Model Engineering Survey – What Do YOU make?

[SillyOldDufferModerator @sillyoldduffer]

This request aims to fill the knowledge gap between Martin Kyte’s “What is (Traditional)  Model Engineering” and Diogenes’ “Model Subjects that Inspire…”.

The Society of Model and Experimental Engineers is looking for ways to attract newcomers to the hobby, a problem  often discussed on the forum.    Part of the answer must lay in what it is that we, as individuals, are producing or otherwise enjoying at the moment.

Although a few forum members report what they’re doing, most don’t, me included.  And of course visitors never do!  From what I see, it’s clear the hobby is a broad church, and it’s changed over the years.   I suspect, that we, as a group, don’t really know what Model Engineering actually consists of.  And if we don’t know, how do we expect to sell the hobby to newcomers?

Be honest please: I have motorbike friend with an immaculate well-equipped workshop that he enjoys pottering in, without doing any actual work.  It’s allowed!   Likewise, no-shame if your main output is faulty parts, and nothing is ever finished.  Possible that kind of pleasurable learning is Model Engineering’s biggest attraction.

May I ask for input please, terse or as long as you want:

1. What’s your main interest?  (If any!  Steam Engines, Repair work, Railway, Experimental, Clocks, electro-mechanical, Instruments, Tools,  Learning, CAD, 3D-printing, supporting other hobbies etc.)
2. Are you working on a major project? If so what, and for how long?   (Building a steam loco can take decades)
3. What was the last project of any size that you actually completed?
4. What are you doing at the moment?
5. What do you plan to do next?
6. How many hours do you spend per week ‘doing’ in the workshop.
7. How many hours do you spend per week in Armchair mode – reading, planning, CAD etc.
8. Comments not covered by the above are welcome.

I’ll submit my own answers later.

Thanks in anticipation.

Dave

 

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

As I said in the other thread, it would be better to ask these newcommers what they may want to make which is unlikely to be what old duffers are making.

[SillyOldDufferModerator @sillyoldduffer]

What’s your main interest?   Experimental.
Are you working on a major project? If so what, and for how long?  An attempt to achieve the same accuracy as the best ever pendulum clock (Shortt), with modern materials and methods.   Basically, a moderately good pendulum clock, achieving high performance by compensating per beat for temperature, and pressure after analysing a large data set: rather than count mechanically compensated fixed periods, my clock counts ‘should have been periods’.   About 4 years work, currently stalled, awaiting several improvements including running the pendulum in a vacuum.

What was the last project of any size that you actually completed?  Last week.  A prototype WIFI access point with website allowing visitors to control a machine from their smart phones.  About 10 days work.

What are you doing at the moment?  Revising SolidEdge.  SE2024 arrived with many annoying changes.  I will post the novelty item used to develop skills later today.  A work in progress – I’ve messed up the Assembly, so although the CAD Model looks OK, the joints are wonky.

What do you plan to do next?  Investigate the possibility of making Duncan Webster’s locomotive valve simulator run in an HTML5 webpage.   Then reduce TODO list, and restart the main clock project.

How many hours do you spend per week ‘doing’ in the workshop.  Machine tool time zero due to illness.  Electronics/radio average about 1 hour per day breadboarding, and debugging with an oscilloscope etc.

How many hours do you spend per week in Armchair mode – reading, planning, CAD etc.   Perhaps 5 hours per day.  Varies wildly due to other commitments and illness – reluctantly, I shall be forced back to bed this afternoon, when I want to work on my Solid Edge skills (lack off).

[JasonB]

On JasonB Said:

As I said in the other thread, it would be better to ask these newcommers what they may want to make which is unlikely to be what old duffers are making.

Is it me or you Jason?   I try to be clear, did I not ask “if we don’t know, how do we expect to sell the hobby to newcomers?”

I don’t expect to change Model Engineering to suit teenagers, but I do believe we can attract them with some of what we do.  Your engines are a good advertisement, which will be unfortunate if the majority of Model Engineers turn out to be devoted to polishing their Whitworth spanners!

If Model Engineering is to survive, I suggest we have to do everything in our power to get new blood in.  That includes looking at what people are doing, with a view to selling the hobby by highlighting their exciting achievements.   I’m hoping to get answers from the silent majority, and even knowing why “old duffers” are Model Engineers has value.

