Electric Starter System for Model I.C. Engines

[crueby]

Yowee!!!--I just priced out the aluminum for this job and it comes to $202.00 plus tax.  That's a big hit.  Let's see---10$ for drill, $90 for one way bearing, and I don't have a price on the timing belt pulleys and timing belt yet. I bet it will be $400 by the time I buy everything required. It's a good thing that I have enough magazine articles published to pay for this stuff. Of course, non of this is stuff Brian needs. It is all stuff that gives Brian something interesting to do and keeps him from being bored to death----and that's pretty important.

Agreed!  If I didn't get anything I didn't 'need', I wouldn't have a workshop at all!

[Brian Rupnow]

Ouch--Ouch---Ouch!!! Just got my timing belt pulleys and belt from McMaster-Carr. They look great but cost $156.00. And, folks,--that is outrageous. I will be taking measurements from the pulleys and seeing what's involved in machining my own pulleys in future. The belts I will buy but I'm sure that I can machine my own pulleys from a piece of aluminum round stock for about 1/5 of the cost. My labour is free---to me anyways.---Brian

[RReid]

Making those pulleys shouldn't be too hard. I made the three MXL pulleys for my Halfa build. Drawings can be downloaded from the McMaster site and imported into your CAD. If interested you can look here to see what I did, starting with reply #207:
https://www.modelenginemaker.com/index.php/topic,11109.195.html

[Brian Rupnow]

Ron--your pulleys look really good. Thank you.---Brian

[Brian Rupnow]

So, today the project started. I picked up my material this morning, cut everything to "On size plus 1/16" on my bandsaw and decided that the travelling plate which supported the drill motor had the most work in it, so I started with it. It is 3/4" thick. The cut out was done with 0.8" plunge cuts every 0.100" using a 1/2" endmill. Thats 140 plunge cuts--my right arm may fall off, but the hole is cut to size. Tomorrow while it's still up on the mill I will drill and tap whatever holes are required and put the two 1/2" long holes in it for the guide rods.

[Brian Rupnow]

Yesterday and today, I finished the drill mount on the sliding carriage. I spent most of yesterday drilling 1/2" holes thru 8" of aluminum material. I called over to my toolshop, and a new 10" long half inch drill costs $85.00. I decided to drill thru from both sides with my 4 1/2" long standard 1/2" drill.  I hoped the holes would line up precisely with each other where they met, and as usually happens, they didn't. Only off by a couple of thou, but that's all it takes to keep a 1/2" shaft from sliding thru the resulting hole. I got it sorted, but it eat up half a day of my time. Today went smooth as silk, and I finished the other parts and assembled everything. I like the way it looks so far.

[Brian Rupnow]

Okay, I'm finished and it looks really good. If you want a free set of detail and assembly drawings, email me at brianrupnow@gmail.com  and specify that you want the engine starter drawings. There are fourteen drawing sheets. Note--this cost more to build than I would have believed. By the time I bought the timing belt pulleys, the timing belt, the one way clutch bearing, the aluminum material, and the drill and the momentary contact switch it came very close to $430 Canadian funds.

[Brian Rupnow]

And here, just because I can, is a picture of an engine set up on the starter system. That's just a random engine of one of my shelves, but it shows exactly how an engine sets on the starter system. The top plate of the starter system will have to be drilled and tapped to the mounting bolt pattern of whatever engine I am starting.

[Brian Rupnow]

Oh happy day!!!--My engine starting system seems to function exactly as I had planned it. If you watch the video, then look at the text I have provided and it gives you a full story on what you are seeing. I am not finished yet--I still have to wire up the black button you see on top of the table to turn the start table on and off. The engine shown setting on the top of the table was designed before the start table, so I've had to build an outboard bearing support for the shaft with the large timing belt pulley on it.--This will not be necessary on future engines.---Brian

<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=seciz8_xMao" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=seciz8_xMao</a>

[Brian Rupnow]

The electric starter system is finished. I am happy with the way it performs. My material costs were about $420.00 Canadian. I had mistakenly posted earlier that it cost more than $600 but that was not correct. I may add a mechanical hold down for the "run button" in future, so I have both hands free to adjust engines while I am attempting to start them. Thanks to anyone who watched the progress of this build. Anyone who would like a set of free drawings to build this can contact me at brianrupnow@gmail.com

<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8bTaK3Lm_bw" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8bTaK3Lm_bw</a>

[Admiral_dk]

I may add a mechanical hold down for the "run button" in future, so I have both hands free to adjust engines while I am attempting to start them.

I'm not sure that this is a good idea - from a safety point of view 
But I do get the reason why .... so how about a Foot-Switch (that turns Off when you remove your foot from it) ?

Other than that - glad that you are happy about the result + it might inspire others 

Per

[Brian Rupnow]

This video shows  my starting system for model internal combustion engines. The starter is powered by a 3/8" variable speed electric drill. The drill is bolted to a sliding carriage which allows me to tighten or loosen the drive belt, by means of a 1/2" threaded rod which has a knurled wheel attached to the end you don't see. The secret to this is the over-running clutch which fits internally in the top gear-belt pulley. It allows torque from the electric drill to start the engine, but it does not transfer torque from the engine to the drill. This means that after the engine starts, I can remove my hand from the start button, the drill stops, but the engine can keep on running with no load. I am very happy with this system.---Brian

<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XAD2DwRYRho" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XAD2DwRYRho</a>

[Brian Rupnow]

Complete plans for the engine shown are in a model engine magazine published in USA "The Home Shop Machinist" .  September/October 2023 issue and November/December 2023 issue.