Hard Industrial Chroming of Aluminum, Brass or Steel Cylinders

[John Beardslee]

I shot Allen Timmeny release triggers in my clay target shotguns and used a few of his triggers on custom rifles as well, I also use Doc Hadawy locks on some trade rifles my brother Terry and I built. John and I did many trigger tune ups on many rifles and shotguns for people but don't recall all the trigger group names.

Thanks, John

 

[Jim Allen]

I have received more questions about the type of finish that is honed in our cylinders. There is no cross hatch pattern honed in the cylinder's wall! The finish would be considered super smooth as shown in the posted photos. The hardness of the chrome plate & the double honing process makes this super smooth finish possible.

Jim Allen

 

[Bradley Ward]

Hay Jim can you identify this lathe?

 

[Jim Allen]

Looks like a Hardinge tool room lathe. Many tool makers like this machine because of it's very accurate spindle & 5-C collet seat ground in the spindle. However it is not my prefered tool room lathe because there is no back gear. The machine's spindle can be stopped when taking heavy cuts at low speeds.

Jim Allen

 

[Bradley Ward]

Correct! Whats your preferred machine Jim? Also ever heard of Ranjit Phelan? He flys pylon here in Australia.

 

[Jim Allen]

A Monarch, The name Ranjit Phelan is familiar but I don't know him personally. We sell engines to Australia, New Zeland, Denmark, Italy, Mexico, Austria, France & Brazil to name a few.

JA

 

[Bradley Ward]

And your engines are world class to say the least!! I grew up around RC planes and these days quality seems to be playing second fiddle so keep up the good work!!!

 

[Jim Allen]

The building of very high performance racing engines can be easily done at Aero Precision Machine, Inc. because of the availability of very high precision CNC mills & lathes. There has been no mention of the machining techniques & knowledge required to make high precision parts on a production basis with these machines. These machines are not $50,000 or $100,000 machines but are typically machines that would cost 4 or 5 times this amount. The necessary tooling required, many of which are diamond coated, are also very expensive. Look at the pictures of simple parts such as the engine's head, connecting rod, crankshaft's crank pin, etc. How many people are aware that the crankpin is not straight, but machined with a taper to prevent the connecting rod from backing off. There is much more to building these engines that connot be seen with the naked eye!

Jim Allen

 

[Bradley Ward]

I bet Jim people think i own a lathe i can build it myself! Pigs Bum!! I have a mate that calls himself a blacksmith(he is a precision machinist) the picture of the Hardinge lathe i included earlier is the same as the type he uses. He showed me some sand in a bag at the shooting range one day while he was testing a rifle scope he had made out of titanium (with Redback spider web used as the crosshairs!!) I asked him why are you carrying sand in a jewellery bag? He said there ruby's and im building a pressure regulation system to be installed behind the human eye for a lady with glaucoma! Most people thought he was joking but he was dead set talking the truth! If he isn't the best machinist in the southern hemisphere i will eat my hat!! There is some guys around that are off the radar who do some lovely work

 

[Jim Allen]

The beautifully machined "curvy pipes" you show in the photo have proved themselves to function better than any multi stage tuned pipe of the same design. We have done a large amount of bench testing on the steel curvy pipe shown in the photo. The black baked on finish improves the performance. This chamber also has adjustable ID & length stingers. Notice the pressure fitting at the midpoint of the chamber. The 12 mm bore, automatic fuel metering, high & low speed needle carburetor used needs the pipes pressure to deliver an adequate fuel supply.

JA

 

[Jack ODonnell]

Bradley; The picture you posted is 3.5cc & 5cc tether car pipes mfg. by Mr. Edvard Stelling from Lithuania. J.

 

[David Ashcroft]

Hi Brad ,Ranjet turned a piston for my cmb90 years ago ,Good job too.

 

[Bradley Ward]

Yep those pipes by Edvard Stelling are works of art! I found them looking at a tether car website the other night! I contacted him but like most things on the net you just don't know how old the threads are (or even if he still makes them or is still alive?) David yep Ranjit knows his stuff! He has modified some fast engines over the years! Peter Halman the control line speed freak from the UK that works for Ripmax and played with the fabulous Irvine engine's (now builds his own engine's for the UK team!) Knows a trick or two aswell! I believe SYLATECH in the UK are lost wax casting his crankcases for his engine's (don't try and buy one as it's like chasing unicorns!) But Peter went away from heads held down with screws n bolts and went to screw in heads claiming heads held down by screws flex and distort under cylinder pressure? Interesting stuff

 

[Jim Allen]

Heads held down with bolts will flex during tightening & while the engine is operating at temperature when those bolts are "outside" the OD of the cylinder's lip. Even a large number of bolts spaced closely together will not prevent this from happening. In 1978 we changed to a system used in very high pressure bolted flange assemblies. Once the bolts are placed so that they pass through the liners lip, fastening the head, the cylinder's lip & the crankcase together in one unit, the flexing is totally eliminated. Some engine manufacturers are using this system. The increased OD of the cylinder's lip greatly increases the rigidity of the cylinder in the area where piston, cylinder sealing takes place. The large lip also improves the critical transfer of combustion heat to the head & the engine's crankcase.

Jim Allen

 

[Terry Keeley]

Again, thanks for sharing Jim!

Are the current Nelson 45's using 6 head bolts? What's that purple head motor with 8 bolts?

Reminds me of the OPS 67 years ago, came with only 4 head bolts, we put in another 4.

 

[Jim Allen]

Terry,

Yes, we use 6, 4-40 SHCS tightened down to 10 in lbs. The aluminum cylinders lip is .200" thick. The 90 engine also has a .200" thick brass lip with 8, 8-32 SHCS tightened down to 20 in lbs. The 27 cc QD uses 10, 3 mm SHCS tightened down to 10 in lbs. The cylinders lip is steel & it is .078" thick. There is no flexing or bending when the engine's upper end is built this way. I can't recall the name of the purple head engine in the photo.

Jim Allen

 

[fsrv-driver]

I think it is an BVM impeller engine.

Peter

 

[Jim Allen]

It is a BVM .96, special edition, ducted fan engine manufactured by Henry Nelson.

JA

 

[Bradley Ward]

Jim that's some stella machine work! And thanks again for pictures and explaining the theory it's information that most people wouldn't be so forthcoming with so as a community we thank you! Keep up the great work

 

[gil sonsino]

Amazing post Jim with precious info for all of us..thanks Gill