Office of Steam Forum for Model & Toy Steam Gas & Hot Air Engines

Though I was slow to embrace the concept, once somebody defined steampunk for me, alternate future based on alternate past, I grok it totally.  Mad Max, or wild Wild West, to name but two, make total sense if approached with that kind of “what if?” Thinking.

 So, despite maddening vendor issues, I’m taking a stab at steampunk.  One evening a while back, reading about World War II era miniature power generating sets, paratrooper friendly radio power, got me thinking.

What if, as a design premise, we imagine a world where Edison won the big power debate, and we powered the world with DC instead of AC.  That means no power grid.  It means strictly local power, perhaps portable, to operate appliances, and it might mean more engine driven appliances, big and small.  What kinds of gadgetry evolves under those conditions?

Just about then I saw the presale offering for the whippet.  A robust design given decent cooling, it ought to serve well as a 1/2 horse or so power unit.

The frustration of the messed up order, and whatever it has taken to salvage the project goes deeper by several levels with the experimental aspects.  So I got going with that again today.

Today’s project, prototyping a three speed, belt transmission and belt clutch, as universal power supply for any and all tools and appliances one might otherwise power by hand or electricity.  A power station with three speeds of belt drive, plus a small generator/USB charger, and some gadgets to go with.

The prototype transmission works well enough. With my really bad vision I have learned to build twice, kinda like the big outfits.  I do a mock-up, figure out how to minimize the need to measure, use direct measurement and patterning rather than draw and measure, etc.  so I’ve got a gearbox, (beltbox?) with three PTO shafts to choose from.  I’ve prototyped enough to go ahead and make the real one now, transferring hole spacings, etc to the final iteration, and doing  the finish work.

Word is my replacement parts to get the engine going are in the US, so it’ll be time soon. Once the transmission is finished, I can finish the two belt drive appliances I’ve got started for it, hopefully testing and final installing the engine along the way.

Imagine in that alternative world without a power grid, a gentleman’s camp, with all manner of plug and play gadgetry, operated off a power station mounted on a 1”x4”x 12” power station, complete with a USB output, and a snap on transmission/docking module for a variety of appliances.  In a mad max scenario you’d distill alcohol for fuel, or capture methane from compost, and use darn little of that.

Why? Because an engine without a job just isn’t right, and steampunk allows any kind of freakazoid engine power idea you can imagine to have a life.  Though steam era is a big theme, the basic premise can be adopted by a variety of technologies, from steam to stirling to infernal combustion…. Basically any alternative to the grid.

The drill start adapter appears to be a two piece, hub and spindle affair.  It exists in the CAD files that were public domain available when these Chinese guys found them.  I’m not sure it exists anywhere else.  This project went way overtime and I’m sure over budget. Fifty pieces isn’t a lot of money when you’re talking CNC and powder coat, as well as assembly and front bend costs.  So about the time  they were still undecided on the muffler, actually polled the community to vote tractor or straight pipe, and the carb was overdue, I think they deep six-ed the drill adapter. Best evidence they intended to include it but bailed, is the existence of the six mount holes in the flywheel.  They also backpedaled on the ignition, then played it off as an error.  The thing of it is, they’re still using the drawing with the adapter visible, and now say it’s optional on the drawing, but when I took them to task, engineers decided rope was sufficient.  Well dammit, the fuel door on your pickup isn’t necessary, but if it came through missing, most people would refuse delivery.  Little shortcomings sour relationships and cost in lost customer base.

I’m familiar with the starter.  What about a 4mm wide toothed timing belt?  They are used in printers etc.  they’re available, and would work either in a v notch, or on the outside of the flywheel, a dab of windex on the outside of the flywheel with a Q tip will provide traction so it grips.
I’m not using a starter, so I chose to drive the transmission with 6mm gt2 timing belt.  Some pulleys toothed, others, like the flywheel, simple drums.  I use nylon surgical sutures and superglue to splice them to length.

….I just had a thought; I took the one way bearing holder off my Cison V2, just to see if the holes lined up.  Yep, the 3 holes match!  I’d need to make a round “spacer” or use three 2.5mm washers, but it would totally mount

Hey Bruce,

Holy sh*t!  Your drive unit looks *amazing* man… Now that’s impressive.  I love the cooling can wooden stand as well.  Applause dude… can’t wait until your ignition and oil pan arrives to see your drive unit in action.

I haven’t heard back from Mona yet, probably will tomorrow.   I’ll tell you this Bruce… that drill starter adapter IS needed.  I’ve had zero issues running my whippet on nitro & castor, but the one time I tried the RCEXL ignition, I didn’t get it to start.  I didn’t have too much time to play with it, but I did retard the ignition without any luck or help getting it to pop over… that’s when I started researching a belt to help start the engine until I get it figured out and broken in.  Compression isn’t a problem; it’s got plenty.  How much gap do you think the points should have?  I’ve got great spark when I crank it with the plug out, but am thinking it’s gotta be ignition timing that’s what is preventing getting it started on 25:1 ethanol free Tru Fuel.

Any ideas or advice you could give me would be really appreciated. 

I really hope Enginediy comes clean with you about the bolt on drill start one-way adapter.  It would make starting so much easier.   I probably wound the rope…25-30 times with no luck. 😕

I’m sure I could have my machinist cross-drill a spacer-washer and I could mount the Cison V2 one way bearing adapter, but hoping you or me gets some info from Enginediy & Stirlingkit first.

Again, you’ve got an incredible looking little setup. Very nicely done, man

-j

…just found this pic; check this out- this version looks more like a ‘starter dog’ type flywheel adapter similar to the type I have seen on original Whippets

Thanks for your advice Bruce.
Oh yes I’ve seen the vid of the guys cranking and cranking the whippet with a flat belt on the flywheel, and the other guy squeezing the fuel tubing trying to get the engine to drink. 

Here’s what I noticed immediately- 

First I tried the fuel tank a couple inches above the carb. As soon as the needle valve is opened the 2-3 turns before attempting to start the engine, fuel  immediately will drip-drip-drip out of the compensating hole on the needle valve inlet T

Next, I tried the fuel tank just slightly below the carb. This allowed me to open the needle valve and not have the constant fuel drip from the compensating hole.
I primed the engine by opening the throttle, covering the carb inlet & rotating the flywheel.  A few pulls later and didn’t pop or try, so I lifted the fuel tank above the carb, watched for a fuel drip and tried starting again, and at best only got a tiny pop or two… no actual attempts to really try to run though,

I saw an old article in model engine news about a guy making / machining a whippet, and he mentions the compensating hole, or as I was calling  it, a “weep hole”

Tomorrow I’ll try and set the timing adjustment arm to dead center with the cylinder, and see if that helps. Pretty sure I tried that position first.

If I attach the ignition & battery, remove the spark plug and rotate the flywheel, the spark plug sparks when laying on a towel, ungrounded.
I just wondered if maybe the plug may not be firing when it’s grounded aka installed in the cylinder head…  I wouldn’t think that would cause it not to fire, but ignition isn’t something I know a lot about… lol.

My black V2 arrived recently and I’m gonna have to build another base similar to the base I made for my silver V2.  I just made the base part, not the aluminum engine pedestal or fuel tank, I asked George Britnell to make those parts for me

Thanks again for helping me try to figure out getting my Whippet started.

-j.

Check the stirlingkit tutorial and comments

That was my thought. I know the video. Yes, he uses the needle as shutoff, and only opens a twist, maybe half a turn or less.