Author Topic: Len Mason's "Mastiff" - chewed from the solid  (Read 53852 times)

Offline 90LX_Notch

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Re: Len Mason's "Mastiff" - chewed from the solid
« Reply #195 on: August 21, 2018, 09:25:32 PM »
David-

Everything looks great.  You're getting close.

-Bob
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Offline zeeprogrammer

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Re: Len Mason's "Mastiff" - chewed from the solid
« Reply #196 on: August 21, 2018, 10:28:19 PM »
Beautiful job David. And the spark plugs look excellent.

Looking forward to the video.  :ThumbsUp:
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Offline ozzie46

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Re: Len Mason's "Mastiff" - chewed from the solid
« Reply #197 on: August 21, 2018, 11:40:01 PM »

If you look at the plan of the cooling reservoir you can see a tube running left to right thru it. If I remember right it has a zigzag to it to give it more area for pond water to flow thru to help cool the water.

As this is just a small section of the article I don't think it will violate copyright. 

Near right hand bottom of page 901 and top left of page 902. 20 Sept 1974 Model Engineer.

Offline deltatango

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Re: Len Mason's "Mastiff" - chewed from the solid
« Reply #198 on: August 22, 2018, 01:11:51 AM »
Thanks to everyone for the encouragement!

Zephrin, the JB Weld was their standard product which is claimed to work up to 550F. The electronic ignition is working and has a test mode so I've now tested all the plugs individually and they give good sparks outside the engine.

Ron, Many thanks for the "More about the Mastiff" article. I had no idea this existed! My MEs go back to 1976 only and the online digital archive only to 2001 so that is a very useful find and just in time.

The engine is now on its test stand and waiting for the carby, petrol tank and cooling tank. I'm going to be in New Zealand for the 1st three weeks of September so there may not be time before then to get Mastiff running, have to wait and see.

David
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Offline deltatango

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Re: Len Mason's "Mastiff" - chewed from the solid
« Reply #199 on: August 22, 2018, 01:14:32 AM »
Mike, Just looked at the picture in the link you sent. The cooling tank on this looks very much like that described in Ron's article.

Thanks again, David
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Offline ozzie46

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Re: Len Mason's "Mastiff" - chewed from the solid
« Reply #200 on: August 22, 2018, 12:56:33 PM »
I just adapted an empty Sig Model Paint thinner can. Quart size.
I really need to make a nicer one up someday.
Ron

Offline b.lindsey

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Re: Len Mason's "Mastiff" - chewed from the solid
« Reply #201 on: August 22, 2018, 04:56:53 PM »
David, I am just getting caught up again on your build. You have made some wonderful progress since I last checked. What a beautiful engine it will be too!!
Bill

Offline deltatango

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Re: Len Mason's "Mastiff" - chewed from the solid
« Reply #202 on: August 22, 2018, 11:10:56 PM »
Thanks Bill! Just the carburetor and "temporary"cooling tank to go. Like Ron my tank may stick around longer then perhaps it should. I'm not sure I'll ever get to building a boat for Mastiff to drive, the urge to build another engine is pretty strong. I have the castings and materials for a Westbury "Wyvern" in stock...

Regards, David
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Offline deltatango

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Re: Len Mason's "Mastiff" - chewed from the solid
« Reply #203 on: October 01, 2018, 02:57:45 AM »
The three weeks spent on South Island NZ was great, if anyone is looking for somewhere to visit that place has my strong recommendation. The west coast is covered in temperate rain forest, annual rainfall in the 6 to 7 metre range so take the waterproofs.

The trip was interrupted by a brief return to Melbourne for a close friend's funeral.  John had asked to see a video of Mastiff running but I didn't work quickly enough and cancer won that race; now I have to get back to it, so on with the carburetor.

As suggested by Len mason in the Mastiff book I made a pair of carburetors, if I eventually want to set the engine up with one on each side then its much easier to make two when things are set up for the first than to go back and start over. I have bad memories of trying to keep a twin carburetor car engine in tune many years ago so I'm not really all that keen on the arrangement.

