Need advice on building first engine

[Harry]

Greetings, I want to thank the administrator for accepting me into this group.  I have been looking through this site but have not explored everything yet. I hope I am posting this in the correct area, if not I promise to learn quickly and will not be offended when someone corrects me.

Background: I have been involved with clock repair for 25+ years and have built a small simple clock movement from bar stock a couple of years ago plus I make clock parts and do some repairs for other clockmakers that do not have the necessary equipment. I have a Sherline lathe and a Sherline Mill and quite a bit of accessories to go with them along with a large and small drill press and many other common tools needed to do most any clock repair. I also have a watchmakers lathe but seldom find a use for it. I do not have a machining background but would call myself intermediate at this point as far as my machining skills go. Last week I went to Wyandotte MI for the NAMES expo and have decided I want to build a small engine. I have been doing some research and currently I am thinking I want to start with the Pip-squeak engine that the Little Machine shop has the plans for. You can view what I have been able to accomplish with my equipment at http://www.harrysclockshop.com/ .   

Questions: Is the pip-squeak an appropriate set of plans to start with for building my first engine project and if not what does anyone recommend? Is this an engine that can be built with Sherline sized tools? I really don't need to be purchasing larger equipment for my clock repair and I am not sure if building engines is something I will want to continue to pursue so I want to at least start with the equipment I already have. If anyone has seen the plans for this engine do they have step by step directions or is it just a drawing with dimensions? I am getting better reading drawings but there are still some things that puzzle me when I study them.

I appreciate any advice anyone can give this newby to engine making. I was so fascinated by many of the displays at the NAMES show and I am retired with extra time on my hands so it may be just the beginning but I want to do things in a logical order so I am not overwhelmed.

Thank you for any advice you might be able to offer.

I hope an Admin can move this post to the appropriate area if I have posted in the wrong place.

Harry

[crueby]

Hi Harry,

Nice job on that clock, just went and checked out your pictures, very well done!

The pip-squeak is definitely do-able on the Sherline, I have a Sherline lathe and mill (longer table versions) and have built much larger engines with them, that engine is well within its abilities. From what I've seen on your clock build, you should be able to dive right in on the engine - lots of people here that can answer questions too. Hope you are able to post a build log of your progress..

 

Chris

[zeeprogrammer]

Welcome to the forum Harry.

Chris won't steer you wrong and I'm sure others will pipe in.

I saw your website. That is one beautiful and comfy shop. Very nice!
When I was much (much) younger I had considered going into clock repair but another interest popped up.
Still...I have a fascination with clocks.

I started this hobby maybe 8 years ago...haven't done a whole lot and still consider myself very much a newbie.

You'll find this site full of very helpful, nice, and fun people. Enjoy!

[b.lindsey]

Hi Harry. Since your post was somewhat of an introduction , I have moved it to that area. Not a big issue either way. Anyway, welcome to the forum. I am a Sherline user as well, and as Chris says, the pip squeak should be easily doable on that equipment. What is the watchmakers lathe that you have. Who knows, it might find some use in engine making as well.

Glad to have you and look forward to your participation and hope you will enjoy your first steps into this great hobby.

Bill

[Dave Otto]

Hi Harry

Welcome to MEM!

I also went and had a look at your very nice shop and clock build, I agree with Chris. I don't see any reason that you wouldn't be successful building little engines.
I love the oak cabinet can you give a little history on it? I have a couple nice oak cabinets in my shop that my dad purchased from a Post Office employee auction many years ago. Under the US government gray paint was beautiful quarter sawn oak, but dad being a cabinet maker knew that when he bid on them.

One was a stamp cabinet and the other was used for finger printing supplies. Now they are used to store some of my tooling.

Dave

[Harry]

Thank you for the welcome to the group and thanks for moving my post to the appropriate area. Additional thanks for the comments on my shop.. it is small but it is nice that it is an addition to my home so it is always temp controlled which makes it easy to head to the shop even if I only have an hour or 2. My larger equipment... Large drill press, band saw, disk/belt sander, etc is in an unheated shop but they are not used much in clock repair.

It's good to know that I can build the Pip-Squeak on my Sherline equipment so I plan to go ahead and order the plans/drawings from Little Machine Shop. Also good to know that I can get some advice here when I get started. If someone could direct me to the appropriate area to post a build log I would be more than happy to do so. I am sure by posting pictures along the way others can help me with better methods. From making parts for clocks I have learned to appreciate learning machining procedures but I have much to learn. I am sure building an engine will include new skills I will need to learn.

