# Pile Driver



## Brian Rupnow (Jun 27, 2011)

Last night I couldn't sleep. Rather than counting sheep (which doesn't work anyways) I started casting about for interesting things I could drive with some of my model engines. So far I have designed and posted the Slinky Machine, and it was a big hit. People also liked the Pumpjack oil pumping model which I designed, built, and posted.(although I haven't seen anyone else build one). Recently I built and posted the Bubble Machine, which is cute. I didn't post plans, because it was so simple that anyone could replicate it after seeing the pictures and video. Two lots down from my house they are digging the basement for a new house with a large excavator, and for half an hour I persued thoughts of building a working model of that, but gave up---Just too many motions to replicate. Then I thought ---"Hey---What about a pile driver." That one would be fairly simple. I'm thinking an aluminum column/tower with a small chain sprocket at the base and a nylon top shoe for the chain to slide around. The "sliding hammer" would be a section of mild steel rod with a nylon guide attached which slid up and down rails in one face of the column. The roller chain could have a rare earth magnet attached to it so that as the bottom sprocket rotated and the chain moved up the tower, the rare earth magnet would pull the sliding hammer to the top of the tower. Then when the chain passed over the top shoe, the magnet would be pulled away from the slide hammer and it would fall to the base of the tower on the guides, thus "driving" the piling. This motion would keep repeating itself. A small gear reduction unit would probably be needed at the bottom drive sprocket. I think this would make an interesting display and could be driven by an air, steam, or I.C. engine.---Anybody interested?----Brian


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## mklotz (Jun 27, 2011)

One refinement would be an actual pile to drive. Picture a rod that slides in a split sleeve (so the friction acting on it could be adjusted). When the hammer drives the pile far enough down into the base its bottom end triggers a lever mechanism that pushes it back up so the action can repeat.


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## Brian Rupnow (Jun 27, 2011)

mklotz  said:
			
		

> One refinement would be an actual pile to drive. Picture a rod that slides in a split sleeve (so the friction acting on it could be adjusted). When the hammer drives the pile far enough down into the base its bottom end triggers a lever mechanism that pushes it back up so the action can repeat.



Maybe a "pile" with a bit of spring under the bottom to return it to position zero aftr each impact. Otherwise, too difficult to accomplish.


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## b.lindsey (Jun 27, 2011)

Nice idea Brian...and certainly something different. When I first saw the subject line though, I thought maybe you we adapting the recent discussion on the air nailer to a pile driver. Either way I am sure it will be fascinating as always 

Bill


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## Brian Rupnow (Jun 27, 2011)

Bill---I'm up to my Ying Yang in engines, both air and Internal Combustion types. I'm sure that many other model builders out there are the same as me. The nice thing about all of these other "contraptions" that I like to design and build, is that they can be driven by either type of engine, and make fantastic displays at county fairs, etcetera. Everybody likes to see their engines "doing something".


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## Brian Rupnow (Jun 27, 2011)

Okay---We're off and running!!! I went over to Princess Auto this afternoon and bought two 16 tooth #35 pitch sprockets, a ten foot length of #35 pitch roller chain, (this may be the same as bicycle chain, I'm not sure), two master links, and three 3/4" diameter "rare earth magnets". for the princely sum of $25 including the hated 13% "harmonized sales tax". I'm going to have to be clever and build a mount for one of the rare earth magnets to attach to one of the master links, and have it so it will still roll around the sprocket without binding in any way.


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## b.lindsey (Jun 27, 2011)

True enough Brian...and it helps answer that perinneal question "what does it do?" as well :big: Will look forward to your progress.
Bill


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## jonesie (Jun 27, 2011)

brian sounds like a good project. i am building your pumpjack, and have it alittle over half done. i will post some pics soon. want to run it off my farmboy ,b ut have been busy and i do not have it running yet. hope you do plans for the pile driver. thanks jonesie


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## Brian Rupnow (Jun 27, 2011)

Well, Ya gotta start somewhere, so first off we create a 3D model of the sprocket----


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## Noitoen (Jun 27, 2011)

One place to get those magnets is inside hard drives. I strip them to get the magnets and the read arm's bearing. Also they are a source of small stainless steel screws.


