Saturday, November 21, 2020

I've never been very interested in the hit or miss engines, so it's no surprise that I never heard of the Ironwood until now, but they have a interesting origin... they were high school projects funded by Henry Ford!

Ironwood engines were built by high school students in Ironwood, Michigan, between approximately 1918 and 1930. One source says Washburn HS, another says Roosevelt HS, yet another source says "The Manual Training School" - but all sources agree, Ironwood Michigan.

The students drew the design, built the patterns, poured the castings, machined the pieces and assembled the engines.

The student started his project by making drawings of the engine parts in the drafting class. Next, in the wood shop they built new or repaired existing mold patterns of the cast parts. Then during a course in foundry practice, all the engine castings, both iron and brass were made in the school foundry.

The machine work followed, including cutting the crankshaft from a solid plate and turning same, as well as hobbing the gears and even turning the bolts to mold the engine together. As it was completed, each part was stamped with the student’s initials and graded. When everything was finally done, the parts were assembled and painted and student then kept his handiwork to use about the home or farm.

 These were small hopper-cooled, hit-and-miss engines of around 1/2 hp to 3/4 hp. According to an article by John Preston in the October 1992 issue of GEM, approximately 200 of these engines were made. 

Only about a dozen are known of to the Gas Engine Magazine people who are focused on them.

There were two styles built by the students. Some of the similarities were flywheels, crankshaft, connecting rod, piston, spark advance and restart. They both used a buzz coil and battery. The other parts are completely different. 

Of the engine John Preston owns, he said, ‘I went to see a gas engine collector in Brooklyn, Michigan. While looking over his engines, I saw a small engine that I liked. Clinton told me it was an Ironwood engine and that he would sell it. 

After I got the engine home, I saw I was missing two parts of the governor. I found out that there was an Ironwood like mine in Ohio,  After contacting the owner, I found we could help each other by loaning each other parts to duplicate. I machined my parts and got the engine working good mechanically. Then I painted it green and made a battery box and cart for it.’

Leo Beauchamp made one in 1918. It was placed on the porch and ran his mother’s washing machine until she died in 1932. 

Leo then retrieved it and took it to his automotive electrical shop in Ironwood, where it sat until he died. His son then inherited it and it moved to Seattle, Washington. It was then given to Leo's nephew and returned it to Michigan. 

The nephew just used the comment function on some other article, but stated "  Leo Beauchamp's engine is green and I have it. I saw Leo, my Uncle in his shop on Aurora Street in Ironwood with the engine. When he died, it was given to his son in Seattle, Wa. When he died, it went to my father, Leo brother, who gave it to me. I still have it and runs."

So, I replied, SEND ME PHOTOS!

https://www.gasenginemagazine.com/old-iron-questions/ironwood-engine-blueprints-zmoz19djzhur/

https://www.gasenginemagazine.com/gas-engines/ironwood/

https://www.gasenginemagazine.com/gas-engines/the-ironwood-engine/

https://www.smokstak.com/forum/threads/ironwood-engine.95200/

2020 shows that the Corvette is the sports car of choice for the OPTIMA World Championship Autocross at Circuit of the Americas.... and no one entered a BMW, Mercedes, Jaguar, or Aston Martin. If those cars are such good sports cars, why doesn't anyone race them?

 Winner of the OPTIMA World Championship Autocross at Circuit of the Americas:Jeremy Swenson 2011 Chevrolet Corvette 

