# Englishmans build of rupnow engine



## Canman (Jul 3, 2013)

Well here goes my start on Brian's ic engine. And my first ever engine build. Gotta say I'm excited and nervous at the same time haha.
First off ive not done any machining yet I've just been collecting materials, studying drawings and generally getting myself sorted. 
My lathe isn't anything fancy it's a Clarke cl500m that I quite literally brought for scrap money, the guy I got it off had stripped it down and had lost most of the parts, so the milling head has been removed it hadn't got no pulley on the motor and hasn't got any power feed yet but I'm working on that gonna look at making my own gears for it. It didn't have any chucks or tool post and some bearings were missing out the headstock. But now it's up and running apart from power feed and a decent quick change tool post. I've also got a pillar drill and plan on turning the milling head of the lathe into its own independent machine. :hDe:. 
But I'm divulging I work in a machine shop so I do machining and fabrication work for a living and I have a great workshop gaffer who's the bosses son and hes let me have my material from work so that helps a lot. Ive got some cast for the cylinder and some brass for the various small parts (should be interesting with my sausage fingers hahaha.) and I got some steel rectangle bar aswell hopefully if everything goes to plan I'll have my first parts by the weekend .

Got a question though Brian would cast be alright for the flywheels? And would I be ok using metric bearing instead of imperial? 

Can't upload pics at mo so will try later.

Cheers guys also any hints, tips, or advice is muchly appreciated haha.

All the best James.


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## nobeard (Jul 3, 2013)

I have the same lathe which was bought from Eb y cheaply only not with the mill on it,I also have the users manual which gives full charts of gears for thread cutting and the parts manual if you want a copy of them. couple of niggling things with the lathe tailstock the lack of quill travel next door to useless and the cross slide spacer the grub screw keeps coming loose and you notice it just as it scraps your work lol was going to change the spacer for a bearing but untill i get round to it i replaced the grub screw with a longer one and locknut.


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## Brian Rupnow (Jul 3, 2013)

James--just about any metal will do for the flywheels, except aluminum, as it is too light. As far as bearings go, the best advise I can give you is to use what is readily available. My engine plans are for a "British Imperial" measurement system, which is feet and inches, so I used  3/8" bearings and shafts. The closest metric dimension to that which will be readily available would be a 10mm shaft and bearings. Just remember, that if you use any other bearing than the ones which I specify, you will have to change the plans accordingly in the counterbores and some of the spacer thicknesses. Welcome to the build, and I hope I don't mislead you. I am doing my best to forge ahead on this project so that if any errors show up in my plans, I will see them first and make others aware and change the drawings. This build is probably going to be more complex than the Webster, which many people build for a first engine. However, if you are an experienced machinist you shouldn't get into too much trouble with this. My lathe doesn't have a (working) power feed, but since the longest parts I make are generally less than 5 inches, it hasn't been a problem. Good luck, and if you need any help, just yell.---Brian


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## gus (Jul 3, 2013)

Canman said:


> Well here goes my start on Brian's ic engine. And my first ever engine build. Gotta say I'm excited and nervous at the same time haha.
> First off ive not done any machining yet I've just been collecting materials, studying drawings and generally getting myself sorted.
> My lathe isn't anything fancy it's a Clarke cl500m that I quite literally brought for scrap money, the guy I got it off had stripped it down and had lost most of the parts, so the milling head has been removed it hadn't got no pulley on the motor and hasn't got any power feed yet but I'm working on that gonna look at making my own gears for it. It didn't have any chucks or tool post and some bearings were missing out the headstock. But now it's up and running apart from power feed and a decent quick change tool post. I've also got a pillar drill and plan on turning the milling head of the lathe into its own independent machine. :hDe:.
> But I'm divulging I work in a machine shop so I do machining and fabrication work for a living and I have a great workshop gaffer who's the bosses son and hes let me have my material from work so that helps a lot. Ive got some cast for the cylinder and some brass for the various small parts (should be interesting with my sausage fingers hahaha.) and I got some steel rectangle bar aswell hopefully if everything goes to plan I'll have my first parts by the weekend .
> ...




