# AFCF1 flame licker/vacuum engine completed!



## jwcnc1911 (Sep 6, 2013)

Hello all!

I finished this little guy up Wednesday.  I thought I had a timing issue but it turns out the Lexan base was not rigid enough.  I popped out an aluminum base tonight and had a 2 minute run.

I'll consider all my work from here on beautification and performance tweaking!

Hope you enjoy it:

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sxPx3aMgB6c[/ame]

I'll post detail pics once I get it prettied up a little.


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## Cogsy (Sep 6, 2013)

Congrats on getting it to run. I know I spent at least a week to get my flamelicker to finally run on it's own. They can be extremely frustrating!


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## Swifty (Sep 6, 2013)

That's done it guys, next on my list of builds is a flamelicker.

Paul.


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## Lawijt (Sep 6, 2013)

Congrats. I build also one , but after many many hors to try it running , he don't want. I put it away. It is also beatifull for looking at that engine. By these engines everything listening very close. The smallest friction , leak or what else & the engine don't want to run.
When my shoulder is back OK , I will try it again.

Barry


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## jwcnc1911 (Sep 6, 2013)

Thank you guys for the compliments!

@Cogsy - that engine in your avatar... what wood is the base made of?

@Swifty - careful, you'll get hooked on the hot air!  I've already started a Stirling!

@Barry -  by no means am I an expert but I learned a lot with this build.  Post some pictures and some specs and the forum here will surprise you with free knowledge and willingness to help!


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## Cogsy (Sep 6, 2013)

It's Jarrah - a local hardwood here. This piece came from an old floor board I had sitting outside my shed for the last 10 years or so.


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## AussieJimG (Sep 7, 2013)

Congratulations JW, they are tricky little devils. I could not get mine to run but I will have another go one day. It can't be all that hard. Can it?

Jim


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## BronxFigs (Sep 7, 2013)

JW:

Great to see the engine running.  Just watching all the parts function correctly, is endlessly, interesting.  Good luck with your engine, and your next build.


Frank


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## MarioM (Sep 7, 2013)

Good work, it is so nice the feeling of watching them coming alive.  I just finished one similar to yours a few weeks ago, a model from Philip Duclos.

Mario


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## jwcnc1911 (Sep 7, 2013)

Thanks guys! 

@Jim - I was worried about getting it to run.  I kept reading about how difficult they are.  I learned a great deal in this build.  The timing was very very forgiving - I found about a 40 degree range on cam position where the engine would run.  With the engine I built it really boiled down to 3 factors: friction/resistance, piston fit and valve seal.  In the video above the valve is actually loose because I couldn't find a perfect spring.  I will replace it when I can scavenge a good spring or spring material (that one's just a piece of 0.020 shim stock bent up.

@Frank - Thanks!  I'm looking forward to seeing you build something.

@Mario - It was tremendously great the first time it kept rolling over and I had that "it's getting close" feeling.  Which Duclos did you do?  "Little Blazer" or "Fire Eater"?  Why tease us?  Put up some pictures!


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## MarioM (Sep 8, 2013)

The "Little Blazer".

Pictures and video:

http://www.homemodelenginemachinist.com/f43/philip-duclos-little-blazer-21559/

Mario


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## jwcnc1911 (Sep 10, 2013)

Hey guys,

I've spent a great deal of time tinkering with the little flame licker.

I've come to the conclusion that this was the right choice as a first flame licker.  It is very forgiving.  The timing of the valve is not so critical.  I've found about a 70 degree range in valve timing where the engine will still run.  It seems as though flame placement is far more critical than valve timing.

If you guys are looking to build a flame licker I can highly recommend this one.

I have not been able to get it up to the speeds that have been achieved by the designer and some others but it runs solid.

Check out this fairly long video of me playing with it.  Adjusting timing and play with flame location.

I did replace the spring that holds what I'll call the valve in place.  Now it is actually putting pressure on it rather than just holding it.

Here's the video:

[ame]http://youtu.be/aM4gCdfZZdc[/ame]


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## MarioM (Sep 11, 2013)

I am not an expert on flame lickers, but yours looks great and works OK.  I can not change the timing in the one I did, it is fixed, and honestly I do not know why it goes so fast, also it turns opposite to yours.  That tachometer you have, nice instrument, I will have to get one. 
What are you planing to do next?......I have two or three on the list but not sure yet.

Mario


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## jwcnc1911 (Sep 11, 2013)

Thanks, I'm pretty pleased with ok.  Part of the performance issue with mine, I'm sure the 18mm instead of 19mm bore called out.  I don't really have any metric tooling and a tool rep buddy of mine donated the 18mm.  I guess even further proof of the simplicity of this engine.

The digital tach is super handy.  I got it on eBay for IIRC about $8usd with free shipping.  You just gotta be willing to wait about 8 weeks for the transit from China.  I couldn't find even 1 made in the US.

Next I'm onto the rhombic by Julius De Waal that I posted some time ago:
http://www.homemodelenginemachinist.com/f12/rhombic-stirling-any-one-seen-20643/

I started the flywheel last night.

What are you working on?


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## MarioM (Sep 13, 2013)

By some reason I can not see the video in the other post, I will try to check it in you tube.  It looks like a very interesting and challenging engine, to be honest have never heard of it before.  As I can read from you post you have a lot more experience than me on making little engines, I have just made two.

Actually I might go for Jan Ridder stirling Bas, but not sure, it may be hard to find the glass tube around here, I am still thinking, in the mean time I am making some extra tools I need, and I started a Compact Benchtop Power Hacksaw from myfordboy (it is on you tube).

My projects are  slow speed, I still work full time and can only work weekends when possible.  I would like to record all the shop work but it is also time consuming.  I will try.

It will be interesting to follow the building of you new engine.

Mario


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## Brian Rupnow (Sep 24, 2013)

JWNC--What a beautiful build!! Somehow I missed it.---Brian


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## jwcnc1911 (Sep 24, 2013)

Thanks Brian!  Easy to miss when your designing an engine for other people to build, you want it to be right!

The compliment means a lot considering what I've seen from you on this forum!

If you choose to do this little engine I'll be glad to help where I can.


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