This time on SketchUp Live, @TheOnlyAaron is modeling machine parts from 2D plans and assembling them into a Grasshopper Engine. It’s a type of beam engine that pivots at one end instead of the center. If you like detailed, precision scale modeling, this stream is for you!
The subject of this session was submitted by SketchUp Forum all-star @Chip_Cookie. Drop your suggestions below for future live modeling streams!
This is a design out of a book of designs from Elmer Verburg. He passed some time ago, but his huge collection of model engine designs live on. Many are based on real engines, some are just things he thought up. He designed both ICE and ECE engines. along with some Sterling engines.
The Grasshopper engine was a design used for fixed placement engines driving belts that provided power to stuff.
Here are a few photos of the beam being machined. It requires a bit of time to pretty up each photo for sharing. Happy to do it for other photos if folks want more of the real world build. Let me know.
Here is the wobbly vertical, called the leg by Elmer, in mid prep for machining.
You can see the layout lines and instructions written directly on the quite small piece of aluminum. Those are guide lines to keep be from going totally astray. I relied on actual physical measurements before deciding a piece was good or scrap.
Yay, my favorite of the live streams – machine parts! Any chance you guys might switch things up and model these parts (or even just one part, as an example) in a subtractive way as a machinist would machine the parts from raw stock? I know you guys typically do additive modeling which is fine for processes like 3D printing but not necessarily reflecting the order of operations or work-holding of a subtractive process like machining. If not then it’s cool, I’ll really enjoy the stream anyway. Can’t wait!