“what are the youth interested in?”, and “who becomes a model engineer” are being looked at too.

Dave

[duncan webster 1Participant @duncanwebster1]

What have I made? Steam locos, battery loco, rolling stock, clocks, fairground organ, stationary engines (steam and IC), and where absolutely necessary, workshop tooling. I wouldn’t dream of making a tap wrench unless a bought one wouldn’t do the job.

[mgnbukParticipant @mgnbuk]

What’s your main interest?

From a worksop activities POV Workshop tooling. Motorcycle parts. Internal combustion engines. CAD & 3D printing. CNC maybe – though that is a bit of a “Busman’s Holiday”.

Are you working on a major project?

Too many ! Tool & cutter grinder (Quorn frame based). Chester mini lathe upgrade (just for the sake of it – I don’t “need” one). Westbury Seal from the Woking Precision castings. Motorcycle repair/rebuilds. DRO fitment to mill. Rewire Super 7 (originally lashed-up inverter died of old age & doing it “properly” this time)

What was the last project of any size that you actually completed?

Errr……

What are you doing at the moment?

Progressing the T & C grinder, progressing the mini lathe, progressing the mc repairs (rebuilds currently stalled due to lack of space), wrestling further with FreeCad to progress the 3D printing (I need to learn to feed the printer my own designs, not just print other people’s).

What do you plan to do next?

Finish something !

Only got 2 out of three axes on the mill under DRO ATM – need to sort the Z scale fitting.

Finish the Super 7 rewire & make a decision if it stays or goes after the arrival of the GH600.

Can’t recall what stopped progress on the Seal (something tooling related IIRC) – probably have another look at that. Then there is the Denford Triac to rebuild / retrofit.

How many hours do you spend per week ‘doing’ in the workshop.

Varies according to time of year, outside temperature & motivation.

How many hours do you spend per week in Armchair mode – reading, planning, CAD etc.

20+ at a guess.

As you can see, no mention of anything even slightly related to steam or railways there  – the traditional “staples” of model engineering. My initial desire to have home metalworking capability was driven by not wanting to be reliant on “out of hours” use of machinery at various workplaces for doing bits of jobs on motorcycles. I was aware of “traditional” model engineering from an early age, as the Brighouse & Halifax Society isn’t far from me & my father took me to one of their open steaming days when I was at primary school – nice to see and experience, but it didn’t plant any lingering seeds. The Seal was a 40th birthday present to myself as a bit of a challenge – obviously not a compelling one, as I will have had it on the go for 1/4 of a century next year !

Nigel B.

 

[Turbine GuyParticipant @turbineguy]

What’s your main interest? My main interest is making model turbines simple to make and still be efficient.
Are you working on a major project? My major project was to design a model turbine that is as efficient as I could make it. This resulted in several smaller projects that demonstrated the efficiency of different designs and minor improvements.
What was the last project of any size that you actually completed? My last project was completed on 30 November 2024. It was a very small project but showed a way to get a significant increase in efficiency.
What are you doing at the moment? I am about to start the machining on my next design explained in the last post of the Model Turbines thread as soon as the required tools arrive. This will only require a few hours of machining but should show a significant improvement if I do the machining correctly.
What do you plan to do next? The previously mentioned machining.
How many hours do you spend per week ‘doing’ in the workshop. My projects typically require just a few hours and are usually several days,weeks, or months apart.
How many hours do you spend per week in Armchair mode – reading, planning, CAD etc. I do a lot of reading, planning, engineering, and CAD work. Typically several hours a day.

I hope you are able to draw a few new people into the model world.

Byron

[David SeniorParticipant @davidsenior29320]

Current projects:

Making the brackets etc. to fit a Rocketronics ELS to my Raglan lathe.

Making missing components for a friend’s 1903 car engine – cam followers and push rods, cam bearings, governor system.

Making missing components for an unusual (and very old) drawing instrument (similar to a beam compass).

Longer term active projects:

Quorn tool & cutter grinder (I guess over 20 years since I started)

1/3rd scale Le Rhone engine (very long term – I’ve only made parts for the carb so far!)

Last major project finished:

Stuart 5A started by my grandfather in the 1960’s (I finished it about 2 years ago)

What I enjoy doing:

Improving the workshop equipment in the hope that I will find it easier to get on and do something.

