Giving it the finger.... Again.

[Divided he ad]

Well, the finger engine anywho 


Got a little bored over the Easter break. So thought I'd tidy up the workshop a bit.... That lead me to find a little plan for the NAMES finger engine I've had in a draw for 4 or so years!

Never made it, thought that it looked like a little fun "weekend" project so.....Stuff the tidy up! 

 Here is where I'm upto after 16 ish hours.... I just can't follow a plan   

Warning, this gets artsy fartsy 


Started with this... Converted to metric and rough materials cut.




Then start to put the holes in all the right places. First the upright.






A little shaping with the ball turner.







Polished up a little and the micro ball bearings pressed in.





The treadle.

Put the holes in the correct places...


And make it a shape you like the look of.



I used a carbide burr for this bit... Reason being the endmills seem to be a little too grabby in my experience...
You can't let go of this, else there will be a big bang and a few tears!!!  




Then the conrod.

Similar use of a burr, 1/8th one this time.... Bends a bit,  very small cuts are ok though..




Then make a wooden erm,,, fixture!?


And shape the rod a little..





The cam,


A little narrow!






Think that'll do for now,

There are quite a few more pic's but they're mostly just different angles etc.... Figure you've probably had quite enough pic's in this post by now 


 I'll hopefully get a little time on the "dreaded flywheel" this weekend?

Dunno why I think cutting these flywheels is so damn tough... Maybe it's because I have to stick to the plan   



Possibly more over the weekend?










Ralph.

[Stilldrillin]

Wot! No lights, as yet? 

It's great to see you on with another ornate engine project again, Ralph. 

David D

[Rob.Wilson]

As always Ralph ,,,,,,,,,,,a very enjoyable read 


I liked your fixture to hold the conrod 



Rob

[Deko]

Why stick to the plan Ralph ?  Put a groove in the flywheel, stick some of those surface mount jobbies in it,

A couple of slip rings, batteries in the base, and you can maintain your reputation. Simple realy !!!!!!! 

Cheers Dek.

[Divided he ad]

David, No lights yet... It'll pretty much sparkle when I'm finished 

Rob, I thought you'd like the fixture.... You can borrow the method if you like? 


Dek, Just for that I might! .... I'll certainly have a look into it anyway   





Gonna be tomorrow night before I get chance now... Working on a van tonight and working for my living all tomorrow!






Ralph.

[Deko]

Ralph,
         Use the column as the neg, then you only have to sus out the pos feed. 

Cheers Dek. 

[Divided he ad]

Already there Dek, already there     



Got to go fix this van!




Laters,



Ralph.

[DMIOM]

Why stick to the plan Ralph ?  Put a groove in the flywheel, stick some of those surface mount jobbies in it,

A couple of slip rings, batteries in the base, and you can maintain your reputation. Simple realy !!!!!!! 

Cheers Dek.

come on, who needs batteries 

There'll be rotary motion once the engine is being given the finger, so how about affixing some magnets and wind some (lots of?)  fine enamelled wire ... or fasten a tiddly pancake stepper to the flywheel and hold its shaft steady, then use the the stepper's windings to drive some of the LEDs ....

cheers / Dave

[Divided he ad]

Erm, this is getting out of hand! 

This incarnation will be good old boring and basic... There maybe a light up version in the future...?


For now, a quick search Search for Dickybird on goggle images led me to this little beauty that I remember Milton showing me a while back...  http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/m_5370694/anchors_5439047/mpage_1/key_/anchor/tm.htm#5439047

It's the generator incarnation I'm showing you 




Ralph.

[Deko]

Hi Ralph.
              I got plenty small motors/dynamos, some as small as 8mm dia. by 12mm long. 

Cheers Dek.

[Divided he ad]

We will have to discuss this next time I'm over Dek   


Got a little more done this evening...


I was trying to think of a design for my flywheel and stumbled on the design for the base instead  :Lol:  Just the way the mind works!

So, I was gifted a few stainless circles by a generous fella last time I visited   

I was thinking of using a 6mm thick disc but the lever would stick out and that just wouldn't do. So I selected one of the larger 3mm thick discs that would allow the lever to lie within the diameter 

I mounted it on an arbour and cleaned it up using emery and a little polish... This stuff is tough!! No pic's cause it was quick and basic (and I forgot!)

I decided to have another go at engine turning, last time I tried was on my MkII finger engine. It was ok but some swirls dragged a bit.

Anyway, enough talk more pic's eh   


I used the rotary table to hold the disc on an arbour and used 30' for the inner circle and 10' for the outer. I had to go over them twice to get the full circle cause the stainless is so hard. Took a while but I like the result 










Then I needed a cover for the bit left in the centre where the washer was. I used an old little brass flywheel blank from the bits draw.
I drilled it to allow the M10 thread to pass through. Then turned a spigot to locate it in the base disc.



Then turned it around and bored the recess for the column to fit into.


I needed a way to hold this for shaping so I turned the hex off a M10 bolt and cut a slot in it so I could tighten it.




Then began shaping the part.




Then I added the fancy bit to it  ;D






So this is where I ended up at about 10PM





At some point I'm going to sort the flywheel out.... At least I have an idea to try to make now   




More as soon as I can.




