# I'm joining the video posting party ! My engines running.



## ChooChooMike (Jan 21, 2008)

Here are videos of my 3 running engines.

1) Stationary mill steam engine (single-acting) model from Rudy Kouhoupt's "Building a Small Steam Engine"

Machined from bar stock - aluminum, brass, steel, bronze. Although I machined this engine on conventional sized lathes/mills, it's perfect sized for desktop-sized machine tools. Rudy Kouhoupt's video/DVD shows him, in closeup detail, machining the parts on a Sherline mill & lathe.

Extra credit for use of his "manly" (his words) hands goes to Ray Hill ! 

I finished this one almost a year ago - 1/2007. *As was mentioned in another message thread, the thrill of seeing your handiwork come to life the very 1st try was soooooooooooooooo coooooool !!!! ;D* I put a lot of work into that engine and was actually quite challenging for a somewhat noobie machinist like myself. I had my share of screwups, but nothing too drastic, all were great learning experiences.

Highly recommended engine for any skill level.

[youtube=425,350]kB7EUj63UvY[/youtube]

2) My 2nd steam engine running on compressed air. PM Research's 2A wobbler/oscillator casting kit. Made a LOT of mistakes, but great machining experience ! Dealing with castings is quite different then with bar stock pieces. Perfect size for Sherline equipment, though I made this one on conventional size machines. Learned a LOT about keeping parts in alignment with the cylinder, 2 cylinder end caps, and piston connecting rod.

[youtube=425,350]CP3lvAoXU_w[/youtube]

3) The seemingly ubiquitious finger engine. This is my 3rd running engine, albeit powered by carbon-based humanoid kinetic energy.

Finger engine from plans May/June 2006 Home Shop Machinist magazine.

Great little project for beginning machinist, especially for desktop-sized machines (mill/lathe/drillpress). Flywheel casting from PM Research.

Humanoid kinetic power provided by yours truly 

Nice short little project. My shop class instructor is now using this project for some of his beginning shop classes. That's nice because the students have something more tangible to make and it's good eye-candy, something to play with and very forgiving in terms of machining accuracy. The engine benefits from a heavier flywheel. The flywheel in the video is too light (something like 4 oz) and doesn't build up much momentum. A bit heavier one (approx 8 oz) works ok. One that I tried made out of brass, which weighs almost 1 lb worked very well, kept the engine turning for a while without much finger interaction. 

[youtube=425,350]9o4-QGYkGn8[/youtube]


Enjoy !! 

Mike


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