Making Stuff from Garbage

That was way too much text. I read and will respond to the first paragraph. No, I don't think inventors simply woke up with their knowledge, but they had to start somewhere. If this project doesn't work, then something was learned from it. I also cannot stand it when someone thinks it takes extensive schooling to learn something. I honstly kinda pity whoevfr spends 100k+ on some fancy school. Sorry for typos, this was from a phone.
 
Please. Instead of criticizing, maybe help someone learn. Nobody said they were going to crank out a finished product in a day. It's guys having fun trying crazy ideas with spare parts. Noboby likes being told they can't.
 
I'm not saying you have to agree. But don't fill someone's thread with pessimistic garbage. Do you shelter your kids like this? "No son, you can't become an astronaut when you grow up, because there's a good chance it won't happen". It's not tough love, it's being a dick. You let someone try, but it's up to them if they fail. Could a mod or something kindly remove just this silly little argument between lamborghini and I? So we can maybe kinda keep this thread on track?
 
I push for further knowledge by trying and doing. If I want to go past that, I read a book or learn by examples from others. It's a lot more fun.
 
I am going to chime in as the idiot that made a welder out of a couple of microwaves over the winter. Ideas such as this are better than any classroom for teaching. I learned more about coils and transformers then my few electrical engineering classes could have ever taught me when I got the hair brained idea of winding a welding transformer from household stuff ie a couple of tuna cans. The thing never worked but it was a learning experiance, and at no point the project seemed practical, and the nay sayers were many, but I had fun.

As far as the two engine approach why not put one on each wheel? The timing issues becomes a matter of syncing the throttles, and front wheel mounted weed eaters is hardly a new idea, but all wheel drive diy bike, that I would like to see.
 
my85lamborghini said:
I'm sorry but I really think that the poster is just pulling our chains and it makes me upset when people actually fall for it..figure the very first thing that he said. throw out all logic..that should tell you something.

An idea is just reality waiting to happen..But not in some cases.

And fun is great, I just dont think you should involve others in pointless pursuits..it wastes everybody's time. I think it a little odd that right off the bat somebody who confesses to knowing nothing would take such an undertaking as making a scratch built engine...wouldn't it be best to learn by buying one of the cheap chinas to begin a learning experience??
with all respect here
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Good point, but I am actualy intrigued by the idea, I mean if you are not looking for a super high performance engine and you just want proof of concept the tolerances could be sloppy enough to allow you to build a crude engine. I mean do a search for backyard metal casting and you can see how easy it would be to cast many of your own parts for the project. Not that I want to tackle this one, but it would be fun to follow somebody that did.
 
I don't disagree that the original post may not realy require our attention but it does have the fixings for an interesting conversation about the theory and idea that someone searching for additional information may learn something.

The pipe/tubing idea could have some merit. I mean many cylinders are sleeved in cast iron, so why not use some old cast iron drain pipe for a cylinder, cooling might be an issue if you could some how get to work for any length of time, but pipes are round and rated for a certain PSI with known dimensions, so as a "cylinder" I could see it working.
 
I had thought of a scratch build stationary engine years ago. Had it all worked out on paper. Cylinder was to be hydraulic cylinder stock. As I remeber I had found a Chevy piston of 4" and a matching Hdy. cylinder. The tubing is precision finished. Dont remember much more of the details as I threw the drawings years ago(a good thing I am sure!). The hdy. tube wasnt to bad on price and came in all size bores. They would even weld a "head" in the end and supply what ever length you wanted. Mine was to be water jacket cooled so fins were not an issue.
 
Why make an engine?

If you want to build an engine from junk, just go get a scrap one from the junkyard and rebuild it.

And that will cost you more in cash, time and effort than a new engine.
 
Mike B: Why not just buy a whole motorcycle instead?

/Isn't the point of this website to be custom-building things? It doesn't seem fair to criticize something out of the ordinary on a site where we slap motors on bicycles.
 
Pilotgeek said:
Mike B: Why not just buy a whole motorcycle instead?

/Isn't the point of this website to be custom-building things? It doesn't seem fair to criticize something out of the ordinary on a site where we slap motors on bicycles.
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A truer thing has never been said. That's why I love this hobby and forum. There are a thousand different directions you can take it. You can make flawless art work like Baird, or you can make professional high end production looking machines from scratch like Barely's tadpole, or you can figure out how to apply an ebay chainsaw to an old bike like Deacon. Or somewhere in between. I enjoy "recycling" old bikes, and having that junkyard look for my build.
 
Hey if you want to cast your own block and machine your own parts, more power to you.

I applaud inventors.

I am only saying that it will be really expensive, not that it's a bad idea.

I started when I bought a old cast iron Briggs & Stratton off a kid down the street for a dollar and a half. I got it running (plugged fuel pipe) and put it on a wooden go cart I built and was going down the road in my homemade vechicle when I was 13.

Nah, no criticism here, just reality.
 
Yeah Baby! It's all about the fun. For me, it's going down the road.

Going down the road on a vehicle I built myself.

Like I said, if you want to build your own engine, then build your own engine. But don't forget, you can buy a brand new engine for $65.

And that will get you down the road a lot quicker.
 
I think we are talking apples an oranges here. There is a certain group of folks that like to "rearrange " stuff into something else. I think these are what you would call scratch builders/experimenters. The challenge soon runs out on rebuilding existing stuff, you really want to take something from square one to its end. Some times it works some times it doesnt. Its the thought processes in between that keeps us going. Only the people that can truly do it all, casting, machining, welding, even sewing, can say "For me its going down the road. Going down the road on a vehicle I built myself." There are some that qualify. The rest of us are varing degrees of assemblers, myself included.
 
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