Author Topic: BLT Bassett-Lowke Twin Replica  (Read 1749 times)

Offline Jasonb

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BLT Bassett-Lowke Twin Replica
« on: February 20, 2026, 07:21:37 PM »
With the weather not really being conducive to opening workshop windows and doors to try a test run of propane and paraffin fueled engines, I slipped in another little one.

This time it is my version of an old Bassett-Lowke twin cylinder oscillating engine, probably from the late 20s -302 that I came across an image and photo of. If anyone has an old BL catalogue with this in or even one of the originals, I would be interested to see what you have as I have not been able to find another on the net.

 

As usual I drew it up in Alibre in my preferred metric sizes which came out at 11mm bore x 12mm stroke.



I also got the frame for this one (and something else) 3D printed in Aluminium by Craftcloud. Again I’m very happy with how the print came out, the bead blasted finish did not need touching so better than any castings I’ve had.



I did not take a lot of photos of this one as a lot of it is much the same as the previous two wobblers that I have recently described but here are the few I did take.

I included holes in the print which helps keep the cost down, they just needed opening up with a 0.2mm undersize drill and then reaming. The face of the bearing pockets and port faces also had the 0.5mm machining allowance I had included milled off. The material cuts fine with an aluminium specific carbide milling cutter though HSS would do just as well.



The 24mm diameter flywheel/crankwebs were cut from 25mm steel, reamed and the recesses cut on the CNC



Cylinders were from some scrap cast iron, milled to overall size, bored and the rounded end turned before going back into the mill for the pivot and air holes. The outside was rounded in my usual way of milling facets and then blending with a file.



A HSS spindle moulder cutter was pressed into service as a form tool to round the cylinder top caps



For a change I decided to make the pistons and their rods as a single item from 6082 rather than a separate stainless steel rod. Just a couple of oil grooves on this small one.




Offline Jasonb

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Re: BLT Bassett-Lowke Twin Replica
« Reply #1 on: February 20, 2026, 07:23:06 PM »
After a quick test run the engine was stripped down and cleaned with thinners before a lick of paint that was allowed to dry overnight. Then back together and ready to play. :pinkelephant:







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

Offline PaulR

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Re: BLT Bassett-Lowke Twin Replica
« Reply #2 on: February 20, 2026, 07:28:35 PM »
Very nice and a good throaty sound! How did you fix the cylinder caps, Loctite?

Offline PaulR

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Re: BLT Bassett-Lowke Twin Replica
« Reply #3 on: February 20, 2026, 07:30:01 PM »
...and is that a little lubricator in the middle? Oh yeah the original ad says that's what it is, but it isn't a displacement lubricator is it, it doesn't seem deep enough?

Offline Dave Otto

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Re: BLT Bassett-Lowke Twin Replica
« Reply #4 on: February 20, 2026, 07:41:34 PM »
Well if you didn't know you wouldn't know. That turned out very nice!
I wonder if it is more expensive to have metal prints made and shipped to the US than from the UK?

Dave

Online Sanjay F

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Re: BLT Bassett-Lowke Twin Replica
« Reply #5 on: February 20, 2026, 07:43:35 PM »
That's really neat, clean & crisp and purring away .......like the colour too :ThumbsUp: :ThumbsUp:
Best regards

Sanjay

Offline CI

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Re: BLT Bassett-Lowke Twin Replica
« Reply #6 on: February 20, 2026, 07:53:51 PM »
It looks great !
.
Without pushing the boundaries, one never knows what can be achieved.

Offline Jasonb

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Re: BLT Bassett-Lowke Twin Replica
« Reply #7 on: February 20, 2026, 08:22:49 PM »
Thanks All

Yes the caps are just loctited in place, do make sure you allow enough time for it to cure as they can fly quite a long way if they pop off.  :-[

It is more of an oiling point, undo the cap, put in a drop of oil and that will find it's way to the cylinders and port faces. At least that is how I interpreted the way it looked.

