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First Run of my B01 Ball Top Monitor Hit & Miss Engine
Jim:
First Run of my B01 Ball Top Monitor Hit & Miss Engine
Really no really taken with how awesome this engine just looks and runs!
I have about a dozen or so Hit & Miss engines (my plan of course was to only ever have one!!!)
But this is absolutely at the top of the pile an instant favourite!!!
To you all that have cast/made your own Ball Top H&M engine....I doff my hat to you all :NotWorthy:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rc0OdlnPa2Q
CI:
Jim-
Very impressive engine for several reasons.
It is pretty accurate in most respects to an original 4hp Monitor.
It would be difficult enough to build a BHM with a 9 inch flywheel.
To build such a small scale BHM is really an achievement.
The fasteners get so small, and there is no room for error.
Myfordboy (on ytube) make his own BHM patterns, and cast his own engine in aluminum.
This engine is tricky because much of it consists of curves surfaces, with some odd recesses such as where the intake valve adjoins the water hopper.
I have to agree with your assessment; it is a stunning little engine, and a nice old period piece too, with the design dating back to the early 1900's.
Fabulous running engine too.
Thanks for posting.
.
Jim:
--- Quote from: CI on September 26, 2025, 07:36:04 AM ---Jim-
Very impressive engine for several reasons.
It is pretty accurate in most respects to an original 4hp Monitor.
It would be difficult enough to build a BHM with a 9 inch flywheel.
To build such a small scale BHM is really an achievement.
The fasteners get so small, and there is no room for error.
Myfordboy (on ytube) make his own BHM patterns, and cast his own engine in aluminum.
This engine is tricky because much of it consists of curves surfaces, with some odd recesses such as where the intake valve adjoins the water hopper.
I have to agree with your assessment; it is a stunning little engine, and a nice old period piece too, with the design dating back to the early 1900's.
Fabulous running engine too.
Thanks for posting.
.
--- End quote ---
I do like Myfordboy, watching is videos makes ne want to have a go at casting. I have a virtually an unlimited supply of free scrap quality brass.
CI:
Brass is tough to cast in my opinion because the zinc starts burning off in clouds of smoke before you hit pour temperature.
You don't want to breathe zinc fumes.
The plaque folks use a product called Evatdur (tm), which I think is a bronze alloy, but I am not sure it is suitable for model engine work.
I tried casting some bronze boat shaft, and that was no fun either, and has a very high stickion, so was useless for bearings.
I have purchased the materials for lead-free bearing bronze, with no zinc in it, and I hope to cast some ingots of that one day.
I find casting iron easier than casting brass or bronze.
Iron temperatures are only moderately higher than brass bronze melting temperatures.
.
Jasonb:
--- Quote ---To build such a small scale BHM is really an achievement.
--- End quote ---
When it is all being machined on a CNC machining centre size is not such an issue as it is really just smaller cutters.
They don't seem to be posting as many videos of the engines being made these days but I used to quite enjoy watching those. I'm not sure how much of this one uses casting, 3D metal prints or just CNC cut from solid. Any indication from say the inside of the ball hopper Jim?
I also don't know what they base their engines on, many are based on ones where a casting kit is/was available so they may have got an old set of drawings or a built engine to measure or even 3D scan. Then again they may just do it from an image like I do but there are less "unique" engines so probably not. Whatever they did with this one they can't count spokes :-[
Size of model that you build is really down to the individual some like doing small work others like large. I'm happy with a bit of both. When I made the 1/5th scale vertical IHC Famous that came out at about half the size of the BHM but as it had an ignitor, water pump, fuel pump, detailed carb etc. would be more complex than a BHM at any scale.
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