Wind/diesel installation....

[frotter]

Once Speccybloke had reinflated hisself he came in and just stuck a load MORE bl**din relays and stuff in our cabinet. Cant all be neccessary can it..?




Meanwhile i was furtively constructing a wall mounted power station control facility out of more old generator scrap and an old yellow Council Quarry warning sign from the tip. Speccy bloke'll never notice if no one says owt..........





See - my installations are reassuringly messy and chaotic in true 'shed person' stylee. Speccybloke hates 'em!!   




Just to keep the git happy i thought i'd better paint it all nice an shiny black. A few more knobs and whistles to go in there yet......




Looks alright dunt it? I luv knobs and dials and slightly out of line warning lamps, me.




That's it for a few days as i am going to be in Frenchyland till next week. Hopefully when i get back Speccybloke will have EVERYTHING finished. So cheap wine and smelly cheese ahoy!

XX

[Ivan]

Looks like old Merc indicator lamps to me. I've got a couple kicking around somewhere if you need any more to match-up with the others.

[goodnoisefella]

Top thread Frotter, as always.....
Thats a lot of relays.

massively impressed with the quarry sign frontpanel (and the carpet edging holding it on ) what did it say? something like 'deep flippin' hole: don't go past this sign'?
Ooer

TP

[frotter]

Hehe - yes carpet threshold. Everyone who has a shed has one tucked away somewhere at the back.....
The sign said something like 'woodworking machinery to be operated by EDDC personel only'. I was a bit tempted to keep it and randomly put it up somewhere but i couldnt find another suitable bit o plastic for my panel - bah!
Speccybloke has been busy while i was away (bless 'im) so will try to update soon.......

XXX

[frotter]

Wee update ahoy........
Our lil' engine has no fan now so cooling is achieved via temp switch and leccy fan. We discovered the fan draws about 16-18 amps and also that the weeny alternator clinging to the Kubota could only put out 12 amps. Clearly no good so orf to the scrappy for a ten quid Renault 5 alternator.............





The long shaft would not fit in the teeny space so the Speccy one set about it with hacksaws, welders, enormous hammers etc and made it thus - please note random bit of hacked off aloominum. Whats he like??




Not an easy thing to get a pic of - but look! It only blimmin fits right in there snug as a large scrotum in clingy pvc thong. Ahem.



That little blighter will put out 30 - 40 amps at tickover! Yikes. Proper alternator that is.


Meanwhile - Stoveboy has just started digging our exhaust pit.......




Me? no i dont actually DO anything. This thread doesnt write itself ye know!!


XXX

[Panda_Badger]

Nice one frotts. Ow aboot gettin' Stoveboy a good pair of sturdy booits as them there trainers look a bit flimsy. If e nackers his feet, you'll have to get speccybloke to fabricate him some new ones and this would be wasted effort when he could be weldin' 'n' stuff. Booits would also protect him in the event of the luvly LARD escaping and making a mad dash for the nearest trenchything.

Keep up the good frotting,

Pete.

I Luv Skips Me.

[frotter]

S'funny - i suggested to the lad he might want to wear some real footwear but he came out with about 6 useless reasons why he wasnt going to. If he knackers his feet off that spade me and Speccybloke will stand around his sickbed throwing paper planes with "see!" written on them at his bonce. That'll learn im.

Pff, youngsters today..... cant live with 'em - cant sell 'em.

X

[frotter]

Hello faithful followers... 
Quick update then. Had a bit of an issue with air seeping into the fuel line where it connects to tank return.  The steel banjo bolt and spigot is really weeny so it needed making BIGGER to fit normal 8mm fuel line on. Here it is next to 8mm pipe.




Now i know Speccybloke can weld ok? But soldering -thats my specialist subject. Please note nice solder formed bump for gripping inside of pipe.    (pat pending - no. Frot 6943889966844734.006)






Meanwhile....... our fiendish plans call for a double pulley to be bolted to our flywheel. Hmm? Whats that Speccybloke? you know a chap whose family own an agricultural engineering business? Hmmm... wonder how that might help..?


This is a man cutting out a disc of monster thick steel......





Here is a thick monster disk of steel - yikes! The centre shaft has been forcefully applied with a giant pressing thingy apparently... This will bolt to our flywheel one day.......






Application of giant mig welder ahoy and disk is stuck to plate. Yay!





Speccygit has some more pics of this 'real mans' operation on his phone. I need to extract them from him for next update......

