# Pictures of a few toys



## dparker (Sep 5, 2007)

Several years ago in HSM there was a article on building a finger engine, I believe it was from the fellow that showed me my first model steam engine.  The fabrication looked easy enough but I cannot remember how he made his crankshaft.  The crankshaft I made was a "pinned" type, faster and much less stress on me.  Last year I thought about the speed that you could make it run if you were coordinated enough and thought that two fingers might work better--WRONG!!.  The double is also made with a pinned crankshaft, but it is a bear to get in sync with the pad and the speed is not as fast.
	

	
	
		
		

		
			




The next ix a "swash plate" style engine, 4 cylinders and made with brass tubing, a tubing cutter and a drill press.  The plans came from Popular Science or possibly Live Steam magazine in the 1960's. The cylinders rotate around the horizontal supply/exhaust tube axle.  
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	



This next picture is of some homemade machines.  The drill press started out to be a tap guide (which I will finish someday).  I got the old microscope that had been made into a spindle at a garage sale and run it with a old sewing machine motor.  The lathe kit was in Popular Mechanics in the 1960's. It was fun to let my daughter and son "machine" plastic rod on it when they were young.
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	



This last picture is of a oscillator from a kit that was sold to help support GEARS--- remember it's September 22nd & 23rd at the Kliever Armory just west of the Portland, OR airport again this year.  The other 3 cylinder oscillator is my adaptation of a engine on the E-Zee engine site.  I mounted the axle on ball bearings on each side of the flywheel.  It runs nice and slow and is fun to watch.  
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	



I apologize for the long post but this site has me down in the shop playing again.  I may even try again to make my elbow engine run after all these years.         Thank you for your tolerance of my renewed enthusiasm.  
                                                                    Don


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## rake60 (Sep 5, 2007)

Tolerance Don????

Your work is well worth sharing! 

Now about that swash plate engine...  If you still have a sketch of that
plan I'd love to see it...

Rick


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## Bogstandard (Sep 6, 2007)

Hi Don,
You've let the cat out of the bag now.
Such talents, and not sharing it with us, shame on you.
You are now going to be inundated with requests to show us how you built your little engines and tooling.
The finger engine and the swash plate are intriguing little ventures, and I for one would be interested in the mechanics of them.
Waiting to see what you get up to next.

John


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## Bogstandard (Sep 28, 2007)

Hi Don,
I wish my sketches were that neat, it explains the system very well. 
You have given me some good ideas for 'kiddy' engines that I am hoping to make in the near future, when time allows.
DUST!!!! - these little gems should be put on display for all to see, get them into a prominent position where the housemaid can polish them for you, unless of course your wife is like mine, nothing from the shop comes into the house except me (and shoes full of swarf, but I blame that on the dog).

John


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