Hi there, just introducing myself before I start asking the daft questions!

My name is Jon, and I've grown up doing small machining jobs with my Grandfather for as long as I can remember. I don't actually recall when I started using his Myford ML7 but I am told I was pretty small. Over the years it has been pressed into service helping with the manufacturing of parts for the cars we have rebuilt together, but I always wanted to do some proper live steam model engineering. His main interest is the practical applications of stirling engines (including one he designed as a solar powered irrigation engine for africa way before I was born). His eyesight has now got so poor that he recently gave me his lathe, which i have carefully transferred to my workshop. I don't have much in the way of tools but I'm slowly building up a collection, and he supplied me with a huge array of Myford accessories for most eventualities. My day job is in Aircraft Engineering, and in the past I've been lucky enough to work on a large array of experimental aircraft types. I've also worked in motorsport, again getting to play with lots of interesting toys. I've been very lucky.

I'm about to embark on my first project, and like many others I think I'm going to start with a Stuart engine (primarily because unlike most of the models available it actually fits my budget). I will try to make sure I scour the previously written posts before asking any daft questions; I'm currently carefully watching Keith Appletons videos on youtube and feel I've learned a lot already. My biggest challenge ahead is my lack of milling machine; I won't be able to fit one of those into my very modest workshop. Part of the reason for these projects is introducing my two kids (12 and 13) to machining, although they have made a few things themselves they have yet to embark on a serious project (the first thing my son made was a steering wheel boss for my GT6).

Thanks for reading, I look forward to enjoying the forum.

Jon.