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## Brian Rupnow (Jun 27, 2011)

The first thing I have to establish is how I'm going to mount the magnet to a link of the chain and still have the chain travel freely around the sproket. I think I can make up a magnet mount to silver solder to an outer chain link and then epoxy the magnet to the mount---


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## lathe nut (Jun 27, 2011)

Brain sure hate to say this but here it goes, your sleep less nights are sure good for us, this is going to be a good one, thanks, Lathe Nut


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## Brian Rupnow (Jun 27, 2011)

At a quick glance, I think a model somewhere in the range of 18 to 20" tall is where this may end up at. I may go to 2 magnets arranged equal distances apart on the chain, to double the number of "hits" in one complete revolution of the chain. The chain isn't going to be moving all that fast, but the 'hammer" will free-fall when released by the magnet.


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## tel (Jun 27, 2011)

Yep, two, or even three magnets is a good idea, allows you to drive the chain nice & slow so folks can see what's happening.

Keep 'er coming! Thm:


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## Brian Rupnow (Jun 28, 2011)

Big Son of a Gun, isn't it. Of course, the chain will be driven thru one of my gear reduction units. This may end up being driven by my twin horizontal or perhaps even by one of my i.c. engines.


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## tel (Jun 28, 2011)

> ...also liked the Pumpjack oil pumping model which I designed, built, and posted.(although I haven't seen anyone else build one)....



Well, there is this one, which I still haven't got around to finishing off.


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## Brian Rupnow (Jun 28, 2011)

Here's a quick and nasty (Though dimensionally correct) model of the electric window regulator that I modified to make a first rate worm gear reducer. The ratio is about 60:1. I cut the electric motor housing in half, and inserted a bronze bushing inside the motor housing, then fabricated a 2" diameter pulley to fit on the motor shaft. The gear doesn't come off the output side (at least I don't think so yet) so I will have to lash up a direct drive coupling between it and the lower sprocket shaft on the pile driver housing. You can see this modification at 
http://www.homemodelenginemachinist.com/index.php?topic=13507.30


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## Brian Rupnow (Jun 29, 2011)

So---Here we have, in no particular order, all the drawings required to build a model pile driver. Since I doubt very much that you will find the same electric window regulator as I did to make a gear reducer out of, I have not included a drawing of the mount for it. The lower "driveshaft" will be a length of 1/2" dia. cold rolled steel shaft to suit whatever you use for a reducer. You are certainly welcome to download these files, and if you do, a Karma point would be appreciated. I will be building this over the next few weeks and posting my progress.---Brian


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## Brian Rupnow (Jun 29, 2011)

View attachment TOP SPACER.PDF


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## Brian Rupnow (Jun 29, 2011)

View attachment SPROCKET AND CHAIN ASSY.PDF


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## Brian Rupnow (Jun 29, 2011)

View attachment SLIDING RAM.PDF


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## Brian Rupnow (Jun 29, 2011)

View attachment SLIDE BAR.PDF


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## Brian Rupnow (Jun 29, 2011)

View attachment SIDEPLATE.PDF


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## Brian Rupnow (Jun 29, 2011)

View attachment PILE.PDF


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## Brian Rupnow (Jun 29, 2011)

View attachment MAGNET MOUNT.PDF


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## Brian Rupnow (Jun 29, 2011)

View attachment LOWER SPRKT SHAFT BUSHING.PDF


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## Brian Rupnow (Jun 29, 2011)

View attachment HUB-2-DRIVING.PDF


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## Brian Rupnow (Jun 29, 2011)

View attachment HUB-1-DRIVEN.PDF


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## Brian Rupnow (Jun 29, 2011)

View attachment BRASS BUSHING.PDF


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## Brian Rupnow (Jun 29, 2011)