My oak cabinet that was mentioned I was told was an old Post Office cabinet. My wife found it at a junk shop in need of some TLC.. I repaired the broken parts and it is a perfect cabinet to store clock parts.

My watchmakers lathe (I am on the road now but will post a picture when I return) was my first lathe but accessories to make it useful are hard to find and very expensive. Cutting work done on it is done with a hand held graver and a tee rest.. I can do some work on it but it is difficult (for me) to cut to dimension. Once I bought my Sherline lathe I didn't have much reason to continue to use it but I will occasionally use it to polish something. It is nice because it has a foot controlled pedal for speed. I am actually on my 2nd Sherline lathe... my first had the older AC motor and I decided to purchase a newer one with the DC motor a few years ago and turn the old lathe into a dedicated threading machine. Antique clock repair requires one to be able to make screws with the most unusual thread counts so the Sherline threading adaptor is a must.

The gentleman that taught some classes I took on micro-machining (Jerry Kieffer) talked me into attending the NAMES expo the last 2 years and I am absolutely fascinated with some of the models displayed there. I talked to several of the exhibitors this year and I wonder if I might have talked to anyone on this message board?

Thanks again and I am anxious to get started on a new project.

Harry

 

[zeeprogrammer]

You asked for an appropriate area to post your build log...I suggest "From Plans". It's what I would do (right or wrong  )
I looked at LittleMachineShop and they provide only plans for this model.

Looking forward to your build log. 

[Jo]

  Harry,

Building clocks will have taught you many of the skills you will need to build your first engine. Clocks are themselves a sort of "engine" 

As Zee said you can put your build in here: http://www.modelenginemaker.com/index.php/board,39.0.html if you have any questions please ask as you go along the members are sure to help you 

Jo

[Kim]

Hi Harry,
Welcome to the forum!
Kim

[b.lindsey]

Harry, here is another source for free plans for all of Elmer's engines. There are 40+ designs from simple to more complex done by Elmer Verberg and many of us started in this hobby by building one or more of Elmer's engines.  Most of these are scanned versions and the quality is not perfect but the plans themselves are readable even if the pictures lack some clarity.

http://john-tom.com/html/ElmersEngines.html

You may want to bookmark it for reference later.

Bill

[Harry]

Thanks for the link Bill, I will check it out and save the link.

One question I have that I would like opinions on is if there is a better engine to build for the first time engine builder other than the Pip-Squeak that I have been looking at? Obviously simple would be desirable but also small enough that my Sherline equipment is suitable. If I could find something with some instructions such as order of operations, etc in addition to drawings would be helpful to me also.

Harry

[b.lindsey]

The Pip Squeak should be fine Harry. I know there are members here that have built it and can answer any questions you may have, so MEM can be your instruction book 

Bill

[Gas_mantle]

Welcome Harry 

I'm not sure how complex you want to make your first engine so forgive me if this one sounds too simple. I made one of these as my first engine a couple of years ago, at the time I had only a lathe and a ruler so mine was very crude. I drilled the cylinder bores - no reamers, no boring bar, no piston rings etc - now I dread to look at it but it ran great on steam and I was dead chuffed 

http://www.john-tom.com/MyPlans/SteamPlans3/Midget%20Steam%20Engine/MidgetSteamEngine.pdf

[Flyboy Jim]

Welcome to MEM (Model Engine Maker) Harry,

We exchanged a few e-mails a year or so ago regarding building engines. Glad to see you made it to the forum.

My first engine build was done from YouTube videos made by Tubelcain: http://www.modelenginemaker.com/index.php/topic,5886.0.html

Followed by a couple of Elmer's engines: http://www.modelenginemaker.com/index.php/topic,5933.0.html
http://www.modelenginemaker.com/index.php/topic,6181.0.html

All were done on a Sherline lathe and mill.

The Pip-Squeak looks like a great little engine. I'll be looking forward to your build thread, whichever engine you do.

Jim

[Harry]

Hello Jim, Yes I remember chatting with you some a year or so back. I have ordered the pip-squeak plans. In the mean time I will watch the Youtube videos you suggested by TubalCain. No matter what I choose to build it may be a slow process as the weather here is turning very nice and I have other chores calling my name.

Harry