Author Topic: Vertical Single 4-stroke IC Engine  (Read 59632 times)

Offline BronxFigs

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Re: Vertical Single 4-stroke IC Engine
« Reply #15 on: August 01, 2013, 12:16:07 PM »
Chuck:

I am interested in the logic behind many of your choices when building these types of engines that come out of your workshop.

For example:  Did you design the head and then look for a spark-plug to fit, or, did you know that this was your choice of plug and then make the head to fit the plug?  You note in your article, that the "RIMFIRE" plugs are expensive.  Why did you choose this style plug, and, were there other choices?

Do you always make your own rings, or, do you buy available rings made for model pistons, and then design the cylinder/piston based on what's available commercially?

You and others on this forum who can whip up these engines in your sleep, amaze me.  You pull parts together, make what's needed, and a month later, you have a running engine.  I understand all engines have parts in common, but you guys are Wizzards when it comes to finding solutions to design problems, using what's on hand, and then work with tools that you have.

My hat's off to guys like you....the Masters of Clever Invention.  You inspire guys like me.



Frank
« Last Edit: August 01, 2013, 12:38:48 PM by BronxFigs »
90% of everything is BS!

Offline cfellows

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Re: Vertical Single 4-stroke IC Engine
« Reply #16 on: August 07, 2013, 10:34:47 PM »
Chuck:

I am interested in the logic behind many of your choices when building these types of engines that come out of your workshop.

For example:  Did you design the head and then look for a spark-plug to fit, or, did you know that this was your choice of plug and then make the head to fit the plug?  You note in your article, that the "RIMFIRE" plugs are expensive.  Why did you choose this style plug, and, were there other choices?

Do you always make your own rings, or, do you buy available rings made for model pistons, and then design the cylinder/piston based on what's available commercially?

You and others on this forum who can whip up these engines in your sleep, amaze me.  You pull parts together, make what's needed, and a month later, you have a running engine.  I understand all engines have parts in common, but you guys are Wizzards when it comes to finding solutions to design problems, using what's on hand, and then work with tools that you have.

My hat's off to guys like you....the Masters of Clever Invention.  You inspire guys like me.

Frank

Thanks for the kind words, Frank.  Putting together an engine like this is always a bit of a crap shoot, at least for me.  I generally design and build in stages with only a vague idea of what the finished project will look like when I first start out.   

I tried a number of different drawings of the head to accommodate a larger, cheaper CM-6.  Even though I could have made it fit, I just couldn't make it look right.  So, I opted for the Rim Fire, more for looks and proper scale than anything else.  I like to save money where I can, but not at the expense of an engine that I'll never like the looks of.

I tried making my own rings from cast iron once on the first engine I ever built.  While it worked OK, o-rings are so much simpler and more forgiving of piston fit in the cylinder.  And, as long as you're not run an engine hot or at a high RPM, the o-rings seem to have a very acceptable life.

The first engine is always the hardest.  It gets easier with experience.

Chuck
So many projects, so little time...

Offline cfellows

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Re: Vertical Single 4-stroke IC Engine
« Reply #17 on: August 07, 2013, 10:40:26 PM »
For the past few weeks I've been distracted by my new membership at the local TechShop.  Currently, their 3D printer has me absolutely captivated, to the point where I'm starting to plan for building my own.

Despite all that, I did manage to get back out in the shop today.  I made the timing gears...



I'm going to have to make another pass on the large gear.  The teeth are a little too fat and I'm not sure why..

Chuck
So many projects, so little time...

Offline ths

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Re: Vertical Single 4-stroke IC Engine
« Reply #18 on: August 08, 2013, 02:10:26 AM »
"I made the timing gears..."   On the 3D printer? Nice gears.

Hugh.

Offline cfellows

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Re: Vertical Single 4-stroke IC Engine
« Reply #19 on: August 08, 2013, 07:26:21 AM »
"I made the timing gears..."   On the 3D printer? Nice gears.

Hugh.

Uh, no.  Usual method, lathe and mill drill.  I could have made them on the 3D printer, but don't know how long plastic gears would last  :).  On the other hand, I have been thinking about a small, air powered engine with as many printed plastic parts as possible.  I figured I could use thin wall brass tubing pressed in for a cylinder liner and crankshaft main bearings. 

Here's one example of a 3d printed engine...



Chuck
So many projects, so little time...

Offline cfellows

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Re: Vertical Single 4-stroke IC Engine
« Reply #20 on: August 08, 2013, 09:22:50 PM »
When drilling matching holes between two parts, experience has taught me that I will get the best results by drilling both parts at the same time.  When I'm unable to do that, the next best thing is to make a drilling guide which can be located on each part pretty precisely and drill through the holes in the guide into the part.  So, here is the drilling guide I made and the two parts in question.







