Author Topic: Retlas  (Read 89880 times)

Offline Bluechip

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Re: Retlas
« Reply #285 on: March 07, 2017, 09:09:16 PM »
Well done, that man ...  :ThumbsUp:        As Foggy Dewhurst might say ...  :D

And if you want any more shrink-tube just sing out ....

Not exactly short of it ...  :headscratch:

Dave


Offline Chipmaster

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Re: Retlasni
« Reply #286 on: March 09, 2017, 07:24:50 PM »
Minimag sensor woes.
I ordered a replacement sensor from Minimag as soon as the original failed because I wanted to demonstrate the engine at the Birmingham Society of Model Engineers (BSME) stationary engine night 8th March. Testing the new sensor I ran the engine for about an hour before it failed, this time it stayed permanently switched on :censored:
Fortunately the cheap sensor recommended by Dave 'Bluechip' saved the day and the engine has run faultlessly for a few hours including its BSME debut last night.
I sent an email to Minimag asking for replacement sensors as theirs seem prone to failure but I haven't received a reply from them yet.
Have other Minimag users found their units reliable or prone to failure.
Andy

Offline Bluechip

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Re: Retlas
« Reply #287 on: March 09, 2017, 09:44:30 PM »
Good to hear it's banging away  :ThumbsUp:  At least some thing is  :shrug:     ... I fell off a stepladder and crooked my right knee on Sunday and now have some sneezy / snotty-nose respiratory pestilence to boot... Does it ever end ...  :'(

I still wonder what the original device is/was.

The only item I can come up with which has any resemblance to '451' & 'Hall-Effect' is this:

http://uk.farnell.com/honeywell/ss451a/sensor-hall-effect-omnipolar-to/dp/1784738

Dunno ...  :headscratch:

Dave


Offline michaelr

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Re: Retlasni
« Reply #288 on: March 10, 2017, 01:27:19 PM »
Minimag sensor woes.
I ordered a replacement sensor from Minimag as soon as the original failed because I wanted to demonstrate the engine at the Birmingham Society of Model Engineers (BSME) stationary engine night 8th March. Testing the new sensor I ran the engine for about an hour before it failed, this time it stayed permanently switched on :censored:
Fortunately the cheap sensor recommended by Dave 'Bluechip' saved the day and the engine has run faultlessly for a few hours including its BSME debut last night.
I sent an email to Minimag asking for replacement sensors as theirs seem prone to failure but I haven't received a reply from them yet.
Have other Minimag users found their units reliable or prone to failure.
Andy
I have Minimag ignition on my Hit and Miss engines, and on my Wyvern and Centaur engines the units have been fitted for a number of years without any problems, I am well satisfied with the units and their ease of fitting.

Mike.

Offline Chipmaster

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Re: Retlas
« Reply #289 on: March 10, 2017, 02:08:08 PM »
Thanks Mike, guess I have just been unlucky. I received another sensor from Minimag this morning, free of charge which is good. They also enclosed a Hall-effect sensors survival guide (which I hadn't transgressed) attached below.

Hall Effect Sensor Survival Guide by Andy, on Flickr

So using Dave's parlance I'll get on with some more banging over the weekend.... Sorry to hear you're crocked Dave.

Andy

Offline Alyn Foundry

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Re: Retlas
« Reply #290 on: April 18, 2017, 03:36:55 PM »
Hi Andy.

As you know, the cat's out of the bag!!    ;)

The vertical Gardner oil engine is out on the rally scene, down under.

I actually held its original test paper at the Anson yesterday afternoon. This is the engine whose picture I have had for several years under strictest secrecy.

Geoff is trying to get the owner to upload the video to You Tube or, alternatively gain permission to use the Anson.

Now another has surfaced recently in Europe!! It's a shame, Dion never got to know......

Cheers Graham.

Offline Chipmaster

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Re: Retlas
« Reply #291 on: April 18, 2017, 04:11:35 PM »
OK Graham, a magnificent engine running so regularly. I watched it several times, it left me wanting to see more detail with a wide screen setting, lets hope Geoff can persuade the owner to upload more videos of it to YouTube
 
I copied the video on to my Flickr album where I store all my Retlas pictures.

