Author Topic: Mercedes-Benz W165 Grand Prix engine in 1:3 scale  (Read 151424 times)

Offline vcutajar

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Re: Mercedes-Benz W165 Grand Prix engine in 1:3 scale
« Reply #60 on: January 07, 2016, 06:57:31 PM »
WOW and double WOW.

Vince

kettrinboy

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Re: Mercedes-Benz W165 Grand Prix engine in 1:3 scale
« Reply #61 on: January 07, 2016, 07:00:04 PM »
Hi Mike
just caught up with this build and very impressed so far , this will be a model engineering masterpiece when its finished , the added history just shows how advanced engine technology in the racing world was all those years ago.

Offline petertha

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Re: Mercedes-Benz W165 Grand Prix engine in 1:3 scale
« Reply #62 on: January 07, 2016, 07:50:03 PM »
Wow! Maybe I missed it, but what material was chosen for the lobes?

Offline Vixen

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Re: Mercedes-Benz W165 Grand Prix engine in 1:3 scale
« Reply #63 on: January 08, 2016, 11:07:32 AM »
Thanks everyone for your comments. They are always appreciated and provide the encouragement to continue posting progress.

In answer to your question Petertha. The supercharger rotors on the original engine were fabricated as a very thin wall box, with numerous cross bulkheads, out of a 3% nickel steel (VOM 35). I do not have details of how the rotor was manufactured because, even after 75 years, Mercedes remain very secretive about their Silver Arrows cars and engines. I assume that nickel steel was used on account of strength required to resist centrifugal forces and for thermal expansion considerations.

For my 1/3 scale model I chose to construct the rotors out of aluminium alloy (HE30 TF). You can see in part 5 how I constructed the hollow structure out of a number of hollowed out sections. The wall thickness on the model rotor is between 1.0 and 1.5mm thick. The centrifugal forces on the 1/3 scale rotor are insignificant compared to the full size and I have provided generous clearance between the rotor tips and the housings. I hope and trust that nothing 'rubs' when the engine eventually runs.

Mike
It is the journey that matters, not the destination

Sometimes, it can be a long and winding road

Offline b.lindsey

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Re: Mercedes-Benz W165 Grand Prix engine in 1:3 scale
« Reply #64 on: January 08, 2016, 11:50:00 AM »
Even triple WOW!!! That is some amazing profiling work Mike. The supercharger is a work of art all by itself!!

Bill

Offline Hans

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Re: Mercedes-Benz W165 Grand Prix engine in 1:3 scale
« Reply #65 on: January 08, 2016, 02:36:33 PM »
Very impressive, Mike. I like how your Dremelizing produced a surface that looks like a casting.

~Hans

Offline Vixen

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Re: Mercedes-Benz W165 Grand Prix engine in 1:3 scale
« Reply #66 on: January 08, 2016, 03:26:46 PM »
Dremelizing,  that's a new word for me but it describes the process well.

This is the olive shaped tungsten carbide bit I used in the Dremel. I run the Dremel at it's slowest speed and let the cutter bounce off the surface as I move it from side to side. The cutter is very sharp and long lasting, I was surprised, as it was part of a very inexpensive set made in China and bought via evilbay. I follow the Dremel work with some wire wool or Scotchbrite.




Mike



« Last Edit: July 11, 2017, 01:23:34 PM by Vixen »
It is the journey that matters, not the destination

Sometimes, it can be a long and winding road

Offline cwelkie

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Re: Mercedes-Benz W165 Grand Prix engine in 1:3 scale
« Reply #67 on: January 08, 2016, 03:48:37 PM »
Mike you are a sculptor and a model engineer.  This is a phenomenal display of not only replica design but also 3-D visualization while "releasing" the end product from its raw material. And you make it sound and look so easy ...
Simply beautiful!
Charlie

Offline fumopuc

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Re: Mercedes-Benz W165 Grand Prix engine in 1:3 scale
« Reply #68 on: January 09, 2016, 08:07:31 PM »
Mike, WOW. I like your Dremel casting style.
Kind Regards
Achim

Offline Vixen

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Re: Mercedes-Benz W165 Grand Prix engine in 1:3 scale
« Reply #69 on: January 09, 2016, 08:45:14 PM »
Achim
I visited Munich last year, great city.
I was surprised to find one of the  fabulous W125 Silver Arrows cars on display in the MB showroom on the corner of Odeonsplatz. I was even more surprised to find they were still telling the old fairy story about scraping all the white paint off the achieve the 750Kg weight limit and that is how they became silver. Great car, great story, if only it were true.



