I already posted this in the other roatry engines part but i figured it would get the most exposure on this part. I want to build a steam powered rotary engine for a school project. I thought it would be neat to make one of the side housings clear. I'm not sure what would work though. Maybe like a 3/4" sheet of glass or maybe a strong plastic that won't scratch to easily. Do any of you have any suggestions?



Thanks guys

plexi-glass...can't you buy sheets of it at home repair stores?



and I was thinking, you might could even buy a working model of the rotary engine (usually spins by electric motor) and modify it to run off steam

yeah listen to baldy hes a scienctist

A mad scientist, perhaps? :smirk:

very angry, actually :rant:

I did some searching on the models, and what I've found is a bunch of whole engine models, usuall about a foot in length. I don't think these would be good, because the detail of the inner workings might be too small to really see well. I have yet to find a model of just the roter, housing, and e-shaft. If I did find one, I'd probably buy it.

Look at my avatar Baldy..

That stingy kid. Momma needs to teach him to share.





but in case you were wondering, I'm not bald...I came up with that because my tires were, and it sounded clever https://www.nopistons.com/forums/pub...IR#>/dunno.gif

:squint: I don't think so Baldy...

yeah and u had owen wilson naked in ur avatar

EEEEWWWW Owen Wilson, is that the annoying white guy from Shanghai Noon..?

Sounds like acool project, maybe some people would acctually begin to understand what a rotary is intead of going "hmm...No pistons huh?" Take some pics of it if you do accomplish this.

Steam powered rotary engine.. sounds different..

It might be interesting to try it using a wood rotor, and plexiglass sides. You could just use a 13B rotor housing and stationary gear. That would be cool. Thick plexiglass walls so you can have side port intake drilled out of the plexiglass.



now I want to do it too. Hell, make it a steam powered two rotor, I like the wood rotors idea because they would absorb some of the moisture and keep it lubricated a bit.. and they wouldnt destroy the plexiglass. You could use the ring gears from 13b rotors and press them into the wood rotors, and pin them to them rotors too just like stock.





sounds like fun.

MAD MAD i say they ALL GONE MAD :werd: U NEED ALOT OF https://www.nopistons.com/forums/pub...IR#>/beer2.gif TO FIGURE IT OUT ...LOL..

if you used wood rotors that could soak up moisture, it would swell. and if you didn't have some sort of measure to allow expansion, it would get stuck. then once it dried, it would shrink, and warp.



but what's funny is that while I was on the toilet earlier today, I was thinking of making a wooden rotor, exact replica, just for kicks...weird

Good call....You would have to treat the wood but it still wouldn't help much. I would use plastic. The whole project seems hard though.

wha..? https://www.nopistons.com/forums/pub...IR#>/dunno.gif