# My first engine, a PM research #5



## Nikhil Bhale (Oct 29, 2020)

My first engine.
This is the first engine that I built. 
I had the kit lying with me for more than a year but I was afraid to touch it.
Mainly the imperial dimensions were giving me a scare.
Faced many challenges mostly due to my inexperience and lack of tools and fixtures.
I learned a lot building this engine. 
Now that the engine is finished I don't have any means to run it. I am looking for a small air compressor to buy. It turns freely by hand so I am fairly confident that it should run on air. 
Now next job is to paint it and mount it on a wooden board.

Regards
Nikhil


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## rac37 (Oct 29, 2020)

Nikhil,
Very nice, looks like you did well on the PM 5 especially since it was your first build. I built one a few years ago and once I got it all dialed in it really runs great.
It will run very slow on just a couple pounds of air pressure, nice and smooth. Congrats and hope to see it running soon.

Bob


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## Nikhil Bhale (Oct 29, 2020)

Some of my setups






Drilling main bearings






Machining crank pin. Crankshaft was machined between center. Sorry no images.





Machining cylinder bore in lathe.
Hardest part was machining the inlet and outlet slots. The operation was done blindly in mill with cutter out of sight. I was watching my dials and praying that nothing bad happens.





Machining the frame.

In hindsight I could have done a better job.
I have a PM #1 castings kit and will attempt that next. I am watching ongoing YouTube series on machining the kit.

Regards
Nikhil


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## davidyat (Oct 30, 2020)

*Well done. Congratulations on your first build. I gave one of my machines to a nephew who is working on his PHD in AI Robotic Computer Programming. Computers doing all the work for you. I gave him this message, "No CNC machine will ever give you the same satisfaction as getting dirt, grease and oil under your fingernails and building something with your own two hands"!!!*


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## TubeTech (Nov 10, 2020)

Nikhil Bhale said:


> My first engine.
> This is the first engine that I built.
> I had the kit lying with me for more than a year but I was afraid to touch it.
> Mainly the imperial dimensions were giving me a scare.
> ...


I got small airbrush compressor from eBay for $99 and it runs all of my engines so far.


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## vederstein (Nov 11, 2020)

Ahh...

You get to have the initial joys of fiddling the the valve timing.  If your experience ends up like mine, it'll be about a hour of fine adjustments then all of a sudden the thing jolts to life.  Then you'll try to improve it and screw it up.

...Ved.


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## davidyat (Nov 11, 2020)

*Ved, great words of advice.*


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## Danuzzo (Nov 11, 2020)

Very nice. Looking forward to you getting it to run.


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## Larry G. (Nov 11, 2020)

Nikhil Bhale said:


> My first engine.
> This is the first engine that I built.
> I had the kit lying with me for more than a year but I was afraid to touch it.
> Mainly the imperial dimensions were giving me a scare.
> ...


A junked refrigerator compressor will silently supply compressed air.  Make a trap to capture the oil and return it to the inlet.


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## packrat (Nov 12, 2020)

Quote "Now that the engine is finished I don't have any means to run it "

If you can get access to a co2 cylinder and a regulator you can run the engine, I got my regulator from the Coke man free and used a little co2 from work
just to test a engine or two..


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## cheepo45 (Nov 12, 2020)

Looks great!
 A car spare tire will run it for a while with the right fittings.
 Scott


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## vederstein (Nov 13, 2020)

As for air compressors, they're Chinese made, but the brand "California Air Compressor" has units that are very quiet (e.g. 65db) compared to most rattletraps sold to consumers now days.  I have the 10 gallon version and yes, you can actually have a conversation beside it while the compressor is running.  You won't be talking in hushed tones, but you won't have that urge to evacuate the room until the thing shuts off either.

An American made pump from GAST (about $600 for the compressor, no tank) is also very quiet.  The company for whom I work uses them.

...Ved.


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## Nikhil Bhale (Nov 15, 2020)

Thanks for all the inputs.
I am thinking about using a tyre inflator type compressor to run the engine.
Now its Diwali time in here. 
I will try it after the holidays.

Regards
Nikhil


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## Nikhil Bhale (Dec 17, 2020)

It lives.  
I used a car tyre inflator as a compressor.
Initially when I tried to run it, air was leaking from exhaust all the time.
My slide valve was tight and not "floating" as Mr Keith Appleton has explained in his serval videos.
I opened up the slot in the slide valve so that it was free.
I also lapped the slide valve and valve ports.
First by 400 grade emery paper and then valve lapping paste of 800 and finally 1000 grade.





