Author Topic: Best source for engine bearers..? (Read 2786 times)

Lauri Malila · « **on:** August 04, 2010, 11:50:04 AM »

Hi.

What's the best place to get (order to Europe) good quality 3/8"x1/2" engine bearers? You know, accurately cut, hard and straight. The famous Swiss presicion does not seem to be true with the ones I find in model shops over here.

Cheers, Lauri

Tim Wescott · « **Reply #1 on:** August 04, 2010, 11:57:03 AM »

After a saga including an ignorant hobby shop owner (Maple engine mounts? What are those?), Sig being out of stock with the exact ones I needed (grr), I ended up with an acquaintance who owned a wood shop cutting down some large bearers from Sig to the size I needed.

He did a great job.

So if you know any wood workers who are willing to do the work and understand "meticulous", and if you (or they) can get the right sort of maple (there's more than one kind -- I think you want sugar maple, but you do want the hardest stuff available), then you can just have them made.

Ward Van Duzer · « **Reply #2 on:** August 04, 2010, 12:05:16 PM »

Lauri,

Surley the engine bearers are not cut in those beautiful curves you have. But there is no telling where they came from, how many oceans they may have traveled over, and how much moisture they may have absorbed in the process. Read WARPED! If you need a single piece of 1/8th C-Grain for a project you don't order a single piece of wood, do you? With inexpensive (relative to the total project) materials like these I always order multiple pieces to increase the odds of getting what I need. I've had perfect motor mounts warp in my own drawers!

W.

Lauri Malila · « **Reply #3 on:** August 04, 2010, 12:45:21 PM »

Hi.

Thanks for tips. I have cabinetmaker's training so I allready know that all you're talking about. But I no longer work in that trade and I have no access to workshops in neighborhood. I was just asking for a supplier with good reputation of quality products. Brodak etc? L

Randy Ryan · « **Reply #4 on:** August 04, 2010, 01:05:50 PM »

You might check with Bill Sawyer (he's here on Stunt Hangar), he may ship overseas. I bought a batch from him a while back and they're all great.

Larry Fulwider · « **Reply #5 on:** August 04, 2010, 05:10:39 PM »

Quote from: Ty Marcucci on August 04, 2010, 02:27:42 PM

The very best ones I have seen come from Tom Morris. They are from the 100 year old floor of the gymnasium at West Point. . . .
. . .

Lauri -- Ty definitely has your answer here. Someone asks where you get your motor mounts, and you say only from flooring previously trod by famous American Generals! How could that possibly warp?

Larry Fulwider

john e. holliday · « **Reply #6 on:** August 05, 2010, 06:46:38 PM »

Instead of bearers, how about doing like Don Hutcheson does. Use the radial mount system. You make a plate to fit the back of the engine with enough over hang for mounting screws. He also takes the lugs off the engines for this system. Another alternative is to use the mounts made for R/C planes. With out the bearers between the two bulk heads you would have all kinds of adjustment room for your tanks.

Neville Legg · « **Reply #7 on:** August 06, 2010, 12:56:47 PM »

Doc, nice long wooden bearers do stiffen up the nose nicely though? For many years now I've been using some beech from a very old desk, that a friend of mine machined down for me, even given some away to other modellers, still got tons left! Waste not want not!

Cheers Neville

dennis lipsett · « **Reply #8 on:** August 08, 2010, 11:34:22 PM »

Quote from: Neville Legg on August 06, 2010, 12:56:47 PM

Doc, nice long wooden bearers do stiffen up the nose nicely though? For many years now I've been using some beech from a very old desk, that a friend of mine machined down for me, even given some away to other modellers, still got tons left! Waste not want not!

Cheers Neville

Having flown R/C for a lot of years in addition to C/L I am well aware of the advantages of the radial mount. This is up to and including the large IMAC models. Given that most engines up to 16 horsepower is used on these models and all are radially mounted the assumption that only maple mounts can give you a rigid front end is absurd. No truly large engines are beam mounted all come with provisions for radial mounting.
Most full scale engines are mounted essentially radially with none in a long time using any oak mounts ar such since perhaps the teens.
I think that it would be perhaps more correct to say that the typical construction of a C/L model favors the maple mount but it is certainly not the only option.
Dennis

Neville Legg · « **Reply #9 on:** August 09, 2010, 12:26:17 AM »

How about the Rolls Royce Merlin mounted in a Spitfire on bearers bolted to a stiffened/reinforced section of the fuselage that runs back to the cockpit? Or the RAF SE5a, that has engine bearers made of wood similar to a stunter! Horses for courses! If I glue, say a 10"X1/2"X3/8" beech/maple bearer to my 1/8" fuz sides (with or without doublers!) then glue my 1/8" bulkheads in between, how is this less rigid than if I glue my 1/8" bulkhead between my 1/8" fuz sides (with or without doublers) and hang a plastic radial mount from it? Explain?

Cheers Neville

john e. holliday · « **Reply #10 on:** August 09, 2010, 10:30:53 AM »

Especially if you use triangle stock with the joints. Do it all the time with big RC planes.

Neville Legg · « **Reply #11 on:** August 09, 2010, 11:00:03 AM »

So do I Doc, but the bit between the front bulkhead (firewall) and the wing will be stiffer with 2 big lumps of hardwood running its length, given size for size wood? You could use loads of carbon fibre tows in all directions, but we're talking wood here!

Cheers Neville

Ron Merrill · « **Reply #12 on:** August 09, 2010, 12:30:33 PM »

Lauri, you might try Control Line Central. He sells Tom Morris products and he is good people.

Ron.

Lauri Malila · « **Reply #13 on:** August 09, 2010, 01:03:41 PM »

Thanks for tips! I'll try CLC.
Absolute no for RC mounts.

Cheers, Lauri

Neville Legg · « **Reply #14 on:** August 10, 2010, 02:24:25 AM »

Nice piece of construction, what model will it turn out to be, or is it your own design?

Cheers Neville

Randy Powell · « **Reply #15 on:** August 10, 2010, 10:53:34 AM »

I've been cutting my own. I have a source for hardwood and just do the cutting myself. Rock maple and beech lately.

Lauri Malila · « **Reply #16 on:** August 10, 2010, 02:23:42 PM »

Hi.

Yep, that would be my preferred choise too, Randy. But as I said, at the moment I have no possibility to use the necessary machines.
In the picture is the nose construction of my new Shark(Yatsenko)/MB77 engine. An old pic actually, I'm allready painting the thing ! L

Bill Little · « **Reply #17 on:** August 19, 2010, 11:55:09 AM »

Quote from: Lauri Malila on August 10, 2010, 02:23:42 PM

Hi.
(snip)
In the picture is the nose construction of my new Shark(Yatsenko)/MB77 engine. An old pic actually, I'm allready painting the thing ! L

Hi Lauri,

Who is the producer of the MB engines?

Thanks!
Bill

Lauri Malila · « **Reply #18 on:** August 22, 2010, 12:01:41 PM »

Hi.

MB stands for Metkemeijer Brothers, Rob and Bert. They are more famous for the worlds best pylon racing engines, and of course from their team racing background.
But more about the engine later, it's still at proto level. I guess only 4 or 5 has been made. L

Lauri Malila · « **Reply #19 on:** August 22, 2010, 12:03:23 PM »

..and yep, .77

L