Hi James,

I envy you.You have machineshop and material at your disposal.

Used to run a manufacturing/assembly plant with full compliment of machine tools,power press,bending rolls and auto----manual welding machines.But no time make my own stuff. By knock off time,Gus is mentally exhausted in his
"Operations Manager's Office.Did try office hours but desk phones keep ringing for immediate attention for delivery status from too many bosses and customers. But I did venture with some success into aluminuim gravity casting with inhouse made  Cast Iron Molds and Gas fired furnace to cast some condensate traps by the hundreds to beat competition.See fotos. 
As a 12 year old lad,watched neighbourhood uncles gravity casting small batches of Fiat Car Engine Pulleys using small deep chinese C.I.Woks on modifiedkerosene stoves. Pour Temperature was judged by eyeball and bookmold temperature with spitum. They had no rejects from first casted piece. They made it look so easy.

With zero experience I went in and three months of hard knocks came up good castings but not before making C.I.molds and gas fired C.I.crucible furnace.All happened after I made a trip to Shanghai Compressor Plant and found time to seek help from the foundry uncles. They were so eager to teach me. A dinner for ten yielded life time info.All happened in 1986. Casted many batches. Won many repeat orders for compressors with this condensate trap.Used degassing disc and grain refining addictives and add on silicon etc. Gus is no expert. He got himself into deep trouble.
Now contemplating making a small electric fired furnace to cast mini castings.Maybe heading into trouble again.They made it look so easy on YouTube.


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## Canman (Jul 9, 2013)

Not posted for a while, because I've had to do some repair works the lathe. Had to replace headstock bearings :wall:. But I'm off again and the machine is running better then before which is a bonus haha. 
Right well I've been gathering more materials I've now got flywheel material, some brass for valves and such, some cast for the cylinder, I've also got the material for the base plate, side plates and con rod. Also picked some material up today for the govener body. Ooo and I got the bearings aswell.
The side plates are all marked out ready for drilling tapping cutting and machining, really hoping to have the base together by the weekend. Same With the con rod.
Pretty much all I've got to report for now.
All the best James.


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## Brian Rupnow (Jul 9, 2013)

James---I found out yesterday when I assembled my machine that you don't need to have such a large radius on the corners of the con rod as I called for on the drawing. Right now I just have square corners on my con rod, and it clears the inside of the cylinder.--Not by very much, but not so it requires such large radii.---Brian


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## Canman (Jul 9, 2013)

Cheers Brian that's gonna help with that as I was wondering how I was going to do it haha. Really need to look at getting a proper mill lol.
Just a quick question though Brian what materials best for the piston with a cast cylinder? as I can look for material at work tomorrow. 
All the best James.


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## Brian Rupnow (Jul 9, 2013)

James--The best material for a piston running in a cast cylinder is cast iron. That is because cast iron has a very high carbon content, and is somewhat self lubricating. If you plan on making or buying cast iron rings, you pretty well must make your piston from cast iron. I cheat a bit, and make my pistons from 6061 aluminum. I can get away with that because I use a Viton o-ring instead of cast iron rings. The O-rings are inexpensive--I pay $1 each for them. These are not high temperature engines, and I know of at least one experienced engine builder who gets away with a plain black butyl rubber o-ring, but I wouldn't try that---I'd be afraid of it melting. Viton is a high heat compound and can certainly stand up to the temperatures in one of these engines. I have 4 other engines running them and they all work fine.


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## Canman (Jul 10, 2013)

Just a few pics of material ive together for the engine and a pic of my refurbished clarke lathe.


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## Canman (Jul 10, 2013)

And the side plates and con rod material.


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## Canman (Jul 17, 2013)

Bit of an update. Hot the conrod side plates and bearing caps roughed out on the band saw at work.