Click on this picture / link below which will take you to my Flickr album then click on the image of the engine and the video should start playing.

Vertical Gardner by Andy, on Flickr

When was the engine manufactured and are you able to upload your picture(s) of the engine?

Regards
Andy
« Last Edit: April 18, 2017, 04:15:13 PM by Chipmaster »

Offline Alyn Foundry

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Re: Retlas
« Reply #292 on: April 18, 2017, 05:27:15 PM »
Hi Andy.

That's a great way to share....

The picture I had has become an enigma..... Probably lost along the many hard drive transfers from one PC upgrade to the next!

I'll ask Geoff to send me a copy of the test report, Gardner were most particular in this area.

Looking at the video I'm amazed at how close Vincent got with the replica, considering the size of picture he had being little more than a large postage stamp!!

Kind regards, Graham.

Offline Chipmaster

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Re: Retlas
« Reply #293 on: April 18, 2017, 06:51:00 PM »
Hi Graham, yes a very easy way to share, Flckr seems much easier than photobucket.
As you say the similarity acheived between the Retlas and the original Gardner is remarkable given the size of the image that inspired the model.
Andy
« Last Edit: April 19, 2017, 07:03:17 PM by Chipmaster »

Offline Chipmaster

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Re: Retlas
« Reply #294 on: May 30, 2017, 09:08:45 PM »
The Gardner Vertical Engine that the Retlas is based on had a cast iron guard around the timing gears so in between adding coats of paint to the model I made a guard by soldering some mild steel together....

Gardner Vertical001 by Andy, on Flickr

Building Retlas 872 by Andy, on Flickr

Building Retlas 868 by Andy, on Flickr

Andy

Offline Dave Otto

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Re: Retlas
« Reply #295 on: May 31, 2017, 12:54:00 AM »
That looks great Andy!


Dave

Offline Flyboy Jim

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Re: Retlas
« Reply #296 on: May 31, 2017, 02:59:15 AM »
Wow.........that guard came out great!  :ThumbsUp:

Jim
Sherline 4400 Lathe
Sherline 5400 Mill
"You can do small things on big machines, but you can do small things on small machines".

Offline Chipmaster

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Re: Retlas
« Reply #297 on: May 31, 2017, 10:18:37 PM »
Thanks Dave and Jim. It took me about two hours to make it but worth the effort to make the engine safer and look better.
Andy

Offline Chipmaster

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Re: Retlas
« Reply #298 on: June 17, 2017, 12:05:19 PM »
I have been painting Retlas for a few weeks on and off priming, filling, undercoat and the first gloss coat last night. Here are pictures of the larger parts sunbathing in our garden this morning. Despite taking care covering up the paint job in my cardboard box spray booth some dust settled on the paint.  :(
I'm not allowed to put stuff like this on our garden table so a couple of weeks ago I made my own table using an old gate.

Building Retlas 877 by Andy, on Flickr

Building Retlas 875 by Andy, on Flickr

Building Retlas 873 by Andy, on Flickr

The paint is Craftmaster graphite grey.

Andy
« Last Edit: June 17, 2017, 12:12:46 PM by Chipmaster »

Offline Chipmaster

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Re: Retlas
« Reply #299 on: July 17, 2017, 06:47:55 PM »
My progress with the task of painting the Retlas has been very slow and regularly interrupted by gardening, allotment and house maintenance.
I've experienced just about every fault possible with the paintwork. The worst problem has been dust. I used polycarbonate garden cloches to keep dust out, they were cheap and pretty effective. I've kept masking tape on the flywheel rim to protect it in case you think it looks bad.

 P1060674 by Andy, on Flickr

P1060680 (2) by Andy, on Flickr

P1060681 (2) by Andy, on Flickr

P1060684 by Andy, on Flickr


Andy
« Last Edit: November 26, 2018, 12:01:22 PM by Chipmaster »

 

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