Author Topic: Stationary engines  (Read 7130 times)

Offline Bigbadbugga

  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 141
  • Country: england
  • Whiston (nr Liverpool)
Stationary engines
« on: September 14, 2014, 01:09:56 PM »

After seeing the Lister in John 'Doubleboost' Miils Sunday night nightcap video, I have developed a hankering for one myself.

I have the idea that I'd like it to be a working part of the workshop, and think it might be cool to run a linishing and polishing station from it. I have a basic design in my head which I will start to put onto paper soon.

Anyone else play with stationary engines?

I'm thinking I'll need something that has enough torque to run the polishing mop/s at around 1500-2000rpm and not slow down when pressure is applied, so I reckon anything on the 3-5 HP range would be ok.

I found it funny that a member on the stationary engine forum suggested I use an old bench grinder and not bother with an engine  :doh:
Tools: Boxford CSB lathe, Chester 20v mill, Portamig 185. Lots of ideas, No motivation.

Offline dsquire

  • In Memoriam
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 2275
  • Country: ca
  • Kitchener, Ontario, Canada
Re: Stationary engines
« Reply #1 on: September 14, 2014, 02:08:39 PM »

After seeing the Lister in John 'Doubleboost' Miils Sunday night nightcap video, I have developed a hankering for one myself.

I have the idea that I'd like it to be a working part of the workshop, and think it might be cool to run a else play with stationary engines?

I'm tlinishing and polishing station from it. I have a basic design in my head which I will start to put onto paper soon.

Anyone hinking I'll need something that has enough torque to run the polishing mop/s at around 1500-2000rpm and not slow down when pressure is applied, so I reckon anything on the 3-5 HP range would be ok.

I found it funny that a member on the stationary engine forum suggested I use an old bench grinder and not bother with an engine  :doh:

I can only imagine that they couldn't stand the competion or didn't want any new members. That is the nice thing about such a diverse forum such as 
:proj:
We love to see all types of projects.

Best of luck with your project and I for one will be keeping an eye on it.

Cheers  :beer:

Don



Good, better, best.
Never let it rest,
'til your good is better,
and your better best

Offline Bigbadbugga

  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 141
  • Country: england
  • Whiston (nr Liverpool)
Re: Stationary engines
« Reply #2 on: September 14, 2014, 04:07:06 PM »
I'm starting to think you're right, I've got someone else having a go now, suggesting his aldi bench grinder/linisher is perfectly adequate for most jobs.

I have the same doorstop, its ok for sharpening tungstens but not much else.
Tools: Boxford CSB lathe, Chester 20v mill, Portamig 185. Lots of ideas, No motivation.

Offline krv3000

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 2183
  • Country: gb
Re: Stationary engines
« Reply #3 on: September 14, 2014, 06:09:02 PM »
hi well ther ant a problem in wat you is gowing to do but ther is sum things to consider the lister is more than capebel in the task  they are fited with guvners to mantane a constent speed but ther is a cupel of things you need to consider 1 is cost in the optaning of a engine its runing cost ie fule and servisebel parts as ther not fited with a oil filter you need to change the oil rather reguely and like any engine a matanes plan to keep things well loobd the other thing is noise on tick over thers not a lot but as the reves bild up it can be noysey and my well start to anyo your nabers and  they just don't switch off ther will be a lot of mass spining and this will tack sum time to stop so if you got rapt up in the workings it will be sum time before it all cums to a stop

Offline Bigbadbugga

  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 141
  • Country: england
  • Whiston (nr Liverpool)
Re: Stationary engines
« Reply #4 on: September 14, 2014, 06:45:11 PM »

Thanks mate, noise is not really a problem, it's not going to be running all the time and neighbours are cool with my angle grinder fetish so it can't be much noisier than that.

As for maintenance, surely that's half the fun in owning one of these old engines.

From a safety point of view I was considering a way of derailing the drive belt in an emergency, or running a plastic toothed pulley (I have a few off a Subaru cam) which will fail under shock and hopefully not just fail in use.

I'm doing this for fun, because I'd like a challenge, so if the engine doesn't work out it's no biggie, I'll just fit an electric motor and keep the stationary engine for show.

