Newbie and the Elbow Engine

[mklotz]

There's no need for that cylinder on the circumference of the rotor.

Mount the rotor vertically on the surface plate and use a height gage to measure the distance from the circumference to a close-fitting gage pin inserted in the central bore.

You can do it by measuring the chord but then you have to know either the:

subtended angle
arc length
sagitta

to find the radius. The trig is easy but if it hurts your neurons you can use my program.

 

[Foozer]

While waiting for the "haven't a clue but lets try the tumbler for polish" to do its thing, figured I'd actual get ready to insert the web into the rim. Now the numbers say the web has an OD of 3.004 in and the rim has an ID of 3.000. At least the web didn't just fall into the hole so. Rim has a lip on the ID for the web to stop against. I dont want to apply any pressure to the hub of the web so turned down a piece of round just a tad smaller that the ID of the rim. Bored a hole into the center of this "jig?" so only the spokes and not the hub will receive the force. Drilled and tapped a 1/4-20 into the jig center to hold web in place and hopefully the mass of the jig will hold the cold long enough for the piece to be pressed into place. Rim will be heated to about 250-300 degrees and worry about the heat tansfer causing the web to stick. Probably mountain mole hill thing but what the heck. Least this way the web has a better chance of being placed without cracking a spoke.

Robert

 

[Foozer]

SNAP!!! Just the sound one dreads when tapping :

Been too cold to get into the garage much more than few minutes at a time afore the fingers give out, so figured I'd drill and tap the 2-56 holes needed cause i dont follow plans. It'll show why later.

One hole done ok, second one and SNAP. Chilly fingers just do not have the feel, combined with cheap tap and a 0.070 hole.

Thank God for the ALUM. Twenty four hours of stewing and the tap is gone. As I have 4 more of these holes to do I'm just gonna wait for the 0.073 drills and hopefully better taps to arrive.

The ALUM was just the ol McCormick spice type, warm water, below boil, saturated solution? sorta, water temp dropped down to a level of not wanting to keep finger in for long and could see the powder coming out of solution. Close enough. Sure does leave a tad of smut on the part, small price to pay for having mud hands.

Robert

 

[Foozer]

Just in case, which of course will never happen, another tap breaks. I'm a ready

Robert

 

[Foozer]

Was getting bored so put the flywheel together for S&G. Kept dinking around with the pieces in the tumbler, only way to end that fun is present. Little heat to the rim and cool to the web, POOF!

Keeps me busy and away from the Honey-Do list

Robert

 

[Foozer]

Seems a day or two has passed but finally got enough of the move behind me, only moved a couple of miles but what a yeehaw.

Dug out enough stuff and set up a sort of workshop so went and tackled the piston making.
First crack at bending (lower right) resulted in a crack. Others better, let the heat soak in and slow bend to 45, flipped end for end and repeated. Bend much nicer.

Hopefully wont be another 4 months for the next piece.

Robert

 

[zeeprogrammer]

Glad to see you're still working on this.
How much do you have done? How about a family pic of parts?
And while you're at it...pics of the shop?

 

[Foozer]

Glad to see you're still working on this.
How much do you have done?

Getting closer, still have a piece or two of dressy parts to make. Some touch up and I can call it done. Thing will actually spin over by hand if I oil it up good. Getting air to it is another story, no 220 in this place other than the dryer. Gonna have to find an empty circuit and run a line. Always something. Anywho heres a shot of it for better or worse. One thing about trying to make things, sure doesn't take long for me to figure I'm a clueless.

Robert

 

[arnoldb]

;D Thm: Not far off now Robert!

: They want quite a lot of air - and try different oil viscosities.

Regards, Arnold

 

[zeeprogrammer]

Looking forward to the video Robert.

 

[Foozer]

Looking forward to the video Robert.

:wall: :redface2: Have to remake the valve port block, some chuckerhead drilled it for a 1/4-20 instead of for the called out 10-24. NOW I see why. Posed to be a type of shoulder bolt so that it STAYS in position. Loctite'd the pivot bolt in place and the slop in the threads sent it a tad kittywampus.

It needed something and this little goof lets me try to balance out the image, Ya Right!

Robert

 

[Foozer]

Redid the valve block, this time out of brass which the look I like better. made a little dumb nut for the back side of the flywheel to carry out the brass and three spoke look.

So its a Blue and Yellow gizmo, Does it run? find out soon enough. Could be shinier, I just don't have the touch. I'm happy enough with the colour combo and it will turn over by hand. Soon as i figure out a means to charge the air tank shall see if it rolls on its own.

Was a fun project.

Robert

 

[zeeprogrammer]

Was a fun project.

'Was'? You're not done Robert. We need the video.

Looks good!

 

[lazylathe]

Looks great Robert!!!

Could you explain how it works?
It looks like a very confusing engine to me...
Must be something i am missing in the design but it sure does look cool!!!!

Andrew

PS: I found a youtube solidworks animation of how this engine functions!

 

[Foozer]

I'll be back. . . managed to get oil sprayed all over the place. Think new pistons are in order, just a tad on the loose side. See if a tighter fit will get it to spin up 'stead of the teasing its a doing now. Aint kidding about having everything on the nut and straight in order for that design to work.


Robert

 

[SBWHART]

Robert

Elbow engine are a bit choosey as to the type of oil they like, thin 3 in 1 oil is no good, they like something thick and sticky:- outo engine oil or gear oil, I use slideways oil which is nice and sticky.

Stew

 

[Blogwitch]

A lot of people get fooled into thinking that because it looks an easy build, it will be.

Nothing is further from the truth, if things aren't PERFECTLY square and in line, you will have great trouble getting it to run with any sort of reliability.

There must be more of these as non runners sitting under benches, than any other engine .

There is a secret, perseverance, patience and tweaking, then even more perseverance, patience and tweaking.
If you have that in your bones, then you should have no troubles at all.


John

 

[Foozer]

There is a secret, perseverance, patience and tweaking, then even more perseverance, patience and tweaking.
If you have that in your bones, then you should have no troubles at all.

John

Tis done! Gotta keep telling myself to save the fancy till after the majors are done. New flywheel and cylinder and she be a runner.

Video coming in a bit, gotta find the right type of music. And it really looked so easy. HA!

Robert