bluzjamer

Any one figure out how to use a 18 or 19 volt cordless drill to start their Gas Engine?

dhal22

interesting.

ChuckW

I saw something made for this on an auction site once.It basically was a cup that you chucked up in the drill and it held a regular rubber starter insert. You could easily make something similar on your own and I'm sure the concept would work fine but with the low price of regular electric starters, they seems like a much easier route.

carrellh

Buy this http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin...?&I=LXFT92&P=0
and one of these http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin...SM&C=PCG&V=SUL
Use a bolt and some nuts to create a shaft to put into the drill

Some say it works great. Others say it doesn't work at all.

Gray Beard

My Feedback: (-1)

I fly with a couple of guys using the big cordless drills for starters. I have borrowed them a couple of times. These are set up with the large cones for starting gassers and work great. This has been brought up a couple of times on RCU and some people feel the pistol grip is a danger?? After using them a few times I can't see a problem unless your a person that shouldn't be allowed to use a screw driver or anything sharp?? They zing over my G-62 like it was a .40 glow!!

darrolair

Purchase a PVC end cap (size determined by user), I used a 2", put a 5/16" carriage bolt with a nylock nut in the center and tighten really tight. Fill the cap with a tapered look, like a regular starting cone, with silicone. Let dry, chuck it up in your favorite battery powered drill, and try starting your engine. If more silicone is needed, squeeze more into the PVC cap until you are happy. I used mine to start my Moki 1.8 many times. All items used were at the local hardware store.
Good luck,
Darrol

bluzjamer

Thanks so much, I have all these cordless drills sitting around doing nothing.
I never would have thought of this. Bravo!!!!!!!

jester_s1

The only issue with using a drill is that your wrist has very little strength in the direction needed for using a drill to start engines. That's why all RC starters are built to be gripped on the outside- your hand is much stronger that way so the chances of your getting hurt are smaller.

JohnBuckner

My Feedback: (1)

Forty, sixty sized glow planes are a very differant animal compared to large gassers. Most will tend to start the gassers with them tied down or with someone holding them and two hand the starter and this presents no problems.

However when used for the smaller glow airplanes its a fact many will one hand the starter with the other hand on the airplane. A pistol grip used in this manner is very much a hazard. with the ergonomics completely wrong.

John

OzMo

My Feedback: (3)

Some elecrtic drills won't have the RPMs for glow engines.

w8ye

My Feedback: (16)

The Sullivan "Hi Torq" turns 5400 rpm which i think is too fast

The Sullivan "Dynatron" turns 4800 rpm which seems just right

Even fast drills in the 3/8" size are 2400 and most of the 18V 1/2" drills are 1600 rpm

chuck l

My Feedback: (17)

A 9 or 12v cordless drill wouldn't have the poop start a decent sized gas engine, you need to be in the 18+ volt size. I think the 18+v drills are over 300in-lb of torque.

Chuck

bluzjamer

I appreciate the safety concern. Most drills can be put in a locked on position and can be held by the body instead of the pistol grip. I'm mostly an electric flyer and just bought a single gas trainer to see basically if it is still the same as it was back in the 70's. Inever used to have problems setting up for a landing with a gasser years ago , yet the electrics seem to be giving me a hard time. So the drill won't be getting a lot of use, and it will be at least 18 volts.

carrellh

Your first post asked about starting a "gas" engine, the latest mentions a "gas" trainer. The majority of trainers do not use gasoline burning engines.

Exactly what is it that you want to start? Gasoline power, or glow fuel?

JohnBuckner

My Feedback: (1)

Bluz if you do it with your glow powered trainer be aware that to use a pistol grip as a starter you must stand in front and keep both hands on the drill, do not try to hold the airplane with one hand and use the drill with the other. That is dangerous and its very difficult to align the axis of the prop shaft with the axis of the drill which causes the cones to fly off.

Doing it this way will require a helper to completely hold the airplane even tying down the airplane does not work well since you must push aginst the airplane with the starter and your helper must oppose this push.

So remember to use a pistol grip stand in front and use both hands on the starter, to attempt to hold the airplane with one hand and a pistol grip with the other is undeniably dangerous.

The eighteen volt drill battery packs are great and some around here are using the pack alone with a short wire to the conventional starter. That is another popular option.

John

Edwin

My Feedback: (2)

I use my dynatron to start up to 40cc. My milwakee 18v battery drill starts my G62s with no problems. I use a sullivan 3" starter cone with a grade 8 allen bolt. Never had any issues or wrist type of problems.
Edwin

foodstick

I have some small gas planes I could start with a 19.2 drill by myself...with the plane tied down...But it does feel dangerous on bigger planes...ALONE..

