The Bucket Foundry

[tjbw]

SLIDER UPDATE:

...

Actually, not sure if I should keep this going on Foundry or switch to Oddball.

I'd vote for oddball. Of course anyone can pop in there for updates.

[WilDun]

I'd vote for oddball. Of course anyone can pop in there for updates.

I'm slightly biased to Oddball of course for interesting stuff on all sorts of engines from way back and proposals for future engines, but Bucket Foundry (I feel) is best for foundry/casting, own design engines etc. ( that is projects actually in progress). ..... Where does that put your baby Ken? - A pretty confusing situation I'd say!
Having said that, I haven't been contributing a lot of my "beginners" foundry stuff just lately!

[Frits Overmars]

I'm also slightly biased to Oddball, but the main thing is: keep it going!

[F5 Dave]

It'll be so successful you'll have to move into high production and post foundry techniques on how to keep up with demand of this now mainstream engine.

. . . and then oddball won't seem right anymore.

[WilDun]

[QUOTE=F5 Dave;1131037438. . . and then oddball won't seem right anymore.[/QUOTE]

Oh dear, can't let that happen! - Oddball needs to remain Oddball! - so Foundry it is Ken!

[tjbw]

Oh dear, can't let that happen! - Oddball needs to remain Oddball! - so Foundry it is Ken!

In that case foundry will end up like ESE

[WilDun]

In that case foundry will end up like ESE

I don't think so, ESE is more or less totally focused on projects associated with Bucket Racing (or similar types of projects) - granted, the odd excursion outside Bucket does happen but at the moment is staying pretty well on track.

Foundry type projects are quite a separate thing really but unfortunately not a lot of people actually do foundry work, however many are interested and Flettner has produced some astounding stuff there (and earlier on ESE).
There are quite a few (older) guys on this forum who are perhaps unable to actually carry on these sort of projects for various reasons, but if they are deeply interested in bikes but can't ride anymore and are still interested in workshop and foundry stuff associated with bikes, then they shouldn't be excluded just because they are not actively involved with Buckets and sometimes may find it hard work to keep up in ESE.

Same with Oddball, the topics can be more widespread without annoying anyone - it's a good place to be light hearted and discuss all sorts of engines and various other machines without getting in the way by trying to discuss irrelevant stuff on ESE and cluttering up that already extremely busy thread.

[ken seeber]

SLIDER UPDATE # (∞ - 1)
Dyno and engine all trued up and chain on. Fortunately being a bower bird, found a sliding adjustment mechanism that, after a bit of 4” angle grinding, will work well to actuate the cable to the cylinder height lever arm.
Next the cooling system, which I want to separate the engine from the dyno water as I want to use some corrosion inhibitor within the engine as the head insert I made had a bit of a whitish build-up.

[WilDun]

......... found a sliding adjustment mechanism that, after a bit of 4” angle grinding, will work well to actuate the cable to the cylinder height lever arm.

KEN,
Why was the thread unable to cope with the job of moving the cylinder? - surprised that all the force is downward on the cable! - but then not actually trying it is the main reason that "theorists" like me never actually get anything working!

[WilDun]

Looks like Ken's busy these days!

I just asked (over on the 'Oddball' thread - maybe here is more appropriate) if it would be possible to incorporate carbon fibre in alloy castings in order to make them stronger and lighter (by having reinforced thinner castings), ie instead of using resin for a matrix - resin, it would appear is not too happy with metal inserts.

[Grumph]

Looks like Ken's busy these days!

I just asked (over on the 'Oddball' thread - maybe here is more appropriate) if it would be possible to incorporate carbon fibre in alloy castings in order to make them stronger and lighter (by having reinforced thinner castings), ie instead of using resin for a matrix - resin, it would appear is not too happy with metal inserts.

It's been discussed - at least CF castings as non stressed parts have been discussed. I did a bit of asking around ChCh to find out where JB got his black CF reinforced "bog' that he cast up parts like the injector throttle bodies from. The people he dealt with are no longer in the business. Ex Britten staff know what it was in broad terms and where it came from - but not what resins or the proportions used.
I did propose a metal skeleton to take the loads with non structural CF filler in the gaps...

