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

Congratulations...runs great!

Thank you Bruce, I couldn't have gotten this far without your care package.  Mike's package and Jenson's will be icing on the cake!

It really runs like a champ, fast little bugger.

Though try as I might I can't figure out why I am not producing power from the generator - I think it is dead.

1. supplying external power at the brushes makes the light turn on.  So wiring at brushes and up to lamp are good.
2. get good continuity from shaft to bottom / screws of brushes.
3. the outside and inside generator wires are connected.  I did lift up the outside wire a bit, to insure it wasn't touching the opposing polarity.
4. Looked all around the windings with my large work desk magnifying glass - not seeing anything wrong / nicked / mangled.

Really bummed about the power generator/light.

here some photos, not that I think it helps see the any problems.... but I could be wrong.

I've never encountered a Jensen generator that was dead, try taking the connecting rod off of the crank shaft (1 screw) & see if the magnet from the generator seems to have any pull, it should always want to settle with the 2 wired armatures against the magnet curves.

Darn it, its the magnets!  I have all these little magnets on the outside horse shoe (now all my Polaroid's have fallen off my refrigerator) and I now have electricity / light!

That whole horseshoe part is the magnet , they can be removed and re:energised from somebody probably in your home town, there are also hacks on YouTube to do it with a car battery I've seen awhile back when I had a week magnet.

I have had some weak magnets on my Jensens, none were ever completely dead.
If you can’t find anyone local to re-charge your magnet, you can send it to me and I’ll do it. I built a magnet charger a number of years ago to repair magnetos for my antique gas engines.
To remove the magnet, you’ll have to remove the entire engine base from the wood board to access the brass screws underneath holding the magnet. Keep track of the small brass blocks and any paper shims to make sure they go back together exactly as they were so the clearance between the armature and the magnet remains the same. Once the magnet is loose, just slide it sideways to clear the armature and remove it. There is no need to remove the pole pieces from the inside of the magnet.