Below link for the video


I am holding the air pipe by hand as the fitting is not compatible.

Regards
Nikhil


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## Steamchick (Dec 17, 2020)

SPLENDID! A good looking result! The reward for a lot of hard work.
Now make the boiler, gauges, valves, burner, feed-pumps, superheater, casing etc... then on to the generator - or other load for the engine - and something for the generator to power - like a model drilling machine, or lathe or something, with an electric motor...
Or a boat...
Or just a more complicated engine...?
K2


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## Richard Hed (Jun 7, 2021)

Nikhil Bhale said:


> My first engine.
> This is the first engine that I built.
> I had the kit lying with me for more than a year but I was afraid to touch it.
> Mainly the imperial dimensions were giving me a scare.
> ...


It's absolutely beautiful.  Did you ever thimpfk of maybe making your own compressor?  You probably would not have to actually have all that much pressure--maybe 50 or 60 PSI (don't know what that would be in metric).  I had the opposite problem with metric.  I bought a couple casting sets from England and there were old British threaded parts in it.  I changed all them to regular imperial.  If I hadn't done that, I would have had to buy a bundle of new taps and dies which would only be good for those two castings.  I have you beat on the length of time I had another set of castings sitting about.  When I was in college I bought a "Coles Corliss (Ray)" set of castings which one cannot get at all now, and got about halfway thru using the college's tools.  Then I got married and that was the end of college.  So now I am retired and have been pulling all the old projects out of their hidey holes.  I find that MOST of the parts can be made on a lathe alone, but some of the setups would be much easier on a mill.  And SOME parts are nigh impossible to do with out a mill. 

I have a question for you:  how easy is it to buy a center drill in India?   I ask because I bought a milling attachment gfrom an Indian source in which the outside, important parts of the attachment were quite well made except the sharp edges were not filed.  The screw for tightening the vice was well done except for ONE PROBLEM.  The end of the screw had been drilled out with a regular drill bit in order to fit into the tail stock dead end (Or live end or whatever).  This made the end of the screw where threads were made to put the tightening handle very weak, about 20thousandths thick, which naturally broke.  It arrived that way in the mail, so I am curious how difficult it would be to obtain the correct tool to fix that problem.  The vice turns easily and is nicely made.  I will probably make a new screw, will not be too hard to do.


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## Nikhil Bhale (Jun 8, 2021)

Richard Hed said:


> Did you ever thimpfk of maybe making your own compressor?


I am thinking of making a small compressor myself. I got some drawings from internet for a small workshop compressor. I will try to at least copy the design concept if not actual dimensions from it.



Richard Hed said:


> I have a question for you: how easy is it to buy a center drill in India?


You ask very tough questions. I am sorry for faulty part you received.
I am not into production or manufacturing so I cannot say this is due to negligence or wrong working practices or time saving in tool changes.
I am not sure if small scale industries employ properly trained people to do these jobs (non critical jobs). Most people start as a helper and learn at the job itself. They may have never attended proper technical school and may not know where to use a center drill and where to use a normal drill.

Rgrds
Nikhil


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## Richard Hed (Jun 8, 2021)

Nikhil Bhale said:


> I am thinking of making a small compressor myself. I got some drawings from internet for a small workshop compressor. I will try to at least copy the design concept if not actual dimensions from it.
> 
> 
> You ask very tough questions. I am sorry for faulty part you received.
> ...


I know exactly what you are saying.  The lack of a proper tool, however, made a faulty part.  I communicated with the fellow, whom I liked, and who was responsible for the faulty part which I let the part go, that is, I told him he didn't need to send a new part as he said it would cost him his profit.  Well, I am not responsible for anyone's profit but HE is responsible to sell good parts.   I can easily make a screw for it.  Actually it will be a pleasure to make the part as I have never made an Acme thread and I would enjoy making one.  I told him the two things that happened:  The sharp edges cut my thumb upon opening the package and the screw was broken. 

Anyway , all this leads me to believe that money is so tight in India that the average small business in India cannot afford to buy proper tools OR the proper tools are difficult to even find to buy.  So I understand what you say above but I still do not know whether you can EASILY find a counter-sink in India.  You see, I wish to buy from India every time I can do so over China but if a person does not buy the proper tools because they are too stingy, then that influences my decisions.  It is my belief that any sensible person would buy the correct tools IF THE TOOL IS AVAILABLE and he has the money to buy.  The thing is, the "profit" the fellow claimed is enough to buy several counter-sinks.

