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There are PLA varieties made specifically for lost PLA casting. They have low ash and burn out more easily. I have heard that some are very soft and don’t make good prints. Good reports on others. Check this out on Amazon: Polymaker PolyCast Filament 1.75mm for Investment Casting 750g Cardboard...

Very impressive project. As someone who has run many versions of square balers on the farm it is interesting to see the ancestor of the machine that has caused me so much grief. I think using this original machine would have been a lot of frustration too but at least you could check the hay...

Brian I watch the sales at Princess Auto. As you say regular prices for a simple stool are ridiculous. But in their weekly sales stools sometimes pop up. I got one similar to yours for about $50. It sits by the lathe or gets taken to the chain saw sharpener during wood cutting season. I got a...

So I have seen the Amazon ads for high capacity thumb drives but was amazed at this one. It claims 2TB for the price of $14.99 Cdn. The reviews on it are mixed. Some people claim it is garbage. I couldn’t resist and ordered one. As it came it wouldn’t display on my Mac, but did show in files on...

I agree totally with your observations on the porters. We did that trail too, but only the one day trek from the train stop in the valley to the Sun Gate. Still we gained several thousand feet on the hike. Those porters were amazing. I understand that the Sherpa guides who take people up Everest...

Our old machining instructor would use nothing but stressproof steel on a lathe. He brought cutoffs from his commercial shop for the students. It was nice stuff but he complained that it was getting rare. These days I can’t find it anywhere. None of the local commercial suppliers have it. Where...

What a lot of work. It looks great. The closest piston on the right in the bottom photo seems to be contacting the crank counterweight. Looks like the relief slot in the skirt of the piston isn’t quite long enough, or the piston is twisted slightly. I dream of the day when we can print actual...

Do you have castings for this engine? I have the R-985 plans from Bob Roach. Bruce Satra sent me the single cylinder Wasp kit. The cylinder head casting is a work of art and I have always been afraid to touch it. My plan is to 3D print some duplicates and cast them so I have something to...

I would try another carb. The symptoms you describe are typical of a carb that has sat for a long time without use. I have these problems frequently with older engines that have been stored for some time.

No way. There are few things in life better than slipping into a warm bed after the electric blanket has been on for half an hour. Far better than cold shock from the sheets and shivering for half an hour. If I win one of those seats on Starship for an around the moon trip my electric blanket is...

I have a design for starting VW based airplane engines using a chain saw motor. Much the same idea.

Thanks for the description. I have wondered about a simple solution to multiple glow plugs. I played with fancier electronic ideas but your solution sounds better.

The Finch is at the Commonwealth Air Training Plan Museum in Brandon Manitoba. They are located in the actual hanger used by the training plan in WW II. Those hangers were designed to last 5 years. Keeping it standing is a major job. The flying collection is healthy and growing as money allows...

Our local air museum recently purchased a Fleet Finch and got it flying. They had the 125hp engine originally but were updated to the 160hp Kinner for war training use. The engine was torn down shortly after purchase and I got to monkey around in the innards a bit. It has a distinctive sound...

Watch Blondi Hacks’ video on buying a lathe. She goes over her machine and points out the features you want and need. I highly recommend getting the right machine in the first place. I didn’t and have paid the price in time wasted and lack of capability. If you want an example of a good lathe to...

Wow and a real airplane at that. This must be a restoration project. What is the history of this one? Is the engine running or will you have to tear that down too?

I have taken to dehydrating my PLA reels after reading about problems with moisture in filaments. I modified a food dehydrator and then store the filament reels in vacuum bags. Not sure it is worth all the effort. I can see that there could be a problem during our humid summers but winters here...

My dalliance with turbojet models has shown me the difficulties of welding the stainless steel combustion chamber for a model. Best done in a vacuum chamber. My plan was to buy a sandblasting cabinet and rig the Argon tank on the tig welder to trickle into the cabinet. Cover the rubber gloves...

I had significant bed lifting problems when I used a flexible magnetic bed. I had a banana shaped base on all my prints. Going to a solid base helped but I suspected that my drafty shope was not helping either. I purchased a commercial enclosure for my printer and no longer have base lifting...

Sadly the greatest threat to birds are cats, both domestic and feral. Millions of birds are killed by them every year. If you have a cat get it de-clawed immediately. Between cats and glass buildings we have lost over 3 billion birds in N. America in the last 20 years. I am staggered by that...