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| Finger engine flywheel weight |
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| hosinsky:
I have read that the weight of a finger engine is rather important, people adding weight to get the engine to work well. I would like to build a finger engine using some 15 mm alu plate to make the fly wheel, but what size do I need, or really, what (weight x radius) do I need for the engine to work well? Goran Canary Islands |
| NickG:
15mm is quite thick so I'd say something like 100mm diameter should be ok - thin the middle section out to give it a decent moment of inertia but reducing the weight on the bearings. There are so many other factors too though, the geometry and the friction in the joints etc. |
| BillTodd:
If you use a heavy flywheel, make sure there's no finger-nip trap under the paddle to crush little fingers :hammer: |
| black85vette:
--- Quote from: BillTodd on October 27, 2012, 08:48:49 AM ---If you use a heavy flywheel, make sure there's no finger-nip trap under the paddle to crush little fingers :hammer: --- End quote --- I will second this. Also eliminate things like spokes that little fingers can stick through when it is moving. I built one for my grandkids and didn't find the flywheel to be all that important. It has no compression or friction and very little mass to overcome |
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