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## Brian Rupnow (Jul 17, 2013)

Hang in their buddy. Once you can start bolting pieces together, it starts to come together pretty quickly.----Brian


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## Canman (Jul 17, 2013)

Thats what im hoping for matey. Once i get going i wont be stopping haha. I love maching and making things way to much. - james.


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## Canman (Jul 17, 2013)

Brian i ment to ask im struggling to get hold of half inch ally for the baseplate. So would 10mm bright drawn mild steel be ok? Cheers james.


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## Brian Rupnow (Jul 17, 2013)

Yes James, it would be fine. Long as its thick enough to bury the heads of the socket head capscrews in. You don't want the heads setting proud of the bottom, and you don't want the counterbore to go all the way thru the plate.


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## Canman (Jul 17, 2013)

Damn damn damn damn and oh yeah damn grrrrr. Lathes in bits again pulley on the motor decided to say no more damn thing. Looks like I'm busy at work tomorrow haha.
Cheers Brian that's gonna be my next job getting the base plate marked out and drilled (I hope haha) 
All the best james.


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## Smithers (Jul 18, 2013)

All the best James, hope you enjoy the build.

Andrew


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## Canman (Jul 18, 2013)

Hey andrew thanks. i am so far with this being my first build id enjoy it even more if i wernt repairing my lathe every five mins from the bodging of the previous owner. 

James


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## Canman (Jul 24, 2013)

Managed to get into the shed tonight and had a bit of a play on the lathe with my new quick change tool holder that ive designed myself. So its a bit of a jump ahead part but it was nice just to test out with.
Sorry about the quality of the pics cameras not a brilliant one.

All the best james.


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## canadianhorsepower (Jul 24, 2013)

hey good work
you surely didn't start with the biggest partsRof}Rof}Rof}


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## Canman (Jul 24, 2013)

Your not kidding haha i could hardly see them haha.


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## Brian Rupnow (Jul 24, 2013)

Take heart Canman--I just did a recount of the parts in this engine. The computer tells me there are 111 parts. Take away 3 bearings and 2 bevel gears and that only leaves 106 fabricated parts. If you are building the air cooled version, take away 2 more parts. It doesn't matter if the parts you made are small parts.--They still reduce the overall part count!!! I have the very last part up on my mill right now. Tomorrow I may actually get to run this thing as a hit and miss engine.---Brian


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## Canman (Jul 25, 2013)

Cool cool 102 parts to go haha. Yeah im doing the air cooled version. Just trying to get bits done when i can around work and wedding planning haha  
And well done brian on a fantastically designed engine and yours looks brilliant. Cant wait to see it completed.

James


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## Brian Rupnow (Jul 25, 2013)

Canman--I can't wait to see it completed either. I'm tired of spending every day in my shop. I know it runs, we've seen that .  Today we will try for "hit and miss" mode running.---Brian


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## jwcnc1911 (Jul 25, 2013)

Brian Rupnow said:


> James--The best material for a piston running in a cast cylinder is cast iron. That is because cast iron has a very high carbon content, and is somewhat self lubricating. If you plan on making or buying cast iron rings, you pretty well must make your piston from cast iron. I cheat a bit, and make my pistons from 6061 aluminum. I can get away with that because I use a Viton o-ring instead of cast iron rings. The O-rings are inexpensive--I pay $1 each for them. These are not high temperature engines, and I know of at least one experienced engine builder who gets away with a plain black butyl rubber o-ring, but I wouldn't try that---I'd be afraid of it melting. Viton is a high heat compound and can certainly stand up to the temperatures in one of these engines. I have 4 other engines running them and they all work fine.



This is a little late... Has any one tried making rings out of Teflon?