View attachment BASE.PDF


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## Brian Rupnow (Jun 29, 2011)

View attachment BACK SPACER BAR.PDF


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## Brian Rupnow (Jun 29, 2011)

View attachment ASSY OF CHAIN IN HOUSING.PDF


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## Noitoen (Jun 29, 2011)

Looking at the drawing, I think that 3 magnets will work better than 2 since, when the "hammer" is released, the second magnet "180º apart" might just miss it and the effect will be the same as one. With 3 they are "120º" apart and although it will pass the second magnet on the way up, the 3rd will catch it for sure. I think that way the effect will be more realistic.


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## Brian Rupnow (Jun 29, 2011)

View attachment SLIDING RAM MOUNT.PDF


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## Brian Rupnow (Jun 29, 2011)

View attachment RAM MOUNT END CAPS.PDF


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## Brian Rupnow (Jun 29, 2011)

Noitoen  said:
			
		

> Looking at the drawing, I think that 3 magnets will work better than 2 since, when the "hammer" is released, the second magnet "180º apart" might just miss it and the effect will be the same as one. With 3 they are "120º" apart and although it will pass the second magnet on the way up, the 3rd will catch it for sure. I think that way the effect will be more realistic.


You may be right, but the attraction between 2 of those magnets is so strong that they won't fall past one and other. There is a magnet loctited into the top of that sliding piece i just posted.


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## Noitoen (Jun 29, 2011)

I have some experience with those magnets and I don't think the moving piece needs a magnet.


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## Brian Rupnow (Jun 29, 2011)

Well, everything starts with one part!!! Tonight I made the hub for the top sprocket. (The other parts shown are just to hold it upright for the picture) I will weld it tomorrow. I am going to aim for at least one part per day.


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## Brian Rupnow (Jun 30, 2011)

Went to machine one part more today and the mill was stone dead!!! Checked the wall outlet, and I had electricity. Checked the machine fuse in the mills electrical panel---it was okay. Pulled the switch-plate cover off, and nothing was obviously wrong---nothing burned, no loose wires. Pulled the back cover off the electrical box, and couldn't see any obvious faults. Took another look at the fuse holder and seen that the back of the holder for the fuse had a crack in it.---Pulled the fuse holder apart and BINGO---thats where the problem was. Drove all over Barrie looking for an inline fuse holder, and finally found a store that sells an inline fuse holder for a 5mm dia. x 20mm long glass fuse. Came home, rewired the machine, with a rubber gromet in the panel and wires hanging out the back of the machine to the inline fuse holder, and finally I'm up and running again. Thats a good thing, because the alternative is to unbolt the mill from the base, drive it down to Toronto, and leave it for repairs.---Not something I really wanted to do.


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## Brian Rupnow (Jun 30, 2011)

And todays progress is---One gear reducer mount.--still in its uglified state, but I'll fix that tomorrow. I think this is probably the most complex part on the whole build, so I wanted to get it out of the way first. tomorrow, after a bit of file and sanding belt work, it will look a lot better.


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## Brian Rupnow (Jul 1, 2011)

So there we have it. A gear reducer mount, in all its splendor!!! (even with a collection of funky bolts holding things together.) I think that was the hardest part to do, and mill troubles aside, it was actually quite easy.


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## Brian Rupnow (Jul 1, 2011)

Now 2 hubs are finished and the sprockets welded to them. Thats enough machining for today. Its a beautifull hot summers day out, and wife and grandkids are due to return from strawberry picking about now, so I had better clean up and get out of the shop!!!


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## Brian Rupnow (Jul 1, 2011)

After a nice drive in the countryside, and a dinner with MANY fresh strawberries (YUM YUM) I snuck back down to the shop and whittled out a pair of driveshaft bushings,---then found out that my digital camera batteries were too dead to operate the flash---


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## Brian Rupnow (Jul 2, 2011)

Today was another beautifull summers day, about 85 degrees and low humidity. I dashed down to the shop 2 or 3 different times and managed to carve out the top piece for the main housing. The inside radius was a bit tricky, and I didn't feel like mounting the rotary table. I "fudged" it out with the bandsaw and finished it with a half round file. The inside won't show anyways when its all assembled. Now I have to go wash the hotrod and get ready for "cruise night" at the local Burger King.