He promised to have his people file the sharp edges.  Also the exterior, that is, the places that mattered were well made, slid well and were finely machined, so I still do not know with that quality of machining that his people could not use a proper tool or could not find one to buy.  Can YOU tell me if a small tool such as a counter-sink is easily available in India?

PS, can you show me the compressor design?


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## Steamchick (Jun 8, 2021)

I have an ex-fridge compressor I have been using since the 1970s... runs 1" bore x 2" stroke engines nicely. Decades ago it would reach 90psi, but now 45psi is as good as it gets as it is getting a bit worn out.... But it won't do big engines. I have (10~15 years ago) bought a small compressor (smallest in the shop!) which is noisy (90dB!) - but OK if you use a long power lead and hose and park it outside while doing the proper job behind closed doors... Only about 2cfm, but I think these are still only about £80? 4l reservoir. OK for tyres and spraying, but not for proper air tools.
K2.


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## Nikhil Bhale (Jun 8, 2021)

Richard Hed said:


> So I understand what you say above but I still do not know whether you can EASILY find a counter-sink in India.



My home town does not have many industrial manufacturing units or big workshops. We have some lathe shops that cater to mostly automobile repairs. We have two shops that sell all the common cutting tools required by machinists. There I can get a 8mm countersink for about USD 2. So countersink must be fairly common to buy in industrial cities. 
But you will be surprised to know that neither the shop or the workshops have heard about carbide insert tooling. All they use is HSS tools. 
If I need something I usually order it from Mumbai (Bombay) where everything is available. 
Indian manufactured tools are more costly then Chinese imports.
I always feel that Indian tool manufacturers lack the business acumen for online trading as online shopping for tools is very difficult.
There are some websites but they are B2B and you have to order for a minimum quantity which is expensive for hobby purpose. The reason for this may be that DIY culture in India is non existent. 

Rgrds
Nikhil


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## Nikhil Bhale (Jun 8, 2021)

Richard Hed said:


> PS, can you show me the compressor design?


I have downloaded this from some website.
Its from some old DIY book. I don't think I am allowed to post material here that may be copyrighted or generally downloaded from some dubious sites.
Its very simple reciprocating design with ball valve for delivery side and inlet valve on piston itself.



Steamchick said:


> I have an ex-fridge compressor I have been using since the 1970s.


That's a good idea. I would try and find some fridge or AC compressor.

Rgrds
Nikhil


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## Richard Hed (Jun 8, 2021)

Nikhil Bhale said:


> My home town does not have many industrial manufacturing units or big workshops. We have some lathe shops that cater to mostly automobile repairs. We have two shops that sell all the common cutting tools required by machinists. There I can get a 8mm countersink for about USD 2. So countersink must be fairly common to buy in industrial cities.
> But you will be surprised to know that neither the shop or the workshops have heard about carbide insert tooling. All they use is HSS tools.
> If I need something I usually order it from Mumbai (Bombay) where everything is available.
> Indian manufactured tools are more costly then Chinese imports.
> ...


Ah, I see!  Well even here in the US, carbide is often too expensive for me to buy even tho' I get it when I can.  I suppose the price of carbide is too high for even the average shop that does automobile repair.  I imagine India is somewhat like the Philippines which I have extensive knowledge, where the average shop is very small with very few tools.  However, the people of the Phils. are very clever and ingenious in what they can do with very few tools.  I have also watched some vids of Indians doing extremely cleveer things with junk materials.  Things so clever that I want to do what they have made.  If the vids are anything like typical Indian culture, then indeed, India has a DIY culture.  HOwever, these Vids, may be from non-typical people.

WEll usually, one only needs HSS anyway.  Carbide is rarely something anyone actually needs for a cut, but when that is needed, HSS will simply not cut it so carbide is the solution.  In the Philippines I live in a small place that the local community is about 40,000 people, where in the US I live in a town with about 25,000 people.  The size is comparable, as in the way the two places count people is different.  In the Phils, they count the people in the countryside who will do their shopping and selling in the town center, but in the US, the count is ONLY the town itselft and not the country side that will do their shopping in the town.  so the two places are actually about the same size.  In US, there will be 5-6 shops that sell to automobile parts, 5-6 that sell hardware parts and 2-3 that will sell industrial parts.  These places are huge compared to the shops in the Phils. 

