[Jeroen]

I spend a few hours yesterday (Sunday) in tidying up Debbie.

I put the electronic ignition in the wooden base, made a very simple but effective bracket. Bundled all the wiring. Also visible the mass/ground connection. This is the bold that holds the cilinder onto the support



Routed all the wires properly, also put proper connectors on everything:



Made the correct spacer for the microswitch





All in all, I am very pleased with how Debbie turned out







I see a lot of things I should/would be doing differently and better next time. But it is still one of my very first proper machining projects. And it runs, much to the surprise of many on the Dutch Modelbuildforum.

I must admit, I have had tonnes of help and support from the Dutch guys. These modelbuildingforums are huge, all about RC cars, planes, boats and helicopters. But there is a small subsection on steam technology. That is where all the hobby machinists hang out. I have been given several tools, bits and lots, lots of very practical advise. yesterday somebody suggested I should put a small capacitor across the micro switch contact. He had a few and already in the mail to me, at no cost. So kind.

I will be making a video, the making of Debbie or something along those lines in the weeks to come. I need to concentrate on fixing the piston rod for my friends little vacuum pump first now. And the V-8 is on its way.

I have not decided what project I will do next. It is likely to be another engine. I have been looking at some 4-stroke engines. They are a bit more complex and I want to up the odds a bit, of course!

Jeroen

[Thad E Ginathom]

Brilliant, Jeroen.

One idea... I'd like to see a grommet in that hole where the plug lead comes through the base. Same for any other holes for wires. Especially as this is a thing which is going to vibrate.

[hemanth.anand]

Just Awesome Jeroen . This deserves a place in the Homepage of TBHP.

That puttering sound must have plastered a big smile on your face. I've watched such youtube videos so many times and always wished to make one myself....but I really do not have the necessary tools. After the tidying up it looks so beautiful. I was thinking if you can fix a brass name plaque on the wooden base with "Debbie - May 2021" and some other details engraved on it.

[Thad E Ginathom]

Originally Posted by hemanth.anand

... you can fix a brass name plaque on the wooden base with "Debbie - May 2021" and some other details engraved on it.

"Debbie - My first-born."

[Jeroen]

Originally Posted by Thad E Ginathom

One idea... I'd like to see a grommet in that hole where the plug lead comes through the base. Same for any other holes for wires. Especially as this is a thing which is going to vibrate.

Well spotted, I have a box full of grommets somewhere in my garage.

Originally Posted by hemanth.anand

I was thinking if you can fix a brass name plaque on the wooden base with "Debbie - May 2021" and some other details engraved on it.

Excellent idea, I am already looking into it!

Jeroen

[Jeroen]

I have just ordered the brass name plate for Debbie!

I am also still working on making a new piston rod for my friend Cees his vacuum pump. As you might recall, during our visit to Cees and Annelies’s Bed and Breakfast in France, he showed my this dentist vacuum pump he was given. It was broken. Which was due to a bearing getting stuck and snapping the conrod in two.

I promised to see if I could make him a new one. And it looks like we will be heading to France in our Alfa Romeo Spider in a couple of weeks, so I thought I better get going.

I decided to stick to the original design as much as possible. These days, reading and understanding a technical drawing is becoming a bit of a challenge for me. It tends to be easier to visualise things and just measure and replicate to a degree.

So some images of work in process so to speak:







Here you can see the old one pretty clearly. I cut of the top bit as I will be re-using it. I drilled a hole in it, it will just be bolted onto the top of the rod.



The largest drill I can use on my lathe is 13mm, the bearing is 22mm, so my usual set up to cut this large hole on my lathe.







Milling the slot in the middle. A little bolt will go across it, clamping the rod onto the bearing. As per the original design.





The little bolt fits into thread on one side of the slot, then the locking nut just for extra security.



This arrived in the mail from China a few days ago:



Whilst I was struggling to get Debbie to run with the Hall sensor, I ordered a complete new electronic ignition set for her. This one certainly looks a lot more sturdier and better made than the one I have been using. I am not going to try on Debbie. Got her to run, with the cheap Chinese electronic ignition and a good old fashioned microswitch.

I will be using this for future projects.

Jeroen

[Thad E Ginathom]

Very nice Jeroen!

What a super machine that little Proxxon mill is! And you are doing great work with it.

[Jeroen]

Originally Posted by Thad E Ginathom

One idea... I'd like to see a grommet in that hole where the plug lead comes through the base.

Done!

Originally Posted by hemanth.anand

J I was thinking if you can fix a brass name plaque on the wooden base with "Debbie - May 2021" and some other details engraved on it.

Done!



I have also finished my other little project. I am very pleased with it too.

I checked the weight of the original piston rod versus the new one:





A little heavier, but I don’t think that will matter. This is of course part of the reciprocating mass, but the bearing alone weighs 100 gram or thereabouts. So I like to think it is a whole lot stronger.

We will have to see, this being a vacuum pump there is no pressure on the piston, but a vacuum. So the rod gets pulled at, not compressed!

Did a bit of polishing and this is what it looks like:





With the bearing installed



Fingers crossed it will fit and work! We will know in a couple of weeks when we head for France!!

[Thad E Ginathom]

So proud to have inspired a grommet on your excellent engine! The whole thing looks great.

Isn't there an extra screw on the scales in your weight comparison?

[Jeroen]

Originally Posted by Thad E Ginathom

Isn't there an extra screw on the scales in your weight comparison?

Yes, there is. The original version was casted as one piece. I cut of the top bit and I am using that again on the new version. Drilled a hole into it, tapped the top end of the new position rod and the screw/bolt keeps it all together.

Once we have ensured the total length is correct, I think We will superglue the bolt and bits together for additional strength/safety.

Jeroen

[hemanth.anand]

Originally Posted by Jeroen

I have just ordered the brass name plate for Debbie!

Lovely!
With all this experience now...maybe it's time to build a vehicle for this engine!

Originally Posted by Thad E Ginathom

So proud to have inspired a grommet on your excellent engine! The whole thing looks great.

And I'm for the plaque

[Jeroen]

A quick update on my latest engine build project. I am building a Scuderi engine.

A unique engine concept. It uses two cilinders/piston on a four stroke cycle. Air/fuel mixture gets compressed in one cilinder/piston, the compressed mixture gets transferred into the second cilinder/pistion where it is ignited.

It never caught on. As far as I know only a prototype was made. In theory this is a more efficient engine, but in practice it suffered from to many mechanical losses.

And now I am building this model, designed by Jan Ridders. Same guy who designed Debbie.




Yesterday I finally managed to get most parts together. Still far from finished, but if anything it is beginning to look like an engine.









Jeroen