# Gas engine to run mill / lathe?



## RYAN S (Feb 26, 2020)

Just a random thought that I had last night while watching the latest news about the coronavirus. If things get way out of control for a long time and the electricity goes out, other than a large generator, most of our toys won’t work! Has anyone played around with the idea of a small gas engine on a mill or a lathe, or what the heck, converting a newer machine back to a line shaft?

Just some food for thought!

Ryan


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## projectnut (Feb 26, 2020)

It's quite common in Amish country.  When I was working in Iowa there were several Amish communities that had machine and wood working shops.  They had removed the electric motors from the machines and run them through a line shaft system powered by a stationary gasoline engine.


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## DangerZone (Feb 26, 2020)

Depending on your machine, I don't think it would be too tough to make work. But I'd have to say, if coronavirus caused power to go out for extended periods of time I think we're going to have more pressing needs than machining.


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## Downunder Bob (Feb 26, 2020)

Seems a bit pointless to remove the electric motor and replace it with an IC engine. It would be more realistic If they replaced it a steam engine or even a treadmill with a couple of horses on it.


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## DangerZone (Feb 26, 2020)

Downunder Bob said:


> Seems a bit pointless to remove the electric motor and replace it with an IC engine. It would be more realistic If they replaced it a steam engine or even a treadmill with a couple of horses on it.


From what little I know about steam, it would be safer and probably easier to convert a IC engine to a wood gassifer than a full on steam engine. 

The treadmill and a couple dogs might be a fun project though.


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## projectnut (Feb 26, 2020)

Downunder Bob said:


> Seems a bit pointless to remove the electric motor and replace it with an IC engine. It would be more realistic If they replaced it a steam engine or even a treadmill with a couple of horses on it.



I think part of it is the type of power sources a particular sect allows.  In addition the gas engines can run all day long with minimal supervision.  Steam engines on the other hand require regular monitoring, and in many locations licensed and certified operators.

In addition gas engine parts are far more readily available, and far less expensive.


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## Bi11Hudson (Feb 26, 2020)

I have long kept a "fallback" system available for extended loss of electricity. In my case, my primary is a gasoline generator, backed up by a PTO generator on my tractor, backed up by a lineshaft on that same PTO. The tractor is diesel and has a multiple speed output PTO.

In a really long term (months) outage, fuel for the generator and tractor won't be available. So once the 55 gallons of diesel runs out it's a no go there. The purpose of all this backup is to get wiggle room for the first few days or weeks. 

In an extended outage, there are many things that will take a higher priority than making or repairing power machines. Although I live in the "deep south", I still get cold. It's a side effect of the stroke(s). If I lived up north, it would be worse but doable. There is kerosene for heating and lamps. Propane for cooking and heat. But like the diesel, it *will run out*. In that (possible) extended outage, such fuel stores also provide a little wiggle room, just as the generators.

There is no long term "one size fits all" solution in such a situation. It is as much a mindset of the individual as much as having "survivalist" stores. My father grew up *before* the depression of the '30s. His mindset was passed on to my brother and me when we were children. Basically, we are hoarders. Nothing gets thrown out. Even a scrap of paper can be used to light the kerosene heater when the batteries run down. Scraps of wood from the wood shop get set aside under cover for kindling. Every person must make up their own mind as to what is important to them "if ~~~ ~~~ ~~~".

.


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## Radials (Feb 26, 2020)

I believe this discussion would be best sans the corona virus being the cause. Perhaps just going with an existence not reliant on power from the grid, and how it could be done. Bringing the CV into this really opens an entirely different discussion that seems a bit gut wrenching to gloss over the millions of deaths that have likely occurred for the power to be permanently out and trying to find a way it doesn't interfere with ones hobbies.


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## Downunder Bob (Feb 27, 2020)

Yes I realise that some sects allow this or that method of power, and don't allow others. I have traveled extensively throughout the US and Canada a few times, on our last trip we spent quite a bit of time in Amish, and other territories. We also visited many farms and co-op stores where they sold homemade goods. The hand rolled butter we got on a few occasions, would be the best butter I've ever tasted. 

But I was always a bit confused by their mixed use of machines. On a number of occasions we observed  a group of men operating an old style of combine harvester. It was designed to be pulled by a tractor and driven from a power takeoff. This was different, in front of the harvester was a diesel engine on a trailer powering the harvester, then the whole lot was pulled by a team of about 8 horses, and required about half a dozen men to operate it. seamed to us like a waste of power, men and money. They got a bit upset when they realised we were taking photos.


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## Downunder Bob (Feb 27, 2020)

Bi11 like you I'm fairly well prepared and backed up I have a petrol (gas) genny of 6.5 Kva which is enough to run the essential services of the house. It will even run my lathe and welding machine, but not together, but I can't do that either.the house is supplied with reticulated electricity, gas (natural) and water, we have the back up genny, and up to 22,000L of rain water if the town water fails, we also have bottled gas (BBQ) type that will run our camping cooking gear, and of course the BBQ. The only thing we don't have is guns, they are very hard to get and so is the ammunition, much harder than Canada. So the biggest problem is going to be food.


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## Bi11Hudson (Feb 28, 2020)

There was a post to the effect that we shouln't let the current scare out of China bias the conversation too much. I do agree with this thought, but it hasn't hit locally ... yet. I did find this article about Puerto Rico and the effects of their last storm. (hurricane, himacane, ?) Had a buddy in the '70s that flew with the Hurricane Hunters Connies. But, I digress~~~

The link about the PR troubles:








						This Is What Living in a 6 Month-Blackout Looks Like
					

On the night of September 20th 2017, a Category 5 hurricane slammed ashore the Puerto Rican islands. A torrent of Hellish 155-mph winds and biblical sea waters razed the island’s infrastructure in …




					freedom21.home.blog
				



.


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## JohnG (Feb 28, 2020)

The Amish have a requirement to "live separately" which is interpreted with degrees of strictness.  It starts with electricity and communications like telephone, radio, and the internet and goes on from there.
Equipment dealers I knew preferred to set them up with hydraulic motors on their machinery.  These were run off a gas or diesel powered pump.  It uses the same connections I've seen in punch press operations that prefer to run hydraulic rather than mechanical or pneumatic presses.  Once you have the power source, it's an economical, efficient, and flexible way to run multiple machines.
One plant I worked in over in the U.P. had been a steam powered sawmill until about 1950.  The boilers burned bark, scrap, and sawdust to power the saw, feedworks, and planer and heat the dry kilns.  The only electricity was the lights.  All that was left when I got there were massive boilers which still heated the buildings.  The boiler house was the warmest place imaginable on a really cold winter day.


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## epanzella (Feb 29, 2020)

No electricity you won't be buying gas. The IC motor will be a boat anchor. When we have a power failure I run my generator off my boat fuel tank but that only lasts a week if I use it sparingly.


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