XXXX


Aha! - just got the pics from his phone.

Bit tricky to see this one but this is the plate about to be roundified (technical term, sorry) in another big mans machine.




The plate being suitably roundified (sorry again) and drilled to fit our flywheel a nice ally 6.5 inch double pulley was introduced onto the shaft with a big 40 ton (!) pressy thing then drilled and bolted in place. Blimmin 'eck Speccybloke we only got a 10 horsepower engine y'know! I think he wants to drive a ship with it or summat...... 



Looks nice though dun't it..?

Next time, thrill-seekers - er, more stuff really.

XX

 

[frotter]

Ok - its next time already!
Bit of catching up with recent events required.

We have been using one of them nice VW oilcoolers as a heat exchanger for the lard line. I bought a converted one orf Egay with a block made to screw to the bottom of it with 8mm connections on. This uses the holes which would normally be clamped to the block to allow oil circulation. Works really well but the oil filter can screws on to hold it all together... even with the smallest size can filter there is probably half a pint of lard sat in there to be heated/flushed every starup/shutdown.
Sooo, we took the ally bit with two ally 8mm spigots to a clever bodg, er engineering place and for £20 they glued the spigots right on to the body.
Thusly -



Looks really neat but there was a pinhole in it which i had to seal with epoxy metal stuff. 
Here it is about to be snuggled down into its cosy nest - mmmm




And finally, Esther (who remembers him - come on!?) in situ and only sticking out the cabinet a bit. Pff.




Please note nice raggedy fabric covered fuel pipe. I know, I know! 

As this ridiculous project has unfolded i have been astounded at the number of cable ties we have used!!! Blimmin hundreds of them...

I luv cable ties, me.

X

[Antman]

Way to go Frot!

Are you sure the crankshaft can take the weight of the new flywheel/pulley assembly ?    The drive belts ideally need to come off diametrically opposed to balance the sideload on the crank bearing, otherwise....

Regards

Antman

[frotter]

Hehe - yeah we thought of that luckily. It shouldnt be much more downward force on the crank ( ) but the alternators are mounted opposite each other so there is no huge pull in one direction. As lucky viewers will see very soooon.......
I will try to post more later tonight...


 

[frotter]

Ok so here are our two 24volt alternators cuddling up to the engine.  The nifty steel brackets they are sat on are stairlift track mounting brackets! Exactly the right size......    But -  Wot no pulley!?




Wow, there it is. Now that is a pretty neat looking pulley you have to agree. The nice turny adjusters are steering track rods off a scrapped mobility scooter. I luv mobility equipment, me.  Ancient temperature gauge for engine too.......




I dunno wot the bl**din eck Speccybloke is up to. He knows full well we need a centre support bracket for the adjusters and he spends all afternoon making a scale model of The Angel Of The North. Wot a SPANNER!




Extraordinarily the crudely fashioned diminutive sculpture fits right in the space between th alternators. By sheer power of logical prowess i manage to persuade Speccybloke to abandon his upcoming installation in the Tate and weld the b*gger in there!! Phew!




MUST be getting near amp-shovin' time!!





Oops - dont forget to fit centre connection to batteries for 24 volt operation.......




The intention at this stage is to let the alternators self regulation work and see if the charge profile is any good. We can always play with it after if needs be.......

X

[frotter]

Hehe - by lack of response i sense a certain glazing over of the eyes... am i keeping you all up???

 

[Tigger]

I think it's more like 'stunned silence'.  How do you find the time to do all this stuff, I know Speccybloke does most of it but you seem to spend a few hours taking photos and writing about it as well.

I've been sat here trying to think if I know anybody who just happens to have some stair-lift track lying around never mind a mobility scooter, where do you get all these bits from?

Keep up the good work, if only for the entertainment value 

[Panda_Badger]

Hi again Frotts,

Mmm, two 24V Altys working as a centre rail +_ supply to feed a 48V batt bank. Hope Speccybloke has got his terminals the right way round. Rather you than me. Wots going to happen in the event of one of them cutting out or shorting etc? Wot sort of protection have you got? Maybee worth goin' down t'chemist for extra supplies of durex etc. In the words of Spinal Tap 'Always double bag it'!!!!??

Anyway, wots append to Stoveboy? I have visions of him up to his neck in the trench he started, without any real means of escape, sporting lacerated trainers and a dirty bandanna.

All the best, keep up the must watch Frott TV,

Pete.