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| oldstuff |
Flywheels From Tiny PowerI bought 2 of these from Tiny Power. They're 2 5/8" diameter, close to SE3 size,but quite heavier. They come as unmachined castings, so you have to sand them to get 'em shiny. Also you have drill them for axles and tap them for grub screws. I drilled mine with a hand drill as carefully as I could, but it wobbles some. I'll probably use my neighbor's drill press for the next one...glad I got two flywheels. I think they were $7.50 ea. I hope to try the sanded one on my next engine. 
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| johnreid |
Way cool I love the looks of those, If you know someone with a Lathe, that would be the best to drill the center with. | ||
| oldstuff |
Hmm. Well John, the same neighbor with the press does have a big honking
lathe...I use it to turn pulleys an stuff. How would I do it on a lathe? |
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| johnreid |
The Lathe is better for precisely centering the item. Chuck the Flywheel in the jaws of the chuck and most tail stocks have a drill chuck or tapered drill bit capability. Discuss it with you neighbor and I bet he would agree with me. It is much easier and superior to do it with a Lathe.
Look here and you will understand better http://www.technologystudent.com/equip1/mlathe4.htm |
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| TRAPPERKEEPER |
Very nice looking Chuck, what are you going to use them for? | ||
| alan2525 |
If you drill the centre of the flywheel on the lathe you can then fit the flywheel onto a piece of shaft and turn the outside of the flywheel to true it up too. Then it's a case of facing the edges of the rim to leave a nice machined finish. As it's just a rough casting you might have to try chucking it in various positions in the lathe jaws and running the lathe at a slow speed to check it runs nicely. | ||
| oldstuff |
John & Alan: Thanks. I just didn't figure I could get it in the lathe right, but
chucking and rechucking will help. I'll give it a go!
Trapperkeeper: I'll make homemade engines with 'em. |
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| johnreid |
I am no machinist but used a Lathe for some time at a job I used to have, all it takes is a bit of common sense and if possible someone who can help when you are stuck and you will find that a Lathe is THE tool in a Machine Shop. | ||
| TRAPPERKEEPER |
I can't think of a better use 
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| Nick |
Somehow I missed this too.
Where do you find these? Tiny Power? |
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| oldstuff |
Tiny Power Steam Engines: http://www.tinypower.com/ |
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| tmuir |
A fout jaw chuck is helpful to centre the flywheel for drilling as rough castings can be a mill or so out of round and by using a four jaw chuck you can compensate for this to ensure the centre hole is exactly in the centre. | ||
| johnreid |
If you only have a 3 jaw, shims can do it too, necessity is the Mother of Invention. | ||
| tmuir |
True. I've got a great looking expensive engine with a cast iron flywheel but they didn't bother to centre the wheel before they machined it and now one side of the rim is 2mm thicker than the other side. Ruins the look and running of an otherwise great engine which is outrageous as new it costs around $600 US. 
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| oldstuff |
I took the flywheel to my neighbor, yesterday! He lightly chucked it in his lathe
and tapping here and there with small soft hammer, got it to line up with a little "spidery needle pointer thingy" that he'd set on the rail of the lathe. Anyway, we re-drilled the center hole and now it spins pretty straight. It'll be good enough for use in one of my homemade oscillating engines. When it comes time to use the second flywheel, I might do a more complete lathe job on it.
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| tmuir |
Glad you got it sorted as I do like solid brass flywheels.
You going to leave it all brass or do the usual and paint the spokes red? |
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| johnreid |
Good to hear you got it working good.
I miss having a lathe, they are such useful tools. |
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| oldstuff |
Thanks Tony, how'd you like my technical jargon..."spidery needle pointer thingy"? 
I did think about leaving it bare! But I'll probably give it the red treatment. Those old brass flywheeled Mamods left an impression on me. Green spokes might look cool, too! |
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| tmuir |
Just make sure you post a picture once it's done.
I think the proper term for that tool is actually a doober lacky.
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| bessytractor |
I'm tempted to order me one of these. I never liked the marine flywheel on my double actor. | ||
| Nick |
For that price, I was thinking about getting one or two also. I like the rough look of the spokes. | ||
| oldstuff |
You mean it's called a doober and I'm a lacky, or it's a "doober lacky"? 
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