Member postings for KEITH BEAUMONT

Prior to creating this post ,I contacted two other experienced model engine makers and they were both of the opinion that there are 3 lengths of plug available,as I did. Clearly we were wrong and only short and long are the standard. I have several OS F for 4 stroke use and they are the same thread length as other "standard"plugs The longest plugs that I have are the Model Technics 4stroke type. They have the same thread length, but have a bar across the bottom.

I have always understood that the plug should be flush with the face of the combustion chamber and the use of different thickness washers are available to enable adjustment to take place. Also allows use of a long plug in an engine requireing a short plug.in an ermergency..

Thanks for the replies.

Keith

I am about 80% complete making a Jones .605 Glow engine, The notes suggest the use of a "long reach " plug and up to this point I have thought that long reach was a bit longer than the normal standard size. However, doing a seach for such a plug with model aero engine suppliers drew a blank ,but model car part suppliers do offer "long reach". I duly purchased two OS LC3 long reach plugs from a model car part supplier, only to find they are no different in length than the normal plugs in my possesion.

The Jones design is of late1970s vintage and I am now forming the opinion that in those days it was still a custom to mark plugs as long reach to mark them out from the short reach type used in small capacity,1cc and under engines. For whatever reason the model earo engine fraternity have dropped the use of the description"long reach"for the standard size plug, but the model car people still use it.

My contention ,therefore, is to say only two lengths of plug exist,- Short reach and the standard length, also known as long reach.

I am open to be corrected on this by any expert out there.

Keith

Hi Dean,

I have sent you a PM

Keith

Hi Andrew, Thanks for your comments. Thei Chernich drawings show both Mk1 and Mk2 and the liners are the same. Ron says the timing for both is the latest adopted by Mills.The transfer ports are two holes drilled radialy but on the same level

Keith

Hi,

I have recently completed making the missing parts for the Mills 1.3cc and wonder if anyone else has made one from the late Ron Churnich drawings? It is always very satisfying to hear an engines first start up after completion and this one starts first flick after a prime and I suppose I should be happy with that, but after about an hours total running, it still will not run much over 6000 RPM,what ever prop is tried. The spec says 10,000 RPM.Compression is perfect and that nice "bouncy" feel when turned over.

I have a great respect for the contribution Ron made to our hobby, but in making this to his drawings and notes I had some doubts about a few things, but nevertheless followed his notes.He does say in the preamble to them that he has not copied the original engine exactly,thinking it would be unethical to do so with what has become a collectors item.He does not say what the difference is.

I think I found out the hard way,as I had an original crankcase and con-rod. When completed it would just about run on a prime, but was clearly not right,so after a strip down and a critical check on everything I realised that the datum top face to crankshaft centreline on the drawing was 0.100"lower than my crankcase and ditto with the con-rod. Clearly this had totally altered the timing and it was a wonder It ran at all.

Two other instructionsI I followed that seemed odd is he advised not to make the liner a tight fit in the crankcase"only an easy sliding fit as differential expansion will tighten thing up" A look at the section G/A shows that a leak path between ports is then a possibility. I compromised by having a push fit.The other query is with lapping the liner/piston fit, advising a taper of 0.0015" to TDC.For a piston under 0.5" diameter this seemed excessive and wasRemachining the crankcase was no problem, but the new con-rod made to the drawing was nothing like the original and is straight sided with no "dogbone" shape and would only just push in the piston with no room for movement. It also touched the crankcase. I re-made it in the same shape as the original. I also re-lapped the liner to give 0.0005" taper at TDC and"grew" the Meehanite piston by over 0.001" on diameter to allow re-lapping to that perfect ffit we strive for

When I think back,my fathers shed /workshop was probably supplied with electricity from the lighting circuit. He had run a lead covered cable along the fence from somewhere in the house. We did not have any 15 amp sockets. The Zyto lathe had a 1/3 HP motor and I do not remember fuses blowing.

Keith

I recently found a South Bend instruction book, a 1932 publication aimed at "The Machinist Apprentice"The page I have scanned is interesting in that it shows and advises that the 9 inch(41/2 inch this side of the pond)lathe can be run from a light socket. No motor size is quoted, but it must be 1/2 horsepower at least, so I bet that uneathed wire got a bit warm!

This has reminded me of two connected instances from the days when I was a Patttermaker apprentice at Drummond Bros.

My Forman owened a cornershop, the back garden wall running adjacent to the pavement on the side street. He had a workshop at the end of the garden with no electicity supply. Conveniently,a street lamp was near to the wall and he would put a ladder up against this and take out the bulb and insert a cable to run his light and machinery.

All lead screws for the large Drummond auto lathes were finish machined on an ancient South Bend centre lathe,some 10 ft centres at least.A polishing cut of a few thou in slow back gear was taken. The Turner was as ancient as the lathe and was one of those recalled from retirement during WW2, He chewed tobacco continuously and from about three feet distance, with amazing aim ,he would eject a stream of brown tobacco juice directly onto the tool about every foot of travel..

