Author Topic: Roy's Little Engine  (Read 48577 times)

Offline Jo

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Roy's Little Engine
« on: November 29, 2017, 01:54:00 PM »
Some how or other Graham talked me into buying another set of castings from him  :thinking: I am sure I was only intending on buying a set of X Type castings but based on Jason's poking about my IC engine not running Graham recommended that anyone can get an RLE to run so I should be successful with it :noidea:

This is an RLE:



Well you know I am a sucker for a nice set of castings and when Graham showed me the castings  :-\ they had to be had... By the way if anyone is unsure you can tell it is an Alyn Foundry set of castings its by that special protective coating Graham applies to all his castings  :lolb:

Jo

P.S. How are those Sphinx castings you are looking after for me Graham  :???:
« Last Edit: November 29, 2017, 05:44:03 PM by Jo »
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Offline kvom

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Re: Rory's Little Engine
« Reply #1 on: November 29, 2017, 01:59:00 PM »
I bet he had to torture you to have you buy those castings.   :naughty:

Cute little engine.

Offline b.lindsey

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Re: Rory's Little Engine
« Reply #2 on: November 29, 2017, 02:15:20 PM »
Pre-aged castings :)  They look really  nice though, as does the finished engine. Sooooooo....is this the next project?

Bill

Offline Flyboy Jim

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Re: Rory's Little Engine
« Reply #3 on: November 29, 2017, 02:42:41 PM »
Very nice acquisition Jo.  :ThumbsUp: Did it come with plans or are they available?

Lots of YouTube videos of this engine running. Here's one: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ombnV0zt0eg" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ombnV0zt0eg</a>

Jim
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Offline Jo

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Re: Roy's Little Engine
« Reply #4 on: November 29, 2017, 03:19:26 PM »
Pre-aged castings :)  They look really  nice though, as does the finished engine. Sooooooo....is this the next project?

Bill

Did I mention  "next"?  :embarassed: Well over the last couple of weeks I had to clean up that protective coating and check for casting flaws... then the base was skimmed under power feed while I was doing other things  :-X And then it seemed logical to just put a couple of bolts in to clamp the engine bed to the base to minimise the amount of area it was taking up. So they are currently sitting here.

Jim if Graham says its ok I will post the plans  ;).

Jo

« Last Edit: November 29, 2017, 05:47:27 PM by Jo »
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Online Roger B

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Re: Rory's Little Engine
« Reply #5 on: November 29, 2017, 03:50:06 PM »
Another build to follow  :ThumbsUp:  :ThumbsUp: :wine1:
Best regards

Roger

Offline Jim Nic

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Re: Rory's Little Engine
« Reply #6 on: November 29, 2017, 04:00:33 PM »
Jo
Now that's got my brain cell working  :old:
I haven't done many models from castings and I haven't got a hit'n'miss (or any other IC engine come to that) so the RLE could well suit as a future project, especially if you are going to do some kind of build guidance on here.   :thinking:
I have looked at Alyn Foundry website but it was apparently last updated in 2011 and doesn't have alot of info.  Do you know if they are still a going concern and whether casting sets and plans are still available?
Jim
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Offline Jo

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Re: Roy's Little Engine
« Reply #7 on: November 29, 2017, 04:19:37 PM »
I have looked at Alyn Foundry website but it was apparently last updated in 2011 and doesn't have alot of info.  Do you know if they are still a going concern and whether casting sets and plans are still available?

Hi Jim, you will have to ask Graham (Alyn Foundry) about castings I am sure he will be along shortly  :)

I forgot to mention the engine bed  :facepalm: I chose to file the bottom of it rather than skim it on a machine as it is a decidedly odd shape to hold  ::)

There was a build article in ME back in 1991 that Stan Bray did but there is no guarantees I will follow that as home machine tools have changed in the last  :o 25 years

Jo
« Last Edit: November 29, 2017, 05:47:15 PM by Jo »
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Offline Alyn Foundry

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Re: Rory's Little Engine
« Reply #8 on: November 29, 2017, 05:36:04 PM »
Hello All.

