# Decisions, Decisions...



## cfellows (Feb 13, 2012)

I find myself once again at that frustrating, in-between projects, stage trying to figure out what to do next. On the one hand I have any number of partially finished projects that I either lost interest in or are waiting for a new tool or more information, etc. Then I have some shop maintenance and new tool projects which I could dive into, but don't really feel like it. And finally, there are several, glittery new engine projects that I am itching to get going on. Makes me crazy trying to decide...

Chuck


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## b.lindsey (Feb 13, 2012)

Hmmmmm....the choices seem to me "lost interest in or waiting for tools" vs. "dont really feel like it" vs. "itching to get going on". My vote is for the "itching to get going on" !!!  :big:

Whatever you decide Chuck, I know it will be good and fun to watch!!!

Bill


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## mgbrv8 (Feb 13, 2012)

I would do maintenance it's not as fun but a machine that it clean and true makes better parts. 

Dave


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## dsquire (Feb 13, 2012)

Chuck

Since you don't like making the decision, Let the members make it for you. Make a list of all the possibilities and then make it into a poll. The members can vote on it for a week then you will have the results and away you go. :big: :big:

Cheers 

Don


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## mklotz (Feb 13, 2012)

Make a three-sided coin and flip it.


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## b.lindsey (Feb 13, 2012)

Wouldn't making the three sided coin only add to the complexity of the choices at hand :big:


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## miner49r (Feb 13, 2012)

A week! A week! You trying to drive this man crazier than he already is?



			
				dsquire  said:
			
		

> Chuck
> 
> Since you don't like making the decision, Let the members make it for you. Make a list of all the possibilities and then make it into a poll. The members can vote on it for a week then you will have the results and away you go. :big: :big:
> 
> ...


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## mklotz (Feb 13, 2012)

b.lindsey  said:
			
		

> Wouldn't making the three sided coin only add to the complexity of the choices at hand :big:



That's the idea. He'll get so mentally exhausted trying to solve that topology problem that he'll be glad to turn to any of his three options for some relief.


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## rleete (Feb 13, 2012)

Ask the wife what you should do. You'll never have any free time ever again.


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## arnoldb (Feb 13, 2012)

Chuck, Your heart's obviously not in the "partially finished" or "shop maintenance or new tooling" projects, so those are pretty much out of the picture then. That leaves a couple of options...

Toss a coin (a normal one this time ) - if it lands on heads or tails, go to the pub/bar. If it lands on edge, start a glittery new engine. Don't use a penny though; apparently the President's nose on the heads side pulls them off balance resulting in an uneven heads-tails ratio, and you won't be able to get the on-edge result ;D


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## Foozer (Feb 13, 2012)

Always the ever present "Honey Do" list to bring ones focus to the true meaning of time well spent.

Robert


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## AndyB (Feb 13, 2012)

Chuck,

Do what you most want to. This will result in you being happy.

Once happy, you will find odd moments to do the other stuff that you don't really want to do now, then, you will do a job that will show you a different way of doing things and, for fun and practice, you will just have to try it out on those jobs you lost interest in.

Simple... 

The other thing is that you will be so busy that the wife won't find jobs for you to fill your time...and we know how interesting they are! :big: :big: :big:

Andy


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## miner49r (Feb 13, 2012)

Start a new and exciting project. Once you are well into it you will find that you will have to do the maintenance on one or more pieces of equipment that you are putting off.
 ;D


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## Foozer (Feb 13, 2012)

She caught me chuckling about this thread, Now I get to clean the garage


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## Blogwitch (Feb 14, 2012)

Chuck,

I find myself with the same dilemma, so after today, I start a new life, and have decided to first finish off the conversion of my shop, getting everything just right for me to work in.

Then I have some special tooling and fixtures that need to be made for me to carry on, these have been in the pipeline for a couple of years now, and will hopefully allow me to become independent from major suppliers of gears and springs.

Then I am going to clear up and finish off all the projects I started but never got truly finished, engines that I got running but never really tidied up for display, plus others that I only ever got half way through.

Only then will I start on new engine projects.

There comes a time in everyones' life where you have to look at the past, and get that squared away, before looking to the future.


John


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## lordedmond (Feb 14, 2012)

Our thoughts are with you today John


Stuart & Linda


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## Herbiev (Feb 14, 2012)

Hi Chuck. I wish I could offer some advice but I am in exactly the same position. Frustrating isn't it? I have a boiler 90% done, hit&miss 50% done, just started on an auto feed for the mill,the shed is a pig sty and am currently really interested in a jet turbine build. One more project and I'll have six. Then I can throw a dice. 
Thats it!! I'll make a brass dice ;D


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## chuck foster (Feb 14, 2012)

Chuck if none of your half finished projects interest you why not stop by my shop and have a look at some of my half finished stuff??
if you see some you like you can just take them home with you and finish them.

i have 1 or 2 steam engine models,5 or 6 gas engine models and i think i have a model of an old generator to go with my 3 cylinder fairbanks engine.

i find it is easy to start a new project but it is hard to finish a project.

chuck


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## gbritnell (Feb 14, 2012)

