Hi from HI

[xjs]

After lurking for a few months it's time to post, though what I've seen on this site so far has been equal parts inspiration and intimidation. Amazing stuff, but humbling.

After nearly a half-century of not even being in the same room as a machine tool I've been gripped by the need to get back to be making things out of metal. Been putting together a little hobby-shop in a rented space in midtown Honolulu (Korean church upstairs, low-rent bordello downstairs, artists' studios in between, perfect location), built a couple of benches, bought a Grizzly bench mill and a G4000 9x20 lathe. Have spent a couple of months trying to re-discover whatever machining chops I may ever have had, mainly in the cause of making a few Steve-Bedair-type mods to the lathe to make it serviceable. Have also completed a successful first build (a teeny "Tapper" stirling engine) and have just started on a brass-and-bronze V4 oscillating-cylinder steam engine. Enormous fun.

If I can ever figure out how to include a picture within one of these messages, I will do so.

 

[Tin Falcon]

sounds like your shop is in an interesting location to say the least.
welcome to the forum.
tin

 

[Herbiev]

Hi XJS. Welcome to the forum. We would love to see some pictures of your work space when you get a minute. Great introduction by the way.

 

[xjs]

Thanks, Herbiev. I'll get a shop-shot or two tomorrow to post. Meanwhile I'm still wrestling with the protocol of posting any pic at all. This post is by way of experiment...if successful it will include a shot of the afore-mentioned stirling engine just after its maiden run. If not, not.

[/IMG]

 

[xjs]

Ahhh..THERE we go!!

 

[AussieJimG]

Congratulations xjs on getting the photo up. And on the beautiful engine. Welcome to the forum.

Jim

 

[compspecial]

Hello XJS, and a warm welcome to the forum. Beautiful model too by the way!
Stew.

 

[gus]

Welcome XJS.
Honolulu has changed so much since 1977. Used to stop by on the way to mainland USA for meetings every year
since 1977. Been to all the oultying islands------Maui,Big Island Hawaii,Kawaii and Molakaii.Lovely islands.
Too bad no time fish at Kona. Went to a dis-used sugar mill. Huge Sugar presses and huge three storey high flywheels.Every thing is steam powered even the power plant.Pearl Harbour was quite a real story.Just cannot imagine,it happened.

 

[xjs]

Thanks for the warm welcome and the nice comments.

Gus, you're right, Honolulu has changed profoundly since 1977 -- greatly, even, since I got here in '99 -- though it still is a fascinating place, in lots of different ways. And I understand the fishing is still first-rate.

Herbie, here are a couple of hastily-taken shots of my Little Shop of Horrors -- nothing spectacular, but a source of great comfort and amusement, whenever I'm able to get there.

A Grizzly mill-drill with a power-feed add-on, a 4x6 cut-off bandsaw, a fridge for the beer, a wooden box full of things for measuring other things...

...a Grizzly G4000 9x20 (next anticipated mod: a variable-speed DC motor), and a little area reseved for electronics.

As previously mentioned I'm currently taking a fling at Mr. Gunnarson's V4 oscillating-cylinder steam engine. Whether it's destined for eternal glory or the scrap-heap it's too early to tell, but either way I'm determined to start recording its gestation on the "Works in Progress" forum, starting in the next few days. (With great trepidation I might add -- this site seems rife with wizards who can design, build and test a gas turbine in between meals. I am in awe).

All best,

Michael

 

[Herbiev]

Thanks for the pics Michael. That is one very neat well laid out work space. Looking forward to your "work in progress" shots. Regards Honolulu changing, I spent a few days there in 1980 and just loved the laid back friendly nature of the people. I sure hope that has not changed. I just loved the place

 

[gus]

Hi Mike,
Looks like you going big time.New Lathe,Mill,Band Saw,Work Bench and the Tool Maker's Chest. I really covet that Chest. Where could I buy one? arceurotrade.com won't ship to Singapore. My carpentry skill is not the best. DIY chest may not come up to mark.
Just a joke.Here is foto of my energy free Power Saw. Planning to buy a real Band Saw. Currently some Charity/Sharity is draining my budget.Everytime I have a big piece to saw,I procrastinate.
Found time to DIY an arbor for slitting saw which helped cutting down end milling time for some work.

