Lil Blazer - Another Flame Licker Engine

[cfellows]

I've decided that I'm spending too much time on the computer designing engines and not enough time in the shop building stuff. Incidently, I've discovered that my wife considers computer time as idle time, better spent working on honey-do-list projects. She seems less inclined to interrupt me if I'm in the shop doing something. :-X

So, I've decided to build Phil Duclose's Lil Blazer. This is the first time I've built an engine pretty much completely from someone else's plans. I will, however, be making a couple of small changes (can't help myself). First, I'm making a mirror image of the engine. This will probably increase the risk of making a mistake somewhere along the build, so I'll just have to take more time to think things through. Second, I'm going to use ball bearings for the crankshaft instead of just using drilled holes.

I've seen videos of this engine running at a lively pace on youtube, and I'm hopeful that my engine will perform equally as well.

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W_t2BhdYX80]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W_t2BhdYX80[/ame]

The face of the engine frame which holds the cylinder is milled at 20 degrees. Not having a sine bar or a 20 degree fixed angle, I made one out of wood using my power miter saw. I figured an error of 1/2 degree either way wouldn't make much difference.

Here I'm starting to mill the 20 degree cylinder face of the engine frame. This operation could have been done with a fly cutter, but I figured it was a good opportunity to use my 2" indexable face mill.

I've finished milling the 20 degree face and am center drilling the hole that holds the back of the cylinder.

Here I'm enlarging the hole with a 1/2" end mill.

Finally, boring the hole to 11/16" using my home made boring head.

Here I've finished boring the hole to size, moved the work over .410" and drilled the hole that the valve rod will pass through.

Next, I have to hog out a bunch of metal, so that will be the next series of pictures.

Chuck

 

[mklotz]

Mine runs about as fast as the one in the video...and it absolutely dumbfounds me. I still can't believe that an atmospheric engine can turn over that fast.

It's a fun engine to build. You'll enjoy the journey.

 

[zeeprogrammer]

Looks like a fun build.
The sound reminds me of a small airplane.

 

[doc1955]

I like your angle block!!!
I've built several atmosphere engines but none have run as fast as this one does.
I know what you mean when you say you have to change a few things I have the same problem I find it necessary to change things on some one else plans to give it my own take on it.
Your off to a good start! I'll be watching I may have to give this one a try when I find some time to finish the fans I've started. I think the speed they seem to run is pretty impressive!

 

[cfellows]

Thanks, Zee, we'll see how it goes.

Thanks, Doc, I may abandon the idea of ball bearings. The engine seems to run just fine without them.

Did a little more work this evening. I had to change the sequence of operations a little bit. Phil Duclose, in his build article, used a 7/8" end mill to cut the radius into the base behind the cylinder mountling face. He also hogged away other parts of the base before he cut the radius. Well, I don't have a 7/8" end mill, so I decided to skip ahead two steps and cut the radius with a boring bar in my lathe, while I still had the rest of block intact to grip with the chuck. I will go back and hog out the other material next.

Chuck

 

[Omnimill]

I'll be watching this one with interest Chuck, I've never seen a VE that runs so fast!

Vic.

 

[cfellows]

Thanks, Vic.

I probably should have taken a couple more pictures before I got to where I am, but frankly, I got so wrapped up in doing some useful machining, I kind of forgot the camera was sitting there.

In this picture, I have cut out and smoothed the chunk of material beside the vertical cylinder mounting section. After reading the process Phil used to round the top of this piece, I decided I didn't have the tooling nor the patience to duplicate what he did. So, I rummaged through the scrap bin and found an aluminum button that, coincidently, was exactly the diameter I needed and I fastened it on with a bolt through the hole in the base. I then used my belt grinder to rough shape the top into a curve matching the button.

Then I used a file and an emery cloth strip to bring the diameter of the curve down to match the button and to smooth the finish.

Next, I had to mill a recess in the side of the cylinder holding ring in preparation for drilling, tapping, then cutting a slot to form a clamp. Here I'm ready to start milling the recess.

Finally, here where I am at presently. I finished drilling and tapping the hole for a 1-72 socket head cap screw. This is new territory for me since I have never used anything smaller than 2-56 before.

Chuck

 

[cfellows]

Got the grandkids coming over in a bit, so this is probably the last set of pictures for the day.

Here I'm hogging away the metal behind the cylinder. Using a 3/8" carbide bit running as fast as my mill will go (actually, it's not running in this picture).

After the material is removed and I've done some smoothing with wet n dry sandpaper (think I'm getting the hang of it, G Britnell!)

All I have left is to cut out the space between crankshaft support posts and angle the back of the frame to 10 degrees.

Chuck

 

[swilliams]

Very nice work Chuck

You're really hitting this new project fast progress

 

[cfellows]

Got some more shop time in today. Finished up the engine frame and got started on the cylinder.

Here I'm milling out the space between the crankshaft columns:

And finished milling out the space. I left the bottom rounded where the original engine was cut square to the bottom.

Here is the setup to drill and ream the 1/8" holes for the crankshaft.

Here's the base pretty much finished after I rounded off the crankshaft mounting collumns. This operation was done with a belt grinder, then a file, followed by 400 grit wet or dry sand paper.

And, here it is with the partially finished cylinder in place

Chuck

 

[NickG]

Nice work on the frame there Chuck :bow:

 

[kcmillin]

Nice work Chuck,

A Left handed "Little Blazer" pretty cool.

I like seeing the progress of a part from solid block to finished piece, and you sure removed a lot of material to get that gem out of it.

Kel

 

[cfellows]

Thanks Nick.

Thanks Kel. I don't normally like to make things in a way that requires the removal of a lot of material. Seems like a waste of time, material, and tooling. But, I do like the results and something smaller like this engine isn't too bad.

Chuck

 

[winklmj]

Looking good!

 

[Omnimill]

Nice work Chuck and good pictures, what camera are you using?

Vic.

 

[putputman]

Chuck, I have been following this build from the beginning, but just now getting a feel for how small this engine is. I should have realized that when you started using 1-72 cap screws. Like you, I have never been smaller than 2-56.

Looks like a good project for this long cold winter coming up.

 

[cfellows]

Thanks, Vic. The camera is the Canon SD780, that MKlotz introduced to the forum here:

http://www.homemodelenginemachinist.com/index.php?topic=8006.30

Thanks, Arv, it's a pretty small engine, half inch bore.

Chuck

 

[cfellows]

Interrupted work on my Mini Lathe to do some more work on the Lil Blazer. Finished up the cylinder today.

Not sure why the finish looks so dull in the picture. Must have done something when I was tuning up the brightness.

Chuck

 

[swilliams]

This is coming along very nicely Chuck Thm:

 

[coopertje]

Hi Chuck,

Nice work on the frame, I love to see such shapes rise out of a piece of square!

Best regards Jeroen