Re: Engine Test Stands

PV Pilot Sun Jul 01, 2012 10:19 am

Another little gizmo setup I use, is to use 2-56 blind nuts embedded into a piece of craft plywood, then slip that plywood square or strips with the bind nuts on it, inside of the bernie mount. That way you are not trying to hold nuts inside that mount with needle nose as you start the mount screws thru the motor and stand.

You can make a square piece with the 4 blind nuts embedded,,or you can make 2 strips. Either way, its about a 1 finger deal to hold that piece(s) inside that mount, with the nuts ready to go.

A person could pattern squares of plywood for both sides of the mount with blind nuts and plywood.

FWIW.

Kim Sun Jul 01, 2012 12:23 pm

Yeah...anything is better than chasing slimy hardware all over the bench!

I've got three of these stands bolted to 2x4 blocks which can be clamped to my field box or the test-run shelves I've attached to the outside wall of my shop. On super-hot days (like today), I can set the whole thing up inside in the air conditioning, haul it outside as a unit, and get it run and back in before heat-stroke sets in !!!

Here's my much-abused and battered Royal Spitfire .061 running up on one of Bernie's stands:

PV Pilot Sun Jul 01, 2012 12:43 pm

Kim wrote:Yeah...anything is better than chasing slimy hardware all over the bench!

Or having a 2.5mm or 2-56 nut leap out the pliers and into the next dimension.

gcb Sun Jul 01, 2012 5:48 pm

Here are my test stands. First is an EZ-Just from the mid nineteen fifties. Next is one from ~20 years ago. Next pic shows some made from boards.

George

lousyflyer Sun Jul 01, 2012 10:38 pm

At one time I had four Cox engines running simultaneously from a common fuel source made from a 35mm film cannister on this elevated board. The sound was incredible.

The other is an old Carl Goldberg stand

dckrsn Sun Jul 01, 2012 10:57 pm

Hi lousyflyer.
Welcome to the fourm.
Put your feet up, I think you'll feel at home here.
The CG test stand is my old faithful.

Kim Mon Jul 02, 2012 5:11 am

[quote="lousyflyer"]At one time I had four Cox engines running simultaneously from a common fuel source made from a 35mm film cannister on this elevated board. The sound was incredible.

The other is an old Carl Goldberg stand

Welcome to the Forum lousyflyer!

Hope you like it here !!! I can see the guys reading your post now, and saying "Hmmm, multiple Bees???!!!! Well, how about 7 or 8 running at the same time !!!"

PV Pilot Mon Jul 02, 2012 5:45 am

8 little .010's having a nice conversation (3:31 in)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yAFk3oKcGNo

Often thought about having all my stock running at the same time. Plumb them into a full gallon just to have a shot at hearing them all run. Class 5 tornado,,lol.

Kim Mon Jul 02, 2012 5:55 am

PV Pilot wrote:8 little .010's having a nice conversation (3:31 in)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yAFk3oKcGNo

Often thought about having all my stock running at the same time. Plumb them into a full gallon just to have a shot at hearing them all run. Class 5 tornado,,lol.

Yeah...this is dangerous thinking!! Turn away from the light !!!!!

Ken Cook Mon Jul 02, 2012 6:38 am

I've successfully made a new E-Z Just stand out of scrap maple I had here. I changed the top wood clamps to steel. I just may make them out of wood again. My old stand is covered in so much oil I'm afraid to touch it. My bolts were pulling through the bottom block. I've seen these stands run anything from a Spitzy to a Saito .72 four stroke swinging a 14" prop.

Kim, I don't know if you recall ever coming across a F-82 twin that used 9 Cox Babe Bee's. I believe it was American Modeler. I could be wrong. I just gave some mags away and I think I gave this one away by mistake. The plane uses the F-82 profile layout with 84" wingspan. The mag had a girl holding the plane while it was on it's wingtip. Another pic showed the pitcrew of about 12 people. While some were running others were all refueling. I bet that sounded awesome. I'm sure that had quite a bit of power as well. Ken

gcb Mon Jul 02, 2012 8:16 am

Only problem I've had with the EZ-Just is that the wing nuts get in the way of mufflers on small engines like the Norvels and the MP Jet .061. I ran them without mufflers. Later I opted for the Norvel tank mount on a board. That handles Norvel .049, .061, and TD.

