First Model Engine Completed - Elmer Number 25

[Propforward]

I am very happy to post pictures of my first completed engine. A very simple and straightforward wobbler project - Elmer number 25 in fact.

woohoo1

This was a hugely rewarding project. It had just the right amount of challenges for a novice machinist, and really provided a great introduction to general machining practices.

I did take two shortcuts on it. The crank disc and cylinder are missing the "finishing touches". That is - the crank disc was left simply circular, rather than cut out in the traditional "balanced" shape, and the chamfers are left off the cylinder block.

I did try to cut a crank disc to shape, but it looked really awful - being just hand cut and filed, and I decided to solve a means of making a more pretty version for my next engine another day. Same goes for the Chamfers.

But I took no shortcuts on the main workings, and so I am very happy with the final engine. It's a real boost to see it run, and hopefully I can post some video over the next day or so.

Thanks all, there was a lot of info gleaned from this forum in order to bring this to completion, and so it is now time to consider what to make next. I am seriously considering scaling up Elmers number 14 a bit.

 

[Philjoe5]

Nice work, congratulations on engine #1Thm:. And yes, you might go back to it and dress it up someday.

I just put the finishing touches on an engine I built 4 years ago. It was mechanically complete and running back then but in four years I learned how to make a lot of the bits that help to finish it off.

Cheers,
Phil

 

[hdwrench1]

Very nice job.
The beauty of these engines is that you can always go back to do more finish touches.

Wayne

 

[nemoc]

That's a great 1st engine. I like the base and the spring retainer, they set your engine apart from others.

Craig

 

[Propforward]

Thanks folks, much appreciated.

I managed to get a little short clip of it running on compressed air, which is here for your amusement.


[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V6WHIHeielE[/ame]

 

[weez]

Well done on your first engine. I like what you did with the flywheel. Elmer's wobbler was also my first engine (which I believe is where you got the idea for the base), and I too found it the perfect engine for a beginner. Do you have any plans on what you are going to make next?

 

[Propforward]

You are correct on the base - after seeing yours I wanted to do something beefier there. I thought for my next engine I might try Elmers number 14 with the wobble plate. It's a bit more complex, but not too much. I thought I might scale it up a bit, for no reason other than I feel like making a bigger engine.

I don't feel ready to do a set of castings yet. Several parts here needed to be remade - although the Cylinder I got right first time. Arguably the most complex piece of this engine. Which may be why it came out right first time - it demanded a lot of thought up front.

Anyway, another bar stock engine next for sure, leaning towards the 14, it is a nice engine.