# Antique Flame Sucker



## cfellows (Nov 20, 2010)

I acquired the castings for this engine several years ago and made the other parts from bar stock. I've fiddled with it from time to time, but never really got it running. Today, I made determined effort and finally got it going:

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IxOxIH1TRvs]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IxOxIH1TRvs[/ame]

It's running on Coleman Fuel.

Chuck


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## rleete (Nov 20, 2010)

Noisy little bugger! But it's running pretty well.

But some cork under that burner. Apparently, the vibrations cause it to turn, and it's obviously touchy as to flame position.


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## Metal Butcher (Nov 20, 2010)

Hi Chuck, that's really neat engine! I can see the burner move a little due to the vibrations just before it starts to slow down. A minor detail you'll get around to when your get the time. I know the feeling when I first get a build running, its hard to stop and return to reality! :big:

Do you know if the casting are still available?

Great job Chuck! :bow:

-MB


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## Blogwitch (Nov 20, 2010)

That goes to prove a point Chuck.

Never give up on anything, until you have really given it your best.

Great runner.


John


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## IronHorse (Nov 20, 2010)

Great engine Chuck, looks real solid too. what is the piston made of?

IronHorse


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## kustomkb (Nov 20, 2010)

Great runner Chuck!

 It devours that flame quite nicely.


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## putputman (Nov 20, 2010)

That runs great Chuck. What did you do different today to get it running so well?


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## ghart3 (Nov 20, 2010)

Good job Chuck. Looks like a good runner.
Got a question.  Do you know the name of the castings and or who sold them?
I have what I think is the same casting set but have been unalbe to find the plans.
Guessing that maybe it had been a construction article maybe in some magazine.
Gary


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## cfellows (Nov 21, 2010)

ghart3  said:
			
		

> Good job Chuck. Looks like a good runner.
> Got a question. Do you know the name of the castings and or who sold them?
> I have what I think is the same casting set but have been unalbe to find the plans.
> Guessing that maybe it had been a construction article maybe in some magazine.
> Gary



Thanks, Gary. Here's a link to an article on this engine from Popular Science, Feb 1950.

http://books.google.com/books?id=9SwDAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA206&dq=popular+science+mystery+engine&hl=en&ei=7KjoTN_cAcGC8gb7p624DQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CC0Q6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=popular%20science%20mystery%20engine&f=false

Chuck


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## cfellows (Nov 21, 2010)

Bogstandard  said:
			
		

> That goes to prove a point Chuck.
> 
> Never give up on anything, until you have really given it your best.
> 
> ...



Thanks, John. These little flame suckers can really make you tear you hair out. I have heard, however, that the larger engines aren't quite as finicky!



			
				Metal Butcher  said:
			
		

> Hi Chuck, that's really neat engine! I can see the burner move a little due to the vibrations just before it starts to slow down. A minor detail you'll get around to when your get the time. I know the feeling when I first get a build running, its hard to stop and return to reality! :big:
> 
> Do you know if the casting are still available?
> 
> ...



Thanks, MB. The castings are no longer available from the original dealers. However, it seems to me that another company had offered castings for this engine back in the late 90's. Don't know if it's available or not. However, the size and the specs are close to Phil Duclos's Fire Eater engine which was featured in Live Steam a number of years ago. The Fire Eater was also featured in the book, "The Shop Wisdom of Philip Duclos". I don't know if that book is still in print or not. Might check with HSM.



> author=rleete link=topic=11427.msg125096#msg125096 date=1290302676]
> Noisy little bugger! But it's running pretty well.
> 
> But some cork under that burner. Apparently, the vibrations cause it to turn, and it's obviously touchy as to flame position.



Thx, rleete. I need to do something to stick that burner down. I also learned that you leave the lid on the burner loose. Otherwise, pressure builds up in the burner, I suppose from heat from the flame or the engine, and the fuel is pushed up the tube and out onto the engine base. Had quite a little fire going the first time I fired it up today!

Chuck


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## ghart3 (Nov 21, 2010)

Thanks Chuck for the information and link to the article. By luck have that magazine in my colection. Guess there goes my excuse for not building it.
Thanks again.     gary


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## cfellows (Nov 21, 2010)

ghart3  said:
			
		

> Thanks Chuck for the information and link to the article. By luck have that magazine in my colection. Guess there goes my excuse for not building it.
> Thanks again.     gary



I used to have an almost complete collection of PM and PS magazines from about 1935 to 1970. I gave them away a couple of years ago. I remembered seeing that article about the "Mystery" engine sometime during the 1950's, when I was a teenager. Boy did I want one of those engines! Tried to build one out of a brake cylinder, but, I had no tools, so didn't get very far.

Chuck


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## doc1955 (Nov 21, 2010)

cfellows  said:
			
		

> I used to have an almost complete collection of PM and PS magazines from about 1935 to 1970. I gave them away a couple of years ago. I remembered seeing that article about the "Mystery" engine sometime during the 1950's, when I was a teenager. Boy did I want one of those engines! Tried to build one out of a brake cylinder, but, I had no tools, so didn't get very far.
> 
> Chuck



Well you have one now !
Its a nice looking piece Chuck and looks to be a pretty good runner too!!


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## Noitoen (Nov 21, 2010)

You didn't follow the plan :big: :big: :big: There is a metal clip holding the "topless" burner  

Nice build, I'm going through the old PS and PM magazines lately, there are a lot of interesting things to make.


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## Blogwitch (Nov 21, 2010)

> I have heard, however, that the larger engines aren't quite as finicky!



I just hope so Chuck, because my next engine build is a fairly large licker from castings, just to get back into the swing of things.








It should end up something like this, a Scott flame licker, it has a 5" flywheel and will be gas fired, but can be spirit fired if wanted.






I was contemplating making the one you have shown here, because I noticed the basic dimensions are shown in the mag article when I read it last year, but I went for this one instead, sort of cheating when compared to my usual stuff.

I also have a pair of fairly lightweight 7" cast iron flywheels in stock, because sometime in the future, I want to build a large vertical one, based on my own design.


John


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## b.lindsey (Nov 21, 2010)

Chuck - 1  The Jaws of Defeat - 0 8) Happy you got it running Chuck and it runs quite well too! Rather than leaving the top of the burner loose, you might consider just drilling a small vent hole in it instead to allow the pressure to escape. I can still remember trying to get my Duclos flame licker to run. It can be a daunting experience but once you get it they just keep going and going. Great job on a nice engine !!

Bill


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## Maryak (Nov 21, 2010)

Chuck,

That's a very nice looking and running engine. :bow: :bow:

Best Regards
Bob


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## winklmj (Nov 22, 2010)

Love the flame eaters (and hit-n-miss too). Something about the sound they make. Nice job.


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