what do i really need?

[rotccapt]

hi all i am a compleet noob to the whole machining thing. my ambition is to some day build a inline 3 cylinder 4 stroke rc airplane engine. my plan was to use ready made cylinders, pistons, valve train for my project. the only parts i think i will need to manufactur will be crankcase, crankshaft, con rods and other odds and ends. i know this is a very large project and i will start with smaller projects working up to this

so what do i really need to get started in this hobby? currently i have a cnc router that with some mods i think i could work aluminum with. also i have a drill press, disc grinder and other basic tools.

i have been building rc planes for about 8 years.

i was thinking about casting the crankcase using a wood plug made with the router.

i have looked at some lathes and the shock of $5-6 hundred bucks puts a damper on my ambitions.

thank you for your help

 

[trumpy81]

rotccapt, name?

If you plan to build engines, you will definitely need a lathe at the very least. Engines require precision work and a lathe is the only tool that can deliver that precision. I'm not sure what part of the world you are in, but keep an eye on places like eBay, Craig's list, local newspapers etc... for a cheapish lathe. A new 7x10 lathe can set you back as little as $400.00 but be prepared, that's only a quarter of the cost. The rest will be spent on tooling and supplies.

An alternative to buying a lathe would be to build one. Search the net and Yahoo Groups for the 'Gingery Lathe'. This lathe is built by casting scrap aluminium and using simple hand tools. The end result depends on your skills and patience. Dave & Vince Gingery have an excellent book that describes the process step by step. Might be worth investing in?

Your CNC Router would definitely come in handy for pattern making for the Gingery and for engines.

HTH

BTW, Welcome to the forum!

 

[Tin Falcon]

If the idea of $500 to 600 hundred for a lathe scares you start Small. IIRC you can get a harbor freight mini lathe for $350 on a coupon and you may be able to find a used lathe for $ 250.

If you want to build a couple or a few models without investing in machines buy a couple of pre-machined kits. They are available for $ 80.0 to $120 assemble with hand tools and add some paint.


what do you need to get started? desire , perseverance read a lot of books and a few hand tools. you do not need a lathe and mill to get started but it does make things easier and faster.

this thread may help you.
Tin

 

[rotccapt]

i think im going to look into the Gingery lathe. i love projects and i have designed several rc planes from the ground up. the thing i like about it is i can spread the cost out over time verses a large lump sum, and the though of building it myself sounds fun. i will be getting the book soon so i can start gathering materials to get started

 

[robcas631]

Whatever you do....be sure to keep safety first! There are many here to help.

 

[Tin Falcon]

You may want to pick up a copy of simple model steam engines by stan bray.

one method of engine building involves silver soldering pieces together rather than metal removal(aka machining)
Tin