Thinking about the next project.

I am recently retired so haven’t fully settled in to the routine, but I guess I spend about 10 hours per week in the workshop, and considerably more than that dreaming about what I should do.

Dave

[noel shelleyParticipant @noelshelley55608]

In the context of SMEE many of the benefits of joining a club are lost as SMEE is a national & international club, it’s club house is in south London and for youngsters to far away. If I want the benefits of joining a club then I would join a local club, not one 140 miles away. If what I saw at The Midland Show was anything to go by, chains of office and blue coats Etc then SMEE has an image problem that needs to be addressed before much else is done. The speed at which progress was made on the Elmers engine at the show would also cause me to question why I would join this society. As part of the show I felt it was a disgrace, though one member did say that the main reason they were there was to try to increase membership, not entertain the paying public, they failed on one and probably both counts.

Joining a local club can give many benefits !

I’m not really a Model engineer. Jobs done, make 2 12ton hydraulic log splitters, a 20Kva 3Ph diesel generator, a powerful spark eroder, several saw benches, set up a small non ferrous foundry, making most of gear needed.

Jobs to do. Finish putting a Centec 2b back together, make one good machine out of 3 Myford S7s. sort out 3 shed so I have somewhere to work.

It’s time for a cup of tea. Noel.

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

Sorry Dave, I replied after reading your long winded post about springs being weak etc and that the one in my linked video would last considerably less than 10min. Shame you had not watched the video as it clearly stated at the beginning it ran for 30mins.

Noel, Sounds similar to my comment about the CNC demo on the Firefly in the other thread and that was back in 2012. I actually used to work just around the corner from SMEE from the age of 18 and only about 25mins drive from home but never felt compelled to join or even poke my head in. Don’t tend to linger at the show stand either.

Their website does not inspire much with many grey heads and the “latest activity” showing photos from 2017, latest news has about 1 item per year. Says meetings are recorded, what about having a couple non members can access to see if they like what is on offer rather than having to join first.

[Peter Cook 6Participant @petercook6]

What’s your main interest?

Clocks would be top of the list. I started this hobby out of frustration – waiting six months for any competent clock repair person to get round to mine, and charging the starting price for a little lathe to overhaul a three train clock. With 40+ clocks there were always a couple in the queue somewhere. That expanded to making anything I needed (tooling, parts etc) to fix the clocks and anything else that needed work.

Are you working on a major project? If so what, and for how long?

I am slowly ( 2 years so far between the above jobs) making a 1/4 scale model of a tower clock. I have wound the one in our village church for the last 23 years, so have every opportunity to measure things. I am guessing it will take me another decade at the present rate.

What was the last project of any size that you actually completed?

Building a Hemmingway filing/sawing machine. Its on the critical path for crossing out wheels in the clock project – if I ever get round to cutting them!

What are you doing at the moment?

Not a lot. I have just finished helping the local bathroom fitter do some work in our master bathroom. The whirlpool pump had failed (turned out to be the run capacitor) and getting it out required major deconstruction work, followed by reconstruction.

What do you plan to do next?

I have just received some laser cut parts for the tower clock project which need to be further machined. Oh and the queue of clocks waiting to be fixed/serviced is now about six months long!!

How many hours do you spend per week ‘doing’ in the workshop.

6-8 hours trying to work out how the hell I am going to do/hold what I want to do, and another 4-5 actually doing.

How many hours do you spend per week in Armchair mode – reading, planning, CAD etc.

Too many!! I have a 3D printer so lots of odds and sods get made when required, boxes, holders, clips etc. etc. etc. The printer does its own thing once started so all the time taken is  armchair.

Comments not covered by the above are welcome.

I have no real interest in modelling for modelling sake. I find the magazine and forum useful for ideas on how to do what I want to do.

 

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

What’s your main interest?  IC, Steam, Sterling, Atmospheric & engines. CAD and CNC also and that is used to design and make those items. The workshop also gets used for the occasional bit of work or other hobby use as well.

