This is my latest daft project to fill the autumn evenings. I have bought some pulsejet plans off this guy.
I like his videos. His jets usually start on the button which impresses me. Really, this is just an exercise to improve my TIG welding and machining. For me, welding is a perishable skill and I need a some more discipline when making stuff on the mill as well. A lot of the parts are reasonably simple to make. The hard bit is welding them together and also machining the reed valve bits accurately. The machined parts are made from aluminium, which makes things easier. Fewer passes and fewer blunted mills, I hope. The sheet bits are all stainless.
Dimensions are all imperial to make things interesting. I don't mind imperial measurements, they are fine for marking out and the lines are further apart on the tape measure. I would prefer metric when milling as the dimensions given are in fractions rather than decimal inches for my DRO. 5/8" is easy to convert in my head. 19/32" less so. The plans seem to be missing the odd dimension, but there's nothing I haven't been able to calculate. He could do with a proof reader and some higher resolution images.
These are images from Robert's website and what I am attempting to make. I might become a cropper, overstretching myself trying to make this, but I want to try and improve my skills a bit.
This is what I'm trying to make. I haven't decided what type of vehicle to attach the thing to yet.
Last couple of days progress. My work and pictures below. You might recognise the mess by now.
Stainless marked out for cutting. I need some marking out fluid, but a permanent marker does for now.
Cut out on the bandsaw. I used a flapdisc and a disc sander to finesse the edges and curves.
First four bits made. That spray can was a good radius for the flared out bits.
Tube pieces cut out with the jigsaw.
A better way for me would have been to cut the pieces a few mm oversize with the jigsaw and get a closer second cut on the upright bandsaw. I can cut more accurately with the bandsaw, but I can't run a large sheet through it. It is fine for trimming edges though. It was hard to follow my scribe lines due to vibrations from the jigsaw. A more sturdy cutting out table would have helped enormously too.
Made the most of the guillotined 90degree corners and flat sides. Only had two sides to keep straight.
I found my large square just after finishing all this. It was in the drawer where it was supposed to be, but I couldn't see it at the time. It was tight up against the drawer sides and obscured from view.
Don't like working with stainless, it is too hard and unyielding.
Lots more practice needed welding stainless. This might take a while. Material is too expensive to rush this. I will be purging the tubes for the final welds.
I like his videos. His jets usually start on the button which impresses me. Really, this is just an exercise to improve my TIG welding and machining. For me, welding is a perishable skill and I need a some more discipline when making stuff on the mill as well. A lot of the parts are reasonably simple to make. The hard bit is welding them together and also machining the reed valve bits accurately. The machined parts are made from aluminium, which makes things easier. Fewer passes and fewer blunted mills, I hope. The sheet bits are all stainless.
Dimensions are all imperial to make things interesting. I don't mind imperial measurements, they are fine for marking out and the lines are further apart on the tape measure. I would prefer metric when milling as the dimensions given are in fractions rather than decimal inches for my DRO. 5/8" is easy to convert in my head. 19/32" less so. The plans seem to be missing the odd dimension, but there's nothing I haven't been able to calculate. He could do with a proof reader and some higher resolution images.
These are images from Robert's website and what I am attempting to make. I might become a cropper, overstretching myself trying to make this, but I want to try and improve my skills a bit.
This is what I'm trying to make. I haven't decided what type of vehicle to attach the thing to yet.
Last couple of days progress. My work and pictures below. You might recognise the mess by now.
Stainless marked out for cutting. I need some marking out fluid, but a permanent marker does for now.
Cut out on the bandsaw. I used a flapdisc and a disc sander to finesse the edges and curves.
First four bits made. That spray can was a good radius for the flared out bits.
Tube pieces cut out with the jigsaw.
A better way for me would have been to cut the pieces a few mm oversize with the jigsaw and get a closer second cut on the upright bandsaw. I can cut more accurately with the bandsaw, but I can't run a large sheet through it. It is fine for trimming edges though. It was hard to follow my scribe lines due to vibrations from the jigsaw. A more sturdy cutting out table would have helped enormously too.
Made the most of the guillotined 90degree corners and flat sides. Only had two sides to keep straight.
I found my large square just after finishing all this. It was in the drawer where it was supposed to be, but I couldn't see it at the time. It was tight up against the drawer sides and obscured from view.
Don't like working with stainless, it is too hard and unyielding.
Lots more practice needed welding stainless. This might take a while. Material is too expensive to rush this. I will be purging the tubes for the final welds.