I'm really enjoying seeing the variety of modeling skills by the members here. Years ago, I took up a hobby that has always been popular especially with the British... home metalworking, using lathes, mills, and other machine tools.
Being an airplane nut, I have always admired the large air-cooled radial engines of WW2. They make a beautiful, unique sound that cannot be mistaken for an inline engine, and they proved exceptionally durable in combat. I decided to create an operating radial in miniature, and mount it on a "test stand" that would allow running demonstrations.
The bulk of the engine is aluminum, and the heads, rocker boxes, and rear cover were sand-cast aluminum. The cylinders are steel; rings of cast iron.
For run-in purposes, and to check timing and function, near the end of the project, I mounted the entire engine in my lathe:
The stand and mounting took a while, but I am pleased with the result:
It is not a copy of any particular engine... it has a vague similarity to a generic 9 cylinder Pratt & Whitney engine from the 1930's.
Anyone else into metalworking? Steam engines, etc?
Being an airplane nut, I have always admired the large air-cooled radial engines of WW2. They make a beautiful, unique sound that cannot be mistaken for an inline engine, and they proved exceptionally durable in combat. I decided to create an operating radial in miniature, and mount it on a "test stand" that would allow running demonstrations.
The bulk of the engine is aluminum, and the heads, rocker boxes, and rear cover were sand-cast aluminum. The cylinders are steel; rings of cast iron.
For run-in purposes, and to check timing and function, near the end of the project, I mounted the entire engine in my lathe:
The stand and mounting took a while, but I am pleased with the result:
It is not a copy of any particular engine... it has a vague similarity to a generic 9 cylinder Pratt & Whitney engine from the 1930's.
Anyone else into metalworking? Steam engines, etc?
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