I got stuck and put it aside till a couple of week ends ago.  I got tired of looking at it lying dormant at the back of my bench so finally took a couple of days figure out the valve and valve train and got it working!!









It's funny how you put things off..  This has turned out to be a very fun project and it is satisfying to see it running after all this time.  It turned out better that I planned - even though I made it up as I went along.

Here it is running:

[spuddevans]

Well thats great, well done on getting a runner 

It ticks over very nicely at a slow speed, and I like the sound of it too.


Tim

[Stilldrillin]

That`s great Al! It runs very well. 

Very well shown too...... 

David D

[John Hill]

Great result  Al!

[raynerd]

Excellent - love the case ally frame.

Chris

[Darren]

Wonderful, quite different from the little screamers....well done on getting it going....nice sound too...

[Gerhard Olivier]

Nice one love the casting
Gerhard

[NorthOf40]

Sweet

[CrewCab]

Lovely Job Al 

CC

[NickG]

Nice 1, can't see the video here but will do later! Great stuff.

[CallMeAl]

Thanks everyone! It looks like the UK and her former related countries all well represented in this group!

I appreciate all your comments.  I have enjoyed and marveled at he projects that the members of this group have displayed here.  It's nice to be able show something and get favorable comments.

[Bernd]

Nice engine Al. I think you'd get first prize for a "the slowest running engine".

Your own design?

I was amazed at how well balanced it is when at a higher speed. You didn't have it glued to the table did ya? 

Hope to see more projects from you here.

Bernd

[sbwhart]

Great job Al:- Runs very sweet.
 


Thanks for showing

Stew

[Brass_Machine]

Nice! Nice job on the casting too!

 

Eric

[NickG]

Love the motion, what drives the valve rod is it an eccentric and strap? The casting is brilliant. 

Nick

[CallMeAl]

Thanks everyone for the nice comments.

Nice one love the casting
Gerhard

The main reason I put together my little foundry was to attempt to make engine castings.  This is the third one I've done and the most elaborate.

Nice engine Al. I think you'd get first prize for a "the slowest running engine".

Your own design?

I was amazed at how well balanced it is when at a higher speed. You didn't have it glued to the table did ya? 

Hope to see more projects from you here.

Bernd

Yes, I like bigger, slow running engines.  I like to see all the pieces moving around.  The little bitty blurry buzzers are very impressive with speed and skill it took to build them, but my dim eyesight and clumsy fingers keep me from attempting to build anything that small.  This is my own design.  I am trying to do things a little different and like to see if I can figure out how accomplish the design.  Not totally original by any means, just my take on others ideas.  It makes it more interesting that way! 

Love the motion, what drives the valve rod is it an eccentric and strap?
Nick

The valve rod is driven by an eccentric.  I wanted try a "teeter tooter" arrangement on the valve rod just for the fun of it.  I've seen it done on hit n miss engines and was intrigued enough to apply it to this "steam" model engine.  I don't think I've seen done like this before, but I haven't seen them all!  Figuring out the stroke on the eccentric was the most difficult part due to the unequal length of the arms from the pivot point of the valve rod.

[NickG]

I haven't seen it done like that either. As you say on ic engines and flame gulpers but usually with cam instead of eccentric. Very unique. Great stuff.