Skipjack by michael mott - 1/8th scale - SMALL - 19 foot open launch

[captainbob]

I was surprised when I saw the pictures of the manifold trials.  I thought I was the only one to have so much scrap.  But then I remember someone saying, “If the scrap doesn’t outweigh the final product you’re doing something wrong”.  Any way the final manifold looks great, and you should have no problem with the petrol vapor.

 

Bob

[cog]

Michael,

 

Thanks for the instructive video's. Looking forward to the result!

 

Bob,

 

Hope you don't build with balsa wood ...

[mobbsie]

Just caught up with your log and boy is that engine ever a piece of gear.

 

Wonderful engineering Michael, it's going to look fantastic mounted in the ship and working.

 

Mind if I tag along mate.

 

Be Good

 

mobbsie

[popeye the sailor]

looking great Michael......the bends look really tight 

[michael mott]

Thanks for all the kind comments and visits they mean a great deal and are very motivating.

 

Just a small update because I am off to dinner with Jude to celebrate our 20th wedding anniversary this evening.

 

The carb is started

 

 

 

There are a few more bits yet then it all gets soldered together the main assembly will wind into the manifold and the nut will lock it into the vertical position.

 

Michael

[Jack12477]

Very impressive as always, Michael.

 

Happy Anniversary to you and Jude !

[mtaylor]

Happy Anniversary.   Good set of priorities... the engine can wait.   Looking super nice, however.

[Elia]

Michael,

 

The carb and manifold look superb and compliment the rest of thar little jewel of an engine. Beautiful work. And a big congratulations on your and Judy's anniversary!

 

All the best,

 

Elia

[Omega1234]

Congratulations to you, Michael and Judy on your 20th wedding anniversary!!!

 

All the best.

 

Cheers

 

Patrick

[cog]

Happy anniversary to you and Judy. Hope you had a lovely dinner.

[druxey]

A slightly belated happy anniversary and many more, Michael and Judy!

 

Manifold and carb are looking great.

[michael mott]

Thanks for the kind thoughts for our Anniversary, I had Atlantic Salmon, and Judy had Lobster, it was great, then cheesecake for dessert.

Our lake is starting to break up, it amazes me that 16 days ago people were still driving on the ice, and it looks like we might have open water within a week.

 

Thanks for the likes and comments about the Engine for Skipjack.

The more I work on the engine it seems that new bits to make keep jumping out of the woodwork, it is getting closer though.

 

 

Michael

[captainbob]

It just keeps getting better and better.  When the engine is finished will you leave it brass or paint it green?

 

Bob

[michael mott]

Bob I am pretty sure that I will make it look like the one in the real Skipjack as much as possible, which I suppose is a long winded way of saying yes I will paint it green.

 

Most of the Drawings that I print for the engine as I am working on it are printed 2:1, and I am thinking that down the road a smaller boat model  with a 1/4 scale engine which would be the same size as my 2:1 prints would make a nice model.  Skipjack will be 28 inches so at 1/4 scale something that is say 16 feet long would end up being 38 inches long which is shorter than the pilot cutter hull by 15 inches. 

 

Just some idle musings this morning while i am warming up the shop.

 

thanks for all the likes today.

 

Michael

[Chasseur]

Michael,

The carb reminds me a bit of the old side draft carburetor's you would see on the 1960 to 70's motorcycles I used to ride when I was a young fellow. I am interested to know what type of vacuum you'll achieve with your engine? If you get a decent amount of vacuum it should pull the fuel in naturally and all you'll have to do is throttle it with some type of Venturi/needle valve and she should be good to go for idle. Any idea what rpm it will produce?

 

Beautiful machine work. You were not kidding when you told me you had all of the tools!

 

Jeff

[popeye the sailor]

engine looks awesome Michael!   a belated on your 20th.....glad to hear your admiral is doing well 

[michael mott]

 

I am interested to know what type of vacuum you'll achieve with your engine? If you get a decent amount of vacuum it should pull the fuel in naturally and all you'll have to do is throttle it with some type of Venturi/needle valve and she should be good to go for idle. Any idea what rpm it will produce?

