Flame Eater begins...

[NickG]

Massive well done, it's got it's own look and runs first time, no messing! Coming from someone that's spent days messing around trying to get it to run - yours deserves respect :bow:

Nick

 

[winklmj]

Many thanks for the encouragment and kind words.

I played with it some more last nite and could not get it to run for more than a few seconds

I still do not have a proper burner for it and ran out of butane on one lighter. The other lighter I tried puts out way more soot. I've cleaned it multiple times (and it does get a slight film on it) but even cleaned up it still refuses to run. It can't be wore out already! I have some alcohol (labeled as clean burning and intended for lamps and stoves) and a tiki-torch wick (too big I think). It puts out a large yellow flame whereas the butane lighter was more a blue color--if that makes a difference.

Perhaps I should not get discouraged until I try it with a good burner and that task starts this evening with a hunt for something to make one with.

 

[NickG]

I was just going to say it's probably become gummed up but then read on ... It's worth a try with some industrial meths and a good burner (decent sized wick as Jan Ridders suggests) - some people use glass fibre wicks that don't burn and produce sut.

Another bone of contention is that I and a few people use oil (I use car engine oil), it takes longer to warm up (about 10 mins) but I find the contaminants are pushed out in the oil and it provides a better seal for my not so good machining! Some peoples are probably made to a higher standard, finer tolerances on the piston and valve which mean oil anywhere near it causes too much friction in the system, Engine oil gives very low friction once up to temperature though. Just a thought if you're still struggling. I'm actually thinking of putting an oil cup at each end of the cylinder on mine, like 'poppin' but 1 for the valve and 1 for piston as it causes a bit of a mess.

I just soft soldered an end in a bit of tube for my burner - it doesn't get hot, with a push fit cap for the top, simple but effective, the way I like it!

Nick

 

[fcheslop]

Hi,I don't know what others use but my engines require different lubes on the engine you have built I use a synthetic two stroke oil but this will not work on poppin this needs a fine sewing machine oil and the Duclos engine will only run with a dry lube such as graphite you'd think they would all be the same ?On all engines as already mentioned the flame position is critical you'll probably find it runs OK when you get the burner finished
best wishes Frazer

 

[Blogwitch]

I found the same results when I built mine.

With a gas burner like that, it produces a lot of crap that solidifies in the bore. Mine at one point totally locked up, and a good clean out with meths was the only cure.

Unlike Nick, I couldn't get mine to accept lube, it just gummed everything up.

Sometime in the future, mine will be blinged up and converted to run on gas, but one with a clean burning flame.


Bogs

 

[Deanofid]

It looks great, Mike! Another nice runner, too.
I wish I could keep up with more build projects! I kind of skipped between yours and Vic's.
Too many good builds to keep track!

When you make your burner, get the proper fuel for it. Go to a hardware store paint dept. and get
denatured alcohol. It does not make soot. Any other alcohol that contains water will make soot.
Ace Hardware has the proper stuff.

Congrats on your fine looking runner!

Dean

 

[winklmj]

Got parts for a burner today and made some progress on getting it running again. I cleaned it with oven-cleaner--it did a much better job than trying to clean it with brake-cleaner or alcohol as I was using before. While hunting for burner parts I also grabbed a 3-pack of butane lighters. I got it running for about 2-min straight with them. Then I tried using a wick soaked with some denatured alcohol. This produces a much yellower flame than the lighters and it had gummed up within seconds with a yellow/brown sticky residue. Either I got some cr@p alcohol from Lowe's or it's the wick doing it. I will try Ace hardware--I know they have wicks there as well.

 

[kustomkb]

Congratulations on your first run! Looks and sounds great.

I've got a flame licker that was pretty stubborn at first. I ran it in, squirting powdered graphite in through the valve several times. It runs well now without maintenance. I burn methyl hydrate.

 

[winklmj]

I made a burner today. That was an adventure in itself. My torch blew out 8-10 times so it took forever to heat up. I tried some 45% silv-solder but my torch would not get it hot enough so I used some plumbing solder. I got it done but it looks hideous and will take lots of clean up. No matter, at this point all I wanted was to get this thing running again.

Stone cold with the burner fired up it took right off and then stopped after a few seconds and could not get it going again. It shows signs of life but I can tell that it's getting gummed up--not much but enough I think to kill it. I tried a drop or two of 20wt synthetic oil just for grins. I had to really warm it up and again it showed signs of life but I think it's way too much friction.

So, what to try next? Is it getting gummed up because the piston-cyl tolerance is too tight where it's affected too easily by residue? Or is it too loose letting the residue get between the piston and cyl wall? As much as it's been spun I can tell that it's loosened up some so I think mabe the later. I will try some graphite powder I guess and I have enough cast iron for making valve and piston again too.

What is really confusing is why it runs OK off a simple butane lighter? I thought for sure that if it ran off that a real burner would make it scream. :wall:

 

[NickG]

It's strange you mention that, when I cleaned mine out completely and used the industrial DNA (clear not purple) it went like stink for about a minute, from cold then stopped - gummed up even with the good stuff, which is when I started using oil, but pretty thin synthetic stuff, 0W30 or something if you can get it. Mine needs to be left with the burner on for about 10 minutes before it will run consistently now, I know other peoples that will not run from cold either, for speed Bogstandard sometimes just gives his a dose of heat with the blow torch to warm it up.

Nick

 

[Omnimill]

It's important that you don't get moisture around the flame port when you start it up, so heating it first is a good idea. If you don't want to wait for the spirit lamp to heat it then use a hot air gun. Another tip is to put a small amount of graphite (from a soft pencil) into the bore after cleaning.

Vic.

 

[winklmj]

SUCCESS!

I took a close look at Vic's vid and noticed his burner tube was really close to the flame port. I stuck a small (temporary) spacer under my burner to raise it up and shortened my wick some. I also gave it a few puffs of powdered graphite (in the Key section of the HW store for lubing locks). It took off and will pretty much run until the burner is empty. Don't know if it was the graphite or not (can't hurt) but I think moving the flame was key. And I think this one could be called a Flame Thrower as much as it moves the flame around.

Take a look (ignoring the ratty looking flux-covered burner with tin-foil cap):

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dK0kAWlhjeg[/ame]

 

[Deanofid]

Sweet indeed, Mike! Thm: Thm:
They all seem to have their own special spot for the flame. You found it, and
have a runner on your hands. Good going!

Dean

 

[NickG]

Well done Mike :bow:

 

[Blogwitch]

Very nice runner indeed.

It was that 'flash out' of the large angled burner which stopped me from putting two cylinders side by side, it deformed the opposite flame so much, it sometimes blew it out.

I eventually made small vertical tube burners, from a remote tank, that could be locked permanently in position. It allows a much smaller and more accurate flame to be used, outside as well, in windy conditions. I told Jan about what I had found, and that is now what Jan uses on his latest designs.


Bogs