Thanks for your input.
Tools: Boxford CSB lathe, Chester 20v mill, Portamig 185. Lots of ideas, No motivation.

Offline John Rudd

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 2525
  • Country: gb
Re: Stationary engines
« Reply #5 on: September 14, 2014, 09:06:07 PM »



Anyone else play with stationary engines?


Yes I do.....
I have 4 Petter A1's in need of rebuilding and 2 Villiers gensets....being rebuilt...and three more Villiers engines needing parts.....
eccentric millionaire financed by 'er indoors
Location:  Backworth Newcastle

Skype: chippiejnr

Offline AdeV

  • Madmodder Committee
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 2434
  • Country: gb
Re: Stationary engines
« Reply #6 on: September 15, 2014, 04:45:24 AM »
I have a serious Lister diesel fetish.... in fact, I just had to (very very reluctantly) sell 4 just to make some room... I kept my Start-o-Matic engine/base and a spares engine though...

I also have an old Villiers-powered ex-Army compressor. The engine's pants, but the compressor is great.

I had originally planned to run at least a compressor from the Lister(s), now that I have a supply of chip fat from a nearby restaurant, I think I'll invest in some biodiesel kit, and use the resulting fuel to reduce my electricity usage - or, if the centrifuge ever gets built, I might even have a go running the thing on neat waste veg oil.

As usual, too many projects, not enough time - and, currently, nowhere near enough space....
Cheers!
Ade.
--
Location: Wallasey, Merseyside. A long way from anywhere.
Occasionally: Zhengzhou, China. An even longer way from anywhere...

Offline krv3000

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 2183
  • Country: gb
Re: Stationary engines
« Reply #7 on: September 17, 2014, 04:08:59 PM »
well my old engine is a tiny tim from ww2 they wher fited in to tanks to charge the batteres

Offline DavidA

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1219
  • Country: gb
Re: Stationary engines
« Reply #8 on: September 18, 2014, 05:52:11 AM »
Ade,

... I think I'll invest in some biodiesel kit,..

I'll be interested to hear how you get on with making your bio.  I made my own for a long time,  but haven't bothered recently.  I must get back into it as it really made a big difference to my fuel costs.

I made mine in small 15 Litre batches as this was a convenient size for using 20 Litre poly drums as reactors.

Dave.

Offline AdeV

  • Madmodder Committee
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 2434
  • Country: gb
Re: Stationary engines
« Reply #9 on: September 18, 2014, 09:52:44 AM »
Fortunately, I have an endless supply of plastic or metal 205l barrels (some legit, some "off the back of the lorry"), the only downside is the chippy/caff that I get my veg oil from is very sparing in his use, so at current rates it looks like I'll get around 600l/year from him.

One option is to go to a wholesaler/cash'n'carry and buy cheap new veg oil, the prices are now well under £1/litre, and are pretty much par with red diesel (around 95p/litre last time I bought a drum). I don't know if used motor oil can be converted to diesel using the same process as veg oil to biodiesel, if not I have a significant store of oil which I could dilute with petrol & run as diesel fuel in the genny.
Cheers!
Ade.
--
Location: Wallasey, Merseyside. A long way from anywhere.
Occasionally: Zhengzhou, China. An even longer way from anywhere...

Offline DavidA

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1219
  • Country: gb
Re: Stationary engines
« Reply #10 on: September 18, 2014, 11:53:22 AM »
Ade,

No,  you can't treat wast engine oil in the same way, bio diesel is produced by esterification. Uses Methanol and caustic soda.
It's pretty straight forward. You just have to be careful with your temperatures during the processing. Methanol boils at around 64 C.

I'll post you a link to the best site for this when I find it.

Dave

Here we go,

http://biodiesel.infopop.cc/6/ubb.x?a=cfrm&s=447609751

Offline Joules

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1271
  • Country: gb
Re: Stationary engines
« Reply #11 on: September 19, 2014, 11:05:54 AM »
I have a Petter AV1 sat here in the workshop I keep tripping over  :(  It needs a little work but is very tidy.  Oh and the water cooling can be through a radiator to warm the workshop  :thumbup:
Honour your mentors, and pay it forward.