I'm told - and have been shown examples - that Honda at least are using a fiber reinforced matrix as cylinder liners. The composite liner appears to be cast in place and is around 1mm thick. Makes relining a tad difficult as that one has to be machined out first, after which a metal sleeve is the only option.

[ken seeber]

Looks like Ken's busy these days!

“Them’s fightin words” Willy !!!

But you’re right though, we have been busy, mainly fab & design stuff which just seems to keep rolling in. Plus, I am the secretary of the largest kart club (Tiger Kart Club) in WA and one of the biggest in Oz. We have around 400 members (used to have nearly 500 til the sport was taken over by a load of wankers, but that’s another matter) and this weekend we have our really annual big iconic event called Carnival of Karts which has 202 nominated. This, other related people issues within the club and one incredibly sad one, again within the club, have taken a lot of time.

Casting wise, we are doing more lead splashing of the bobweights. I mentioned last time that there had been previous instances of bits coming loose. Well, now they want us to melt out the lead and then re-cast. The pic shows one where the section has flown out. Beside it are the other sections that we could easily prise out with a screwdriver.




Will, as to the slider rod breaking, it wasn’t really a break under an axial load. See the pic of how it is now.



In this case, the Ø6 stud is pressed into a drilled out rod end and welded via the cross holes. Previously it was screwed into the rod end with a lock nut. This would have been quite ok, but it broke at the thread just under the nut. I’m sure this was due to a bending load created by the weight of the actuating lever which was shaking at engine frequency due to some vibration motion of the engine in this area, creating a bending load on the rod with the weakest link being the thread. Hope so anyway.

So watch this space. Will keep it under Foundry where it was born. Cradle to grave stuff.

[WilDun]

Thanks Ken, look forward to it - Now where the hell is Flettner these days? - working hard or found another forum?

[guyhockley]

It's been discussed - at least CF castings as non stressed parts have been discussed. I did a bit of asking around ChCh to find out where JB got his black CF reinforced "bog' that he cast up parts like the injector throttle bodies from. The people he dealt with are no longer in the business. Ex Britten staff know what it was in broad terms and where it came from - but not what resins or the proportions used.
I did propose a metal skeleton to take the loads with non structural CF filler in the gaps..

The "forged composite" that Lamborghini are boasting about just sounds like the same idea, similar to what the Polimotor bloke uses. Sort of reinventing csm for carbon fibre. I've seen a story about experiments with it to make two stroke crankcases. You know the sort of thing - it would be a massive game changer for everybody...then it all goes quiet.
John Britten's Italian mate from CR&S, who's name I've forgotten (Robert/Roberto something?) said that John was planning a Supermono engine built using the same idea as his chassis and wheels, connecting hardpoints with "string" then filling in with sheet.

[Grumph]

The "forged composite" that Lamborghini are boasting about just sounds like the same idea, similar to what the Polimotor bloke uses. Sort of reinventing csm for carbon fibre. I've seen a story about experiments with it to make two stroke crankcases. You know the sort of thing - it would be a massive game changer for everybody...then it all goes quiet.
John Britten's Italian mate from CR&S, who's name I've forgotten (Robert/Roberto something?) said that John was planning a Supermono engine built using the same idea as his chassis and wheels, connecting hardpoints with "string" then filling in with sheet.

Roberto Crepaldi. Cathcart went public on the single before John wanted him to. AFAIK John never did cases in CF for the single, I think an alloy test crankcase only - no gearbox - was done and used for dyno running. That was the motor John did a CF rod for - unsucessfully. As tested, it had rectangular cam follower buckets - I think radial valves. Kelford Cams here made a fair amount of money redoing the cams weekly until John gave up on it.

I did a little machining of the cast CF throttle bodies. Feather light. Black sooty swarf which got everywhere and dulled HSS tips quickly.
I'd come in of a morning and the nights free labour would have left my lathe covered in black shit....