The new year

[Tin Falcon]

So what are your hopes dreams and goals for the new year.
I am planning on converting the sieg x2 to CNC.
I have been dreaming of starting a Model engineering 4H club
and maybe finish a few engines.
Tin

 

[artrans]

I hope to still have a business in this bad down turn. I also hope to build a few engines and learn some kind of cad program. That cad stuff makes you fell like a loser. Thats some of my hopes and dreams but we shall see.

 

[cfellows]

My new year is pretty well laid out for me. I will be retiring at the end of May, selling my house in Arizona and moving to Austin, TX (not my idea, but SWMBO has grandchildren there... need I say more). The house will go on the market soon after the first of the year and, of course there's a ton of things to do to get it ready. I want to build a rolling tool storage cabinet for under my lathe and add some drawers to some of my other shop furniture in prep for the move. Hopefully I can finish the opposed 4 cylinder engine I just started before I have to pack up my tools and put them in storage.

Chuck

 

[shred]

Hi Chuck, There's a few of us metal nuts in Austin; we'd love to see some of your work in person.

My goals are to reclaim some shop space-- move out a couple machines I don't use anymore and move in some more organization of the junk piles.

 

[Kludge]

Hmmm ... goals for the new year ...

Get to actually building rather than the combined tool gathering & "sit 'n stare" mode.

Engine of the Month for no less than 6 months running.

A live-in companion (kind of a SWMBO but different) of the decidedly photogenic sort.

Having that companion adept in machining.

And other things. ;D

Getting a good start on if not completing the photo setups for my book. (With that, being able to fill in some holes in what I have documented.)

More happy tears from Noelle.

Discovering what 42 actually is the answer to.

The lathe upgrade that I'm sure everyone's pretty tired of hearing about by now.

Getting a boat (even if it means giving up the kayaks).

I'm sure there are others but the meds are kicking in.

Best regards,

Kludge

 

[Paula]

Like Art, I'm a bit apprehensive about the economy, but I'll take each new day as it comes.

Hobby-wise, here's what I'm planning for 2009:

• A shop expansion: "moving" an existing basement partition, which will increase the size of my shop by approximately 50 per-cent(!)
• Machining a T-slotted cross-slide for my South Bend lathe
• In the same vein... machining a T-slotted face plate for the lathe
• Making some additional tool holders for my home-made QC toolpost
• Finish painting/assembling the South Bend dividing centers I'm restoring
• Build a new stand for my SX3 mill
• Build the Thompson engine -- possibly a "Work In Progress" feature(?)

Now, what about February...

Paula

 

[Mainer]

I'd like to Organize The Shop. (This is probably hopeless ;D )

As an excuse to avoid having to Organize The Shop, I hope I'll find the time to finish the "Unicorn" steam engine I'm working on.

 

[Maryak]

Build the Thompson engine -- possibly a "Work In Progress" feature(?)

Yes Please.

Best Regards & Happy New Year
Bob

 

[Brian Rupnow]

Hopefully---Get another engineering contract (Sooner is Better)!! Do some more testing and developing of the flyball governor .(Bigger balls, lower optimum speed?)---Finish up the Varying Load machine for my horizontal twin engine.---Make a video of it running and not use the term "Very Impressed"!!! Go to a number of steam fairs and exhibit said machines running. Endevor to do something nice for Chuck Foster, who sent me FREE brass balls for my flyball governor.--Oh yeah, did I mention Get another Engineering contract!!!---Learn how to just once, cut a single point thread on my lathe.---Be really bold and figure out how in Hell to use the indexing plate thingies with 47 million holes in them that came with my rotary table/indexing head.----Try and explain, succesfully, to anyone, exactly why I built a Slinky Machine----and , Oh Yeah, Get an engineering contract!!!---

 

[Andy_B]

Install DROs on my lathe and drill. ;D Continue my quest to understand Alibre CAD. :wall: Build a few engines and last but most importantly renew my contract with SWMBO :-* for another 51 years.

Have a great new year everyone.

Andy

 

[Propforward]

Well,

1) I want to get my lathe assembled and running

2) Complete the rebuild of my best buddies motorcycle

3) Refuse to take on any other projects so that.....

4) Start a model engine project (design picked out, raw material all purchased and ready)!

5) Hopefully make somethins worthy of being considered in Engine of the Month (this is likely the biggest stretch goal of them all, but aim high I reckon.)

6) Have a good time in general.

 

[kvom]

My shortterm goals:

1) Finish parts and assembly of my first engine
2) get 10ee lathe up and running
3) Pass final inspection on new garage and finish the upstairs
4) Finish one more term of vo-tech school class
5) Receive all parts for TB2 and TB3 and hopefully get running engines from them

Economy is worrisome as others have said. I will probably put off buying/installing the auto lift in the shop until things get a bit brighter. However, if I see a definct auto dealership selling its lifts I may jump on one.

