Small block V8s aren’t really anything unusual, until you really start pushing the limits of small. We’re talking about a V8 engine with a displacement of about 0.11 cubic centimeters, which would be a 0.00011-liter engine, which is probably something they had in Europe for tax reasons. This tiny, tiny engine was made by a wildly talented (and patient) high school kid (well, he’s about to graduate) out of oak veneer, birch, and barbecue skewers. You need to see this.
The builder of the little wooden wonder has a YouTube channel called Generic Woodworking, and has built larger-scale wooden engines of remarkable complexity, but first let’s just look at this one with pistons that are dwarfed by a fingernail:
That’s amazing, right? There’s like, what, maybe a popsicle stick’s worth of wood in that whole thing? The fact that he’s actually repairing crankshaft lobes this small:
...is just mind-boggling. I’m pretty sure I pulled something that size out of my nose like 20 minutes ago.
This thing runs! In a Reddit thread he mentions that he uses dry lubricants which help keep it smooth, and friction heat doesn’t seem to be an issue surprisingly.
That’s one of his larger wooden engines, complete with timing chain, fan, supercharger, and working butterfly valves.
This is all such beautiful work, and there’s something so strangely satisfying about seeing these complex mechanisms rendered in wood instead of metal.
Great job, Generic Woodworker. I can’t wait to see what’s next.
(Thanks, T.Mike!)