However if someone is helping you and you have both hands on the drill its not so bad..My drill did keep loosening up at the chuck though, since its turning backwards..Maybe one with a keyed chuck is better but my hand tighten one was a pain...

bigtim

My Feedback: (13)

a electric starter costs 20$ + a battery of your choice my cheapest 18V electric drill cost 150$ and I have a couple that are over 200$ that is just not sound economics.

this subject has been burnt out so many times do a search and you will find several threads covering mostly the negative aspects of using a electric drill for starting glow or gas engines.

just buying the cone is a waist of money to use a drill, drills also don't free wheel so your risking burning the drill up with the positive torque of a starting engine

Edwin

My Feedback: (2)

You are entitled to your opinion, I disagree. I use my battery drill for other jobs too. Using it on my G62s hasnt hurt it a bit. A $20 starter isnt going to start a G62.
Edwin

bluzjamer

Ok,
Look I'm mostly an electric guy that has broken down and bought a OS 50 powered trainer.
It is Nitro......sorry I have a habit calling all cumbustion engines as Gas powered.
I 've now lashed myself at least fifty times with a wet silicone fuel line. I have a slew of 18 volt B & D and Firestorm Drills from when I was working. They more or less sit around getting dusty. It would be nice to use them for something. You can lock them full on and hold them by the body. This motor starts very easy and seems like this would be a good idea. I know a purchased starter would not break the bank.
Don't say use a stick or a glove or...the dreaded bare finger......I lost the tip of my right forefinger starting a Fox Combat special back in the early 60's.

w8ye

My Feedback: (16)

I've bought several starters at flea market swap meets.

a Tower regular starter like new $5
Older Royal starter in nice shape $5 which I gave to my son-in-law
Sullivan Hi Torq with broken front cover $5 which I put new covers and cord on it. and it looks like new for $20 total
Sullivan Dynatron with bad battery box $15 which I put a new Sullivan cord on it. I disassembled the motor and the brushes were like new.
Sullivan Dynatron with a Miller 4:1 reduction and 3" cone unused for $80.

These were swap meet finds. I passed on the ones that were not good deals

carrellh

I'm definitely not a fan of using bare fingers. Some of our club members use a thick glove to start their big gasoline engines but very few hand start their glow engines.

I didn't think of Darrol's suggestion of using a PVC end cap filled with silicone caulk but it would be a very cheap way to try it. The Sullivan parts I mentioned would cost $20 or more.

If you try it, and it works:
I don't like the idea of locking the drill in the "on" position. Once the engine starts you have a drill to turn off before you can put it down and an airplane that you have to hold. Even with restraints it just seems a little dangerous.
Maybe you could modify the drill and attach a momentary switch somewhere that would make it convenient to operate like a hobby starter.

Carrell

darrolair

Also went to a Big Box store and purchased my off the wall brand 19.2 volt drill. It came with 2 battery packs, charger, carrying case, and assorted drill bits. Cost of drill $33.00. Cost of starter cone maybe $10.00. Cost of starting Moki 1.8 many many times, screwing deck screws, drilling holes, and twisting wires priceless. Not for everyone however.
Good luck,
Darrol

Thunderhawk09

I To Was Looking For Something To Be Able to Use A Cordless Or Even A Corded Drill Well I came up with a idea I Took A Holesaw Froma hardware storethe same size as the starter cup I Purchased from towerhobbies Took the hole saw and bored out two holes in a peice of of plywoodthis peiceneeds to be at least 1/2 inch the circle plug that sticks in the hole saw permantly for a mount base to mount the starter cup to make sure you find a hole saw that has the clean out slots running straight with saw and not at angle the reason is that once you mount the cup to the circle peice of wood you cut you slide the whole thing into the hole saw and put screws in through the clean outslots and make sure when puchasing the holesaw and arbor set the arbor needed to be the locking type to allow you to use this adapter in reverseand we wont be using the center bit that the hole sawarbor came withthe second peice you cut will be for a spare or to add a bare prop srarter tool For Safety to your model and you please grind off theteeth of holesaw once youhave cut your mounts Recomened gluing the mounts in as well if you need another starter cup size you can just get one more of the same holesaws you already setupthen you got a multi size starter kit all you have to do is change to holesaw or arbor by unlocking and unscewing them

I will post detailed pics in a few days the pic will tell you a little i cant starter cup part # and holesaw sizefor that cup we be posted with pics

jester_s1

Ok, figure up how much that rigged up drill cost you, both in parts and time, and decide if it's less than $50. (that's about what a used starter and new battery will cost) If you pay yourself say $15 an hour and spent 3 hours figuring it out, you've already lost money if you spent anything on it. Add in the cost of a couple of ruined spinners and maybe a broken homemade adapter to the bill since you're going to be using an untested tool that is bound to have a kink in the design. Now figure up how much it will cost to get a sprained wrist fixed and how much work you'll miss when that drill handle whips around on a flooded engine. When you step back and drop the perceived value of rigging up something yourself instead of just buying what you need you find that a dangerous cobbled together outfit is the most expensive starter you can ever buy.