Lister Engines > Lister Based Generators

Making a frame for a generator

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quinnf:
Clay,

Ever stood by a train track as a freight train is approaching?  The high frequency mechanical noise will telegraph through a pure steel frame just like the oncoming locomotive can be heard approaching through the rails.  Yes, vibration damping is a big reason to use wood, although if you're going to be bolting the engine down to a concrete pad, then the wood isn't really necessary since the vibration will be transferred to concrete.  Railroad ties work well, too.  Anything heavy but not likely to "ring" like steel would work.  Another possibliity I haven't tried, but expect would work well is to sandwich a piece of blown out truck tire tread between the engine and the steel frame.  That should damp a LOT of high frequency vibration.  In that case, wood probably wouldn't buy you much over the steel frame.  Just have to make sure the engine can't rock back and forth.  The engine sits on only a 13" square, and those flywheels offer a heck of a lot of inertial resistance to that big piston going up and down.

Quinn

Clay:
I'd guess I could bolt it through metal frame and 6x6 to the concrete. Shouldn't be too hard.

As you can tell, I haven't even fired the engine up yet. I figured I had better bolt it up to some thing before I start it up, but I'm getting pretty anxious. Plus, I have 50 other projects to finish up as well.

hotater:
I like the idea of bolting through wood into concrete.  Thats' how I mounted a MP pump and it's plumb solid.  I also placed a metal plate on top to shield the wood from the invariable fuel drips and oil spills.

quinnf:
Yeah, I haven't had my coffee yet, but some things become clear when you're reading them a second time.  I think Jack's right.  You bolt wood between the engine and concrete and a lot of vibration is absorbed and you gain a bit of flexibility in case the slab isn't dead level, which if I were the guy finishing it, it wouldn't be!   :-\

Bolting the engine or steel frame directly to the concrete might not give enough damping.  And speaking of damp, think about applying a layer of epoxy, roofing tar or Henry's roofing sealer between the wood and concrete.  If you're using untreated wood, and the ground is at all damp, you can end up with water wicking up through the concrete and slowly rotting the wood at the wood/concrete interface.  Pressure treated wood or good used railroad ties are another option.

Quinn

lgsracer:
I spent twenty years riding submarines. A sub has a lot of vibrating machinery to isolate from the hull and it gets done. l. Some of this machinery is quite heavy. Here are a couple of companies that sell isolation mounts that might work for a lister.

http://www.novibes.com/vibration/productinfo/index.asp

http://www.qontrol.com/Machinery.htm

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