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## b.lindsey (Jul 2, 2011)

You are making some fine progress on it Brian... and its really going to be a unique thing to watch in combination with one of your engines. Still following along here. Nice fix on the mill to BTW 

Bill


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## ShedBoy (Jul 2, 2011)

Interesting model I will be following. I watched a documentry about a diesel hammer once, two stroke no crank just a piston, cylinder and gravity. This shoud look great when running.
Brock


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## Brian Rupnow (Jul 2, 2011)

Thanks for the comments guys. It will certainly be unique. I haven't played with these magnets before, so I think it will be very interestng. If it works the way I hope it will, people are going to be quite puzzled at how the drop hammer moves back up to the top of the column with no physical link visible.


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## Brian Rupnow (Jul 3, 2011)

This morning I got up and decided to build the base, which everything bolts to. You will see that I didn't put in the 5/8" counterbore that the drawing calls for.---I'm going to wait untill everything is assembled, just to make certain its concentric with the "pile" when everything is together.


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## Brian Rupnow (Jul 3, 2011)

I anticipate a world of joy in making a coupling between my gear reducer and the lower sprocket shaft. The strange thing is that the gear revolves, but the bit of shaft you see sticking out past the face of the gear doesn't. I haven't tried to take the gear off yet, and if I do get it off, I may see a clear solution. Otherwise I will use a coupling on the end of the sprocket shaft, with 2 counterbores in it, one to fit the .312 dia. stub shaft and one at .850 which is the outer dia. of the gear. I will drill and tap the sides of the large counterbore for 3 pointed set-screws at 120 degrees apart and let them be what transfers the rotation of the gear to the sprocket shaft.


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## deadin (Jul 3, 2011)

Brian,
 re your 





> "People also liked the Pumpjack oil pumping model which I designed, built, and posted.(although I haven't seen anyone else build one)."



Here's one complete with your Horizontal Twin powering it.. :bow:

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/user/deadin391#p/a/u/0/6sygYpkqju0[/ame]


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## Brian Rupnow (Jul 4, 2011)

This morning I got up and drilled a pair of holes 16.5" apart in a wooden board and cut the roller chain to length and assembled it to check my hole centers. The centers are okay, but I notice that the hole in my top sprocket bushing is not concentric with the bore of the sprocket. I'm not sure how I managed that, but will make a new brass bushing and drill/bore/ream it in place in the lathe.I actually went so far as to hook a cordless drill on the driveshaft, and yep---everything goes round and round, just like its supposed to!!!


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## Brian Rupnow (Jul 4, 2011)

I think this driveshaft is going to work okay!!! The large bore is a "good fit" over the gear. The smaller internal reamed hole is a "good fit" on the 5/16" stub that sticks out past the face of the gear. I just counted the teeth on the gear, and it seems have the choice of using either 2 or 4 set screws thru the outer shell as "drive dogs" to transfer the rotation from the gear to the driveshaft. I had no design work when I started this project, now suddenly I have one new job and one existing job "off hold". Hopefully I can keep up my momentum.


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## Brian Rupnow (Jul 4, 2011)

deadin  said:
			
		

> Brian,
> re your
> 
> Here's one complete with your Horizontal Twin powering it.. :bow:
> ...



And a VERY nice pair of models indeed!!! (Even if there is something a little "fishy" about the motor base.----Brian


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## Brian Rupnow (Jul 4, 2011)

tel  said:
			
		

> Well, there is this one, which I still haven't got around to finishing off.



Very nice, Tel!!! I assume you are going to power that one with the Kerzel----Right??? (Meow----meow!!!!)


