I tend to accumulate broken things that need fixing. Sometimes they get fixed, but more often they're hopelessly toasted and it's a total waste of time and money to fix. Such was the case with the 10hp gasoline engine - complete with 5000W generator. Cause of death? Piston went through the side of the engine with great force. I picked it up at a yard sale last year for $20.
I knew immediately that the engine itself was only good as casting stock. The jury's still out on whether the generator is worth my efforts, because it doesn't have it's own bearings/shaft for the armature.
In my late night "putterings", I decided to cut the one end off the ~1.5" steel crankshaft to use as a support for one end of the armature on it's own. The power hacksaw had no problems with it, and I was happy to discover that the cut was straighter and smoother than I've been getting with other things. Seems my adjustments are paying off.
After that, I chucked it up and took a facing cut over the rough cut - just to see what it was like to machine. As the subject of this post suggests, it cut like BUTTER! Nothing like my attempts at CRS that produce rough jagged surfaces with most of my efforts.
Can anyone give an educated guess what steel is used for this, and a similar metal to ask for next time I need to buy some?
-Sparky
I knew immediately that the engine itself was only good as casting stock. The jury's still out on whether the generator is worth my efforts, because it doesn't have it's own bearings/shaft for the armature.
In my late night "putterings", I decided to cut the one end off the ~1.5" steel crankshaft to use as a support for one end of the armature on it's own. The power hacksaw had no problems with it, and I was happy to discover that the cut was straighter and smoother than I've been getting with other things. Seems my adjustments are paying off.
After that, I chucked it up and took a facing cut over the rough cut - just to see what it was like to machine. As the subject of this post suggests, it cut like BUTTER! Nothing like my attempts at CRS that produce rough jagged surfaces with most of my efforts.
Can anyone give an educated guess what steel is used for this, and a similar metal to ask for next time I need to buy some?
-Sparky