Need ideas for re-purposing giant pistons

[Phishin]

At work, four giant diesel engines are being torn apart and taken to the scrap yard. These engines came out of old WWII submarines.

We used them as back up generators for our copper and nickel melting furnaces.

I'd like to take a piston or two and repurpose them into some sort of project. Anyone got any ideas? I'll probably put the new object into a fund raiser auction to raise money for a local charity.

Pistons are 12-14" across

 

[spasm3]

I'm thinking mancave endtables with a glass top!

 

[Chris142]

Mailbox stand. Let The punks try to smash that mailbox

 

[Phishin]

Pistons are about the size of 5 gallon buckets

 

[NMBurb02]

Originally Posted By: spasm3
I'm thinking mancave endtables with a glass top!

+1

I'd bid on them!

 

[SuperDave456]

Foot rest for your favorite chair or end table!

 

[yucca]

I have seen them as tables, bar-stools, benches etc. I would find some scrap to extend the length of the arms. Cut and weld into place. Find a few nice steel smaller tractor rims as a base. Polish up the piston assembly then mount an old steel tractor seat to the top. Shop or bar stools.

 

[Shannow]

What's that, around 800hp ?

We've got a 60+ year old sub engine still running for emergency power at work.

 

[morris]

yea table! but you cant clean it, it must stay dirty

 

[jdawg89]

Id keep the whole block,then make a wine holder outta that..and well the pistons...fill em with ice and put beer in them. Lol or one lucky dog coould have oone as a dogfood dish.

 

[jdawg89]

never mind the wineholder idea...I didn't look at the pic lol

 

[Trav]

Are those the connecting rods that don't use end caps?
I have heard about them but never seen one up close.

 

[FL_Rob]

Sell'em back to engine manufacturer and or rebuilder. You'd get at least scrap price,no?

 

[Phishin]

Originally Posted By: Shannow
What's that, around 800hp ?


1425HP at 700 RPM's.

Originally Posted By: Trav
Are those the connecting rods that don't use end caps?
I have heard about them but never seen one up close.


No end caps.

Originally Posted By: FL_Rob
Sell'em back to engine manufacturer and or rebuilder. You'd get at least scrap price,no?


No, No. My boss is just scraping these 4 engines. I could have 24 pistons and connecting rods for free. Pistons weigh 180 pounds...just the piston. Not sure about the connecting rod.

But my boss is real cool. He would just give them to me. So, I'm gonna take 'em. Just looking for ideas on how to use them. I like the bar stool idea. I think putting the top of the piston on the floor and attaching a seat to the bottom connecting rod would be the easiest/best idea so far. I'm not going to put a seat on top of the piston...and then have to fabricate a base, probably with wheels, etc.

Any more ideas?

 

[SwampSurvivor]

I'm so envious! I'd make a glass table with them. Barstools ... Night stands ... the possilities.

I've always wanted to make a V6/8 coffee table.

 

[Phishin]

If the pistons weigh 180 pounds (they are cast iron) the connecting rods gotta weight another 100 pounds. That's a 300 pound bar stool!!

I mean, do you all think this is a viable option?

If I do all this fabrication work and spend some money putting a cool seat onto the end of the connecting rod where it connects to the crank.....I don't want these things to sit around because "no one wants a 300 pound bar stool".

Yeah, they would be cool for me to have....but my boss is really hip to the idea that I'd be auctioning these off to raise money for a local shelter that houses and supports women and their children who are victims of domestic violence.

 

[AandPDan]

Some of the WWII submarine museums may be interested. I remember reading a while ago that some of them do run the engines occasionally for groups.

They could always use some parts (tax deduction)!

The Wisconsin Maritime Museum is looking for a fuel pump for example.

 

[Recalculating]

Jokingly..... Hang a couple under the ole EF Hutton Wall Street bull to get this economy going.

 

[Phishin]

Here is a new idea....

Putting the piston tops down on the floor and bolting a table top surface onto the ends of the connecting rods....basically making a cool garage shelf / low table.

Could make a ramp it would make a really cool motorcycle work bench.

 

[Doog]

Bar stools (black leather tops) with legs made from the con rods. Then a glass top coffee table made from 3 of them and 2 glass top end tables. Get them glass beaded so they are clean and look new as well.