Scrounging Firewood (and other stuff)

[sean donato]

Pretty cool

It’s funny, I often think to myself “I wonder what the older fellas in scrounge think about……”

Lot of wisdom in the group of guys in this thread

I couldn't agree more. Figured this was the beast group to ask about something like this. If nothing else, everyone would like seeing a pretty cool model engine.

 

[MustangMike]

Looks like a little hit and miss engine to me. Pretty cool. Looks like you could power stuff from the "drive" side. The heavy flywheel should keep it moving.

 

[sean donato]

Looks like a little hit and miss engine to me. Pretty cool. Looks like you could power stuff from the "drive" side. The heavy flywheel should keep it

Yes, there's a pully to run a belt on it opposite the flywheel. I'm assuming it had a purpose at some point, you can see some wear in the groove like a belt was running in it.
I'm having a really hard time figuring out what type of engine it is, it doesn't seem to fit into any one class. There's no carb, no govenor, no hot/glow tube. You light the wick, and slide it under the tin shield, and it's supposed to run after you give it a spin. I'm leaning more towards an odd ball hot air/ stirling engine, but I can see the cylinder is full of soot/ carbon so I'm sure it's some sort of "internal" combustion engine.

 

[SimonHS]

My logging buddy swung by tonight. Had to fix one of his saws, and figure out where his truck was leaking brake fluid. He forgot the new brake handle for his saw. So he ran back to his place and came back with the part and this little model engine. All we know about it is it was locally made, and supposed to be 1/4 hp. Anyone know anything about it? He said you burn kerosene in the wick pot, it's a pain to get started but will run all day one it's running. Says crafted by m m stauffer 1981 on the base plate. I started cleaning it up before he left. I'm super excited to have it. Really want to run it, but wanted to see if the infinite wisdom of my scrouge buddies can tell me any info on it?

It's a hot air engine, called a flame eater or flame licker. Lots of different designs are available. That one looks well made.

 

[sean donato]

It's a hot air engine, called a flame eater or flame licker. Lots of different designs are available. That one looks well made.

Thanks, that clears up a lot of mystery.

 

[GrizzlyAdams86]

It's not the MK5000C, but it's sibling the one and only (that I know of) MPEX 5000 ever built. When there was no interest in the MK5000 locomotives after Morrison-Knudson Rail was acquired by Motive Power, an unused MK5000 cab was grafted onto a former Santa Fe SD45-2B locomotive to create MPEX 5000. The SD45-2B was basically rebuilt into an SD50M-3 with the new cab, diesel prime mover and electronics. The centered front cab door allowed the crew in the cab to see someone standing on the bottom step of the locomotive, even while seated and also had better crash ratings. It was leased by the Dakota, Minnesota & Eastern Railroad as possible use for coal service as the DME (later CP) was looking to try and get into the Power River coal fields but this never happened and the unit ended up going back to Motive Power after DME was gobbled up by CP and lease later expired as CP had no interest in the unit. It still is out there and I got it in the first picture back when it was visiting the CP shops in St. Paul, MN back in 2021. The other picture is what an SD45-2B would have looked like (photo credit to the listed photographer).

 

[sean donato]

Got it running..

 

[SS396driver]

Zinc plating some of the vise parts
Top clamp is polished with some 0000 steel wool lower is how it comes out of the tank

Both polished
View attachment IMG_9692.mov

 

[tnflatbed]

Good evening, it's been a few years since I've been on here. I'll save everyone a sob story but the last few years have been trying to say the least. All that aside, I thought I could get back to posting pictures of scrounging firewood. Just put a hydraulic top link on a few months ago and today I figured out I now have a tow truck for logs . Don't even have to get off most of the time as the tongs usually fall around the log.

 

[skippymud]

WOW! So many great avenues to collect firewood. A cord of seasoned where I am in NYState-USA is about $275 delivered = OUCH!

I take my 4x8 trailer and load up on the side of less traveled desolate roads. Not always the best firewood is low-hanging but at least I have the chance to be somewhat picky. Using a saw that I rebuilt is priceless. Always wear eye protection etc

 

[djg james]

When I burn my fireplace, the furnace doesn't run. My basement work shop gets a little cool. I purchased a 5000W 220v heater to take the chill out of the basement.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B6ZHHBVM?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_fed_asin_title&th=1

I hooked it up with a 40A breaker and #8 (what I had on hand) wire. Plenty of capacity to carry the current. The basement gets into the mid 50s and I'd like to get a 10-15 degree rise. My basement is approximately 20' x 28'. When I check the temp rise 20' away directly in front of the air flow, I only see a 4-6 degree rise when it's on max . It gets up to only 62 degrees. Am I expecting too much out of it or is it not working properly?

