Welcome, Simon, you will get a huge ammount of help as soon as you mention steam engines, what about the type with the oscillating cylinder for a start?

Simon

If you want to make a small stationary engine, what about the Muncaster's Simple Entablature Engine serialised in Model Engineer? Jason did a series of explanatory posts showing the method of producing each item.

**LINK**

It only needs one casting (the flywheel). I made it as my first model and found it interesting as a way to learn various techniques.

This is mine running on air:

**LINK**

Stuart

Welcome!

It will be a bit like riding a bike; you never forget completely, and little experience brings it all flooding back.

Buy a set of Zeus Charts, you will refer to them very often.

To remind yourself of the basic priciples and methods, read books like:

Ian Bradley "The Amateurs Workshop!

L H Sparey "The Amateurs Lathe"

Harold Hall or Neil Wyatt "Lathework" Two books by different authors, one more recent than the other.

Some of the "Workshop Practice Series" for more detailed info. on things like Drills, Taps and Dies. Buy one as the need arises.

Eventually, you will want to cut threads, other than with Taps and Dies, so there are books on this,, particularly on setting up changewheels for screwcutting.

Tubal Cain "The Model Engineers Handbook" An invaluable reference book, IMO

Bring back your early memories by doing simple work: Tool grinding, make a Centre Height Gauge, Tailstock Sliding Die Holder . (Pictures of commercial items will show one body into which various sizes holders can be fitted.) (I made a modified version to take Taps, as well. It is not fair to expect newly cut threads to drag along a Tap held in a drill chuck in a Tailstock. Fine threads will strip if you do this! ).

You might find a Mandrel Handle useful, at some future time.

All will bring more experience and confidence.

All will be useful, as learning tasks, and as tools for regular use.

Finding a local Model Engineering Club and joining will bring you into contact with like minds, and mines of information.

HTH

Howard

Hi, joining a club may be your best bet. Near you is Taunton model engineering. A bit thin on ground at the moment due to c19. But there are some members with lots of experience you can talk to.

Stan Bray (The founding Editor of M E W ) invited members of Peterborough S M E to view some of the models that he has made over the years,

It would be nice to be able to show them to a wider audience, in M E perhaps?

Howard.