Hello again everyone. The 2005 North American Model Engineering Society (NAMES) show was another success. The most important news from the show is that next year it’s heading to Bowling Green, Ohio, to the Wood County Expo Center. The dates for next year are April 29-30, 2006, and my calendar is already marked! I spoke with two directors, and they both feel this is a good move, as everything will be in one room and they won’t have the ice arena to deal with. They are also looking to permanently install some of the air plumbing and have some needed storage area.
While at the show, I had a good time speaking with Roland Morrison of Morrison And Marvin, and he got to see the Gade I’m building for the first time. We talked about using an O-ring for a piston ring, and he thinks it will be a good test, so it will be fitted with one. We also talked about how I broke the crank and some of the modifications I made to the model, like the aluminum piston, the plastic spacer and my bearing inserts. We then discussed his newest, soon-to-be-finished model, the 12 HP Gade. This 12 HP is a pair of 6 HP engines bolted together (with some modifications), and Roland is coming along fine with it.
I then got to see the Samson that Lester Bowman is working on, as Roland had one of the cast models with him. This model is also coming along fine, and Lester is doing a great job with his pattern and casting work.
One of the good things about the NAMES show is you never know just what you’ll see. I ran across Tom Burgess of Tom’s Electric Models, and he had his new model of the “Economic Motor” running. This is a good-sized model, and it comes with the flywheel (21 inches) already turned and the cylinder bored to a 2-1/2-inch diameter (it has an 8-1/2-inch stroke). Tom’s literature says the engine “is an approximately full-scale (1-to-1) model. Power rating on this engine was one-half manpower (1/20 HP).” Tom has a copy of the Sept. 8, 1883 issue of Scientific American that discusses this engine, and he plans to have a 1/2-scale of this engine by mid-year 2006.
Remember the series that Richard Dickey did on building the scale Red Wing? Well, I got to meet the new owner of the Red Wing Motor Co., and got to see the newest air-cooled version. This was his first time out as a vendor, and he kept very busy.
Just down from Red Wing was James Gehringer and Blackberry Models. Now, I have seen his engines before, but this was the first time I remember seeing the “May.” The May is a freelance-type hit-and-miss model that had some of the looks of an old Economy with the bolt-on hopper top. I did not get to see it run, but it was very nice looking.
On the other side of the arena I found Dale Detrich with a new freelance model that lets you change the size of the combustion area by unscrewing the cylinder. It is a throttle-governed vertical, and it ran real smooth. The next model I took interest in was an inverted, single-flywheel engine patterned after a Loyal 2-cycle engine. This model is still in the planning stages, and only one has been cast to date. It is one of the RMC line by Nick Rolands, and it will soon be on the market. Nick’s plans are for this to be a model you can build completely on a lathe, in about 10 hours. The Loyal is an 1871 French design.
Steve Peirce, Uniontown, Ohio, won this year’s Sherline Machinist Challenge with a model called the Achilles Tribute engine. A tribute to the late Bob Shores, it was a beautiful model and a fine display of workmanship.
Next month I will have more on my Gade, as the mill is now back together and waiting for me to make some chips! Is this hobby great or what?
This month’s tip for model and scale parts source:
• Tom Burgess handles casting kits for the Economic Motor Co.’s gas engine. Contact him at: 9 Bell Meadow Lane, Little Rock, AR 72210-3715; (501) 455-0773.
• Blackberry Models handles casting kits for the May freelance model. Contact James Gehringer at: 1178 N. 44 Road, Leland, IL 60531-9716; (815) 495-2009.
These tips are for your thoughts only, and your fuel lines may vary.
Have a tip other model makers should know? Send it to Rusty Hopper at Gas Engine Magazine, rustyhopper@hotmail.com