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## Brian Rupnow (Jul 5, 2011)

This morning I got my non concentric bushing removed and replaced in the driven sprocket. This afternoon I made up the main "spine" that the two sideplates bolt to.


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## Brian Rupnow (Jul 6, 2011)

A lot has been accomplished in the last couple of days.---And the good news is, all the pieces bolt together!!! I take that as definitly being a good sign, because I hate having to "stretch" hole positions. And there are a LOT of bolts. The driveshaft turns freely, although I have yet to add the set screws to act as drive keys to tie it to my gear reduction unit. Both sprockets and the chain are mounted inside the housing. The chain is a bit slacker than I wanted it to be, but it turns relatively slowly and I'm not sure yet if I will do something to move my top sprocket shaft up a bit higher or not. I still have to make the slider and the "drop hammer" for it, and make my pieces which tie the magnets to the roller chain. The assembly shown in these pictures was a "trial fit" to make sure everything fit together properly. Now I have to tear it down to finish the rest of it, but at least I know it will all go back together.


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## Noitoen (Jul 6, 2011)

The magnet going down next to that brass plate is going to slow down the pile due to eddy currents. Try to drop a magnet in a non ferrous pipe and you will see the effect.


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## kcmillin (Jul 6, 2011)

Noitoen  said:
			
		

> The magnet going down next to that brass plate is going to slow down the pile due to eddy currents. Try to drop a magnet in a non ferrous pipe and you will see the effect.



True, but it may add some Visual Mystification, leading to a scientific conversation on magnets and eddy currents. 

Kel


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## Brian Rupnow (Jul 7, 2011)

Noitoen  said:
			
		

> The magnet going down next to that brass plate is going to slow down the pile due to eddy currents. Try to drop a magnet in a non ferrous pipe and you will see the effect.


The magnet next to the brass plate will be going up!!! Thats what lifts the pile-driver head. After the magnet passes over the sprocket to the other side, gravity will pull the pile driver head down in free fall.


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## Noitoen (Jul 7, 2011)

I was talking about the magnet on the "hammer"


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## Rayanth (Jul 7, 2011)

At the risk of pulling you off topic, Brian, I would be interested in getting a better look at that yellow toy in your garage, if it is what I think it is it looks like a very nice job was done on it ;D

- Ryan


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## Brian Rupnow (Jul 7, 2011)

Here ya go Rayanth---I built this seven years ago. I have had almost every body style of model A over my many years in hot rodding, but never had a roadster pickup.---So---I started with an old two door sedan, cut three foot out of the back of it, cut the top off, molded the top of the doors and cab section, built the box from scratch, built the top from scratch---The cab and box are steel, the fenders and splash aprons are glass.


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## Brian Rupnow (Jul 7, 2011)

This afternoon I finished the "drop hammer" part of this pile driver. Its only four little pieces, but it seemed like a lot of work. I let it fall down the column without the magnet in it, and with the magnet in it, and didn't see any visible difference in the way it fell, nor the rate of speed. What I did see however was that the weight of the 5/8" dia. stainless rod makes the aluminum slider "cant" over because of the offset weight, and it "stutters" as it falls. I want it to fall "cleanly" each time, so I am going to insert a piece of 3/16" dia. round aluminum rod into the stainless at 90 degrees down at the bottom end to ride against the face of the brass column and keep everything "in line" as it falls.


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## Rayanth (Jul 7, 2011)

It is indeed a nice looking vehicle. Not sure I would have chosen yellow....maybe metallic purple....I do love a good purple :big:

Did you check that the magnets were strong enough to raise the hammer?

- Ryan


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## Brian Rupnow (Jul 8, 2011)

Here you can see the "Rider Pin" that I added to the side of the stainless steel "drop hammer" to keep the whole assembly from cocking sideways and binding as it slides down the brass column. You can also see the very powerfull rare earth magnet which is epoxied into the recess in the slider.


