stu knowles

well.... yes, but why would you want to??

Its pretty easy and cost effective to cut your own

I was having a look at this model at Cosford last Sunday. Congratulations, it's a beauty!

Derek Scott, the guy in the UK Model Plans link that John has listed above is a first rate guy, has a massive range of plans available and is highly skilled at enatging and reducing pans to yoru chosen size. If have no connection with his business beyond having used him several times and always been highly delighted with the results

Most motor factors can mix paint to a satin finish which is still quite glossy, too shiny for a warbird type but a fair representation of a scaled down gloss finish. Too be fair it does look much like the lower section of your test piece. Its perhaps a better place to start than with full gloss paint?

I like the effect on the seats Danny - and how you got there. Neat and clever. Thanks for the video

The layout that I am working toward will have two 'handles' in a side by side configuation. One being the original Dynatron and the second being the handle behind the new starter cup. That will negate and twisting issues. The person holding the starter will have two hands on and a second helper will hold the model. Its a fairly standard and accepted means of using a starter on a large model.

Could a bicycle headset be adapted to produce the thrust bearing and handle? If you cut the rest of the frame away, you would be left with a tube with two thrust bearings. Thats a good thought and a nice bit of recycling - cycling. I will also look at the drill gearbox although I feel that the engineering challenges in taking this route could be more complex than the toothed belt drive option

Thanks Gents. I'm on the hunt for tube and bearings and will do some sketches before cutting metal. Thanks for the safety advice. My last time on a lathe was in the school Metalwork Shop. I made a set of darts - The Metalwork Teacher was very laid back - and probably too busy making a clock which seemed to take up a lot of his time in lessons. Happy Days!

Hello Mike, Thanks for the comments, I think that you have cracked open the door here. I'm begininng to see the light!

Thanks Gents. Is it worth it? Clearly not, I have a JE starter and where possible I hand start where possible, but its something that I would like to do. I have the original starter and the large cup so marrying it all together seems an interesting exercise. Ron, Making the gears is way beyond me and at the moment, I wouldn't know where to go for an off the shelf set. The toothed belt set is for an electric scooter so it should be sufficiently heavy duty for my purpose and seem a pretty simple set up. I'm still stuck for suggestions on a source for the handle at the cup end

Hi to All, I am very new to a Metal Lathe which now occupies a place in the shed. As a project, I would like to have a go at building a geared starter. I have a Sullivan Dynatron which I no longer use as it has been displaced by the Just Engines Geared Starter. The Dynatron turns too fast for my liking. I have a spare Large Starter Cup and Rubber Insert, also from J/E and I have wondered about using something like this:- DWireless Electric Skateboard Accessories Belt Motor Pulley For 72MM Wheel Sale - Banggood UK Stir briskly and combine to produce a geared starter all fixed to something like a 6mm Alloy plate. Sullivan also do a Megatron starter which illustrates the layout that I would like to follow I can see how to mount the Dynatron but on the other side I will need some form of handle incorporating a Thrust Bearing and shaft to take the Starter Cup. I'm flat out of ideas about what to adapt for this handle / shaft. I realise that the simple option is to flog the Dynatron and buy another J/E Starter but I would like to do this as a project in metalwork. I also realise that in some ways, The Model Engineer forum could be a place to start but then its less likely that they will understand what I'm aiming for. Anyone any (repeatable) suggestions on how best to take this forward?? Thanks. Stu K

Sarik do some nice alloy spinners, mainly for the BT range of plans which offer some alternative profiles rarely found elsewhere. I think 4.6" is about the largest diameter (for the 83" Spitfire)

I have used both Dynatron and the JE starters for a few years. The Sullivan has been sidelined and rarely gets used. Now that I have used both, I realise that the Dynatron turns too fast and can throw itself off the spinner or burn through the paint / plastic in a moment. I have thought of setting about it and converting it to a geared starter using a couple of toothed pulleys but the JE has stood up to everything that I have used it against from 25 size glow to a Zenoah 62. I use an old 4 cell Lipo with both and have not had any problem with the switch fusing together - which is more than I can say for the Sullivan.

where have you sourced those from Dave?? Thanks

I usually use a section cut from beech wood. Self tappings screws do not come loose - (unless the pilot hole is drilled too big)

Would you not just cut a cube of hardwood from a length and stick that to the firewall??

cellulose thinner works for me. I have even used paint stripper and not affected the tex underneath

I have always just covered the glassed area with masking tape and then filmed over that. It has worked for me

Agreed, today is perfect. The forecast that I'm looking at for Sunday is very iffy. I'll wait until Ive looked out in the morning and then decide. Fingers firmly crossed

Designed by Graham Dorschel. Not sure if he frequents this forum buts he's still flying.

I see that you have built their Leprechun Ron. Happy to split the postage on a couple of LB's when the kit comes out.

That must weigh half of not much at all, although I imagine pretty fragile too. I'd have a go at it

Me plus three. It will be my first visit to Buckminster so I'm looking forward to seeing it

I have a Tiger Moth of similar size with a 26cc petrol two stroke and chinese two outlet Pitts style silencer. In out of the box state they are useless as a silencer. I closed off one outlet completely and sleeved the other down to a smaller diameter. The result puts the model into the 'very quiet' category for any ic powered model. Sure it has lost some top end power but there's still plenty to loop and roll. As it spends most of its time wafting about at low throttle it's a solution that works for me.