The Phils will have 2-4 shops that sell exclusively to motorcycles, and 1-3 tiny shops that repair motorcycles and cars.  If you want something that is even the least bit unusual, you have to go to the big city (Cebu or Dumagete on another island) or order it from one of these shops.  Machine tools would NOT be in one of these shops, they would be in the city.  ANyway, as an example of how awful these hardware stores are, in the US, one would ALWAYS find welding supplies that are quite extensive with several sizes of welding rod from 1/16" to 3/16" and many types for many alloys and metals.  But in the Phils, one finds only 1/8" rod!  Even the best welder is going to have trouble welding thin materials with this stuff.  It's like trying to kill a mosquito with a cricket bat!  I tried to get people to understand how smaller rod works better for small material but they simply can't get that idea.  I have to order 3/32" specially for the work I do.  One can lower the amps (heat) significantly on use of smaller rod.

I suspect that in India, the manufactories are generally small, and suffer from a lack ability to use their machines all week , all day (24/7) which would help simply by using their materials/space/time costs to the maximum.  Can you enlighten me on one question?  Does India have a culture with imaginative, inventive people?

PS, the book design depends how old it is that you can post.  HOwever, you CAN post the name of the book or magazine.


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## Nikhil Bhale (Jun 10, 2021)

Richard Hed said:


> Does India have a culture with imaginative, inventive people?


Yes definitely. There is even a word to describe it. JUGAAD. This word even made an entry into the Oxford dictionary.

In India most of the shops are privately owned and not some big chain franchisee. So the shops only stock hot selling items. No owner will cut his margins by stocking on items that may sell once or twice in a year.



Richard Hed said:


> PS, the book design depends how old it is that you can post. HOwever, you CAN post the name of the book or magazine.


I will post the PDF here. If admins are not happy they can remove it please. And sorry for the mistake.


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## Richard Hed (Jun 10, 2021)

Nikhil Bhale said:


> Yes definitely. There is even a word to describe it. JUGAAD. This word even made an entry into the Oxford dictionary.
> 
> In India most of the shops are privately owned and not some big chain franchisee. So the shops only stock hot selling items. No owner will cut his margins by stocking on items that may sell once or twice in a year.
> 
> ...


I like that, JUGAAD,  How do you pronounce that?  Is the PDF a book or a magazine?  Can you tell me the name?  All I saw was "Workshop hints".  Is that a book or mag?  

Once I was getting Indian recipes for chicken and found this word:  "murg"  and didn't know how it was pronounced.  I went to work for an Indian in USA who had an apple orchard and I was asking him about "murg'.  Of course, he had no idea what I was talking about till I said "chicken" then he pronounced it more like "moorkh".  Well how is one to learn if we use phonemes that are only in English for phonemes in other languages?  LOL


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## Nikhil Bhale (Jun 10, 2021)

Well murg and moorkh are totally different. Murg is chicken and Moorkh is a fool/ dimwit. So I dont know but did you here it properly?

I dont know about the book. Its only copy that (I have 2pages from it), As I saud I would like to copy the design concept of that compressor and make it with what I have.

Rgrds
Nikhil


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## Richard Hed (Jun 10, 2021)

Nikhil Bhale said:


> Well murg and moorkh are totally different. Murg is chicken and Moorkh is a fool/ dimwit. So I dont know but did you here it properly?
> 
> I dont know about the book. Its only copy that (I have 2pages from it), As I saud I would like to copy the design concept of that compressor and make it with what I have.
> 
> ...


Well it's the fact that different languages use different phonemes.  I was in China for six months and could not get some phoneme that was pronounced with tongue at back of upper teeth and was like an "szts" .  Couldn't get it, tho' I had a good teacher to learn from.  I was pronouncing murg like in English, but that is not how it is actually pronounced.  "moorkh" is my English approximation to how my Indian friend pronounced it.  He rolled the r too.


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## Bushranger (Nov 13, 2021)

Superb work, I'm very impressed.


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## EricB61 (Dec 16, 2021)

Great job! My first engine was also a PMR #5. It looked "easy" enough, but I had never milled anything other than squared blocks so... I think I made most of the beginner's mistakes including bleeding, but it does run on air. It took me about 8 months, mostly thinking about it and waiting for more tools.




Eric


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## Steamchick (Dec 17, 2021)

Your base "Square block" looks good to me from the photo..
K2


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