These will be 3-48 SHCS.  I would like to have used something a little bigger, but the flange width on the cylinder base won't accommodate a larger head.  One of those cases of design as you go...  :headscratch:

Chuck
So many projects, so little time...

Offline NickG

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Re: Vertical Single 4-stroke IC Engine
« Reply #21 on: August 09, 2013, 01:42:08 PM »
Nice 1 chuck, that printed engine looks good, bet it took some development to get it like that or was done on a good printer. is it one of elmers engines?

Offline cfellows

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Re: Vertical Single 4-stroke IC Engine
« Reply #22 on: August 09, 2013, 06:23:11 PM »
Nice 1 chuck, that printed engine looks good, bet it took some development to get it like that or was done on a good printer. is it one of elmers engines?

That particular steam engine was published in Popular Science, or maybe Popular Mechanics, back in the 50's or 60's.  I've seen a number of builds of it in metal over the past decade or so. 

The 3D printers, even home hobbyist models, are getting ever more accurate.   

Chuck
So many projects, so little time...

Offline NickG

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Re: Vertical Single 4-stroke IC Engine
« Reply #23 on: August 09, 2013, 07:43:29 PM »
I know Chris Raynerd had some good results on his after fine tuning.

Offline cfellows

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Re: Vertical Single 4-stroke IC Engine
« Reply #24 on: August 12, 2013, 11:52:08 PM »
Got the camshaft pretty well finished today.  I started with a piece of 1/2" cold rolled steel, 5/8" long.  I turned the space between the lobes down to 1/4".  The lobes are each 3/16" wide.  In the lathe,  I bored a 3/16" hole through the center, then loctited and pinned the spool to a piece of 3/16" drill rod.



Next, I mounted the piece vertically in my rotary table and used a boring head with the cutter facing inward to form the lobes.  The cutter was set to turn on a circle about 1.25" diameter so it would remove an arc as it swept by the lobe.  Each time after plunging the cutter through the thickness of the lobe, I turned the crank on the rotary table one turn, advancing the lobe 1/72 of a turn.  I continued this all the way around until I had the lobe pointed like I wanted.  Then I flipped the cam assembly over and did the other lobe with the point rotated 90 degrees from the first lobe. 



And here's what it looks like in the engine.





Chuck
So many projects, so little time...

Offline b.lindsey

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Re: Vertical Single 4-stroke IC Engine
« Reply #25 on: August 13, 2013, 12:04:27 AM »
Looks good Chuck...it appears that you have remade the large gear too? The teeth look more proportional in these latest photos. Gonna be a real peach of an engine!!

Bill

Offline Don1966

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Re: Vertical Single 4-stroke IC Engine
« Reply #26 on: August 13, 2013, 01:56:49 AM »
Looking great Chuck and you just keep cranking out those gears bud. The way you come out with them its like you have been stamping them out with a punch machine. Awesome buddy!  :ThumbsUp:

Don

Online Steamer5

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Re: Vertical Single 4-stroke IC Engine
« Reply #27 on: August 13, 2013, 10:14:50 AM »
Hi Chuck,
 Looking good. When you get your 3D printer up & running & feel like a bit of a challenge check this link out to see what this guy is "printing"

http://www.stuff.co.nz/motoring/videos/8995908/Kiwi-3D-printing-an-Aston-Martin

Looking forward to more updates.

Cheers Kerrin
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Offline gbritnell

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Re: Vertical Single 4-stroke IC Engine
« Reply #28 on: August 13, 2013, 12:30:02 PM »
Chuck,
You have to be one of the most prolific builders on this forum. As soon as one engine gets painted another one starts to form. If you don't mind me asking, about how many do you have in your collection?
gbritnell
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Offline BronxFigs

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Re: Vertical Single 4-stroke IC Engine
« Reply #29 on: August 13, 2013, 01:50:50 PM »
A few more questions from Da-Bronx/NYC....

The gears:  You drilled the hole in the crankcase for mounting the camshaft early into the build.  That means you already knew the distances between crank and camshaft centers, and the size of the gears?  You then made the gears to fit.  Once you drilled these two holes, you were locked into the choice of gears?  Are these assumptions correct?

Having little or no experience, I need to ask, what sometimes, might be obvious.   Mea culpa.  Also, thanks for answering my earlier questions regarding the head design, and piston/ring combo.  Very informative answers.



Frank
90% of everything is BS!

 

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