Search results

Good article Don. I was looking at Caswells catalog and they sell a plating material for pot metal/zinc. Presumably it will seal the part and maybe add a little to the appearance.

Interesting engine, look forward to seeing it run. I like your idea of using manufactured parts where possible. What engine did the parts come from? Why are some pistons with dished tops some not? I found Honda pistons about this size are very nicely made with great rings. Beware of two...

Vevor has a 6" vise for $111. Don't know about quality but other stuff from them has been good. Free shipping too. Free return and 59#. A gamble but perhaps worth it. Has anyone bought one??

Also issue 16 describes using MAXAC in sand casting. I used segmented aluminum molds with success. The segments are made top and bottom and the mold is held in position with blank plates on each end and thru bolts. Jacking screws are provided to free casting from mold. Each segment can have a...

Your cam timing diagram is the best representation I've seen. Easier to understand than the usual circular ones. Thanks.

Yes a coating is used. I hope Mike Rehmus will jump in here and say what issue of his MEB magazine covered the technique. If not, I can dig thru the old issues and figure it out (maybe). Anyone else remember??

Good points. I melt the Zmac in an electric pot designed to melt lead for sinkers etc. Very simple. Using segmented aluminum molds some rather complicated parts can be made and the mold is not destroyed

Peterha, Outstanding! Just for reference in some of my engines I have used knitting needles for push rods. The aluminum ones have cool colors. The stainless one from China are hollow, light and strong and cheap. Adjuster screw can go up inside the tube.

Green Twin, I've drilled, tapped and machined lots of ZMAC and never experienced the problem you describe. I wonder if you alloy was bad or the drill was woefully dull. To melt the material your bit was creating +700 degrees! Suggest you try again with a known alloy and a sharp bit. It's...

I too have been disappointed with locking grades of loktite sealing. I used your idea for the wicking grade to seal brass valve cages in an aluminum head after they leaked from a locktite job. . Thanks for the tip. This wicking grade is amazing-make sure it isn't even close to something you...

I agree with Mike, Zamac is underloved by our community. Besides the above mentioned properties it is almost as strong as cast iron. Mike's MEB magazine carried an article on making molds for Zamac from segmented aluminum plates. I have made many magneto housings from this material using...

How do you machine the back taper on the valves to get such a nice surface? My valves after turning look good but under a hand lens have visible grooves that seem to make for poor sealing sometimes.

If you like IC engines and building them, these magazines are invaluable. This is an opportunity for some one to have a fount of knowledge and some very interesting and useful reading. Bob Washburn hit the timing of his magazine perfectly and tapped into a bunch of authors who had not...

Thanks Crypto, order on the way John

Just noticed Vevor has 5" Kurt look alike vise for under $100,pp. I've bought stuff from them and it's all been OK. YRMV

Some of my IC engine models have onboard electric starters. I'm looking for color coded jacks or connections that can be attached to the model and then plugged into a corresponding jack carrying 12 volts from the battery. The amperage is pretty high'. Does anyone know of a source for jacks...

I wonder if you could put together a group buy with the other casters in the UK?

I too struggle with cam lobe positioning and timing. Lately I've been fixing the cams initially with super glue. It holds enough to run the engine and is easily loosened with a little heat and or the dissolver. Once I'm happy with the cam settings I pin them to the shaft with 1/16 split pins.

I agree there are other expanding sleeve systems out there. In my experience they are for larger shaft sizes and pretty large like the Browning system. I'd be interested in other model size expanding sleeve systems for sale. Can you supply references to them? Thanks

An elegant but somewhat expensive option for securing something on a shaft are Shaftloc assemblies from Stock Drive Products. I used them with satisfaction to hold the belt drive pulleys on the cam shafts of an overhead cam engine. Now using them to fabricate a starter drive on a Hoglet.