Dave, it is very easy to upload an .STP file and get a quote. Just watch how the units come out, I find I have to use the "scale" tab and set everything to 1000% otherwise it wants to print some very small parts. Easy enough to check as it gives the overall dimensions of the part.

I had two engine frames done and including taxes and postage it cost £55GBP, this wa sthe smaller of the two so about £25 for this one and the other £30. Playing with quantities helps as they tend to have a minimum "job cost" so it was about £52 if I just had this one frame done adding the second only put the total up slightly.

They have been taking about 14days to arrive, half of that being in transit so quiet a quick turn around. Not like this home casting lark where you can't do it for half the year as it is too cold then the rest of the year it is too hot :LittleDevil:

Offline crueby

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Re: BLT Bassett-Lowke Twin Replica
« Reply #8 on: February 20, 2026, 08:59:14 PM »
For the size issues - some places use mm regardless of what the file says, some use inches, some look in the file to see which, things like that. Standards are great, everyone has their own!   :wallbang:

Offline CI

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Re: BLT Bassett-Lowke Twin Replica
« Reply #9 on: February 21, 2026, 04:11:23 PM »
Not like this home casting lark where you can't do it for half the year as it is too cold then the rest of the year it is too hot :LittleDevil:

I have seen some on the UK who have their furnace what looks like a precast shed on the back of the house, with a steel pipe up to above the roof.
The furnace exhaust opening is in the upper back of the furnace, out the back wall.
The lid has an opening, but a lid is placed over it unless access is required for skimming or charging.

I know someone in Canada who runs his furnace in a shed, and does this with iron work.
Risky business in my opinion, since there are stories posted of folks doing this who get into either a low-oxygen situation, or a carbon monoxide situation, or both, and end up face planted outside in the snow for a few hours, with a hospital trip afterwards, and doctors saying nobody they had ever seen survived this low a level of blood oxygen.

And the fellow with the large reverb iron furnace in MS runs his furnace inside his shed, with the large door open.
He has a large fan blowing into the shop, but said he needs more fans because he is not getting enough fresh air in the shop.

I have considered a rolling doghouse affair to put over my furnace, that can be raised and lowered.
I tried an elevated canopy over my furnace, and even with perhaps 8 feet separation, the canopy melted.
And then the wind took out what was left of the canopy, and bent the framing beyond use.

I now have sheet metal, and the plan it to make a curved roof canopy that can be extended up perhaps to 7 feet tall, and then lowered to about 48 inches tall after the melt.
An all metal canopy will be able to withstand the exhaust blast.

I have poured in 32F weather, and that is not a problem with the furnace, burner or fuel (diesel).
The biggest problem in cold weather is keeping the mold heated to about 70 F, and I use an enclosure with a hair dryer for that.
Cold weather is nice because it keeps one cool with full leathers on standing next to a hot furnace.

In the summer, I pour at night, since pouring in the daytime in direct sunlight will cause a heat stroke in about 30 minutes.
For summer pours, I wait until pour time before I put on full leathers, and I use a box fan next to my chair when watching the furnace.

Ideally a small induction furnace work best, but they are not without their problems.
One person who used one said the water coil failed towards the end of an iron melt, and cause an explosion which almost hurt him badly.
And the utility company is not set up to feed much of an induction furnace load.

But yeah, winter and summer pours can be done without too much trouble.
Getting a rain storm in the middle of a melt is more problematic, and I had that happen once, and had sheet metal over the furnace.
I finished the melt and poured into molds that were partially wet; which was not a great idea, but it worked without an exposion.

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« Last Edit: February 21, 2026, 06:00:36 PM by CI »
Without pushing the boundaries, one never knows what can be achieved.

Offline PaulR

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Re: BLT Bassett-Lowke Twin Replica
« Reply #10 on: February 21, 2026, 04:41:55 PM »
I have seen some on the UK who have their furnace what looks like a precast shed on the back of the house, with a steel pipe up to above the roof.
The problem for most people in the UK is lack of space, we're packed in like sardines!

 

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