 

[rake60]

I honestly don't have any personal ambitions for the new year.

I should set goal.
Quit smoking, don't drink so much and spend more time in the
hobby shop. None of those things will ever happen, so here is
MY new years wish...

I hope for a healthier and happier year for myself and all of my
friends who's last year wasn't the best. They know who they are
and understand what I'm saying.

Every day is a new beginning.
It is up to the individual as to where it goes from there.

Rick

 

[BobWarfield]

1) Get both my mill and lathe CNC conversions finished!

2) Find a way to radically increase my shop productivity. I get so little done!

3) Make my shop cleaner and more organized, so I can get it dirty again with lots of projects, and less organized with lots of acquisitions.

4) Learn some new metalworking skills.

5) Finally build the Texas Smoker I've been threatening that got me to take a welding class.

 

[Metal Mickey]

After reviewing the outcome of the first full year's model engineering objectives and new projects I would like to build I have come to the following plan. Some dates will read 2008 if they started life there.

The key for objectives:

f = Fowler
ic = internal combustion engine
t = tools
m = miscellaneous or unplanned projects
s = steam orientated projects


Objectives 2009

3f/2008 Blow down cock Not started
5f/2008 Bolt steam chest to Boiler Not started
1f/2009 Complete brass tender and fit Not started
----------------------------------------------------------

1t/2008 Ball turning tool To be completed
2t/2008 Tool grinding centre Not started
4t/2008 Manual handling system Not started
1t/2009 Tool post and holders for both lathes Not started
-------------------------------------------------------------

8m/2008 Myford ML7 Bench To be completed
9m/2008 Bar stock storage system Not started
11m/2008 Anodising system To be completed
1m/2009 Write Chess build article To be completed
------------------------------------------------------------------

1ic/2009 Build 4cyl Seal petrol engine Not started
2ic/2009 Start on 5cc Sparey diesel Not started
3ic/2009 Start on CAD V6 or 8 engine Not started
--------------------------------------------------------------------


1s/2009 Design in CAD, and build a 'Wobbler' Started CAD part


No doubt there will be many unplanned projects and the programme above
will be 'challenging' but thats how it should be, after all it is a hobby!

 

[lathe nut]

Well this year I hope not to buy any more lathes, not really, but to get my shop added on with an AC unit these summers in SW La. are murder, and hope to get some machines built built like you fellow do, going to start with the simple ones and will be where you fellow and Paula are for a few more years, but will not loose the goal set before, love this group hope are have a great year, health, wealth and wiser, thanks all, Lathe Nut

 

[cfellows]

Well this year I hope not to buy any more lathes, not really, but to get my shop added on with an AC unit these summers in SW La. are murder, and hope to get some machines built built like you fellow do, going to start with the simple ones and will be where you fellow and Paula are for a few more years, but will not loose the goal set before, love this group hope are have a great year, health, wealth and wiser, thanks all, Lathe Nut

I installed a 24000 BTU ductless mini-split unit in my Phoenix, AZ, 3 car garage and it works great. Even on the hottest Arizona days, it will pull the temperature down to 75 degrees in less than half an hour. They're easy to install, with the compressor sitting on the ground outside and the evaporator/cooling unit inside installed on a wall. Only two flexible copper tubes connect the indoor and outdoor units. Mine cost about $1300 including shipping from a company in Minnesota several years ago. I installed it myself. They come with a wireless remote control/thermostat which also includes a timer so you can set it to come on a designated number of hours later. You can also get them with a combination heat pump so they will also heat your shop in the winter.

Chuck

 

[Kludge]

Now y'see, guys, you need to live on the Hawaii coast where the temp rarely goes above 90 but there's always a fresh breeze blowing, and if it gets too hot there's always the ocean to cool off in. I don't have an air conditioner, just the natural breeze, a fan and the ocean. Even better, it works all year 'round.

Bwaaaahahahahaha ... I love being evil. ;D

Best regards,

Kludge

 

[rleete]

Yeah, but you pay more for beer. Ya gotta have priorities!

 

[lathe nut]

I would have to go with unit of its own, the shop is some distance for the house, did a machine job for my neighbor who installs AC units on his race car, I was telling him about adding on to the shop and putting in AC, he said he can get complete units with slight damage for under 600, he said that the next one is mine, I was hoping that the price of metal (Roofing) would start to come down soon?????????????
Kludge, I will stay here and fight the heat, me and sand don't even mix, meat not going to happen, I live about 50 miles from the Gulf Of Mexico, went there when I was younger several times, looks like you cannot get rid of the sand, I will stay high and dry, Lathe Nut