Motor, Chain, and Crank Shaft
The video shows the motor turning the chain and the crank shaft. Some of the parts in the video are not quite finished but I really wanted to see if it all worked together ok. Actually, when I put it together like this, the chain had too much slack in it and I had to elongate the motor mounting holes to make it adjustable.
I am taking a break from this work to slow down my band saw. I have an old Bodine motor with a gearbox on it and with a 6:1 reduction, the band saw should run at just the right speed for cutting steel. I can cut steel now but I go through blades pretty quick, and at $22 per blade, it’s not a cheap way to do things. Slower will be better. My dad is making me a shaft extender that also enlarges the motor output shaft to the 13mm needed for the Ryobi drive belt pulley. I need the size change as well as the longer shaft, so a part that simply slides onto the existing motor shaft was the cheapest and most useful choice.
I plan on making another crank shaft. This one got a little bent up during the brazing process and cleaning the brass off the connecting rod journal left them a little rough and not quite round. At the speeds this will go, it would work for a long time before wearing into bearing, but it’s still not as good as I would like.