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## Canman (Jul 26, 2013)

Brian I'd love to spend more time in mine but I can't at the mo with work and sorting the wedding out haha. :wall:. I'm trying to sort a bigger workshop out aswell as Im only working in a 6' x 4' tin shed and with my lathe and pillar drill and tool box in it I have no room to work.
Jwcnc I've not had any experience with Teflon especially when it comes to engines as this is my first, im think I'm going to go with the viton ring same as Brian but I've gotta try and find a source for it yet.

Had a bit of progress tonight had and hour in the man cave and got all the holes in the side plates piloted and the holes on the bottom drilled to size. Next is base plate as I want to try and get somewhere with it. With not having a mill I'm trying to also figure out how to do the milling on the parts and the milling vice I've made for the lathe is looking favourable as its an old myford lathe top slide bolted to a plate I made up and it has a nice counterbored hole in it which will make a nice run of for the drills. Gonna try and look at doing them this weekend.

All the best James.


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## Canman (Jul 26, 2013)

Side plates and conrod piloted.


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## Swifty (Jul 26, 2013)

Hi Canman, making good progress. I ordered my viton O rings off eBay, bag of 20 for $5.90 all up. Cheaper than driving to a bearing shop and buying one.

Paul.


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## Brian Rupnow (Aug 7, 2013)

Canman--This is just a drop in to say Hi and offer up a word of encouragement. I am currently "breaking new ground" with my CDI ignition that I have purchased. ( I don't believe that my engine requires a CDI to run it, but I have always wanted to try one.) Cheers mate, keep up the good work. I will probably repeat this message to all the others who are building the Rupnow engine.---Brian


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## Canman (Aug 8, 2013)

Right bit of an update as I've not posted for a while. I'm at bit of a dead spot at the moment because I've gotta try and figure out how I'm going to mill the parts as the vertical slide I've made for my lathe is not up to the job as it keeps moving when I tough the job with the cutter so I've not really made any more progress other then drilling and counter boring the base plate.
Any ideas would be muchly appreciated? As I don't have a mill and all the mill at work are taken up with jobs at the mo so can't use them :wall::wall:.

All the best James.


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## Brian Rupnow (Aug 23, 2013)

James--I'm sorry that you seem to be stalled out on your build. I have no advice to give concerning the lack of a milling machine. I purchased my lathe 5 years ago, and it became apparent pretty fast that without a milling machine, I really couldn't build very much. I looked at what was involved in adding a slide to my lathe to mill in it, but that didn't seem to be a particularly good answer for me. Fortunately, I was able to buy a milling machine. I do hope that you are able to go ahead with the build.---Brian


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## Canman (Aug 25, 2013)

Hey Brian I'm still here and still in with the build I've managed to adapt the milling slide by making a new base for it but not had chance to try it out as I'm working all the time at the mo and I'm struggling to get anything done lol. I will try and get it done as soon as possible so I'm hoping it works. I'm currently in negotiations with my boss at the moment for buying a bridgeport milling machine that's sat at work rusting but it will be a little project if I get it as the bed is really rusted. 
I hope to try and get in the shop this week but work commitments are top at the mo especially paying for the wedding :wall::wall:. Hahaha. 
Im still checking in on everybody else's build and the work that's being produced is absolutely fantastic. 
Will check in on my own work soon I hope
All the best James.


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## Canman (Aug 27, 2013)

Bit of a update if u can call it that haha. Bolted the sideplates on just to see. Also managed to make a faceplate for the lathe and can swing the conrod on it. Im hoping to do the side plates but ive got see when i get the bearing caps on. 

James


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## Brian Rupnow (Aug 27, 2013)

James---Parts is parts!! Any progress is good progress.---Brian


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## Canman (Sep 4, 2013)

Bit of an update got a couple of bits started. Started the flywheels and crank shaft. Some of the shots are in progress ones. The machine isnt mine (wish it was though haha) its one of my works been doing bits in my lunch breaks.
Cheers james.


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## Brian Rupnow (Sep 4, 2013)

Thank you for the update James. Building one of these engines is a lot like eating an elephant. --One bite at a time.--You're doing fine.--Brian


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