Ralph.

[Stilldrillin]

                           


Yer working well Ralph! You never fail to impress. 

Well done......... 

David D

[Deko]

Looks wonderfull that does Ralph. Glad you found a use for it, they have been stuck under my bench for many years and I never found anything to use them on.

Cheers Dek.

[Divided he ad]

Thanks David, happy you like it... Never sure how these things will turn out but I kinda like it 


Dek, I have to wonder what base I would have made if you hadn't given me those discs? Timing was perfect 

Still got one this size left 


Quite looking forward to having this one complete. Going for a few hours this arvo.... See if I can start to carve out a flywheel? 




Ralph.

[krv3000]

hi and well dun nice 

[vtsteam]

Wow, that's beautiful!

[Brass_Machine]

Wow, that's beautiful!

Yup. I agree. Nicely done Ralph!

[Divided he ad]

Evening folks,

I've been able to get a few hours together and pretty much finish this project... I know, in less than a year! (Some people will know I have a few unfinished projects      )

So, I left this waiting for a flywheel, a base and some little fixings.

Here are a few pic's of what I came up with....


First cut a 3"x1.5"  ali round into two... By hand!     Wouldn't clamp in my chop saw.  Finished them both off then started work on the 3/4" thick piece.

 

Now, the idea was to use the mill and rotary table to remove the material from the centre of the flywheel before cutting spokes into it... Problem with that was.... I liked the pattern the machining left behind  






I had to make quite a few little arbours and work holding bits for this as there were a lot of fiddly bits to make...












The Base is in 3 parts. The stainless ET platform and collar for the upright you have seen already. But it needed a thicker part underneath the stainless for the upright to screw into... Wood seemed a good option for this.

I only had one piece of wood big enough for the job. A bit soft but workable (dunno what it is?) 

Cut into a rough shape and then a centre hole drilled and mounted on the RT on the mill... and hacked into a shape to work with.



Taking shape... The little hub in the centre was removed after all the shaping and sanding was complete... carefully by hand with a razor sharp chisel.



I then helicoiled the centre hole to accept a M10x1.5 thread.



Mounted it on the lathe and sanded it down, scorched it a little with a blow torch and then waxed it.... Placed the other parts on and... One completed base.





Then add the assembled "engine"







I had a play with some artsi fartsi shots too...



Using 2 GID blobs charged up to do the light painting (10 second shutter delay in the pitch black except for the GID bits)



Then I started waving around the laser I used to charge the GID bits up!   




Anyway.... I suppose I'd best show this too "And Action!"   



You click on the pic and it plays in a new window... Don't know if Photobucket can have a player like youtube?



Well, time for bed... work in 5 hours   





Ralph. 

[Brass_Machine]

Good job finishing that up Ralph! Came out very nice!

Eric

[mechman48]

Hi Ralph
Superb as usual; question.. how did you do the 'engine turning' swirls? that has always confused me, did you use tied wire brushes or emery sticks, I have tried using wrapped emery cloth many moons ago but never came out anywhere near as good as yours, ..would love to know the definitive secret..?

Cheers
George

[Alan Haisley]

Ralph,
That is so great. I'm glad you mixed some polishing with some tool marks. It makes a great contrast. 
Alan

[Divided he ad]

Thanks guys 

Eric, Didn't it.....     .  I'm quite happy with it..... Loving the free running with the micro bearings 

Alan, I couldn't bring myself to destroy the cool swirls left by the mill      Not often I leave tool marks


George, I use some soft abrasive rubber cylinders mounted on 1/8th shafts that were donated to my cause By John "Bogstandard" about 3 years ago. He was given them by another friend.

From what I have gleaned over the years a few people use things as simple as wooden dowels and an abrasive paste. Like valve grinding paste for hard metals and even toothpaste I've been told on softer stuff.

Also the old erasers found in the top of pencils seem to come up when talking ET.

The use of a lubricant is I believe a necessity.


I could make a little video of the process and or some stills of the tooling I use if you would like. I might even try a few of the methods above and compare the results.... Since I have not tried them myself.

I will say it might take me a few weeks. We're right smack in the middle of "car show season" and I have shows and all sorts to prepare for and attend.... Also there is still the house I have not finished building!! 


Anywho, I've waffled on for long enough....



Very happy you guys like it.    I might have a go at finally finishing the rocking engine off next.....    Only 2 years in the making!! 
(didn't some guys make one in 2 days!!?)






Ralph.


  Just finished a 13hr day with 3hrs of driving, working in the sun over on the coast at Barmouth.... Fell asleep while reading through this reply for errors and woke up having had my middle finger on the zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz for a short while    Time for sleep methinks!   

[Stilldrillin]

Sleep easy Ralph. 

That's another beauty....... 

David D

[ieezitin]

Ralph

excellent job all round. Smashing in my book. 

I love stainless, i love the way you can machine it to look like glass if you have the right conditions.

Any chance of showing the arbor, disc and medium you used on the engine turning? also what speed was used and any other tips you may want to pass along on getting  that effect.

Thanks    Anthony.

[ieezitin]

Dont worry.

as i was posting my post you posted a answer