Mike
« Last Edit: July 11, 2017, 01:24:14 PM by Vixen »
It is the journey that matters, not the destination

Sometimes, it can be a long and winding road

Offline Vixen

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Re: Mercedes-Benz W165 Grand Prix engine in 1:3 scale
« Reply #70 on: June 02, 2016, 10:19:40 PM »
7     Transfer Manifold

I realise I am falling way behind with this build log, steady build progress is being made but I am way behind with the postings. I will attempt to catch up

The last major part of the two stage supercharger to be made is the horse shoe shaped transfer manifold which connects the larger low pressure compressor to the smaller high pressure stage. On the full size engine the transfer manifold was on integral parts of the two supercharger housing, which required very elaborate castings in magnesium alloy. I am machining my engine from solid billets of aluminium as there are no castings available. I am attempting to machine a very 3 dimensional object from 2 dimensional drawings on 3 axis milling machine. I needed to carefully consider how to machine what is basically a curved hollow tube and how to make it fit the existing supercharger casings.

To help me visualise the transfer manifold, a friend made a Solidworks 3D model from my drawings and quickly 3D printed something for me to play with.







This printed part was a great help in planning the machining steps. The transfer manifold consists a left and a right half, joined at the centre by a large pipe clamp. I decided to machine both sides joined together in order to maintain their correct alignment and to separate the left and right halves after all the machining was complete. I was able to design the hollow transfer manifold as two hollow shells to be bolted together with hidden screws. I would use the same grade of aluminium alloy for the manifold and for the fixing screws.




Here you can see the first stage of machining the internal contours of the rear half of the transfer manifold. You can see the small lands which are designed to accept the hidden screws which will hold the two halves together. The process is the same as before, start with a big block of aluminium and convert most of it into small chips and hopefully an engine part will emerge.




Part of the outside profile was also machined without disturbing the set-up. The wall thickness of the shell is about 1.5mm.




The rear half of the transfer manifold is offered up to the high and low pressure compressors. So far, so good




The front half of the transfer manifold was machined in a similar manner to the first. The two halves were glued and bolted together using bolts made from the same material as the manifold. A lot of hand filing was then required to complete the outside shape of the assembled transfer manifold. The fixing screws blended in and were lost from view during this process. The low pressure (the far side) of the manifold was a sandwich of three parts while the high pressure side was made from two halves.




The supercharger cooling fins were carefully filed away from the two compressor housings where the transfer manifold would eventually fit.




The transfer manifold is made to fit snugly onto the two compressor housing before the mounting bolt holes are drilled.




M3 cap head bolts are partially buried in the mounting flanges.



The left and right halves have been separated at the centre point. The rubber band was used to hold the two halves in position while the mounting flanges were being worked on.
I was very relieved to have got this far without too many problems. The transfer manifold is a very prominent feature at the front of the engine and therefore needs to look right.  I would not have wanted to redo that part.
Time to relax and enjoy a nice cup of tea.


« Last Edit: July 11, 2017, 01:49:41 PM by Vixen »
It is the journey that matters, not the destination

Sometimes, it can be a long and winding road

Offline zeeprogrammer

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Re: Mercedes-Benz W165 Grand Prix engine in 1:3 scale
« Reply #71 on: June 02, 2016, 11:12:57 PM »
That is awesome!
Beautiful work.  :ThumbsUp: :ThumbsUp:
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Offline b.lindsey

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Re: Mercedes-Benz W165 Grand Prix engine in 1:3 scale
« Reply #72 on: June 03, 2016, 12:39:30 AM »
Beautiful Mike. Totally awesome work!!

Bill

Offline steamer

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Re: Mercedes-Benz W165 Grand Prix engine in 1:3 scale
« Reply #73 on: June 03, 2016, 02:35:51 AM »
Lot's of good Learnin there!!!    :ThumbsUp:

Thanks for posting that Mike, it's great to watch you work!

Dave
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Offline gbritnell

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Re: Mercedes-Benz W165 Grand Prix engine in 1:3 scale
« Reply #74 on: June 03, 2016, 02:59:13 AM »
Some superlative carving there! It's great watching the pieces spring out of a block of metal. I can appreciate every cut you make.
gbritnell
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