The bodies started as the usual rectangular block of Al, carefully labeled so that up and down, left and right didn't get confused and held in the 4-jaw:



The blocks were long enough that the tops could be formed on them before parting off:



Then the four faces worked on in sequence to produce the final body shape:









I was rushing with the smaller bits and didn't take many pictures but some of the parts were made on my Pultra 1770:



which now has a lever-operated tail stock thanks to a very generous MEM member (Thank you!):



The designer suggested making the throttle needle carrier from the solid but I think that it was easier to make the notched adjusting knob as a separate part and silver soldering it to the threaded shaft. A stub of 1/2" brass had the 25 notches cut in the dividing head using a corner of an end mill set up at the correct offsets:



and parting off:



An exploded view of one of the final products gives an idea of how the other little bits look, and go together:



Now Mastiff is all together I have to make it work. Right now the compression is poor and some re-finishing of the block and cylinder head surfaces is underway. I think that now may be where persistence become really important and bits have to be re-made, cleaned up, binned, remade etc etc until the beast makes noise.

David
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Offline Craig DeShong

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Re: Len Mason's "Mastiff" - chewed from the solid
« Reply #204 on: October 01, 2018, 05:22:31 PM »
Seems as though every IC engine I build, initially, has poor compression.  "Running them in" (I mount them to the lathe and spin them over with copious amounts of oil in the cylinder for an hour or so) seems to work wonders.  On initial starting I also flood the cylinder with lots of oil.  They smoke like crazy, but it helps build up the compression so they will run.  After break in they all develop great compression, just takes a while to get there.
Craig
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Offline Craig DeShong

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Re: Len Mason's "Mastiff" - chewed from the solid
« Reply #205 on: October 01, 2018, 05:26:07 PM »
I'be been silently watching thus build David, its been a pleasure to watch this engine come together.

It seems as though every IC engine I build, initially, has poor compression.  "Running them in" (I mount them to the lathe and spin them over with copious amounts of oil in the cylinder for an hour or so) seems to work wonders.  On initial starting I also flood the cylinder with lots of oil.  They smoke like crazy, but it helps build up the compression so they will run.  After break in they all develop great compression, just takes a while to get there.
Craig
The destination motivates us toward excellence, the journey entertains us, and along the way we meet so many interesting people.

Offline Johnmcc69

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Re: Len Mason's "Mastiff" - chewed from the solid
« Reply #206 on: October 01, 2018, 10:04:40 PM »
That's a nice looking carby! Nice work.

 John

Offline deltatango

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Re: Len Mason's "Mastiff" - chewed from the solid
« Reply #207 on: October 03, 2018, 12:58:49 AM »
Thanks John, every bit of encouragement helps!

Craig, the compression is better but still no pops. Next to check the ignition timing, plugs...

David
Don't die wondering!

Offline Art K

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Re: Len Mason's "Mastiff" - chewed from the solid
« Reply #208 on: October 03, 2018, 01:56:30 AM »
David,
I'm still following along. I like the carb build. I have managed to not do much work in the 4 jaw. This looks like a great job for the little used 4 jaw. I am planning to try Jerry Howell's two jet carb for my Upshur single, replacing the Perry unit presently on it.
Art
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Offline MJM460

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Re: Len Mason's "Mastiff" - chewed from the solid
« Reply #209 on: October 03, 2018, 02:51:55 AM »
Hi David, totally agree on that South Island scenery.  We went over Arthur's Pass on the train one year when the road was snowed in.  Not the Canadian Pacific, but does have an open observation car.The delays meant a night trip, but clear sky and bright full moon.  Just magic.

Sorry to hear about your friend.  Funerals never seem to aoocur at a convenient time for some reason.

Great to see you back on the great engine build.  Looking forward to you getting it going.  Then we will see if we can meet up some time.

MJM460
The more I learn, the more I find that I still have to learn!

 

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