I'm still going to check the receptacle to make sure it's got 220v running to it. Also, I'm going to check the continuity on the 3 heat level switches to make sure they aren't wired upside down. Still, I would like to check to see if each of the elements (3) are coming on when the proper switch is flipped. Any ideas on how to check and see if it's working properly.

 

[benz66]

I couldn't agree more. Figured this was the beast group to ask about something like this. If nothing else, everyone would like seeing a pretty cool model engine.

For sure. As a kid I had one of the little steam engines made in germany. I drooled over the tools in the monkey ward catalog you could drivenwith them, using a 3mm dia spring "belt." I scrounged up enoughmoney finally to buy the miniature table saw. The table was maybe 3x3" and the blade was 1 or 1 1/4" dia. and dull as the backside of a butterknife. I was really disappointed in the blade. I was able to use it to crosscut balsa. Your homemade one is better.

Back in the days (~1920s to 1980s) quite a few old machinists made miniatures. True masterpieces and works of art. One tv show showed a collection of (1935-1945) steel painted working models made by the Germans before any tank went into production. Those were impressive models, as are the pre production models of US ships. Many of those can be seen at the Naval Air Museum in Pensacola (along with a very impressive display of aircraft)

 

[benz66]

Zinc plating some of the vise parts View attachment 1239900
Top clamp is polished with some 0000 steel wool lower is how it comes out of the tank
View attachment 1239898
Both polished
View attachment 1239899View attachment 1239901

Impressive! I had no idea it could be done at so low voltage. Where do you find the sacrificial zinc? That could be quite handy to renew plated saw or car or kraftrad (motorcycle) parts. I can afford a little power supply like that!

 

[SS396driver]

Impressive! I had no idea it could be done at so low voltage. Where do you find the sacrificial zinc? That could be quite handy to renew plated saw or car or kraftrad (motorcycle) parts. I can afford a little power supply like that!

Got both on Amazon . The lower the voltage the better as it makes the zinc lay out nice . To much voltage and amps it crystallizes and gets rough

 

[benz66]

I got my little century 100 welder working with shielding gas finally. I bought it used, maybe 15 years ago as a flux core 120V "portable". welder. Maybe 5 years ago, the FCAW welds got crappy. I had to replace some diodes. It has 2 stacks of 6 little flat "pill" diodes. I was told they used to be used in the first generation GM Delco alternators too. (1960s). I knew it had a gas valve but between the cost of tank, regulator, flowmeter and hose, I never made the conversion. Last year I needed to do some body work and bought all the stuff. It did not go well, and I got ugly welds, but they stuck, and the warts could be ground off, and welds redone until I was happy enough for out of sight repairs. I thought some of the diodes had gone bad again. THis time in going into the guts, I found the hose from the gas valve was off the feed end of the line to the gun. So, I put that on and tried it.

Still lots of ugly welds trying to find a heat/speed combination that worked. It only has 4 settings, labelled 1,2,3, and 4; with speed labelled 1-10. I tried to find starting points online but everyting said "refer to the manual". I have no manual and none appear to be online. This is probably 40 years old, so the factory ahd dealer response is "Buy a new one." But I did find that with 3 and speed of 6 I could get a nice bead with .030 wire. I need to do some welding in the trunk (out of sight) of one of my cars, so I hope I can make some half fast welds when the rime comes. (say the words half and fast together real fast)

If anyone has any experience with this machine in mig/GMAW form, I'd appreciate any words of wisdom. 50 years ago in my weld ing class, there was one (1) GMAW welder for 30 people, so My experience was mininmal. They did have 4 (WWII surplus) one ton huge amp motor generators and plenty of ac/dc buzz boxes, so I did most of my work with 6010 DC, and those motor generators were awesome when I could snag one of them!

The instructor had been a Navy Chief in WWII and all the kids but me hated him, because everything had to be done his way. I listened and learned and I loved him. He was a walking encyclopedia.

 

[benz66]

Got both on Amazon . The lower the voltage the better as it makes the zinc lay out nice . To much voltage and amps it crystallizes and gets rough

Thanks! I have seen the little PS on temu, dx, and banggood websites and I am sure they are on aliexpress. I try to avoid the river of warlike wimmen. With this newfound knowledge, and a youboob movie or 3, I should be on my way. I was looking today at the 4 plastic trays I made years ago. they should work for plating.

 

[MechanicMatt]

Good evening, it's been a few years since I've been on here. I'll save everyone a sob story but the last few years have been trying to say the least. All that aside, I thought I could get back to posting pictures of scrounging firewood. Just put a hydraulic top link on a few months ago and today I figured out I now have a tow truck for logs . Don't even have to get off most of the time as the tongs usually fall around the log.View attachment 1239902

Welcome back

About 11-13 years ago I would beat the balls of a 8N skidding logs out. LOVED that tractor!!

 

[MechanicMatt]

I’d drag them out and then use the back blade to pile them up

That picture brought back some good memories