Greetings

[Alyn Foundry]

Greetings from North Wales. A few will have heard of the Alyn Foundry and whilst taking it easy these days I’m far from giving up on my former products and services. Please don’t hesitate to ask any questions about my model engines or castings.
Cheers Graham.

 

[minh-thanh]

Wellcome !
If possible , Some pictures ?

 

[Alyn Foundry]

Where should I begin?
Perhaps this picture taken by an old friend of mine sums up what Alyn Foundry is about?

 

[ChazzC]

Greetings! A very nice collection.

Almost 25 years ago I frequently traveled to North Wales (based in Caenarfon, with visits to Anglesey [& LlanfairPG], Portmeirion, Snowdon and the northern coastal towns). I was a manufacturing/technical (not business practices!) consultant to Friction Dynamics, trying to keep them going before the owners turned everyone out. The people in the region are wonderful, and I highly recommend that anyone traveling to the UK make a point of staying a week there.

 

[Alyn Foundry]

Greetings! A very nice collection.

Almost 25 years ago I frequently traveled to North Wales (based in Caenarfon, with visits to Anglesey [& LlanfairPG], Portmeirion, Snowdon and the northern coastal towns). I was a manufacturing/technical (not business practices!) consultant to Friction Dynamics, trying to keep them going before the owners turned everyone out. The people in the region are wonderful, and I highly recommend that anyone traveling to the UK make a point of staying a week there.

Hi Chazz.
Would that be the Ferrodo plant by any chance? Spent many an hour in the 33 KV substation there from time to time. My full time job was with MANWEB the electricity suppliers at the time.
Cheers Graham.

 

[ChazzC]

Yes, was Ferrodo until the early-/mid-90's when they were purchased by U.S. investors. I think they still used the Ferrodo brand on some of their linings and/or clutch facings. I was a consultant to the U.S. company's operations that shut down in the 90's, then helped with establishing FDL-USA in Pennsylvania to market the UK manufactured materials. My work in Caenarfon was assisting with the installation and startup of equipment that was moved from the U.S. so they could make specific materials & parts for the U.S. industrial market (CAT, Deere, Whirlpool, Maytag, etc.); no automotive parts.

I worked with George (can't think of or find his last name), the Plant Engineer (Chief Works Engineer?) and Graham Wilkerson, the Manufacturing Manager: maybe you knew them also?


Regards,


Charlie

 

[joerom]

I looked online and do not see anything about availability or prices for anything such as the Gardner....I am here in the USA..........

 

[Alyn Foundry]

Yes, was Ferrodo until the early-/mid-90's when they were purchased by U.S. investors. I think they still used the Ferrodo brand on some of their linings and/or clutch facings. I was a consultant to the U.S. company's operations that shut down in the 90's, then helped with establishing FDL-USA in Pennsylvania to market the UK manufactured materials. My work in Caenarfon was assisting with the installation and startup of equipment that was moved from the U.S. so they could make specific materials & parts for the U.S. industrial market (CAT, Deere, Whirlpool, Maytag, etc.); no automotive parts.

I worked with George (can't think of or find his last name), the Plant Engineer (Chief Works Engineer?) and Graham Wilkerson, the Manufacturing Manager: maybe you knew them also?


Regards,


Charlie

Hi Charlie.
Sadly, no I left the supply industry in 1991 when it became privatised.
Cheers Graham.

 

[Alyn Foundry]

I looked online and do not see anything about availability or prices for anything such as the Gardner....I am here in the USA..........

Hi Joerom.
If it’s the Gardner that you’re particularly interested in, the patterns are currently with the Anson engine museum. I donated them several years ago to help with fund raising. We are at present in the throes of getting them to our new foundry and production will start again this year.
Cheers Graham.

 

[joerom]

OK, then what about the Hornsby Akroyd ....

 

[Alyn Foundry]

OK, then what about the Hornsby Akroyd ....

Definitely not, but here’s a couple of photos of the two that were built.
The video was shot last year after bringing the model back from storage.

 

[minh-thanh]

Alyn !

Definitely not, but here’s a couple of photos of the two that were built.
The video was shot last year after bringing the model back from storage.

Great !
Is it a diesel engine? did you build it ?

 

[Alyn Foundry]

Alyn !


Great !
Is it a diesel engine? did you build it ?

Hi. No not a Diesel but the forerunner to it. It has a “ hot bulb “ where the fuel, Paraffin/Kerosene is injected into the heated space and the compression pressure causes ignition. The model is a quarter scale replica of an 1892 2-1/2 horsepower Hornsby Akryod patent safety oil engine. I made all the patterns myself and yes, I built the one in the middle. The photo is of the medium pressure fuel pump.

 

[minh-thanh]

Thanks for the information !
Do you have a plan ? And do you intend to sell the plan ?
Maybe someone will be interested ..

 

[Alyn Foundry]

Thanks for the information !
Do you have a plan ? And do you intend to sell the plan ?
Maybe someone will be interested ..

Being really old school the drawings always come last ! I’ve rarely, if ever worked to drawing the engines just evolve. This particular engine took nearly nine months of work from the scaling to patterns and then the castings. When we actually got it going it proved to be one of the most unreliable runners ever. This is the reason the model won’t be made available for others. The term a rather expensive “ door stop “ springs to mind.

 

[minh-thanh]

Alyn !

Being really old school the drawings always come last ! I’ve rarely, if ever worked to drawing the engines just evolve.

That's the way I usually do it.
If you sell a plan then that's great !
It's okay not to have, anyway, you've proven "You can do it"
I have done diesel engine so am also interested in your engine , Hope you will have some information when I make engine similar to yours .

 

[Alyn Foundry]

Alyn !



That's the way I usually do it.
If you sell a plan then that's great !
It's okay not to have, anyway, you've proven "You can do it"
I have done diesel engine so am also interested in your engine , Hope you will have some information when I make engine similar to yours .

I learned a lot whilst building that model Minh, mainly how not to do things!
It would be my pleasure to help.
Cheers Graham.

 

[GreenTwin]

Definitely not, but here’s a couple of photos of the two that were built.
The video was shot last year after bringing the model back from storage.

Nice looking engines !!!

Edit:
Learning 3D modeling was not fun, but it really helps with engine design, and you can virtually run and test an engine before actually making it.
A Solidworks 3D engine assembly will not function if it is not exactly right.
And a side benefit of 3D modeling is that you can 3D print patterns.
Model making/pattern making has dramatically changed since the advent of 3D modeling and 3D printing, and for the better in my opinion.
.