 2006 Mitsubishi Evo 
 2017 Acura NSX 
 2019 Tesla Model 3 
 2008 Honda S2000 
 2006 Mitsubishi Evo 
 2017 Chevrolet Corvette 
 2006 Chevrolet Corvette 
 2008 Chevrolet Corvette 
 2003 Chevrolet Corvette 
2003 Mitsubishi Evo 
 2000 Chevrolet Corvette 
 2006 Chevrolet Corvette 
 2009 Chevrolet Corvette 
 2002 Chevrolet Corvette 
 2017 Chevrolet Corvette 
 1987 Chevrolet Corvette 
 2002 Chevrolet Corvette 
 2002 Chevrolet Corvette 
 2003 Chevrolet Corvette 
 2008 Chevrolet Corvette 
 2006 Chevrolet Corvette 
 2016 Porsche GT3RS 
 2006 Mitsubishi Evo 
 1963 Chevrolet Corvette 
 2010 Chevrolet Corvette 
 1975 Datsun 280Z 
 2013 Lamborghini Gallardo 
 2018 Tesla Model 3 
 2002 Chevrolet Corvette 
 2001 Chevrolet Corvette 
 2008 Nissan 350Z 
 2006 Lotus Exige 
 2017 Ford Mustang 
 2015 Porsche 911 Turbo S 
 2006 Chevrolet Corvette 
 2004 Ford Mustang
 2002 Chevrolet Corvette 
 2002 Chevrolet Corvette 
 2020 Chevrolet Corvette 
 2015 Chevrolet Corvette
 2012 Chevrolet Corvette 
 1988 Pontiac Firebird 
 1970 Chevrolet Camaro 
 2014 Chevrolet Corvette 
 2018 Chevrolet Camaro 
 2001 Chevrolet Corvette 
 2008 Mitsubishi Evo 
 2015 Ford Mustang 
 2014 Porsche 991 Turbo 
 2017 Chevrolet Camaro 
2011 Chevrolet Corvette 
 2015 Chevrolet Corvette 
 2002 Chevrolet Corvette 
 1967 Chevrolet Camaro 
 2015 Subaru Impreza 
 1969 Chevrolet Camaro 
 1995 Chevrolet Corvette 
 2019 Telsa Model 3 
 2018 Chevrolet Camaro 
2010 Porsche Carerra 
2019 Chevrolet Corvette 
2004 Pontiac GTO 
1967 Chevrolet Camaro 
 1971 Buick GS 
 1987 Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS 
 1984 Chevrolet C10 
2002 Chevrolet Corvette 
 1996 Mazda Miata 
 2004 Pontiac Vibe 
 2019 Dodge Challenger 
 2019 Hyundai Veloster 
 1989 Chevrolet Corvette

there were 35 Corvettes, of 73 entries... that's close enough to say that the Corvette is the choice of half the drivers. 
Surprisingly, there was a Pontiac Vibe entered! 
There were 5 Mitsubishi Evo, only 3 Mustangs, three Teslas, three new Camaros, but 4 old Camaros

dealing with hail, in new, inexpensive, and effective ways. It seems to me, that a FAST way to get the car covered, and protected, with something small enough to store in the car, would be an inflatable king size mattress, with a quick connect that would be presto! Inlfated with a CO2 fire extinguisher, predesigned and tested for max effectiveness, and less than 60 seconds operation

















https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=1243692992678179&id=100011124693688&__cft__[0]=AZVOAzE5LwGNOP9RlFtbo1Th0Q5thaN0RhjwvwZG0o-mc2Qaa8ymGXK6ie7HF-jBswOiIA-LK__-TaUR8GWxDI9Mmshg7w0yMHw4ufe6D8kYsglasPM-w3wuMqW-Duq9dyrp2OZJXXGlwvdJMb7-fi37jGoXyCGr_zSpwuh4bbB4rQ&__tn__=%2CO*F

time lapse video (skip the first 45 seconds) of deconstructing a bridge, make in the 40s, with a cedar trunk 110 feet long, 6 feet in diameter, bucked into two 55 foot lengths and laid parallel on either side of Ellsworth Creek.

Removing this bridge was necessary for many reasons; the environmental benefits and, after over seven decades, its utility and integrity were eroding.

 Retiring this bridge from service supporting logging helps to once again recruit Ellsworth Creek into service supporting salmon.

 But its history, and remembrance, are important. Not only was the bridge used to haul logs and loggers for almost 80 years, it was a remnant and a reminder of the history of the Pacific Northwest

Removing the bridge, rebuilding the natural historic gradients, and decommissioning the road approaches unmake the human history and remake the natural history of Ellsworth Creek.

 The large diameter cedar that was used to make the bridge was returned to Ellsworth Creek in the form of a new log jam designed to foster salmon habitat. Given historic logging practices and “stream cleaning” activities from years past, it is unusual to be able to contribute wood of this size and type back into the system.

Teslas are now more expensive to recharge than it is to fuel an equivalent petrol-powered car – if you’re using the Tesla Supercharger network.

A recent price increase to use the fast-charging Tesla Superchargers and incorrect fuel figures on the Tesla website mean claims that recharging using a Supercharger is “less than the cost of petrol” are incorrect.

https://www.whichcar.com.au/car-news/teslas-now-more-expensive-to-charge-than-petrol-cars  via  https://ogdaa.blogspot.com/2020/11/oh-irony_20.html