Hi Chuck,
I've never been quite in your position. Having started 'building' with plastic and balsa models as a kid I always finished each project to have a completed whatever. I got into metal where I could actually make something in my late teens and here again if I started something I always finished it because I wanted to see what it looked like. Most of my projects these days take so much planning, work and sometimes investment in gears, bearings and screws that I would consider it a waste of resources if I didn't see the project through. 
Now I must say in your defense that I have projects that are finished and have thought about making changes to them, a good example is the transmission that I finished last year. I have all the intentions in the world to get it mounted to my engine but with it 'finished' it's not high on my priority list because I have 2 or 3 other things going on, the radial engine, hit and miss engines and parts for other builders. 
So many projects, so little time!! :big:
George


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## Foozer (Feb 14, 2012)

Bogstandard  said:
			
		

> There comes a time in everyones' life where you have to look at the past, and get that squared away, before looking to the future.
> 
> John



Your words carry the weight of a reality we all shall face someday. You have always sought out the glint of gold to mentor in this great sea of bronze we live in. I look forward to your decision to continue.

Robert


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## cfellows (Feb 14, 2012)

Thanks, all, for the thoughtful input. I just finished modifying my tool and cutter grinder and I also upgraded my belt grinder. Before that, I tore down my mill / drill, replaced the x-axis lead screw and added DRO's. So maybe I'm good to go for a while on my tool maintenance and upgrade. I think the list of tool builds I'm still thinking about are more wants than needs so maybe I'll just keep those on the back burner for a while.

Unfinished projects include my Little Blazer flame sucker engine and my compressed air powered Hoglett. I also need to build finish the boiler for my two cylinder double acting steam engine. But that requires a better propane torch that Idon't want to spend the money on right now, so that'll have to wait.

New projects that I'm thinking of right now are (in order listed):

1. Compressed air, stylized version of the Cirrus, inline 4 cylinder engine







2. Compressed air version of the 3 cylinder inline Fairbanks generator engine, a 1/3 or 1/2 scale version






3. Half or third scale Lister D IC engine.






4. A model hot bulb engine, sorry, no picture.

Chuck


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## miner49r (Feb 14, 2012)

Chuck,
  Any one of those builds would be awe inspiring to me. I do not yet possess the skills, patience, or insanity to attempt such an endeavor. I will however drool profusely shortting out a couple of keyboards watching your progress.
Alan


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## CMS (Feb 15, 2012)

Having a talk with a fellow hobbyist/model engine builder, we both came to the conclusion the if you start a project, it should be completed before starting the next one. We both have a small forturn of time involved in a project or two that's been sitting around because something else better comes along.
 In my case I've a 18" water pump casting that I just got in from Joe Tochtrop that I'm itching to start on. I would make an excellent display belted to my model Economy hit & miss engine at the antique engine and tractor shows this year. But I'm already about 1/4 the way through another Economy hit & miss engine build, and with another engine that's already on the back burner, I refuse to have two.

Good luck in whatever you decide,

Craig


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## b.lindsey (Feb 15, 2012)

Chuck, any of those would be great projects!! Will anxiously await your decision 

Bill


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## steamer (Feb 15, 2012)

I'd say the Lister!....but that's just me! ;D

Dave


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## Catminer (Feb 15, 2012)

Definitely the lister  
Do you have drawings or know if they could be purchased anywhere?

 Peter


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## steamer (Feb 15, 2012)

Actually, it looks like a Whippet......could use the internals from that with a purpose designed/modeled block.....

Dave


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## cfellows (Feb 15, 2012)

I don't have drawings for the lister other than what I've been able to scare up on the Web. But I think I have enough information to come up with a pretty good scale drawing on my own. The Lister is pretty simple from a design standpoint, pretty much a tall box that's 25.25" tall, 8.75" long on the crankshaft axis, and about 6" deep, if you don't count the feet and some of the flanges. There is a very slight taper on the 6" side.

It has an overhung crankshaft and two bearings between the crank disk and the flywheel end to carry the load. The camshaft and magneto are on the opposite side. It has overhead valves with the rocker and valve assembly all contained inside the rather massive head. The Lister has a 3" bore and 3" stroke, so I was thinking I would make it either half size with a 1.5" bore or maybe a 1.25" bore which would make it about a 40% scale. In either case, it would be the largest engine I've made todate and would definitely present a challenge.

Here's a picture of the internals...






\

And the drawing I found...








Stay tuned...

Chuck


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## steamer (Feb 15, 2012)

I like the cam arrangement!  the rockers could be set up like a Wallaby with an eccentric to set the lash.

The skew gears would be a project!


I like it!

.........and the answer is.....? ;D

Dave


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## steamer (Feb 15, 2012)

The Whippet has the same kind of crank, but is side valved.

The Wallaby is OHV.

Dave


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## cfellows (Feb 16, 2012)

I think the Lister is going to have to wait. There is a lot of thought and planning that will need to go into it and I'm itching to cut metal. 

So, I think it's going to be the the Cirrus. I have drawings for a 1/4 scale model and if I divide that in half, it will be about right. I plan to use my slave valve assembly on my compressed air version it will have a 1/2" bore and overall length of around 4". This will the first model engine I've built where I carved the crankcase out of a solid piece of aluminum. Don't have any CNC so it should be an adventure. I still have a little planning to do before I get to machining, but hopefully I can get started next week.

Chuck


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## steamer (Feb 16, 2012)

That's cool Chuck!

I'll be watching!

Dave


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## b.lindsey (Feb 16, 2012)

Good choice!!! Will be awaiting the first flying chips :big:

Bill


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