Jeff at this stage all I can say is "I don't know" to your questions. The few videos that I have seen of the model engines running on the vapour look promising.

 

Denis, thanks.

 

And thank you to all who have visited and liked what I am doing, it is very encouraging.

 

Michael

[michael mott]

A bit more fiddling with the Carb.

First I made a whole new one with a flange at the manifold side. The top air intake also needed to have the adjusting screw added, it was easier to make a new one rather than trying to fix the first one.

 

I "knurled" the edge of the adjusting screw by pressing the head of the 1x72 screw under the edge of a file and rolled it along on a flat surface of MDF then beveled the edged on the lathe. the spring came out of a tiny ball race which I took apart for the springs and balls.

 

 

 

 

Michael

 

 

[druxey]

Knice knurls!

[SJSoane]

druxey, knever a knegative thought....

[druxey]

How did you know, SJ?

[pete48]

Looks great Michael, Very cool 

 

Best Regards,

Pete

[Mirabell61]

Amazing work Michael,

 

I can hardly wait to see that engine igniting and running with ist own fuel and operating valves (presume its not just a static object)

Well done !

 

Nils

[michael mott]

Thanks for the kind remarks and for all the likes. I am just taking a short breather to give my eyes a rest.

 

Michael

[captainbob]

Thanks for the kind remarks and for all the likes. I am just taking a short breather to give my eyes a rest.

 

Michael

 

Hope your eyes are enjoying the rest and all is well.

 

Bob

[popeye the sailor]

do you have Maria in the water yet?

[michael mott]

Thanks  all for the likes and inquiry's

I have been looking after some domestic issues related to cleaning up almost 20 years worth of collecting junk around the yard (6 trailer loads) in anticipation of moving to the coast in the near future, The next time Maria sees open water it will be somewhere between the Mainland and Vancouver Island. I have kept her eyes hidden from the early break up of the lake this year, knowing that bigger water beckons.

 

My next shop will be very tidy and tools will all have their own special places, no clutter will be allowed, each project will have proper storage of parts and materials as they progress!

 

I am a reformed Hoarder, My time will be better spent building models and not sorting and organizing and looking for something that I collected 20 or 30 years ago, for instance I really only need about twenty feet of very fine spring wire not 3 miles, All the containers of little pieces of cut wood continue to grow with no signs of them getting used (it is easier to cut new for what I need) I just need to learn to not cut so many extra bits that then get stacked.

 

I will be taking good planks and billets of special hardwood to the new shop, plus a smaller assortment of metal bar and sheet stock, all the tiny off cuts will not be traveling west.

 

It is a serious learning curve, but I am a determined student, I am going to live the next 30 years clutter free which is really exciting.

 

Michael 

[mtaylor]

Good on you, Michael.   I take it you have already decided on the place that you'll call home port?  I think that hard part is already underway.. figuring out what to keep, what to toss, and what not to worry about.

 

I wish you luck and joy on this move.  

[michael mott]

Thanks Mark,

We know where generally that we will call home port, the small detail of selling where we are at the moment is all that is holding us up, the prospects are looking favourable that the universe is lining up to see that it happens sooner or later.

 

The good thing is that Judy and me are sorting out what we like and don't like so that when we move we will be able to find the perfect place, the workshop will be attached and it will have ground floor access Machines have told me they don't like stairs, and I can do without them as well.

 

A view of the water would certainly be part of the search criteria. We have learned that we do want to be within a community and not out in the country, quite frankly I am tired of having to drive 3/4 of an hour to get to a decent sized store for everything from a loaf of bread to a box of screws.

 

Michael

 

Michael 

[druxey]

What a garage sale this will be! I wish I was in the neighbourhood. I could use a few feet of spring steel wire, but not miles of it....

 

Good luck sifting, sorting and reducing. I'm sure a few long-forgotten items will surface in the process.