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## Brian Rupnow (Jul 8, 2011)

Rayanth  said:
			
		

> It is indeed a nice looking vehicle. Not sure I would have chosen yellow....maybe metallic purple....I do love a good purple :big:
> 
> Did you check that the magnets were strong enough to raise the hammer?
> 
> - Ryan



Rayanth---I'm glad you asked that question!!! I had a peice of brass bar about 3" long left over from the main column, so I slid the drop hammer over it and stuck a second magnet against the back side of the brass bar----and one magnet DIDN'T have enough strength to lift it!!! However, two magnets stacked together seems to lift it fine. I don't have room in the casing to put double magnets on my chain links, so I deepend the counterbore in the aluminum slider and stacked two magnets in there. Noitoen had me a bit concerned with his dire warnings of eddy currents, etcetera, so I had put a 3/16" hole all the way through the slider so I could get a knock out pin thru there to remove the magnet from the slider if I needed to. I knocked out the first magnet, deepend the c'bore another 3mm, then epoxied two magnets in place. Now a single magnet on the far side of the brass bar will lift things okay. If I really have to I will run a 3/8" drill full length of the 5/8" stainless to lighten it up some. EDIT EDIT--It was still "To close a thing" so I DID drill the center out of the 5/8" stainless with a 3/8" drill, from the top end down to about 3/8" from the bottom end. Now a single magnet moving behind the brass bar will pick the hammer up every time. I wll turn a fancy little brass cap to plug the top hole.


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## Brian Rupnow (Jul 8, 2011)

Today I'm down to the last two parts, the magnet mounts for the roller chain. While experimenting earlier today, I have found that the magnets "attraction" power is dramatically enhanced if the magnet is backed up by a piece of mild steel, so I will be making the magnet/chain mounts from steel, not brass. I really don't care for working (at least milling) steel, as it is so much tougher than machining aluminum or brass, but in this case steel is what it will have to be. I have one mount about half made right now, but have ran out of energy for today. I see that about 1900 people have had a look at this thread, but not many have commented. I guess I understand that----after all, a pile driver is kinda "Out There" in the world of model engineering. I have had fun building this one, and as in every thing I build, I continue to learn something new each time. I really hope I can silver solder my magnet mounts to the roller chain without a lot of problems, because I am really looking foreward to seeing this run.----Brian


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## Brian Rupnow (Jul 9, 2011)

Well, here we have the first magnet mount to be silver soldered to the roller chain. Just as I suspected, nasty, miserable little buggers to machine from mild steel. One down, one to go----


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## Brian Rupnow (Jul 10, 2011)

Here we have the two magnet mounts finished and silver soldered to the roller chain. I'm really quite pleased with this, as I actually managed to do it without soldering 2 or 3 chain links together while doing it. Since I ended up putting two of the magnets together into the "slide hammer", and they come in packs of 3, I'm now off to Princess Auto to buy another pack of magnets because I'm short one.


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## Brian Rupnow (Jul 14, 2011)

Wife and I just got back from a 4 day road trip with a couple of our grandchildren. Here I am with my two beauties at "Lake on the Mountain" in Picton, Ontario. The pile driver is essentially finished except for adding 4 set screws to the drive collar on the driveshaft to engage with the "spaces" between the gear teeth on my gear reducer. I used "J-B Weld epoxy to attach the magnets to the magnet mounts on the roller chain, and its been "setting up" since I left four days ago, so I hope it will hold sufficiently. I have ran some "simulated tests" while everything is disassembled, and the magnets appear to be strong enough to draw thru the brass slider bar and move the "drop hammer" vertically up the full length of the brass slide bar. With luck, I will have a video sometime this weekend.-----Brian


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## lathe nut (Jul 14, 2011)

Brain, love the ride, that is my favorite color match, it would and only could look better at my house, maybe not, I was in the oil field today and was telling a customer about your pile driver, he said if you charge less than us you can come drive some and also drive casing, the casing in 40' could you make a longer on, ready to see if working, nice looking grand children, they don't even looked spoiled, glad that you can enjoy them, take care, Lathe Nut


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## Brian Rupnow (Jul 15, 2011)

Here we have partial re-assembly, in a bit of a lash-up just to check running clearances and fits. The drive belt is a 3/32" dia. rubber o-ring. Everything appears to run very smoothly with no "sticky spots" and very little efort required to turn the mechanism. I will let it run for half an hour, powered by the milling machine, before I complete the assembly.


