The Bucket Foundry

[Flettner]

I guess I should measure it?
bit loose with my designing sometimes.
The idea is to set the Gibs full open and cut the valve to the maximums I want, then just live with the timings I get as the Gibs shut. My Kawasaki has a useful range with the GIB only covering half the valve hole at low speed on the shut side.

[guyhockley]

http://forum.woodenboat.com/showthre...s.wed.03.28.18
Clue's in the link, although, to me, fabrication is often the alternative to casting...

[WilDun]

........ Clue's in the link, although, to me, fabrication is often the alternative to casting...

GUY, Haven't looked closely yet at your link, but ..... clue to what? It all looks very interesting and foundry orientated though - even if it is for steam engines!

Neil, the exhaust pic you posted in ESE does look a bit agressive (scrutineers would probably react!) but I reckon that "stinger" is a bit 'tongue in cheek'!
Regarding the opposed piston four cylinder engine you designed and tried in the boat, did you learn any valuable lessons using that layout? - it did seem to run very smoothly, even at idle I noticed! Did you use a conventional bore/stroke ratio for each piston/crankshaft or was it a comparatively short stroke? - is there a future for that setup for HCCI (eg like Achetes are attempting)?

[Flettner]

you know it Will. Yes always learn stuff
Many ideas swirling around in my head, some even printable, easy way to stop hydrocarbons heading out the exhaust, using carburetors even.
this engine did quite a lot of work on the end, reliable and fun testing in the boat.

[WilDun]

you know it Will. Yes always learn stuff
Many ideas swirling around in my head, some even printable, easy way to stop hydrocarbons heading out the exhaust, using carburetors even.
this engine did quite a lot of work on the end, reliable and fun testing in the boat.

Yes, I have been thinking for a long time that cylinder and piston distortion (uneven heating/cooling) in a conventional two stroke must play havoc with clearances - as I see it, this layout must allow tighter piston clearances etc. Guess the two cranks and extra cost does neuteralize things somewhat!

[Flettner]

Flew the 700 twin (single seat gyro) Saturday, pilot in command this time. Have to say it felt good to finally get the bugger flying, with me in the seat not having to watch from the ground. It's thirsty though, 20 L per hour.
Experimental engine with an experimental pilot, what could possibly go wrong?

[WilDun]

Flew the 700 twin (single seat gyro) Saturday, pilot in command this time. Have to say it felt good to finally get the bugger flying, with me in the seat not having to watch from the ground. It's thirsty though, 20 L per hour.
Experimental engine with an experimental pilot, what could possibly go wrong?

Good to hear that, did you fly it for long?
It must feel really light and agile when compared to how it would fly with the usual 'normal' powerplants! - fuel injection and throttled rotary valves next?

[husaberg]

Hello Flettner i found these.
14 and 19 amp 12v or 24v
Tiny and well made to boot.
plenty of people have adapted these to Bikes and old planes.
$109 for aftermarket or 140 US for oem kobota.

[Grumph]

Pegasus Engineering local to me were using those on their short lived half a VW aero engine.

I went in there for some reason and once they realised what I did, there was a half hour grilling on small bike alternators.
I couldn't help them much.

[Flettner]

I've got an aulternater, shelf full of them. Cheap as chips and is the flywheel as well. Scooter flywheel / alternator I think.
Besides when I go injection I will need more than 19 amps with twin pumps and twin ignition plus other avionics lights etc.

[speedpro]

Hijack - I'm looking for a small alternator, output only needs to be about 60-80W, bit more OK. Ideally rotor able to be mounted direct to crank boss and I'll make bracket for body/stator. Needs to be short, 20-30mm and about 80mm OD tops. Motor will hopefully rev close to 20K so good chance a reduction drive needed. PM me with ideas. Thanks

[WilDun]

Neil,
I just saw your more comprehensive collection of pics on facebook, and saw (for the first time), pics of your three cylinder project - is that one still in progress or is it having a holiday?

I saw that amongst all the other projects including the FOS, the straight line geared crank,the (Honda type) straight line crank, the Subaru flat 4 gyro engine, the tandem twin gyro engine, the parallel twin gyro engine, the reciprocating sleeve engine (Crecy), the everlasting Bighorn, the 360 project, etc etc etc - didn't see the HCCI experiment though!

Never ends!!

Think I'm winding down (have been for a couple of years really), already too cramped for me here and we may be downsizing yet again, health isn't fantastic - think I got into this sort of stuff too late, it does piss me off somewhat as I would like to have kept going on with the foundry etc. (most of which is at a mates place at Pukekohe at the moment) - many outlandish plans but not enough time (or space) to see them work.
Good to watch your efforts, all interesting to me and I will continue to watch them as they are posted and also will no doubt continue to pester you with dumb questions!

[Flettner]

time and money Will, the three cylinder is taking a break.
Ironicly when I cast the original cases I cast two sets of three cylinder cases but because of financial constraints I decided a two cylinder was more practical so cut a crankcase off one of the case sets I'd made, instantly making it into a two cylinder project.
The three cylinder will cost a pretty penny so will have to wait. Besides the twin has plenty of power for a single seat gyrocopter, will fly on just 4000 revs.
All other projects are 'concurrent' as in I throw myself into each of them as the interest is there, then onto another while I have a think about the next step of the previous one, I guess what it would be like to be a Mormon.
Unfortunately I found a photo of my old supercharged Honda 100, straight out to the shed two nights ago, spread all the parts out on the bench that I've been squirreling away for the ultimate 4stroke 100 supercharged, crank being roughed out now from a piece of 4140 bar. 360 degree twin cylinder, half an FZR Yamaha head, miniature lobe supercharger, MX 250 clutch and gearbox, methanol, nitro and 1 atmosphere pressure.
28mm stroke, 18 / 20000 RPM. Bugger the rules, when I built my first one the rules were 100cc fourstroke 'open'.
So long as you are asking questions Will, the brain is still working.

[Grumph]

360 degree crank ? You've let yourself in for the job of making cams too then ?

Got enough rods etc ?

[Flettner]

yes, cams, no problem as I want special cams anyway.
One will drive the fuel pump off it's end and the other some ignition triggers ( off the exhaust cam, closest to the crank drive pully via the belt).
Hmm, rods, they look a little spindly, might make some from 4340 perhaps.
360 crank is for even induction sequences, as you know.
Balance shaft should take care of vibration, or at least help reduce it.
Fuel, I'll just put it in a can marked PETROL in big letters