# Elmer's Grasshopper Engine



## rake60 (Jul 14, 2007)

With it being Saturday I only had to work 4 hours today, so I had a little
bit of time to work in _my_ shop.   I spent a couple hours making the 
bearings for my current project, Elmer's Grasshopper Engine.
They basically went from this.





To this




A lot of parts to go yet.  Maybe tomorrow (if it rains hard enough that I 
can get out of the yard work)   :lol:


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## rake60 (Jul 25, 2007)

I have several projects in the works, but this one seems to be the one 
thats getting the most attention.  It starting to look like an engine...




Still a few parts to make yet, and lots of polishing to do, but I may finish 
it before the weeks over. The plans call for a tin lagging to go over the cylinder.  
I don't know if I want to cover it up.
Opinions?


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## rake60 (Jul 28, 2007)

Well I kind of finished it..... 
It still needs some cleaning up and the keeper wires for the pins.








With all the parts made I had to see it run!  :? 

<embed src="http://www.rake60.com/photogallery/Grasshopper_Running.mpeg" autoplay="false" hidden="false" loop="false" type="application/mediaplayer" wmode="transparent" width="400" height="300"></embed>

or: http://www.rake60.com/photogallery/Grasshopper_Running.mpeg

It's a little rough yet,  I'll work on it.  :wink:


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## lugnut (Jul 28, 2007)

Rick that is a cool little engine!  Glad you got it running. Looks and sounds great!
Mel


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## 1Kenny (Jul 28, 2007)

Real cool, I like the way it sounds.


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## rake60 (Jul 29, 2007)

Ask away Jack.
If it can be done wrong, I did on this build. 
I built more bugs into than I have in any project in recent times.
But their all fixed now.  
If you look closely the valve plate looks a little
thick.  That's because _someone_ cut the cylinder from 1" square 
stock without offsetting the stock .030"  making the flat .030" too short.
A valve plate .030" thicker made up for that exception.  I'd list the other
errors but I'd rather not.


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## Bogstandard (Jul 29, 2007)

If it can be put right, it was never wrong in the first place, you were just modifying the design to your own specifications, I do it all the time (and usually end up blaming the dog for the changes).
If it works after all your modifications, there is absolutely nothing wrong, in fact you can praise yourself for thinking about the design more than the original designer.
Lovely piece of work.

John


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## rake60 (Jul 30, 2007)

OK
I finally did finish it completely.
Amazing how much better it runs with all the keeper wires on holding it
in proper alignment.       It's beginning to seat in as well.  That's one
thing about Elmer's engines, the more you run them the better they run.
So here's a final video of it running as it should.  The shutter speed of the
camera makes the flywheel look jerky but it's just a strobe effect.
It seems to prefer 20PSI to run at slow speed, but it will zip along at a good
clip when fed 60PSI. 
<embed src="http://www.rake60.com/photogallery/Grasshopper_Slow.mpeg" autoplay="false" hidden="false" loop="false" type="application/mediaplayer" wmode="transparent" width="400" height="300"></embed>

Or  http://www.rake60.com/photogallery/Grasshopper_Slow.mpeg


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## rake60 (Aug 1, 2007)

Mine was made to print.... Give or take a few....   :lol: 
I've actually thought of trying it again 1/2 scale.  
That's the great thing about model making.  
Prints and plans are just for reference.  
The version you build is a one of a kind! 
If anyone tells you yours is WRONG, hand them a slug of stock and
offer the use of your machines.


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## Bogstandard (Aug 2, 2007)

My feeling exactly Rake, always make your engines your own way, if it works it isn't wrong.

John


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## Alex (Aug 2, 2007)

Beautiful engine! It's a real treat watching those parts movning.


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