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## Brian Rupnow (Jul 15, 2011)

No Joy----No Joy!!!!--Its all back together, but there is just too much friction between the slider and the brass strip. The slide hammer kind of staggers up the column like an old drunk. Sometimes it gets to the top, sometimes it only gets part way up, sometimes it just gives a grunt and a wiggle and doesn't go up at all. The dillema----The magnets have to have really strong attraction in order to lift the weight of the slide hammer, but that same very strong attraction creates a lot of friction. So----Next step is maybe to create a set of hidden UHMW wheels---Let the bugger ROLL up the column. Sorry---No video after all.----Brian


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## kcmillin (Jul 15, 2011)

Brian, how much room is there between the magnets? Would it be possible to make the brass plate thinner?

Kel


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## Brian Rupnow (Jul 15, 2011)

Kel---Pretty hard to make the brass plate thinner. Its 3/16" thick now, and I have the heads of the #5-40 shcs buried in it. I could probably go to flat head capscrews, but I'm not quite ready to go there yet. Since everything else on it works so well, I will probably redesign the head of the "slide hammer" to accomodate some small wheels to cut down on the frictional drag. This whole thing is a voyage of discovery for me. Even in a worst case scenario, where it doesn't work at all, 90% of the material is salvageable for other projects. The biggest problem seems to be frictional drag, and a couple of sets of small wheels will probably fix that. I don't have a lot invested in this project time wise, so I'm not worried about making a few changes as I go along. One of my constraints is that everything on the slide hammer and the brass bar must be made from materials that are not affected by the magnets, so I'm limited to aluminum, brass, or 316 stainless. This entire project is more of a "boredom breaker" than anything. Thanks for having a look and for your suggestion.---Brian


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## Brian Rupnow (Jul 16, 2011)

I may have found a way to make the front slide bar thinner, where it counts.I can mill a slot 3/4" wide x 1/8" deep full length on the side facing the magnets. There is enough slack in the chain for the magnets to move out and ride in this slot. The magnets and magnet mounts are only 18mm (0.71") wide. This won't do much for the friction issue, but will greatly increase the magnetic attraction.


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## Brian Rupnow (Jul 16, 2011)

I have more insight into whats going on--I had made up a small brass "cap" to plug the hole in the top of the aluminum slider. This cap was made to cover the hole I had put into it when I drilled out the center of the 5/8" s.s. rod to 3/8" in order to lighten things up. When things still seemed too heavy to lift properly, I heated up the aluminum slider to get the brass cap off and drill the center hole in the 5/8" rod out even more, to 1/2" diameter. Strangely, this didn't seem to make any difference, even though the whole slider was now lighter. This morning I was playing around with my two remaining magnets which had never been installed in anything, and discovered that they seemed to have about 10 times the magnetic attraction that the magnets epoxied into the slider had?????----Suddenly a light went on---THE HEAT I HAD APPLIED TO THE SLIDER TO REMOVE THE BRASS CAP HAD DESTOYED THE MAGNETISM OF THE TWO MAGNETS EPOXIED INTO PLACE!!!!  I removed the two magnets which had been epoxied into place in the slider, and replaced them with the two new magnets. now the slider rises up to the top every time with no difficulty.----More to come---


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## zeeprogrammer (Jul 16, 2011)

I do like seeing projects of things that engines can drive.

Very enjoyable thread. Why is it posted in the Break Room? It's certainly a 'work' in progress.


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## maverick (Jul 16, 2011)

Don't you just love those A-HAA moments. Nice project, You're a very creative guy.


