Hello from Somerset, UK.

[chrisv]

Thanks for accepting me. I am a relative beginner, live in Somerset UK, have a Myford M type lathe from 1944 and a small Amolco mill.
If I ever get past the stage of taking too much material off on the lathe I'd like to get on with a Stuart model engine kit I started some 30+ years ago.
I have the equipment but not yet the skills or confidence, so I'm practising by making small and simple workshop aids.
Is it time to say Happy New Year yet?
Cheers
Chris.

 

[ZebDog]

hi Chris welcome to the forum.
no its not to early happy new year.

 

[IanN]

Hello Chris, and Happy New Year!

I live just outside of Bath, so reasonably near to you.

By coincidence, I have a 1910 Drummond - which means our lathes have a grandmother- granddaughter relationship (all machines being female) and an Amoleco mounted on the cast bench base.

Father Christmas was kind enough to give me a set of castings for the Stuart S50 which is a project to be completed as a partnership between me and my five year old grandson. He has already assisted in the production of a small "oscillator" and steam plant. All the machining was done with me standing very close behind him with one hand hovering over the power switch and the other over whichever feed wheel he was using (I would recommend this experience for anyone over the age of 60 as a way of keeping your reactions sharp and as a test of your fear threshold). I did all the brazing as he got a bit bored holding the torch steady waiting for everything to come up to temperature

Please have a go at a Stuart model - there are excellent documentation / books / magazine articles available to step you through the processes and sequences, especially those written by Tubal Cain / T. D. Walshaw

Have fun,
Ian

 

[chrisv]

Hello Ian and Happy New Year to you too. Well I guess we have similar good taste in machinery...my Amolco is also on its cast stand. So far I have only used it to make up a couple of chuck keys, I started to make some more this morning. I must say I'm envious of your grandson as I am starting from scratch with regards model engineering. That said I trained as a Joiner and then furniture maker, then over the last 8 years or so have drifted into making Arts & Crafts movement lighting, so I know about and use BA threads and turn brass freehand on my wood lathe. I shall be 60 this year so wish to have another bash at the James Coombes I made a start on all those years ago. My interest came from my Uncle who introduced me to Steam and Victorian engineering, 4mm model railways were a hobby of mine as a kid. The model engineering interest has only resurfaced in the last 18 months or so, so I have a very steep learning curve ahead.
I'm in Frome yet Father Christmas managed to find me and delivered a Drummond Little Goliath, just for fun. I might ask for a Holtzapffel next year, but I won't hold my breath!

 

[GrahamJTaylor49]

Happy New Year to you all. I'm in a little town called Verwood in Dorset so not a million mile from all of you. At the moment i'm building a Stuart Turner Major Beam engine and having fun with the valve shaft bearings. Next time I decide to take a "skim" off the top of the bearing I must make sure that I have done the machine vice up properly. I now have to contact Stuart Models at Bridport to send me another pair of castings. Silly boy. Still if the weather is OK I might get to take the motorbike out and go and fetch them myself as they are only about 50 miles away. I look forward to hearing how you all get on with your models and I must now go and clean up the cat's vomit, all over my dressing gown and floor. Have a good new year and stay safe.
Regards,
Graham T.

 

[chrisv]

Hi Graham, well how kind of your cat to leave you that, always a great way to start the day, though anytime is not much appreciated here either. Yes Verwood isn't that far, though last year I thought it was in Norfolk so passed on something on eBay, I think it was a Drummond lathe, I only found out later when it had finished! So what lathe do you have to make a ST Major Beam engine on? Have you made many Stuart models? I bought my castings from Henley all those years ago, Ive heard much about the not so great castings they provide today, sad sign of the times I suppose, still its a shame. Thankfully work today on the mill went ok, Ive had several days in a row on the lathe where things have not worked out, I guess its part of the learning curve especially as I have not been taught.
Hope you get your castings ok and they are of the best quality,
cheers
Chris.

 

[chrisv]

hi Chris welcome to the forum.
no its not to early happy new year.

Hey Happy New Year to you too!

 

[Motorman1946]

Hi Chris - I am another Chris from Somerset, other side of Yeovil to you, so not too far from Frome either. When I can I am trying to complete a 3 cyl radial aero engine, I bought it 3/4 completed from a friend of a modelmaker who was selling it on behalf of his friends widow, his friend having gone up to that big shed in the sky about 6months earlier. As all I have completed so far is a sleeve valve engine that won't run and a small Southworth feed pump which has been awaiting my attention for many years whilst I sidetracked onto other projects, So I'm still learning too, and at my age it all takes time!

Happy New Year to all, hope it's an improvement on the last one!

