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Have a look at the Long Island Indicator website, particularly this page here http://longislandindicator.com/p233.html on replacing indicator crystals. It goes through the many different ways bezels may be held on and removed etc. Might give you some ideas to try out. Otherwise, might be a...

If you can get a finish like that, sounds like your bearings are OK. But you might have a bell mouthed chuck or similar problem if you struggle to take a 40-50 thou cut in aluminium (presuming it is a free cutting alloy and not pure ally) without it coming loose. My old Drummond M-type, similar...

Sounds like gear cutting is all a bit academic at the moment if bearings are that shot. I like the sintered bronze bushing idea. If you want to melt white metal, a steel or cast iron pan on a gas stove will do the job. Much easier than digging your own coal out of the hillside and making a coke...

How would changing the diameter of the worm thread make any difference to the pitch? Whatever you set your change gear train to will be the pitch, regardless of whether you cut your thread 1" diameter or 6" diameter,surely? The helix angle will change with diameter but that makes no difference...

Dunno about HH's calculations. But as Norman Goldstar said, GH Thomas's book Workshop Techniques has all the exact info, right down to the change gear train, to machine a worm to mesh with Myford lathe gears. He includes full drawings for the Radford-style indexing attachment that engages with...

Before you worry about material costs, you need to figure the costs of a good lathe and milling machine required to build such an engine. Than add about half as much again for tooling and accessories to go with them. The couple blocks of aluminum and bits of steel needed to make the actual...

You will get a better result if you run the boiler at its correct working pressure, about 60psi for most Stuart boilers. Then don't open the valve fully but just crack it open partially. This will "wire draw" the steam, making it less prone to condensation as soon as it hits a cooler surface...

MRA, I just checked in the book Model Stationary and Marine Steam Engines by K N Harris. His beam engine GA drawing, which I blew up to about 400 per cent, shows the tie-down link the identical length as from the beam's main pivot to the beam's pin that the parallel motion link hangs downwards...

LOL, you seem to get them straighter freehand than I do with a jig!

Go to an auto air con workshop. they usually have a pile of dead compressors out the back they sell to the scrap metal merchant for a dollar a piece. Cut a couple open and have a look.

Norman, Yes Don Ashtons site is great. I finally got my head around Walschearts gear ( I think) on there. Must dig a bit further. Can't find beam engines there, yet. MRA, the site is http://www.donashton.co.uk/index.html

MRA, you would think the distance between centres on the tie down rod would need to be the same as teh distance from the centre pivot of the beam to the centre of the parallel motion link where it hangs from the main beam. That way, the curved path described by the link attached to the beam...

Nice job on the number stamping there. What did you use to get the numbers lined up and square? Tap n die set looks good for the price. Who did you buy them from? (I recently paid way more than that for a set of 1.2mm to 2.5mm tap and dies from Jaycar!)

Thanks Stew. I'll keep you posted on progress. Down to the fiddly bits now so have slowed down a bit.

That's good that you found the problem. I have found on these chattery little old lathes that doubling the angle of the side rake on the top surface of the tool, or even more, gives a very sharp "knife tool" a la Sparey and co, drastically reducingcutting forces, and vastly improving finish. As...

Your tool geometry in the top pic looks a bit out of kilter. Beside the too large radius, there appears to be a flat on the end of the tool, angling away from the corner radius. So cutting would be taking place on that farthest out point, instead on the very corner where your radius is. It would...

Isn't that a Grip-Tru chuck with those extra fine adjusting screws next to the chuck key holes? Very good score if it was. They are expensive even secondhand and very very handy to have.

Progress on our effort so far, with limited shed time. The lad's learning a lot. Thanks again for the drawings Stew. The flywheel is from an old steam valve handwheel that was kicking around. And had a few scraps of brass just the right size so decided to dress her up a bit. Will paint the...

Most model IC engines use a basic carburettor like engines did before ECUs and MAF sensors were invented. Building a four cylinder IC engine is a complex task. You might want to start with something a bit simpler, like an existing design for a model single cylinder engine or even a flame-licker...

She's looking real nice.