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## Brian Rupnow (Jul 16, 2011)

Zee---It started out as an idea, and I wasn't sure I was going to build it. Then I decided I would build it, but I don't know how to move it over to a "work in progress". Perhaps a moderator could help---(Please).---Thanks for having a look Zee----Brian


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## Brian Rupnow (Jul 16, 2011)

We have a video!!! Its been a wild and crazy morning, but success has been achieved!!!! ---Brian


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## Brian Rupnow (Jul 16, 2011)

Thanks for moving this to the "work in progress" Tin.---Brian


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## cfellows (Jul 16, 2011)

Pretty cool, Brian. Are you going to use it to crack nuts?

Chuck


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## Brian Rupnow (Jul 16, 2011)

cfellows  said:
			
		

> Pretty cool, Brian. Are you going to use it to crack nuts?
> 
> Chuck



Chuck---To be perfectly honest, I haven't the faintest idea what I will do with it!! It was one of those "Gee---I wonder if that would work??" moments. Its like a lot of the things I build---Fun to build, but once its finished it sets on a shelf and gathers cobwebs.


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## kcmillin (Jul 16, 2011)

That is pretty cool Brian! It is running very smooth, Well Done.

I could smash things al day with that ;D. Some old MatchBox cars would be neat, or tenderize tiny steaks :big:

Kel


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## Noitoen (Jul 16, 2011)

Just don't get your finger caught under it.


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## zeeprogrammer (Jul 16, 2011)

I'll use your word as it seems the most appropriate...

It is indeed 'nifty'.


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## Diy89 (Jul 17, 2011)

Very Cool! Would make a "nifty" nut cracker for those hard nuts the parrots like.


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## Brian Rupnow (Jul 17, 2011)

Today I machined a 3 step pulley from aluminum, with 2" dia., 1 1/2" dia. and 1 1/8" dia steps. I fitted it to my most powerfull steam/air engine, the twin horizontal that I built 3 years ago. News was not terribly good. When the drive belt was on the smallest pulley, it ran the pile driver fine, but was too slow. When the belt was on the large dia. pulley, the engine just plain didn't have enough power. I increased the air pressure to 45 psi., but the engine just didn't have enough grunt to run things. I didn't try it on the mid range pulley, because wife came out to the garage and demanded help cleaning up the basement!!! Tomorrow I am going to try the same 3 step pulley with my Hit and Miss engine and see what results that gives.


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## Brian Rupnow (Jul 18, 2011)

We have a (partial) success story!!! Although the steam engine wouldn't run it very well, my Kerzel hit n miss I.C. engine seems to run it without any problem. Please forgive any "fogging" in the video, but its about 95% humidity in my garage right now, and the digital camera decided it didn't like that very much. The video starts out great, but gets foggier as it progresses.


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## b.lindsey (Jul 18, 2011)

Nifty indeed Brian...and unique...and just well done as are all your projects. Thanks for sharing this one!!

Bill


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## Brian Rupnow (Jul 18, 2011)

This was one of those projects where the finished parts were pretty well all made exactly as per drawing. I messed around a bit with the 5/8" dia. s.s. rod in the drop hammer, but probably didn't have to. Ultimately, I drilled it out to 1/2" inside diameter to reduce its weight before realizing that the two magnets embedded in the slider had lost their magnetism due to an application of heat. Once I had replaced the magnets, I turned a peice of 1/2" dia mild steel and filled the hole back up again. This is not a project that I would recomend for driving with a small steam engine. It simply requires more power than a small steam engine is capable of producing. I had fun with the build, and ultimately it DID work as I had envisioned. It was a good practice project, and although I can't say I learned any new machining techniques with it, I certainly brushed up on some of the things I already knew, and it filled in a two week void of "What will I do Ma" time. I am now entering the summer doldrums as far as "Real Work" is concerned----Many factories are closing for "summer vacation shutdown", the economy isn't rebounding like we had all hoped????---expected??? Thank you to all who followed the build, and commented.----Brian


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## larry1 (Jul 18, 2011)

Brian, Great work as always, thank you for sharing thuiwith us. larry


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