Office of Steam Logo_1

Author Topic: Tiny Power Rope Drive Kit  (Read 224 times)

Brad

  • Jr. Member
  • **
  • Posts: 242
Tiny Power Rope Drive Kit
« on: September 14, 2021, 12:52:15 pm »
I am looking for information, drawings or an example of the rope drive kit for model engines made by Tiny Power, years ago.

RedRyder

  • Administrator
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 4313
  • Location: Connecticut - USA
Re: Tiny Power Rope Drive Kit
« Reply #1 on: September 16, 2021, 10:39:54 am »
I had one 15 years ago. It was usually built on a Tint Power Ajax engine.
Mine had the more massive Ajax flywheel mounted to a Stuart #9.

I don't have any drawings but I saved photos of it.

Enjoy,

Gil


[ Guests cannot view attachments ] [ Guests cannot view attachments ] [ Guests cannot view attachments ] [ Guests cannot view attachments ] [ Guests cannot view attachments ] [ Guests cannot view attachments ] [ Guests cannot view attachments ] [ Guests cannot view attachments ] [ Guests cannot view attachments ]

Brad

  • Jr. Member
  • **
  • Posts: 242
Re: Tiny Power Rope Drive Kit
« Reply #2 on: September 16, 2021, 10:55:15 am »
Thank you, Gil. The pictures really help when I recreate the drive. I see that you used round belting instead of twine. How did you glue the ends together? I was thinking of using O-ring material and using the O-ring glue.  Brad

RedRyder

  • Administrator
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 4313
  • Location: Connecticut - USA
Re: Tiny Power Rope Drive Kit
« Reply #3 on: September 16, 2021, 12:45:13 pm »
O-ring material should work well.

Quickj

  • Jr. Member
  • **
  • Posts: 265
  • Location: Minnetonka, Minnesota, USA
Re: Tiny Power Rope Drive Kit
« Reply #4 on: September 16, 2021, 03:36:52 pm »
I have a few pictures of Rope Drive engines in my archives.  I can dig up and post if that would be helpful.

[ Guests cannot view attachments ]

[ Guests cannot view attachments ]

A complex system that does not work is invariably found to have evolved from a simple system that worked just fine.
View/Subscribe to my YouTube channel.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCv2_Ao6XtHt9bXvJCiKYtpw

Brad

  • Jr. Member
  • **
  • Posts: 242
Re: Tiny Power Rope Drive Kit
« Reply #5 on: September 16, 2021, 03:40:13 pm »
Thank you, I would love to see them.  Brad

Quickj

  • Jr. Member
  • **
  • Posts: 265
  • Location: Minnetonka, Minnesota, USA
Re: Tiny Power Rope Drive Kit
« Reply #6 on: September 16, 2021, 05:56:05 pm »
I posted them above,  I also have a couple of Tiny Power catalogs with a picture and a write up about the rope drive that I can scan if you would like.
A complex system that does not work is invariably found to have evolved from a simple system that worked just fine.
View/Subscribe to my YouTube channel.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCv2_Ao6XtHt9bXvJCiKYtpw

Brad

  • Jr. Member
  • **
  • Posts: 242
Re: Tiny Power Rope Drive Kit
« Reply #7 on: September 16, 2021, 06:10:48 pm »
One you built on the Stuart Turner #9. Is the other an Elmer engine and rope drive? How difficult was it to splice the rope?Yes, I would love to see the catalog write up. I have 3 Tiny Power catalogs but all are too old to have this drive in them.  Brad

Brad

  • Jr. Member
  • **
  • Posts: 242
Re: Tiny Power Rope Drive Kit
« Reply #8 on: September 16, 2021, 06:25:06 pm »
Here is the rope drive at the Rollag, MN engine show.

Quickj

  • Jr. Member
  • **
  • Posts: 265
  • Location: Minnetonka, Minnesota, USA
Re: Tiny Power Rope Drive Kit
« Reply #9 on: September 16, 2021, 06:43:21 pm »
Here is the scan from the catalog.  The engine at Rollag was the inspiration for the Tiny Power model.

None of these engines are mine.  I just took pictures of them sometime in the last 20 years.  I will have to look through my Rollag Photos and see if I have any pictures of that one.

[ Guests cannot view attachments ]

A complex system that does not work is invariably found to have evolved from a simple system that worked just fine.
View/Subscribe to my YouTube channel.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCv2_Ao6XtHt9bXvJCiKYtpw

Brad

  • Jr. Member
  • **
  • Posts: 242
Re: Tiny Power Rope Drive Kit
« Reply #10 on: September 16, 2021, 06:54:04 pm »
Thank you, Jim. That was very helpful. I posted the pic of the Rollag rope drive. We used to have a factory here in Milwaukee that had a rope drive that powered all four floors of machinery. A large corliss engine ran the mill, belted to the rope drive with a leather belt.  I got to see a sawmill powered by a rope drive in Alabama. It was conventional, with the rope wheel being the twin cylinder engine's flywheel. I have a video of it and have to dig it out to look at it again.  Brad

CBWho

  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 562
  • Location: Minnesota
Re: Tiny Power Rope Drive Kit
« Reply #11 on: September 16, 2021, 08:21:01 pm »
Is all that complexity simply for belt tension or is it a torque multiplier some how?

Intrigued!

Brad

  • Jr. Member
  • **
  • Posts: 242
Re: Tiny Power Rope Drive Kit
« Reply #12 on: September 17, 2021, 01:51:26 pm »
Rope tensioner. Rope was cheaper than leather belting and didn't have to be re-laced because of stretching. The tensioner could accommodate a lot of stretch. Of course, you needed someone who could make a 10 foot long splice in the rope. A Navy Chief Boatswain's Mate could. One rope drive that I have seen drove a large sawmill in Mississippi. Close to the rope was hanging a wire connected to a cow bell. If the rope started to fray, the frayed piece would hit the wire and ring the bell. Then the Engineer would know there was a problem.