The Brushes are two strips of thin phosphor bronze sheet, two and three-sixteenths inches long and nine thirty-seconds of an inch wide. They are illustrated in Figure 57. The block upon which they are mounted is hard fibre. It is one and five-eighths inches long and three-eighths of an inch square.
It may be possible to secure a flywheel for the engine from some old toy. It should be about three and one-half inches in diameter. A flywheel can be made out of sheet iron or steel by following the suggestion in Figure 58, which shows a wheel cut out of one-eighth inch sheet steel. It is given the appearance of having spokes by boring six three-quarter inch holes through the face as shown. The hole in the center of the wheel should be one-eighth of an inch in diameter. The wheel is slipped over the shaft and fastened in position by soldering.
The parts are now all ready to assemble into the complete engine. Mount the electromagnets in the frame and fasten the frame down to the wooden base so that one end of the frame comes practically flush with the left hand edge of the base. Fasten the bearing across the frame at right angles by a screw passing through the center hole in the bottom of the bearing through the hole A and into the base. The bottom of the bearing should be bent slightly so as to straddle the frame. The bearing should be secured and prevented from turning or twisting by two screws passed through the other two holes in the bottom Use round headed wood screws in mounting the bearing and the frame.
FIG. 56.—Showing the Armature, Armature Bearing and the Connection Rod.
The armature bearing should be mounted on the frame directly between the two electromagnets. Then place the armature in position by slipping a piece of one-sixteenth inch brass rod through the bearing holes and the hole in the lower part of the armature.
Solder the flywheel in position on the shaft and snap the latter into the bearings. Adjust the bearings so that the shaft will turn freely. The connecting rod should be slipped over the shaft before it is placed in the bearings. Fasten the other end of the connecting rod to the armature by means of a piece of one-sixteenth inch brass rod which passed through the small holes bored for that purpose. When the flywheel is spun with the fingers, the armature should move back and forth between the two electromagnets and almost, but not quite, touch the two magnet poles.
FIG. 57.—Details of the Brushes and Brush Holder.
All the moving parts should be fitted firmly together but be free enough so there is no unnecessary friction and so that the engine will continue to run for a few seconds when the flywheel is spun with the fingers.