Best Regards,

Gus.

 

[xjs]

Aloha Gus --

It's challenging enough to get gear and materials shipped to Hawaii, but Singapore must be in another league entirely! I'd put off getting a cutoff saw until quite recently but finally had to either bite the bullet on shipping or resign myself to never using anything larger than 1" diameter stock. I bit the bullet, and haven't regretted it for a moment.

Love your slitting saw setup.

The chest is actually from Grizzly.com, and I'm well pleased with it. The hardware's a bit cheesy, but the woodcraft is nice. It was the first thing I bought...while the shop was still in the dream stage I kept the chest in my dayjob office while slowly filling it with mics and dial gauges and calipers and parallels and such. Buying these necessaries a little bit at a time kept the dream alive while I was searching for a suitable space (another thing hard to come by in midtown Honolulu); also, every dollar spent this way was another reason not to turn back.

What do you use for machinery, Gus?

m

 

[gus]

Aloha Gus --

It's challenging enough to get gear and materials shipped to Hawaii, but Singapore must be in another league entirely! I'd put off getting a cutoff saw until quite recently but finally had to either bite the bullet on shipping or resign myself to never using anything larger than 1" diameter stock. I bit the bullet, and haven't regretted it for a moment.

Love your slitting saw setup.

The chest is actually from Grizzly.com, and I'm well pleased with it. The hardware's a bit cheesy, but the woodcraft is nice. It was the first thing I bought...while the shop was still in the dream stage I kept the chest in my dayjob office while slowly filling it with mics and dial gauges and calipers and parallels and such. Buying these necessaries a little bit at a time kept the dream alive while I was searching for a suitable space (another thing hard to come by in midtown Honolulu); also, every dollar spent this way was another reason not to turn back.

What do you use for machinery, Gus?

m

Hi XJS
I built simple mini steam engine plants and slide valve steam engines.
Went on to build slightly complicated engines.With only a balcony to site the mini Japanese Lathe and a Japanese Vertical,I very short of working space.
However with smart planning,may have space to put in mini band saw.
I come from an industrial neighbourhood which has all the tradesmen.Foundries,boiler shops,machineshops,blacksmith etc. Ran a factory in Singapore for Ingersoll-Rand USA with a full compliment of machine tools.I missed the Leblonde Precision Lathes,Bridgeport Mill and Okamoto Surface Grinder plus all the air receiver production machines I designed and built.

My latest build was a Glow Engine I.C.Engine.See foto.
Thanks for address,will go in Grizzly to look for the tool chest.
This weekend is fishing again with friends in my Albin 28.Fishing here is very erratic from very good to very bad.Missed Kona Fishing and Honolulu dorado fishing.

Will be in Southern China where end mill cutters sell at a dime a dozen.Quality is not to bad. Precision Toolmakers Vices is a steel.Speaking the same local dialect sure helped.


Mahalo,
Gus.

 

[Tin Falcon]

Micheal: thanks for the shop photos. It is great that you fought through the obstacles and set up shop.
I am fortunate I live in the north east. Terrible winter weather some days/years but relatively close to machine and metal suppliers. An hours drive to some places a five hour drive to grizzly. my shop is scattered about the house basement and garage.
I have some of the same tools from grizzly a 9x20 an x-2 mill some other tools as well.
I purchased one of the grizzly tool boxes for my son for Christmas several years ago. I was hoping it would inspire him. he has the box and a few tools but does not machine much.