He was eventually retired again and the machine replaced with a new item, but the Fitters who assembled the lathes all claimed that the lead screws were never as good as the "tobacco versions"

Keith.

I have a friend in Canada who has ask for my help wit a model i/c engine problem. He has a K&B OUTBOARD engine,of 1950s vintage.that has a mashed bevel gear in its drive train.The design is much the same as a full size outboard- double bevel gears top and bottom of the leg. The size of these are about 5mm diameter.

Does anyone know of a source of small bevel gears. I imagine the clock makers among us must use such a thing although they probably make their own.

Keith

Edited By JasonB on 11/07/2017 12:12:13

Hi Nik ,

When I bought my Mill from Warco 2 years ago, I understood they gave a 3 year warrantee with the first 6 months being on site service, for their machines. . As advised by George, above, get on the phone to Warco.with the problem.

Keith,

Hi Rod, To get back to your original question, and as you say you are a"brush man", another way of achieving a similar result is to dip the tips of the bristles of a scrubbing/nail brush into the paint and sharply stroke a thin piece of metal across the bristles.

I suggest you practice on a piece of hardboard first. You might make a "Pollock" of it!

Keith

Hi Rod,

What you have is a course spatter finish. Not a special paint, just technique. It is a combination of larger spray jet,viscosityand distance of gun from item.Usua;;y about twice nomal distance. For a course finish such as this it is usual to put a flat coat first and when that is tacky apply the spatter.Usually best with non glossy paint. Egg shell is about right.

Any reasonably quick dry paint works fine. It was a very popular industrial finish in the 80sand 90s Might still be but I have lost touch.

Keith

Thank Jason, I will do that. I had been searching for that link, without success.

Keith

In searching for something else, I have rediscovered parts of a Mills 1.3 left over from my teen years. Missing are the piston, cylinder, contra-piston and finned head.Clearly, a project to make the missing bits is called for ,but I need the drawings. The late Ron Chernich published these in 2002, on his website. I understand, and I wonder if anyone out there has access to them ,or can point me in the right direction.

Keith

Hi Dean, thanks for your interest. I have had a set back while tuning up for the video.

I noticed that the front bronze bearing was getting hotter than it should and in the subsequent strip down I managed to crack the front crankcase casting, mainly through a stupid mistake that I am still beating myself up for.

I had a lot of trouble cleaning up the datum rear face of the crankcase, originally, and this pushed all the dimensions forward, making the front face a lot thinner than drawing.When I was replacing the modified bronze bearing the front surface of the casting just collapsed, Why didnt I use a bolt to pull it in you will ask?

Any way ,I have obtained a new casting, with more machining allowance this time and am in the process of putting everything back together, so I will keep you posted on progress.

Keith

Ring gaps were even and I made sure the gaps were opposite each other, although I am aware that this is considered a waste of time as the rings move in use

I can see the logic of the oil hitting the underside of the right cylinder and piston with the anti clockwise rotation giving extra cooling.If Harley have the same problem, who am I to complain?

Thanks fellers, for the quick answers,

Keith.

During test runs of this engine I wondered what the running temperature was, as parts such as cams are Loctited on, so I used a non contact IR thermometer to measure the head temperature after a five minute run.The result is a puzzle to me and I hope someone out there has some answers,

The puzzle is that the left head runs some 30degrees C hotter than the right head! Around 110 degrees left and 80 degrees right.I have checked and re checked the cam positions etc Compression on both sides is equal to a hand turn, The left side spits out much more castor oil than the right. I drain the oil after each session and a lot of castor is present in this and I assume this is due to blow past the right piston more than the left. I have changed the plugs around and tried a different make, all with the same result.

Any ideas fellers ?

Keith

Hi Dean and Jeff,

The engine startled me in firing first squeeze on the starter, but it would not run for much more than 30 seconds and stopped if I switched off the power to the glow plugs. It was originally designed for spark ignition, but is supposed to be OK on glow. Compression was not good as designed, so I re-machined .030" off each head, which certainly improved things,but it then kept blowing a gasket. One of the weak points as designed, is that you cannot get at the head nuts with the rocker gear in place, so you are unable to re-tighten after a run.Higher compression also required a change in the timing and this is still a subject of experiment.

I eventually solved the head tightening by making long nuts for each head so they are now high enough to get a spanner on and this has stopped the gasket blowing problem.

I have changed the carb too from that in the photos and now have a clone of an OS 35 carb fitted.

I think I am at the point of being satisfied enough with its running to make a video, so watch this space.Holidays have got in the way over the past two weeks, but we are now back to normal.

Keith

Hi Neil,

I had same requirement with a filter and took it to my local Specsavers and asked if they would reduce by one mm. They did it same day ,cost £5.00

That was quick!

These links are just what I am looking for.

Many thanks Jason.

Keith

Correct!!

Keith