Single Cylinder 4 Stroke

[glue-itcom]

This little engine is gradually getting designed and built. I hit a problem and it goes on the shelf until I get inspiration.



It reminds me of the little engine in Nevil Shute's famous "Trustee from the Toolroom"

 

[Brian Rupnow]

Nevil Shutes little engine was a v8.--It's been a long time since I read the book, I could be wrong.

 

[glue-itcom]

Hi Brian, just had to check myself. Found the book online and it's definitely a single cylinder, some text from the book below.

"For research purposes he had adapted the basic castings of his Hornet engine to make a new four-stroke 7-cc. engine running on petrol with a little carburetor, and in place of the reduction gear he had fitted a governor; ignition was by a tiny magneto of his own design and a miniature sparking plug. The whole lot mounted on a little baseplate was about four inches long, two inches wide, and two and a half inches high. It was an easy starter. He could flick it into life by swinging the flywheel at one end with his thumbnail, and as it speeded up to the governed revolutions a pea bulb at the other end glowed with the electricity it generated. It had always been a great success in workshops, and he put it in a little box and slipped it into his pocket. "

"the 5-cc. Hornet single cylinder compression ignition engine with its built-in reduction gear"

 

[Steamchick]

I remember it well... an excellent author.
K2

 

[olympic]

I'd rather have the sailboat engine with the surprise in the crankcase....

 

[Steamchick]

That's a gem!

 

[Kasey]

Has anyone here ever tried to build simultaneous firing parallel twin cylinder experimental engine, incorporating a single overhead valve for induction, with 2 stroke type portings for the exhaust, and a split-single type head/combustion chamber and con rod setup, to take advantage of the extra leverage/torque provided at ignition? All that can also allow for internal lubrication and no oil/fuel mix is needed.

 

[glue-itcom]

I'm playing with the videos and angles, I think this plan view video might be better as you can more clearly see all of the parts

 

[Eccentric]

I thought the little engine in Nevil Shute's famous "Trustee from the Toolroom" was a tiny single cylinder as it drove a generator connected to a pea lamp. It was supposedly the "smallest in the world" generator set. I remember the protagonist (Keith Stewart???) wrote a series of articles in the “Miniature Machinist” on building a Congreve rolling ball clock. It was John Wilding that wrote the book on building the Congreve Clock; I own several of his other “building a clock” books.

 

[Brian Rupnow]

Can't disagree with you. It has to have been fifty years since I read the book. It was one of the stories in Readers Digest Condensed Books. I was still living at home with my mom and dad. They were wonderful books, each issue carrying about 4 stories and published 4 times a year. I don't know if they are still published in USA, but you can't get them in Canada anymore.---Brian

 

[Steamchick]

Thanks Nigel, I am enjoying this story. Did you overcome the "problem" you mentioned in post #1 on Thursday? - I'm curious to know the problem - and offer some useless solutions! (-as some of us do? - Neville Shute didn't explain everything about the little model!).
Cheers!
K2

 

[AlexS]

I see that you made the piston of steel. Are there engines ever made with cast iron piston skirt (press fit)? There are performance ones with special coating.