Comments on: World's smallest V-12 engine

By: TokenFrenchDude

TokenFrenchDude — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 20:43:00 +0000

I want to own one. I would put it in my study.

By: wrecksdart

wrecksdart — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 18:07:00 +0000

Thank you for that link. I don’t have 15 years to dedicate to such an endeavor, but I’m glad there are people out there who do. I wonder how much he sold it for?

By: Antinous / Moderator

Antinous / Moderator — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 20:33:00 +0000

What’s the point of this?

Just waiting for the world’s smallest Vin Diesel.

By: awjt

awjt — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 15:05:00 +0000

Yeah, that’s cool, but the ferrari Tyler Riddle posted is cooler.

By: Mladen Kalinic

Mladen Kalinic — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 14:47:00 +0000

What’s the point of this?

By: semiotix

semiotix — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 06:03:00 +0000

Here’s the conversation I imagine having happened right before this.

“I think I’ll use my awesome machining and engineering skills to build the world’s smallest four-cylinder engine.”
“Dude, that’s lame.”
“You’re right. I don’t want people thinking I’m some kind of weak-ass punk building engines for model Hyundais. Instead I’ll build the world’s smallest V12.”
“Badass!”

By: jerwin

jerwin — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 05:48:00 +0000

Open up the video on youtube and consult the description.

By: Charlie B

Charlie B — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 00:51:00 +0000

Magnifico!

By: lavardera

lavardera — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 00:26:00 +0000

Yes – he is just blowing compressed air through the works here. There is no fuel, no spark plug, none of the electrical works that would go along with that. I’m not sure that a fueled version could be built without the electrical works. I would be done with a glow plug, as that is a two stroke cycle and this model was clearly a four stroke configuration.

By: Keith Lofstrom

Keith Lofstrom — Sun, 27 Nov 2011 23:30:00 +0000

Nevil Shute’s 1960/posthumous “Trustee from the Toolroom” is a novel about Keith Stewart, a machinist who builds miniature engines and writes articles for an English hobby magazine. Stewart’s almost-plausible South Pacific adventures are the perfect Asperger’s fantasy. If you like this engine, you will love the novel!

By: Lobster

Lobster — Sun, 27 Nov 2011 22:51:00 +0000

The best part is he could probably sell that for enough to buy a real Ferrari (and a real shrink ray).

By: philipbarrett

philipbarrett — Sun, 27 Nov 2011 22:38:00 +0000

Seems like some folks here need to fire up their lathes and post links so we can see their machining skills.

By: bo1n6bo1n6

bo1n6bo1n6 — Sun, 27 Nov 2011 21:51:00 +0000

Amazing. Thats a lot of trabajo!

By: GlenBlank

GlenBlank — Sun, 27 Nov 2011 20:29:00 +0000

Yes, it’s intended as a teaching tool, but it’s still an engine in the same sense that a steam engine is an engine.

Generally speaking, an ‘engine’ is a machine that converts energy into mechanical work. A steam engine gets its energy from a boiler; this engine gets its energy from compressed air.

It’s not an internal-combustion engine, but it’s still an engine.

By: offby1

offby1 — Sun, 27 Nov 2011 19:43:00 +0000

Hard not to be reminded of http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trustee_from_the_Toolroom

By: nixiebunny

nixiebunny — Sun, 27 Nov 2011 19:21:00 +0000

This one’s only a V8, but it has a distributor and spark plugs.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B9zt3SF_Flc

By: Seraphim_72

Seraphim_72 — Sun, 27 Nov 2011 19:19:00 +0000

1. You don’t machine hex heads, they are pressed or cast (or EDMed I guess)
2. Single slot screws are used in woodworking because they look nice. It is rather odd that a machinist would use them for something like this. My guess, they were the finest thread screws he could buy.

By: devophill

devophill — Sun, 27 Nov 2011 19:18:00 +0000

I thought the same thing. I used SoundHound on my phone to identify the third clip (Rescue, by Harry Gregson-Williams from the Sinbad, Legend of the Seven Seas soundtrack) and the fourth clip (Fighting 17th, by Hans Zimmer from the Backdraft soundtrack) but neither I nor my phone could identify the first two musical cues.

edit: Shazam tells me the first clip is “‘Main Title’ by Marc Shaimen” but that’s not too helpful.

2nd edit: The YouTube page says it’s The American President by Marc Shaiman, followed by something from Alive by James Newton Howard.

By: Greg Van Antwerp

Greg Van Antwerp — Sun, 27 Nov 2011 19:09:00 +0000

I liken watching this video to gawking as child over the yule log on TV.

By: Richard Dagenais

Richard Dagenais — Sun, 27 Nov 2011 19:02:00 +0000

This isn’t really an engine so much as a teaching tool. I runs on compressed air injection. Hence no wire loom, no plugs, no noxious exhaust.

By: Richard Dagenais

Richard Dagenais — Sun, 27 Nov 2011 18:56:00 +0000

Alignment. You have some tolerance with the blade screw for getting the tool into it, so it works well in tight spaces. The torx (not hex) that he used requires a straight aligned driver.

By: Jerry Brenner

Jerry Brenner — Sun, 27 Nov 2011 18:56:00 +0000

You ask about blade screws.
2 questions:
How difficult would it be to machine all the screws with hex heads?
How easy would it be to machine all the screws with a single slot.

My guess is the screws were all machined by him the same as the rest of the parts.

By: John Romeo Alpha

John Romeo Alpha — Sun, 27 Nov 2011 18:53:00 +0000

A nice effort, although with nitrous, and twin turbo, it would be truly worthy.

By: Tyler Riddle

Tyler Riddle — Sun, 27 Nov 2011 18:51:00 +0000

That’s not a model engine – this is a model engine. With a Ferrari wrapped around it. Internal combustion, near perfect replica including operating key operated ignition and turn signals. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SeUMDY01uUA

By: Robert Little

Robert Little — Sun, 27 Nov 2011 18:28:00 +0000

Oh, please; make a tiny little Spitfire (or Mustang)…

By: Brood-X

Brood-X — Sun, 27 Nov 2011 18:06:00 +0000

anyone recognize the musical score? at first i thought it was corny but after a while is kinda grew on me.

By: Stjohn

Stjohn — Sun, 27 Nov 2011 17:58:00 +0000

7 years and counting:
http://stjohn.openbar.com

By: Lobster

Lobster — Sun, 27 Nov 2011 17:53:00 +0000

Little dune buggy… in the sand.

By: anne speck

anne speck — Sun, 27 Nov 2011 17:51:00 +0000

Very cool. 1220 hours of labor put in on it…. I don’t know anyone with that kind of patience/dedication to a single project — esp. outside of work.

By: Urban Garlic

Urban Garlic — Sun, 27 Nov 2011 17:50:00 +0000

I thought the music was a bit much at the start, but grows on you, and it is fun to see all the tiny bits zipping around all synchronized.

Interestingly, the engine is a two-stroke — check it out at around 3:48, the cams are geared 1:1 with the crankshaft. I think this bolsters the case for compressed-air power, but it’s not absolutely conclusive, model airplane engines are compression-ignition two-strokes, and are about the same cylinder size.

It looked like there was a cooling pump (“bombas de refrigeracion”), but I didn’t see any coolant go in, or any channels for it in the cylinders.