Recent content by Klrskies

I used to rebuild and modify the air-cooled engines. I have the case align boring tool still. Nearly all machining can be done in a bridgeport mill since the engines are so modular. I learned about some carb issues on the air-cooled engines. The single, center mounted PICT carbs required...

In the early 80's the world was evolving into fuel injection. My 1983 VW GTI had a mechanical air flow meter before the throttle body that worked fine with the stock cam but when a cam with more overlap was installed the more erratic pulses from the cam change caused the flow meters plate to...

Initially considering a 4 stroke configuration, one would consider the operational RPM range, and a cam design that did not seek to generate higher percentage of cylinder filling from valve overlap impulse tuning, a single cylinder's swept volume would need to be filled with mixture thru a given...

I had read once that the early rotary's thin, light cylinders were machined down from around 2000lbs of billet steel, as they didn't have spin casting technology at that time. I wonder if a rotary would have a mild supercharging effect from the spinning assembly, the mixture within the intake...

Maybe you could design an improved / beneficial component for an existing powerplant, something that improves its functionality, performance or durability?

Would that then satisfy the odd number of cylinders theory? Was that a harmonic issue? What number of cylinders per bank were the wasp engines?

I believe production commercial and precision gears would likely be cut with a Hob instead of a profile cutter. The Hob gear cutter is in the shape of a rack and generates the tooth profile as the hob is synchronized to rotate with the pitch of the rotating gear and would likely begin...

Several years ago, before I retired, I had a similar experience. I saw these on Amazon and gave them a try. They held up better and were stiffer. They had the pivotable ball type on the long end. I didn't like the case as the fractional size was too small and difficult to read. Not aware of them...

Perhaps you could calculate or scale the pressures that will be exerted on surfaces that will contact the rollers and if the hardness is adequate, maybe around 60 rockwell C, to avoid deformation?

Precision should always be considered as how much is necessary, and why. Functionality is the ultimate judge! I have watched mold making in this country migrate offshore since the 80's due to cost benefit. Medical mold making remains relatively strong due to liability issues. As one becomes...

I'm 64 years old and coming to the end of my career. I started as a machinist out of trade school in 1977, went into cnc EDM, sinker and wire, then extrusion die design, then mold making and mold design. I would say the bigger the company gets, the bigger the disconnect between engineering and...

Thank you Byron, Hope your doing ok. I have some health issues myself so my hobby takes a backseat to working... 11 hours today, too much! I've been thinking about trying to build a single cylinder diesel. High pressure fuel injector is a challenge, but may be interesting. I've also been messing...

I started out on a drafting machine in the 70's ... a big step up from a T Square. I still enjoy drawing sketching and using Trigonometry to design by hand. Part designs back then were simpler and more buildable with just conventional machine tools. A part with complex, swept geometry required a...

Yes, Dolphin may be a possible consideration for someone seeking a CAM system as well as CAD. I still own a CNC bridgeport knee mill and an old Agie DEM 315 Wire EDM. I last used Autocad 2010 and 2012 at work a decade ago, great program. A decade or so earlier, Autodesk offered a simple Cad...

I guess everyone wants to sell a subscription these days...Cash stream -vs- one time purchase. I'm old enough to want to have my own software and files on my own computer. I started using Partmaster by Dolphin a decade ago at a place I worked to do some 2-1/2 axis milling. Have purchased it for...