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Peter, The picture shown is from the Bonelle tool and cutter grinder wheel spindle, and shows how it uses a spring effect to ensure that the preload is always present. There are lots of methods to do the same job, you need to find one that is easy for you to make. Some simple ones just use thin...

Datos, Mine was the same RF25 as Frazer above and in my mind, those mill drills with a round column, for such a low cost, bring large mill capabilities within the reach of a lot of the cash strapped model engineers. All they need is a little understanding of what happens when you move something...

My first mill was a round column Rong Fu one, and that lasted me for years, there was nothing that it couldn't do, with a bit of forwards planning and ingenuity. It isn't tramming that you have to worry about but when you move the head up or down you lose position on what you had bolted to the...

After watching and reading your previous post, I was going to suggest exactly the same as Charles, all his suggestions are spot on, plus, you should be working to tenths rather than thous, plus I see you have tried both directions of lathe rotation. Here is a little diagram that describes the...

Jan Ridders has a nice compact Atkinson, and just an email to him will get you the full set of plans http://ridders.nu/Webpaginas/pagina_atkinson_mk3/atkinson_mk3_frameset.htm John

Lovely well engineered display. Keep up the good work John

They reckon angular contact bearings are the best ones to use and preload them. If you are going to use those bearings you have, then make a spacer tube the exact distance between the inside bearing surfaces, then you can slightly preload them so they don't move in and out as the bearings warm...

Hi Andrew, just a comment about wheel speed. I used to use my TG a lot, and looking at your setup, you will not be reaching the speeds required for grinding correctly, especially internal surfaces. I have twin sheaves on mine, for internal and external, and both increase the speed from the...

S, I used to apologise for having such great machinery with all the bells and whistles, just remember, they were paid for by someone else and most of the tooling came from selling or repairing small steam engines. I used to get around that tooling by showing or explaining how to do things...

Things can get very difficult when choices are put in front of you. But, download my 'book' and read it, it might give you an insight in what you want to do. http://www.machinistblog.com/bogstandards-paddleduck-engine-plans/ With regards to the V- twin. I used to restore a fair amount of...

Fraser, That engine you built looks very similar to the piston valve engine that I designed and built many moons ago while on Paddleducks, hence the name of the engine. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gTuET23TkaI It wasn't made to go into anything particular, just an exercise in showing how...

Once you go for an in line twin with a cylinder block you are then into either a slide valve or piston valve. For a slide valve you change over mechanically to obtain fwds/rev and involves an extra servo to operate (3 channels). Piston valve can operate very similar to an oscillator, but does...

S, If you go down the commercial route for a boiler and engine I am sure you will take a sharp intake of breath, that is why a lot of us build, or used to build a lot of our own steam plants. This is the one I bought many years ago...

For the motor, you are better off going with an oscillator as they usually have a control valve on them, giving you fwds/rev and rudder control with just a two channel set. Once you start to go for other twin cylinder ones with one that controls not the steam inlet but changes the timing on the...

Puffin Muffin plans https://www.sarikhobbies.com/product/puffing-muffin-mm1405-steam-launch-plan/ Build https://www.tapatalk.com/groups/modelsteam/puffin-muffin-show-and-tell-and-first-post-t81227.html John

Fraser, I don't want to distract from Shipdisturber's inquiry unless what I am showing might help a little. I don't have the room in my shop for making anything large, despite people coming over in the next month to help me clear it out so that I can get back to model engineering. I am with...

It was actually fitted with a Cheddar Puffin plant, which I still have somewhere in my shop, working perfectly (the engine that is), the boiler, after so many years I doubt would stand up to good scrutiny as it must be about 25 years old. If I was to make one now it would be based around the...

The main reason I stated larger is otherwise your sailing year can easily be shortened by the weather. With a small steamer, even a fairly small chop on the water can be very unforgiving, and I have seen a couple turn turtle. My last steamer had a strong bow and was fairly heavy, being clad in...

Three feet seems a little short, add another foot and you will be getting into the realms of easily made steam engines of about 1/4" to 3/8" bore twin cylinder, which would be more than ample for a 4ft boat. Remember, you will have to fit in a fairly large boiler and an engine a few inches...

Al, If you are using WD40 for aluminium most of the time, then paraffin (kerosene) is a lot cheaper and works just as well, in fact better sometimes than WD.. John