ML Midge homebuilt diesel

[Frank Marshall]

Hi Frederick,

 

I guess nostalgia has to be an age thing.....it's not what it used to be etc!  You can't really be that nostalgic when you're young!

 

I am also a beginner but haven't forgotten all of my basic workshop training undertaken at the Bristol Aeroplane Technical College in 1961 !!  Of course, I've always enjoyed keeping abreast of what's going on

 

You're ahead of me in the engine game by having made one engine already.  If I make the Midge it will be in the Autumn.  At the moment I'm collecting the necessary gear.  I bought a S/H 9x30 lathe Chinese (really wanted a 9x20...but you've got to get what's going) and am now looking for a little mill....like this http://spgtools.com/view_tool.php?pid=22 or this http://www.amadeal.co.uk/acatalog/XJ12-300.html. 

 

A friend of mine bought the SPG one and it arrived last week....I helped him hump it onto his  bench.  He bought an R8 spindle version having hammered his previous MT2 150W MicroMill to death!  We were very impressed by the finish, generally, and the running was surprisingly quiet.... they must be improving all the time.

 

Mark's Midge is a smashing little design but I do have a problem with it in that I'm ingrained with certain expectations.  No matter what I do, it just doesn't end up right.  If I arrange it in the aircraft with the tank in the right place, then the propeller is on the side of the aircraft.....and if I get the propeller in the right place then the tank sticks out to the side!!   Just jesting Mark....I understand the reasoning and it just makes it more interesting and charming anyway.

 

Cheers all.

 

Frank

[steve 1]

Hi Mark,

Received today & i'm looking forward to the challenge.

Thanks for doing that.

Steve

[Frederick Burman]

Frank

Don't worry about the carby being on the side- just think of it as a motorcycle engine then it looks right.

Actually I think it has an advantage in that it;s easier to choke when starting than a Mills type layout.

Those mills look to be nice peices of equipment.When I bought my Sherline lathe there were no chinese lathes available and nothing much else for the price I wanted to pay but it has given me good service although very limited in power to cut hard metal.

I have a milling attachment for it which I have never used, so this project will give me the first chance.

[Frank Marshall]

Posted by Frederick Burman on 31/03/2010 23:00:11:

Frank

Don't worry about the carby being on the side- just think of it as a motorcycle engine then it looks right.

 

 Hi Fred, please don't get me wrong...I was just making a bit of playful mischief....having a bit of fun!   As I’ve, already, said I still think it's a brilliant little design and totally understand its design rationale!

It'll be good for you to get that attachment put to good use.  Sherline lathes and Mills are quality machines, by all accounts.  Chinesewise, people like Amadeal have a good lathe for £360, CJ18-4" chuck 7"x14" (ArcEuroTrade and SPGtools are competitive too).  I was going to get one of those until I got lucky on eBay.  Even though the exchange rate has gone against us, by 25% in the last couple of years, the Chinese lathes are still amazing value. 

For comparison a new, basic, Myford ML7 is ~£10k and they haven't even updated the design from the 1940s as far as I can see.  I don’t know of any other business (except Morgan Cars) where you could have got away with selling a ‘Morris 8’ for half a century without so much as a restyle!  Also, in this day and age, do we really want to change speed by changing belts when there are electronic alternatives? They are good, no doubt, and consequently, do have a loyal, historic, following!!

I feel very fortunate that we live in the age we do, in many ways. These machine tools, and tools in general are so very much cheaper now than when I was a lad.  No more do we have to put up with old black 50plus year old equipment and searching for rough old accessories and tools.  All the accessories are pretty affordable as Alex Whittaker's excellent presentation on the C1 lathe testifies:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DerfWX0y-kk 

In the following video, showing his Firefly46, his joy and excitement are tangible. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wUk63Uxy76I

Apologies for the digression from the main topic.

Frank

 

[Allan Jordan]

Hi All, Thanks to Mark Lubbock I think we might just have an extra topic on this forum.

   I have started work on this little beauty today, I might even finish and run it as well.

  Best of luck to all who bite the bullet. Regards Allan

[Frederick Burman]

Allen

Hope to hear how you get on with it.

If anyone has a CAD program that reads DXF files I can give them a drawing to mark out the screw hole positions in the cylinder and crankcase cover.You can use it to punch the hole centre marks on to a template.

All the best

Fred

[Frank Marshall]

Thanks Fred,

 

In relation to your offer I just want to make sure that people are aware of SolidEdge 2D....and it's FREE!!  Just fill in the requirements top left of the linked page...they don't hassle you at all, and you'll have one of the VERY best professional 2D CAD programmes available. 

link

 

This is the 2D part of the very well known SolidEdge 3D CAD software used, amongst many others, at Boscombe Down/Qiniteq (was the Royal Aircraft Establishment).  So you're in good company!

 

In fact they used to sell a sub-set of it many years ago when it was called Imagineer (now Intergraph SmartSketch) and I coughed up £200+ for it then!!  This is the full package and it doesn't really get better in 2D.  Prior to their marketing policy (to sell the full SolidEdge) you wouldn't have got change out of £2k for this.  Forget Turbocad and the likes...this is years ahead AND it's FREE....did I say that ?

 

If you want a 3D programme (with 2D as well) the £100 Alibre Design is probably the best,  most affordable, legit package you'll get.

 

As with any software you, unfortunately, have to face up to a learning curve .  The good news is that this can be fun too....and very satisfying.

 

Frank

Edited By David Ashby - RCME Administrator on 14/08/2010 16:32:02

[Tim Mackey]

Off topic - but as side note, I was disappointed to see after spending literally over an hour downloading the latest version ( 102 ) of this 375 m/byte CAD program, that it will not run on my machine ( the earlier version was fine ).

The new version requires SSE2 (Streaming SIMD Extensions 2) and my reasonably good Athlon 2.4Ghz CPU and 2Gb RAM main PC was deemed too weedy, due to the CPU being an earlier socket A (462 ) type chip!

Edited By Timbo - Administrator on 06/04/2010 10:24:08

[Frank Marshall]

That's rotten luck Timbo...unfortunately that's the way it seems to works these days....to keep making money out of us by constantly having to upgrade....

 

As you say, that's still a decent PC.  I downloaded it last year on my non-superdooper Pentium 4 PC and it was fine....I guess they've revised it.  I'll, now, be in trouble as well...I expect.

 

Frank

Edited By Frank Marshall on 06/04/2010 13:33:54

[Frederick Burman]

Hi Mark

Finally got down to cutting metal on the crankcase after giving the lathe a good clean and lube.

Have you got any comments about how you did the knurling on the prop driver?

I was wondering whether there is any way to apply a gripping surface without using a knurling tool.