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Half A Starter Question
Page 2 of 2
Page 2 of 2 • 1, 2
Re: Half A Starter Question
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



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.
Re: Half A Starter Question
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
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
HalfaDave- Platinum Member
- Posts : 534
Join date : 2022-12-06
Location : Oakville, Ontario
Re: Half A Starter Question
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!
Re: Half A Starter Question
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
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
HalfaDave- Platinum Member
- Posts : 534
Join date : 2022-12-06
Location : Oakville, Ontario
Re: Half A Starter Question
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!
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
. 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. !
This is all coming together well.
Starter solution, Jumper Pack, And exhaust deflector from @balogh in another thread!
GaryB
'Yabby'


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


This is all coming together well.

GaryB
'Yabby'
Yabby- Platinum Member
Posts : 646
Join date : 2021-06-08
Location : Yorke Peninsula South Australia
Re: Half A Starter Question
One more home made one for you Yabby…

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….

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….
rdw777- Platinum Member
Posts : 1029
Join date : 2021-03-11
Location : West Texas
Re: Half A Starter Question
rdw777 wrote:One more home made one for you Yabby…
thanks Robert!



GaryB
'Yabby'
Yabby- Platinum Member
Posts : 646
Join date : 2021-06-08
Location : Yorke Peninsula South Australia
Re: Half A Starter Question
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.



gvc- Moderate Poster
- Posts : 18
Join date : 2019-06-02
Re: Half A Starter Question
Thanks gvc.
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.
GaryB
'Yabby'



GaryB
'Yabby'
Yabby- Platinum Member
Posts : 646
Join date : 2021-06-08
Location : Yorke Peninsula South Australia
SABOO- Beginner Poster
- Posts : 8
Join date : 2019-10-03
Location : HALIFAX NS
Re: Half A Starter Question
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.
pgang- Beginner Poster
- Posts : 9
Join date : 2022-11-12
Re: Half A Starter Question
GallopingGhostler- Top Poster
Posts : 4947
Join date : 2013-07-13
Age : 69
Location : Clovis, NM, USA
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