# Give this man a lathe! Wooden 4cyl air engine. No Lathe work



## Tomo1 (Aug 19, 2013)

It never ceases to amaze me what people can do without a lathe.

This guy builds wooden air engines. http://m.youtube.com/watch?feature=relmfu&v=IHJDU181K80

His mini V8 is a little basic but considering his tools it's pretty good.
Imagine what he could come up with if given a metal lathe?

Might give it a go while I wait to buy my new lathe. Good conversation starter for the work desk.

While on the topic I remember reading about a flash steam teather boat racer who before he had a lathe made steam engines for little straight running boats out of cans and brass pipe. Yep can tell it was before tv came in!


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## jwcnc1911 (Aug 19, 2013)

I've seen those before and they are amazing.  It even appears to be balanced better than many model engines made of metal on lathes and mills.


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## Wizard69 (Aug 21, 2013)

Tomo1 said:


> It never ceases to amaze me what people can do without a lathe.
> 
> This guy builds wooden air engines. http://m.youtube.com/watch?feature=relmfu&v=IHJDU181K80
> 
> ...


You never know.   He may have no interest at all in metal lathes.  


> Might give it a go while I wait to buy my new lathe. Good conversation starter for the work desk.
> 
> While on the topic I remember reading about a flash steam teather boat racer who before he had a lathe made steam engines for little straight running boats out of cans and brass pipe. Yep can tell it was before tv came in!


If these are what I think you are talking about people still make them.    They basically run on puffs of steam.   Pretty cool actually.


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## Tomo1 (Aug 21, 2013)

So true, Most talented woodworkers don't enjoy working with steel. 

At high school I was always frustrated in woodworking class. Especially on the lathe, as everything looked nice and polished until it stopped turning  But recently have found carving wooden fishing lures rather relaxing! ( and cheaper when the snag/rock fish doesn't want to give the, back! )

On the hand made steam engine I think it was a type of wobbler? Maybe wrong though. Those put put engines that run on puffs of steam are quit amazing though. I'll never forget the local agricultural show when I was about 10. A man was selling put put boats ($6) and I spent ages transfixed watching his display ones Merrily putting around a tank of water. Sadly my $10 spend limit was already maxed on the mega choc show bag back when they had a decent amount in them. Always wondered how they worked until I googled it a few years back. Sad most kids will never see one work when they are so easy to build and fun to play with.


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## ConductorX (Aug 21, 2013)

Wizard69 said:


> You never know.   He may have no interest at all in metal lathes.
> 
> If these are what I think you are talking about people still make them.    They basically run on puffs of steam.   Pretty cool actually.



I helped my daughter make a steam boat for a Science Fair.  It used a candle to heat a copper coil, both open ends were in the water.  I bent the tubing, she built the boat, demonstrated it and wrote up the paper.  She won first in her school and district science fairs with it.

"G"


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## amvolk (Aug 21, 2013)

I've seen the plans for this engine and one like it that is rotary.  The value for each piston is in the adjacent cylinder.  Quite a clever scheme.  While he doesn't use a metal lathe (like me), he does use metal for the piston/valve, cylinders and shafts.  If you want to see an all wood machine, go to http://woodgears.ca/air_engine/index.html. Very basic design but all wood.  One builder posted a video on youtube with the engine going over 1000 RPM (http://woodgears.ca/reader/zorn.html) just using the power from a central vacuum system.  Not bad!  Don't poo-poo wood.


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