Jo, are you able to edit the title to the thread? R.L.E. stands for Roy's Little Engine after my first born son Roy.

The patina " rust " has developed over the last 10 plus years, your opening photograph shows a complete engine with the finish that was sent out to our customers. Buckley used a combined rumble and shot blast system that made them gleam.

I keep the website up for interest these days but we ceased trading in 2007 after 31 years.

I have a few spare castings here to help out with the odd accident/deficit....  ;)

Having built well into double figures R.L.E.'s over the years please don't hesitate to ask about construction hints and tips.

Cheers Graham.

Offline Jo

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Re: Roy's Little Engine
« Reply #9 on: November 29, 2017, 05:45:22 PM »
The cylinder is a odd shaped item  :thinking: It took a bit of thinking about to work out how to tackle it. The top of the cylinder is nicely round but the bottom is lumpy  :( so I had to resort to plugging the holes in both ends of the cylinder and then holding the cylinder in the three jaw chuck with tailstock support to turn the bottom flat and to take that end of the cylinder to length.

Even then it was necessary to put a piece of packing under one of the jaws of the four jaw independent chuck to be able to hold the cylinder to turn the outside. This allowed the use of a rotating centre to support the end of the cylinder whilst the outside of the cylinder was turned to side and shape. I turned a fair bit of the end square while it was set up like this, enough so that it was in what was going to be the bore of the cylinder  ;)

At this point the tailstock has to be removed so that the cylinder can be bore. So out came Mr Silky's fixed steady, carefully positioned around that nicely turned outside of the cylinder and the boring bit commenced  :naughty: It took a while ::) Before removing the cylinder I used a hand graver to turn the counter bore on the end of the cylinder ( the top slide is still set up for doing taper cocks  :Doh: )

So to finish another look at the set of castings and where the engine is now  :wine1:

[Title corrected  ;) ] Graham have you found the engine number for this engine yet ?

Jo



« Last Edit: November 29, 2017, 05:58:35 PM by Jo »
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Offline Alyn Foundry

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Re: Roy's Little Engine
« Reply #10 on: November 29, 2017, 06:08:35 PM »
Hi Jo.

What a palava! A big lathe can simplify so many tasks.

My 3 jaw just swallows the cylinder casting, my technique was to rough centre the casting bore and face the flange in one hit. I then had a datum to get the outside diameters machined using an expanding mandrel.

Thanks for editing the title and please check previous PM's, I thought I'd given you a special number?

Cheers Graham.

Offline Jim Nic

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Re: Roy's Little Engine
« Reply #11 on: November 29, 2017, 06:10:18 PM »
I had an idea that you had stopped Graham but I hoped I might be wrong, never mind.   :'(
Jim
The person who never made a mistake never made anything.

Offline Jo

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Re: Roy's Little Engine
« Reply #12 on: November 29, 2017, 06:17:35 PM »
Thanks for editing the title and please check previous PM's, I thought I'd given you a special number?

Found it  :facepalm: I was warned that I would suffer from more confusion than normal following my surgery... this week has been particularly bad  :-[

Jo
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Offline Gas_mantle

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Re: Roy's Little Engine
« Reply #13 on: November 29, 2017, 06:27:34 PM »
Looks to be a nice engine when finished :-)

I'm not really familiar with internal combustion engines, am I right in saying it will run on camping gas but also on petrol ?

Online Jasonb

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Re: Roy's Little Engine
« Reply #14 on: November 29, 2017, 06:36:02 PM »
It will run on petrol or liquid camping fuel such as Colmans as is or could have a modified carb so it can run on propane and probably the camping mixes as well.

And there was me thinking the name stood for Rusty little engine ;)

Graham, out of interest did you sell many of the air cooled versions as you don't see many of them about mostly all the hopper cooled variety.

J

 

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