Re: Half A Starter Question

roddie Sat Jan 28, 2023 1:29 pm

HalfaDave wrote:Hi All,
Great info here...
All I can add, is I tried a cone on a cordless drill...
(Makita, 8 cell nicad )~ 30yrs ago.
Not enough rpms. Seemed fast enough, but did not work for me.
Not sure how latest cordless performance is...

Your results may vary,
Dave

The trick is to source an old cordless drill that you don't mind "taking apart" for its motor. You'll see that the small gear on the motor; meshes with a larger gear in the drill housing, to reduce the final ratio to a much slower rpm to provide the needed torque for the tool to do its drilling or driving screws. The motor alone will spin fast enough to do the job.

Having the small pressed-on gear is a plus for the type that I made.

Here's a tip; apply "short blips" when using an electric starter. Avoid applying it for more than even a half second at a time. Any extended cranking and/or forceful-coupling can cause premature wear (friction/heat) between the drive-washer to crankcase faces.. which can eventually cause the crank-pin to grind against either the back-plate (rotary-valve engine) or the reed-housing (reed-valve engine).

A drop or two of oil to the drive-washer/crankcase juncture will greatly reduce the wear between those surfaces, when using an electric starter.

Just my Two Cents

... The Cox starter springs will last longer.. if they're not wound beyond the recommended # of winds. Consider the fact that an engine with decent compression and in good tune can be hand-propped and started quickly with experience.... providing all else is in order. That's "one-flip"............ Fireworks

I understand that a tired engine can necessitate the need for an electric starter to "light the fire.." just remember to pre-oil.. to prevent additional wear to the bottom-end.

HalfaDave Sat Jan 28, 2023 6:40 pm

Hi roddie,
The old Makita drill and mini sawsall are still in in service. (long cord to 12V, still works!)

I found a 12v motor in a scrapyard, that fit my hand.
1/4 in threaded shaft. Sullivan small cone bolted up too easy...
I think it it was part of a windshield wiper on a big truck. Scrap Yards were fun.
It is not for sale.
I have never,
Used an electric starter,
For more than a second or two...

Glow and prime,
Dave

roddie Sat Jan 28, 2023 8:33 pm

HalfaDave wrote:Hi roddie,
The old Makita drill and mini sawsall are still in in service. (long cord to 12V, still works!)

I found a 12v motor in a scrapyard, that fit my hand.
1/4 in threaded shaft. Sullivan small cone bolted up too easy...
I think it it was part of a windshield wiper on a big truck. Scrap Yards were fun.
It is not for sale.
I have never,
Used an electric starter,
For more than a second or two...

Glow and prime,
Dave

I like to think that we're just getting started with what's possible; when it comes to being creative with our aero-modeling! This forum is a think-tank!

HalfaDave Sat Jan 28, 2023 9:10 pm

Hi roddie,
Totally inpsiring here on CEF, for me...
I have a 1/4in gragh paper sketch,
Of a .049 design, I call,
ThinkTank. (to use up my heavy balsa!)
Take care,
Have fun,
My Friends,
Dave

Yabby Mon Jan 30, 2023 6:12 am

Hey Roddie @roddie Im going to build the Redneck starter as you designed it. A friend of mine built one from the description in the link to the redneck starter and it works great!! Ive checked and I can get a 540 motor of the size, revs and loaded torque really cheap and I am going to buy a LiPo jumper pack for my boat, so the jumper pack can serve two purposes. I will let you know how it goes. I am sure it will work well as my firends has been working really well exactly as you detailed it for several years now! sunny

Thanks for directing me to this solution. When I talked it through with my friend on the phone it all crystalysed and made great sense and I looked the parts up and J-Car here (electonics nationwide chain) sells the motor. And Ive found a source for the Jumper pack at a great price also. So just gotta sort 12v dc to 1.5v dc with a reg of some sort. Or Andrew @andrew should I go DC -> AC -> DC to get to 1.5V. Should be more efficient but probably cost a heap to build and take me forever lol!

. I will just build a DC -> DC 12.xV to 1.5V circuit with an LMxxx something circuit, few resistors and caps (maybe a coil? thats why I do software. Lol. ) . Oh and maybe a pot. ! Old Bugger

This is all coming together well. cheers

Starter solution, Jumper Pack, And exhaust deflector from @balogh in another thread!

GaryB
'Yabby'

rdw777 Mon Jan 30, 2023 2:44 pm

One more home made one for you Yabby…

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These little can motors can come with different windings depending what they were originally intended to do….. Mine came out of an old cordless can opener with two
Ni Cads (2.4 Volt)….I think old cordless screwdrivers are low cell count too…. They don’t care if you up the voltage on them somewhat, Will just deliver more torque….I have a holder for four D batteries for a max of 6 V….I start .020’s on three of the cells, Just jam the alligator clip between cells three and four…. .049’’s need all four….. I give it the minimum power it needs to turn engine over so if loads up too much it will stall the starter…. And hopefully minimize the chance of breaking something ….I made brass thrust washers for those I intend to start with it…

I saw the doorbell switch idea here on CEF…. I can’t remember whose or I would credit them….Other than that just a gear, a plastic tube, and piece of surgical tubing to engage the spinner….

Yabby Mon Jan 30, 2023 3:08 pm

rdw777 wrote:One more home made one for you Yabby…

thanks Robert! cheers

Im glad I asked the question as so many people have been able to post help with how they have made them from readily available cheap parts!. I like the doorbell as the button. Smile

being able to change the voltage as a protection for the engine is a great thing. Another example of neat home engineering that works. I can see that I will be able to make one now and the photos show the relative simplicity of them. which is the great thing, as they are hard to get and quite expensive. Its great seeing all these ways of making one, and also all the people that do use them. I wasnt sure if they were an OK type thing or not, but given all the people that use them, I will certainly use one and just take the advised precaustions.

GaryB
'Yabby'

gvc Mon Jan 30, 2023 3:28 pm

My 1/2A starter is made from the front end of an old Dremel tool, a push button switch and a 2 cell 1300 lipo. There is an 1/8 inch rod chucked in the Dremel and old prop drive with a rubber cup (don’t remember where it came from) set screw secured to the shaft. It works beautifully and will stall before bending any engine parts. I had one of the Astro starters from years ago and this is better. It is long, easy to cradle on your hand with good balance.

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Yabby Mon Jan 30, 2023 3:59 pm

Thanks gvc. Smile

the number of home made starters and variations is quite surprising. Im glad i asked as I must be one of the few without one. so many things can be rigged up to provide the required functionality. It seems if it turns and can have a cone on the end of it, its worth a try. cheers

GaryB
'Yabby'

SABOO Sun Mar 19, 2023 1:06 pm

Many years ago, my father made this 049 starter. Brass tailpiece from a sink drain, a switch from scrap bin, a piece of copper pipe and scrap copper, small adapter, and Sullivan starter cone. And of course a brushed can motor about 540/550 size.

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pgang Thu Apr 13, 2023 4:31 pm

I just use a standard Sullivan starter with a different insert which was made from neoprene by a friend with an engineering workshop. Works a treat. I use it if finger starting doesn't work in the first few goes. Finger starting is more fun of course.

GallopingGhostler Thu Apr 13, 2023 6:43 pm

SABOO wrote:Many years ago, my father made this 049 starter. Brass tailpiece from a sink drain, a switch from scrap bin, a piece of copper pipe and scrap copper, small adapter, and Sullivan starter cone. And of course a brushed can motor about 540/550 size.

Very creative and practical half-A engine starter your Dad manufactured, @SABOO. Thumbs Up

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