Are you working on a major project? A bit subjective, what I may do in a couple of months may be a major 2 year project for others. This year the Denney Improved Ericsson Engine and the Jekyll engine were the major builds as they were complete scratch designs and more complex than the Three Clarkson engines, Gassie and RLE engines also completed this year

What was the last project of any size that you actually completed? As Above Denny and Jekyll completed this year

What are you doing at the moment? Finishing touches to Vertical Clarkson that had it’s first test run at the weekend, 775 Dynamo and Hardy & Padmore “Ideal” hopefully all complete by end of year.

What do you plan to do next? See the Inspire thread, a scratch built inverted based on photos of an original and high speed steam engine to start the year off and then whatever takes my fancy at the time.

How many hours do you spend per week ‘doing’ in the workshop. Probably 8-10 if I’m lucky.

How many hours do you spend per week in Armchair mode – reading, planning, CAD etc. Not many days when the CAD isn’t used and often looking for things to make or thinking about how I will make them though don’t get much time to sit in an armchair. Not really a book reader but I like looking at pictures.

Other Comments in posts above.

[Jon LawesParticipant @jonlawes51698]

What’s your main interest?  3.5″ and 5″ Steam locomotives

Are you working on a major project? I finished my Britannia a year ago so its mainly refining and improving that. I’m also building a Kennions vertical boiler, Stuart Score and a few other things. I’ve a 3.5″ King and a Doris awaiting attention.

What was the last project of any size that you actually completed? LBSC Britannia

What are you doing at the moment? Today I made the formers for the Vertical boiler, and machined the top cap.

What do you plan to do next? Probably start to assemble my King.

How many hours do you spend per week ‘doing’ in the workshop. Between 5 and 15.

How many hours do you spend per week in Armchair mode – reading, planning, CAD etc: 2? But I spend quite a lot of time between jobs at work just reading forums and researching.

[DiogenesParticipant @diogenes]

What’s your main interest?
Making things mechanical things out of metal – as discussed elsewhere, it’s not easy to say what might make a project worth tackling – a desire to own one, fascination with some technical aspect, as an exercise or challenge, or because I need ‘a thing’ for some more earthly reason – often a repair.

Are you working on a major project?
Yes, a Senft vacuum engine using doubled-up measurements.

Nearly done – just need to make a 5Kw spirit burner to run it..😀

There’s an ‘off-road’ dolly-cum-sack truck running concurrently, I need to haul a couple of telegraph poles through a wood..

What was the last project of any size that you actually completed?
That would be a ‘Ship’s Gun’.. before that a small rotary table, before that two identical repairs to brush-type seed harvesters for a local organisation..

Actually learnt a lot about proportioning scale ‘features’ from it – wiser – don’t make really small features even smaller, make them a bit bigger..

What are you doing at the moment?
Need to make the spring flap valve for the vacuum engine and a burner – maybe ‘trollies’ to mount it and it’s little brother on..

What do you plan to do next?
Could be a beam engine, could be a two-stroke power unit, could be a Nalon Viper..

More likely to be some unplanned repair, or something I have forgotten I’m doing.

How many hours do you spend per week ‘doing’ in the workshop?
Not as many as I’d like – An hour and a bit after work most days if I’m not too wet & tired, might get the best part of a Saturday or Sunday.

How many hours do you spend per week in Armchair mode – reading, planning, CAD etc.
An hour, sometimes two, or so per day.

[Nigel Graham 2Participant @nigelgraham2]

1 Main interest?  Steam Engines generally.

2 The usual workshop equipment (mill, lathes, hand and power tools, measuring equipment, etc.).  Trying to learn CAD. Some of my workshop activities support other hobbies, etc.

3 Major project? Building a 4″-scale steam-wagon from no more than scraps of archive material; and been on it for far too long! Also now overhauling a 7-1/4″ g. steam locomotive.

4 Last project of any size actually completed? Either the overhead travelling-hoist for the workshop, or the Hemingway Kits “Worden” T & C Grinder.

5 What are you doing at the moment? See Q. 3, plus making a winch for a cave-exploration project, and building a garden shed!

6 What do you plan to do next? Trying to finish those plus recommissioning a small horizontal mill and sundry other smaller tool-making projects.

7 Hours per week in the workshop: very variable but I try for at least 20..

8 Hours per week in Armchair mode: also very variable, but probably < 15, battling with CAD but also relaxing on this Forum!

9 Not covered by the above: I attend most of our society’s weekly evening meetings. On dark Winter nights they are mainly tea and world-righting events; but Summer evenings are for track and grounds maintenance.

