First try at an engine

[lomaxmotorsports]

Well this will be my first try at making an engine. I have spend a few weeks reading things here and looking at plans. I decided to try to make the ez-engine that is here in the download section but not having the money for reamers right now I decided to see if I could make an engine with stuff I had around the house.

This plumbing fitting I had in a box of stuff looks like a good candidate for a cylinder.

This old toe-stop might make a good piston

Guess I forgot the before pic but there was a lip that had to be turned out to get the stroke I wanted out of this.

Hey it fits!!!


Now to find something to make a valve with...

 

[compspecial]

Good for you, Lomax!! where there's a will there's a way!
Stew

 

[rhitee93]

It's a good start

 

[lomaxmotorsports]

Ok valve time! Looking threw my boxes I found this t that I think is for propane but looks like the start to a valve to me!

Drilled threw for the intake/exhaust port, I also use the hole to chuck it up and turn the treads off the intake side.

threads turned off, valve rod made

and it fits too!

coming together!

now on to the head!

 

[lomaxmotorsports]

Got back to the engine a little this week, made some parts, broke some parts, made more parts. Its coming together though and I hope with this weekend coming I can get most everything mounted and moving. So on to my progress!

I went to the local scrap yard the other day looking for stock. They didn't have much in but I did snag these up.

They had a couple 5 gal. buckets full of both these, I grabbed a couple of the half circles (100mm across) and a hand full of the full circles (2.5in)

I am going to use the half circle one for a head and mount it to the base.
I made a recess for the cyl. by drilling a hole and making a mandrel to fit it then turning it. I drilled and tapped holes in the bottom for 4-40 bolts.

I thought about tapping my cylinder and threw drilling the head to attach them but its not very wide so I decided to do a ring around the cyl. threw drilled for 4-40 bolts and tap the head I started making the retaining ring out of one of the round blanks

I don't have the right tools for this but I made it work I ended up using a drill bit in my tool post, I know this is not the right way but it did a good job.

I decided to drill the mounting holes before I cut it the rest of the way down. I hope to get that done today at work on the drill press.

 

[lomaxmotorsports]

Well looking around for something to make a flywheel out of I came across these mounting flanges I had cut for a handrail I made for a local theater


I drilled a hole in the center made a mandrel and turned down the outside.
I may make brass inlays in those holes or maybe magnets for some kind of power generation (think the light on a Kirby vacuum brushbar)

So now I need a mount for the flywheel, I could of used another of the half circle alum. pieces but found this plexiglass from an old display.

I drilled it with a step bit to fit in a bearing I had laying around, added a set screw and drilled and tapped the bottom for the base mounting bolts

I am having a good time designing this thing and making it I just hope it runs when I get it done! I'm looking forward to getting some stuff done on it this weekend!

 

[rhitee93]

Heh, I've never seen the "Drill bit boring bar" trick done before, but it looks like you got away with it. That's all that counts in the end

 

[lomaxmotorsports]

I got the cyl. mount drilled at work Friday and got some more done too!

no fancy rotary table so I just used the points of a nut to mark out the bolt circle.

drilled it out, the finish wasn't as bad as it looks here but this stuff didn't turn as well as I would have liked

It finished out ok though

I decided I need a piston that took a pin for the proper movement so I made this

I have more done but don't have the pics right now I will try to post more tomorrow

 

[lomaxmotorsports]

Well it's been a while since I have been on here but I haven't lost interest ice just been busy. Last time I was here I had my little engine running but knocked it over trying to make a video and broke the bearing block http://www.homemodelenginemachinist.com/showthread.php?t=18839

Well a lot has happens since then, my wife and I had a little boy (he is 18 months old now) and I have moved twice but that's ok because I was able to buy a house and I built me a good size shop out back so I don't have to move anything for 20-30 years!
http://youtu.be/GoT4BkfyvCQ here is a short video of my engine running, I hope to do more work on it and replace some of the store bought parts but for now IT RUNS!

 

[Brian Rupnow]

That's a dandy little engine. Well Done!! I never seen one like that before.---Brian

 

[kuhncw]

Thanks for posting the video. Interesting little engine and a good reminder of what can be done with the various bits we all have laying around our shops.

Congratulations on your first engine.............. and your new son!

Regards,

Chuck

 

[nemoc]

Very nice job! Much more interesting than my 1st engine.

 

[Hrcoleman66]

That is so cool!
Inspired by this!

Cheers,

Hugh