I never made it to mid town Honolulu my did have the pleasure of visiting the Island almost 20 years ago. I went on a two week training back fill mission to Hickam AFB with my Air National guard unit. I was one of two people in the unit assigned a vehicle the other guy was the company commander. I drove to wheeler Field for work each day. On the weekends I handed the keys over to one of the NCOs and spent the time with a buddy of mine station across the island at the Marine base. IIRC the island was pretty much either crowded with houses or wide open spaces either pineapple fields or public land not a lot in between. I enjoyed the place, hiking , swimming in Hanama Bay visiting pearl harbor etc. a nice place to visit.
Unfortunately my buddy was burned out from playing tour guide. Being stationed in HI the parents ,in-laws , brother & Family , etc had all come to visit.
So when it came time to visit pearl harbor I was on my own. I did get use of his second car and directions so no real complaints. I was well taken care of.

The internet is a wonderful thing. We have the ability to help and communicate with people half way around the globe.
Tin

 

[gus]

Hi Tin
Are you living around the Finger Lakes. Nice Wineries.Good wines.Nice countryside. Did my attachement at Painted Post.
Got lost at Elmira. Elmira has two airports.Gus went to the wrong airport.That was in 1977.

 

[Tin Falcon]

Gus I am in southern (down) New Jersey. About an hour from Philadelphia and Atlantic city. 3 or so hours from Washington DC and NYC.
I do a fair amount of work in the Philadelphia area.
I used to be within walking distance of just about anything I needed plumbing supply , hardware store , food store. restaurants. many are still there the hardware store closed and the pluming supply moved . then in a mile the other direction great country roads for bicycling. There was A time I would ride 20 plus miles for fun before church on Sunday. the community lake is dry as the dam broke in a severe storm . IIRC there is litigation between the county and contractor that built the dam fighting who will pay for the repairs.
The boat ramp on the little river is just down the street and across the river.
and I am not real far from the Delaware bay Fortescue used to be know as the weak fish capitol of the world.
I am not a big fisherman but when I was a kid we would go out on one of the head boats once or twice a year. You would come home with fish . sometime big sometime little and sometimes lots of them. blues, fluke, weakfish croakers, sea robin . a Little bit of everything in the bay. I even won the pool on one trip.

So that is a little about where i live.
Tin

 

[xjs]

Aloha gentlemen --

Gus, that's one fearsome-looking glo-plug! Difficult to get an accurate idea of scale, but it looks much beefier than anything I ever dared to put in an airplane back in the day! Your own design, yes? Very interesting to hear about your industrial background in Singapore. I've just been there once, not long enough to get a feel for the plant life.

Tin, I'm envious of your access to basic supplies...speedymetals.com and the like offer pretty good service, but the price of everything gets doubled (at least) by the shipping. I know what you mean about the winters, though; I've lived at various times in Detroit and NYC, and I'm from London originally...Honolulu mo betta in January. I'm glad you have such good associations with Hawaii, and especially that you made it to Pearl Harbor. The Arizona Memorial is one of the most poetic and moving memorials in the world, for my money.

Below is a shot of my current toy-in-making, the Gunnarson V-4 I mentioned. The original design is in metric, a language not much spoken here in the islands, so I'm converting to Imperial by substituting 1/16th of an inch each time I see a millimeter. This will make the engine about 60% larger than the original, which is just as well, because I'm less likely to mislay the parts. It's coming along slowly, of course, and the basic framework shown below is the Story So Far. Your sharp eyes will doubtless notice the solder-circle around the center hole in the top of the reversing-valve block -- an exercise in Mistake-Rectification (a hole overbored for no reason other than feeble-mindedness)

michael

 

[Tin Falcon]

Micheal: nice looking project. once the valve is in place no one will ever see your exercise in repairing metal.

Being in the national guard was great for me. I earned two associate degrees one in metals technology and one in aircraft maintenance. only a few trips but all excellent ones. besides Hickam I was able to get to Florida a couple times . Texas and RAF Upper Heyford an hour out of London so was able to visit London and Oxford.
I finality got to visit valley forge this past summer one place I had never taken time to visit. I find the place relaxing. I want to take my bicycle there some time.
Tin