So far, 50 years of oil hasn't ruined my stand...but then, I use castor. Very Happy

George

andrew Mon Jul 02, 2012 9:32 am

I must confess that all my test stands look like the one George posted in his third pic --- nothing more than a piece of plywood with a notch cut to accept the engine. For 1/2A beam mounts, I usually use one of the NORVEL tank mounts; for reedys, just a piece of plywood screwed to the side of a block.

andrew

Ken Cook Mon Jul 02, 2012 11:20 am

George, I believe the real reason why mine went south was due to the loss of the roll pins that engage the engine lugs. I eliminated my wing nuts and went with hex nuts. I would really crank down on it especially when running some big blocks. This just pulled the carriage bolts through the bottom block. The bottom block really became oil soaked probably causing it to get soft. I'm really going to coat the new one with urethane real well. Ken

Kim Tue Jul 03, 2012 5:47 am

shawn cook wrote: I've successfully made a new E-Z Just stand out of scrap maple I had here. I changed the top wood clamps to steel. I just may make them out of wood again. My old stand is covered in so much oil I'm afraid to touch it. My bolts were pulling through the bottom block. I've seen these stands run anything from a Spitzy to a Saito .72 four stroke swinging a 14" prop.

Kim, I don't know if you recall ever coming across a F-82 twin that used 9 Cox Babe Bee's. I believe it was American Modeler. I could be wrong. I just gave some mags away and I think I gave this one away by mistake. The plane uses the F-82 profile layout with 84" wingspan. The mag had a girl holding the plane while it was on it's wingtip. Another pic showed the pitcrew of about 12 people. While some were running others were all refueling. I bet that sounded awesome. I'm sure that had quite a bit of power as well. Ken

Nope...I'd remember that !!! I'm still sorting magazines and will scan that if I see it !

I also had to swap out a wingnut for a standard hex to get enough clearance. Same thing with the stands I got from MECOA, but I haven't gotten around to adapting them a bit to make them easier to use. Still, really like their "Retro Look" though.

happydad Tue Jul 03, 2012 6:16 am

Kim wrote:
shawn cook wrote: I've successfully made a new E-Z Just stand out of scrap maple I had here. I changed the top wood clamps to steel. I just may make them out of wood again. My old stand is covered in so much oil I'm afraid to touch it. My bolts were pulling through the bottom block. I've seen these stands run anything from a Spitzy to a Saito .72 four stroke swinging a 14" prop.

Kim, I don't know if you recall ever coming across a F-82 twin that used 9 Cox Babe Bee's. I believe it was American Modeler. I could be wrong. I just gave some mags away and I think I gave this one away by mistake. The plane uses the F-82 profile layout with 84" wingspan. The mag had a girl holding the plane while it was on it's wingtip. Another pic showed the pitcrew of about 12 people. While some were running others were all refueling. I bet that sounded awesome. I'm sure that had quite a bit of power as well. Ken

Nope...I'd remember that !!! I'm still sorting magazines and will scan that if I see it !

I also had to swap out a wingnut for a standard hex to get enough clearance. Same thing with the stands I got from MECOA, but I haven't gotten around to adapting them a bit to make them easier to use. Still, really like their "Retro Look" though.

seems to me that plane was on the cover of RCM magazine during the 1980's. when i travelled during the early 80's i purchased all the model airplane magazines to pass the idle time, but usually only read the RCM.
happydad Small Cox Logo

p.s i built one of the wooden engine test stands out of a 1 1/2inch x 1 1/2inch wooden stake left over from my wifes garden. it took less than 1 hour and cost about $2.00 including hardware with wingnuts.

Futaba Radio

Sponsored content

Engine Test Stands