Chris

 

[chrisv]

Hi Chris, I must say a radial aero engine sounds like it must be complicated...but good luck with it. As to the non runner, well at least you have completed an engine. After starting my James Coombes something like 35 years ago I ended up giving it away to my uncle who I thought might tackle it. This was at a time when I bought our house, had just got married and set up my self employed woodworking business, so lacked time. My uncle never did anything to it so around 18 months ago I asked and got it back, I'm hoping later this year I will start on it again.....here's hoping! Happy New Year,
Chris.

 

[DickG]

Happy New Year to you all. I'm in a little town called Verwood in Dorset so not a million mile from all of you. At the moment i'm building a Stuart Turner Major Beam engine and having fun with the valve shaft bearings. Next time I decide to take a "skim" off the top of the bearing I must make sure that I have done the machine vice up properly. I now have to contact Stuart Models at Bridport to send me another pair of castings. Silly boy. Still if the weather is OK I might get to take the motorbike out and go and fetch them myself as they are only about 50 miles away. I look forward to hearing how you all get on with your models and I must now go and clean up the cat's vomit, all over my dressing gown and floor. Have a good new year and stay safe.
Regards,
Graham T.

Graham, Not such small town, although we still say we are going to the village. I'm in Dewlands Road, opposite the common. What motorbike do you ride? I have a 1977 Honda 400/4 that I have had from new.

 

[GrahamJTaylor49]

Graham, Not such small town, although we still say we are going to the village. I'm in Dewlands Road, opposite the common. What motorbike do you ride? I have a 1977 Honda 400/4 that I have had from new.

Hi Dick,
You are right, not such a small town any more. Have lived in Verwood for about 30 years and it has grown at a rate
that you have to see to believe. I live in Woodlinken Drive, 49, and although I'm well over retirement age I'm still
working. The motorbike is a Yamaha Niken 850cc, the funny looking one with twin front wheels. Been riding since I was 15 and ain't going to stop. Give me a call on 07785-781781.

 

[GRAYHIL]

Hi All
I live in Brixham Devon and have been a model engineer since I was made redundant/retired in 2003, 2 years before I was 65. Indentured apprentice, shop floor machinist on big machines, work study , production control, planning etc.
I have a really well worn Colchester Master which I have converted to CNC and am currently working on a Harley Davidson motorbike engine featured elsewhere on this site.
Graham

 

[GrahamJTaylor49]

Hi Graham,
I have a Colchester Bantam 2000 which is about the same size as your Master. I would be interested in seeing how you
converted the machine to CNC.
I decided to bite the bullet and bought myself a new Yamaha Niken motorcycle. Got a great deal on the m/c. as the
dealer wanted to up his figures. Ex demonstrator but as I was the only person to have ridden it I was not worried and
Purchased the bike for £10,200 instead of the list price of £14,950. All we now need is some decent weather. Anyway,
I've now got to go and carry out some compressor receiver examinations, keeps the wolf from the door.
Regards,
Graham T.
Verwood, Dorset.

 

[GRAYHIL]

Graham T
The machine was used in the latter part of its life to grind concrete samples for testing (that is why its worn).
Fitted new ball screws to the cross slide and TOP SLIDE as I use the top slide for parallel turning as a lathe. The saddle is as normal and fitted with a Travi dial.
By taking off the tool post and fitting a vertical slide (with ball screw fitted) the machine can be used as a mill.
A rotary table can be fitted to the vertical slide.
There are 4 stepper motors fitted (cross slide, top slide, vertical side and rotary table) so I can have a 2 axis lathe or a 4 axis mill in about 5/10 mins. taken to swop things around.
The whole thing is controlled by an ancient windows xp (2008 I think) computer via a break out board TB6560 using Mach 3 software.
I also redraw all the parts using QCAD and create a bill of materials to gross up all the material requirements.
I will take some photos later and post them
Graham O

 

[GRAYHIL]

As promised
As a lathe (2AXIS), as a mill (3 AXIS), as a mill with rotary table(4 axis).
Graham O

 

[GrahamJTaylor49]

Hi Dick G,
What Number Dewlands Road ?
Regards,
Graham T.

 

[swood1]

Where are you getting your ball screws? I find good quality ones expensive.


Steve

 

[PSP]

My ML7, Amalco & Centec 2 live in Southwest Devon, sharing a garage with a 800 Tiger. Good to know there's a few like-minded people in this part of the world.
Andy

 

[GRAYHIL]

Steve
I goy mine off ebay about 12/15years ago (cheap ones) and they are still going strong.
Graham O

 

[DickG]

Hi Dick G,
What Number Dewlands Road ?
Regards,
Graham T.

“Graskop”. 76