Author Topic: Beginner Engine Plans??  (Read 10399 times)

Offline Bear

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Beginner Engine Plans??
« on: March 28, 2020, 03:44:15 PM »
Have not built my first engine yet. I only have a Taig lathe. No milling machine yet; however, Taig has a milling attachment available for the lathe that is not terribly expensive. I don't want to pay for a kit or for plans at this point. I do have other tools such as measuring devices, grinder, and a small cut-off attachment for my angle grinder.

I would like it to be a small engine; but, not miniature. Suggestions as to a good beginner engine with the lathe I have now, or with the addition of the Tag lathe milling attachment would be greatly appreciated.

Offline crueby

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Re: Beginner Engine Plans??
« Reply #1 on: March 28, 2020, 04:16:51 PM »
A great set of engines to start with, from very simple designs through some complex ones, set up for minimal machine tools are the collection of Elmer's Engines. They were originally published years ago, this site has them available for download:
http://www.john-tom.com/html/ElmersEngines.html
There is also someone with digital copies of his book that are very good, I don't have a bookmark to that site but sure someone here will post it.

Great engines to get comfortable with the new lathe, I think almost all of us here have built some of them.
Chris

Online Kim

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Re: Beginner Engine Plans??
« Reply #2 on: March 28, 2020, 05:06:03 PM »
Yeah, the Taig milling attachment for the lathe isn't too expensive ($67) and I found it to be well worth it.  The several projects I did were done with that attachment.  It was worth it for me, even though I eventually got the mill.  If I'd know I was going to buy the mill, I could have saved $70 by just getting the mill and skipping the lathe attachment.  But it was worth it because I was able to do several projects which helped me see that this was a hobby that I wanted to invest in more.

If you get the mill attachment, you'll also need a set of collets to hold the end mills.  You don't want to hold those in the 3-jaw chuck!  :zap:

Glad to hear you're enjoying playing with your new Taig! :)
Kim

Offline Bear

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Re: Beginner Engine Plans??
« Reply #3 on: March 28, 2020, 05:38:28 PM »
Thank you, Chris and Kim. I will check out the Elmer's Engines. As for the milling attachment, I do intend to purchase a mill, hopefully sooner than later. I guess the $70.00 might be better spent toward a mill.

Offline Flyboy Jim

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Re: Beginner Engine Plans??
« Reply #4 on: March 28, 2020, 06:05:52 PM »
In Post #5 in your "Lathe Opinions" thread I provided a link to the first engine I built: http://www.modelenginemaker.com/index.php/topic,5886.msg114972.html#msg114972
It's a very simple wobbler with a good YouTube tutorial. Much simpler than the Elmer's #25 wobbler that I built next: http://www.modelenginemaker.com/index.php/topic,5933.0.html

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 Bear

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Re: Beginner Engine Plans??
« Reply #5 on: March 28, 2020, 06:45:24 PM »
Thanks, Jim. I looked at that one again. Doesn't it require a mill? I guess I could make the parts that don't require a mill, and then do the mill parts after I get my mill.

Offline 90LX_Notch

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Re: Beginner Engine Plans??
« Reply #6 on: March 28, 2020, 07:31:47 PM »
The two engines in my avatar picture are Elmer's "Tiny", full scale and half scale.  They were made before I had a mill.  I only used my lathe and drill press.  The flat surface on the columns were machined on the lathe by bolting the column to a plate mounted on the lathe that was made from a 2.5 pound weightlifting plate.  The flat on the connecting rod was done by mounting it to the tool holder on the lathe compound and running an endmill in the three jaw chuck.

A big part of being successful in machining is creative work holding, toolmaking and setups.  In the ten years that I have been in this hobby, the amount of tooling that I have made is crazy.  I've made clamps, fixtures, boring bars, punches, dies, sine bar, cutters, collets, faceplate, gages, holders, etc.


-Bob
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My Engine Videos on YouTube-
http://www.youtube.com/user/Notch90usa/videos

Offline Brian Rupnow

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Re: Beginner Engine Plans??
« Reply #7 on: March 28, 2020, 07:55:30 PM »
For anyone building a first engine, I always recommend a Webster. Thousands of them have been built, the plans are free, and there are about a thousand build threads on the small engine websites about everything you ever wanted to know about a Webster engine.---Brian

Offline Bear

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Re: Beginner Engine Plans??
« Reply #8 on: March 28, 2020, 08:05:36 PM »
Thank you, Brain and Bob. I will check those out.

Offline Flyboy Jim

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Re: Beginner Engine Plans??
« Reply #9 on: March 28, 2020, 08:27:39 PM »
Here's a link to a build of Elmer's Tiny using only a lathe and drill press: http://www.modelenginemaker.com/index.php?topic=512.0 I'm sure there are other build threads out there as well.

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 Bear

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Re: Beginner Engine Plans??
« Reply #10 on: March 28, 2020, 08:41:38 PM »
Thank you, Jim.

This forum is excellent. You are all extremely helpful.  :)

Offline Bear

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Re: Beginner Engine Plans??
« Reply #11 on: April 04, 2020, 02:17:16 AM »
Thought I would give an update. Been practicing with my Taig lathe still. However, to be perfectly honest, I am still attempting to choose an engine to build. I guess I am a little apprehensive of jumping in and getting started. With that said, I am really looking forward to making my 1st engine.

I am also trying to decide on a milling machine. Probably Taig or Sherline (been researching). Of course, I will need a good source for the metal, after I finally figure out the engine to build.

Offline steam guy willy

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Re: Beginner Engine Plans??
« Reply #12 on: April 04, 2020, 02:22:43 AM »
Hi Bear one thing to remember is that an exactly 1" rod  will not go into an exactly 1" hole !!! ...so good luck with your first engine

Willy

Offline Flyboy Jim

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Re: Beginner Engine Plans??
« Reply #13 on: April 04, 2020, 02:39:42 AM »
Thought I would give an update. Been practicing with my Taig lathe still. However, to be perfectly honest, I am still attempting to choose an engine to build. I guess I am a little apprehensive of jumping in and getting started. With that said, I am really looking forward to making my 1st engine.

I am also trying to decide on a milling machine. Probably Taig or Sherline (been researching). Of course, I will need a good source for the metal, after I finally figure out the engine to build.

Metal sources: https://www.speedymetals.com
       
                      https://www.onlinemetals.com

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 crueby

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Re: Beginner Engine Plans??
« Reply #14 on: April 04, 2020, 02:48:19 AM »
Also check if there are any local metal suppliers - sometimes the commercial suppliers will sell 'drops', the offcuts from long stock, at very good prices. Worth asking around. Another online place with big selection is McMaster-Carr. Worth comparing prices at all three (with the two that Jim mentioned) - when you figure in shipping, sometimes either of the three will be cheapest, it varies a lot. McMaster does not have shipping estimator online, but they will quickly quote what you have in your shopping cart with an email or call. For larger diameter bars, places like Yarde Metals have a Drop Zone section on their website with the current selection of drops - great prices, but selection changes, and they usually only have larger diameters/thicknesses.

 

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