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Any helicopter pilots amongst us? The following video will make you want to take your anti-airsickness pills! Dave The Emerald Isle

Welcome to the forum. Would you like to give us your name and perhaps a part of Cornwall where you live? Re your stuck chuck. I assume that it is held by a drawbar. What form is the drawbar? A rod that is screwed into the chuck at one end and a nut at the head? If in the vertical head...

As ever, depends on what you want to use your machines for. Provided your projects will fit within the capabilities of the machines, they should do very well for you. No doubt when you have got your machines installed you will want to make 'improvements' to them. Here are a couple of links to...

The new owners of Stuart Models are the Bridport Foundry. They do their own castings. Don't judge their products on the evidence of just one part. Let's hear from another purchaser of the latest castings for more information. Dave The Emerald Isle

Farmer Brown would be very proud of your work on his castings! Dave The Emerald Isle

The engine is now complete and has been painted. The important bit: does it work. Unfortunately the answer at the moment is No, but I have high hopes it will in the future because it does seem to want to go. The displacer con rod needed a bit of tweaking to remove friction. I have...

While I agree with what you wrote - and I also use a 4 jaw SC chuck, the OP is looking for advice on holding cylinders and eccentrics, i.e. irregular shaped objects. In this case it has to be a 4 jaw independent chuck that he should consider. To Bob, yes a 4 jaw SC chuck is adjusted in the...

Ball Joints These are the last two pieces to be made. MB used a form tool to make his ball joints. I used a ball turning tool for mine. And this is how they turned out. Crankshaft end ball fitted. Dave The Emerald Isle

Displacer con rod The drawings did not give a straight length of rod required, although all dimensions of the rod as bent were there. I got some copper wire from a scrap piece of mains cable and bent it up as per the drawings to act as a template; when straightened out it came to just under...

MB must have updated his drawings, perhaps other builders noticed the problem. My drawings are Rev. A. Dave The Emerald Isle

I don't think so, Dave. The diameter of the hole in the piston extension is only 1.230" and the pin is drawn at 1.600" (or at least that's how I read it!) Anyway, shortening the pin worked for me and it hasn't fallen apart yet. Dave The Emerald Isle

Con rod Looking at the drawing for the con rod without watching the video, I would have tried to make it from one piece of brass. MB made his by using a piece of brass for the main part and the bearings at each end were made from bronze. I took the opportunity to copy his idea but by keeping...

It looks a knock off of a Swiss MultiFix system so quality should be OK. Depends on whether there is anything else you want for $400 + a bit more that you will spend for the extra toolholders. But then, if you have money to burn why not go for it - you obviously want one. Dave The Emerald Isle

Some cast iron machining coming up next, but before this I made up the small end bearing from steel as per MB and this was put on one side afterwards. Cylinder Liner I didn't have a long enough piece of cast iron to get the cylinder liner and piston from. I did have two suitable shorter...

Securing engine to base The holes in the base had previously been drilled. The engine was clamped to the base and using a transfer punch, the position of the screw holes in the cylinder standards were marked. Dismantling the engine, I put the cylinders in the machine vice on the mill and...

An interesting design; a bit more advanced than the tin can traction engine in the same issue! You showing your age with your username! Dave The Emerald Isle

One tip to prevent solder going where it shouldn't: Before fluxing, rub the places where you don't want the solder to run with an ordinary lead pencil (the softer the lead the better). The solvent based Tippex also works (don't know about the water based stuff). Dave The Emerald Isle

Trial assembly Next job that to be done is to secure the two cylinders and frame together. MB relied on measurements to drill/tap the holes in the cylinders, and used a stack of washers to measure the height of the engine frame above the transfer cylinder. At the time of watching his video I...

I have seen a lot worse castings than that. At least the main shape looks OK. Think positively and say to yourself that the founders have wasted all that extra metal and you still only paid the normal price! Just get a belt sander to the flashing and get as much off as possible before you get...

Aluminium is not the best material for a displacer because of rapid heat transfer. Stainless steel is a much better option, even mild steel can be used. What Tornitore45 suggests is good, but make sure you use hard silver solder (55% or similar) for your joints. Dave The Emerald Isle