Another Simple Solenoid Engine

Here's another Simple Solenoid Engine built just for fun and quick gratification. Ralph

Ralph,
I really enjoy your engines.Since I lucked up and found them.
My son and I want to build engines like these.
You said it's fun and quick,well the fun part I can see.The quick is something Ill never be in the shop.maybe someday.
Any info on building them would help us newbies.
Tim

Tim and son, I appreciate your interest in solenoid engines. As you have noted, my interest is intense; I've built over a dozen and continue to explore the possibilities ( see some of them on YouTube under "miniature solenoid engine" by Art Rafael. Since I could not find any viable plans when I started, I just experimented and made things up as I went along with each part built to accomodate the part before and to connect to subsequent parts. Some projects resulted in single cylinder engines, some in two cylinder up to four cylinder -verticle and boxer profiles. Of course I recommend starting with a simpler one cylinder variety. I have wound my own solenoids and have used some "off the shelf" (they can be found in surplus stores or in electronics recycle stores) , but these stores are sometimes hard to find. Alternately, solenoids can be found in car junk yards; they have been used to operate some devices such as power door locks, etc. Solenoids have also been used to drive the hammers that pound the chimes of doorbells and to operate lawn watering valves, etc. They are also used in electronic hard drives and other track changing devices. If you just can't scavenge any up locally search for them on Ebay; they list many types. Then you will need to build a flywheel or two - I have used large silves dollars (Eisenhowers), large washers, casino tokens, etc. Then build a crankshaft - I've used a nickel and drilled an off center hole for a peg to hook up a connecting rod to the solenoid plunger (piston). The tricky part is setting the timeing with some kind of switch and cam so that power is sent to the solenoid at the right time (typically bottom dead center) - kinda the opposite of a sparkplug engine which fires near top dead center. Well heck, sorry that I got so wordy. It really isn't that difficult to do. It's just difficult to explain with words. I'll try to sketch up something that will be more clear than 1000 words. Ralph

Tim, et al, I found an old sketch of a simple solenoid engine I developed some time ago. Perhaps this will be helpful. Just jump in and start gathering parts and building others. Ralph

IMG code

Another quick rendering that may be helpful. Ralph

Try again. ? ?

Hi Ralph,
Thanks for the help.
I can see now where to start.Now we need to find some small solenoids.Im going to start looking.
We looked before but never had any luck finding any small ones just large.ill check out the doorbells and the junk yards.Maybe I can look into a replacement part for the watering valve.Much to do.
I'll let you know what we come up with.
Thanks.
Tim

Tim, lots of good info on this forum. see "single cylinder solenoid engine design and build". Also lots of good info on Youtube under "solenoid engine". I'll try to find address op place that sells a variety of solenoids. Ralph

If you or anyone needs solenoids or switches PM me.

Ah- Rodger Ramjet...I think I get it now..