[Neil LickfoldParticipant @neillickfold44316]

I make parts for my model airplane engines, and then also make parts to help out people who can’t buy bits anymore.

I have a Myford S7 lathe that is tuned for what I need to make on it, and a knee mill, (HM50) and the smaller HM48 mill drill. The HM50 now has a VFD and 3phase motor. The smaller HM48 is going to be rebuilt into a cnc machine on the oneday list.

The range is from, making outer bearing races , pistons etc to Quill clamps and other things for fixing machinery like a circular saw , or parts for a thicknesser etc.

[Brian Baker 2Participant @brianbaker2]

What’s your main interest? Building and operating 5 and71/4 inch gauge locos.

Are you working on a major project?   A 71/4 Stanier 2-6-4 tank loco.

What was the last project of any size that you actually completed?   A 71/4 A4 Modelworks kit build

What are you doing at the moment?    I am completing the body work for a 71/4 gauge riding car.

What do you plan to do next? Get on with the 2-6-4 tank

How many hours do you spend in the workshop?  I am not too well at the moment, but recovering, so now about 1 to 2 hrs per day, normally 4 to 5

How many hours do you spend per week in Armchair mode  As little as possible since I think it wastes workshop time, bit like shopping or cutting the grass!

Regards

Brian B

 

[simondavies3Participant @simondavies3]

Supporting my minor rant on the parallel topic:

What’s your main interest?

Fixing, making ‘things’ to solve the next problem, designing solutions (for problems that don’t always exist).

Are you working on a major project?

Returning a classic car to the road.

Hydraulic work table for the garden tractor.

Lots of minor ones

What was the last project of any size that you actually completed?

Large trailer for the garden tractor

What are you doing at the moment?

Rebuilding fuel pump, retrofitting options to new 2nd hand car, adapting a router table to incorporate an adjustable height setting.
Also appear at a regular Repair Cafe for the region which often bends my mind fault finding and determining how (and if) something can be returned to life.

What do you plan to do next?

More car stuff including rebuilding an obscure brake servo, converting an electric scarifier to battery and combining it onto our garden tractor – work and thought in progress!

Dealing with the unplanned repairs, both from here and from friends

How many hours do you spend per week ‘doing’ in the workshop?

Not as many as I’d like – some evenings post-work if I have a need and the activity isn’t too noisy. One of the weekend days usually barring visitors

How many hours do you spend per week in Armchair mode – reading, planning, CAD etc.

Probably a couple of hours a day, more if I have a 3D print to construct

[DellParticipant @dell]

Not ME but I make parts needed with restoring torsion clocks mostly antique plus a few tools, I have a Myford equipped with Rocketronics, a Warco WM12 mill converted to belt drive and a Pultra P type 10mm lathe, I also restore Pultra lathes.

[Nigel Graham 2Participant @nigelgraham2]

Though his criticism of the SMEE’s exhibition display is a bit harsh, I think Noel has a point about perception.

The comment about “chains of office” was silly – many visitors and stand-staff alike wear their club “colours”. I do!

If progress on their engine was too slow for his liking, as if it matters, it’s probably because the members spent more time talking to visitors than machining anything. Though I think the SMEE member concerned sort of half-missed the point that to be honest, most of the show visitors know the processes involved, so a live demonstration of turning engine parts is not really for them.

It can though, benefit potential recruits to the hobby. The hobby generally, not just SMEE membership, and recruits of all ages and sexes; not just we snowy-haired, bus-pass age gentlemen who know second-cut from smooth, and our teenage grandchildren who know files are in computers that baffle Grandads.

…..

Right – computer off. I’ve a garden shed to build and a model steam-lorry differential to complete…..

Simply for straight demonstrations of turning equipment and skill, the Society of Ornamental Turners stand is one to see, because this is such a specialist area even though under the “Model” – engineering umbrella.

While the value of the SMEE stand to the already-converted may be as a source of technical advice, especially for relative novices to model-engineering.

 

Well, so far this thread has revealed vehicle restoration, model locomotive and steam-wagon construction, clock-making and repairing, tool-making (to make locos, clocks and more tools…?), gas-turbine building, CAD/CAM, a Repair Cafe…..

There must be more….

Where are you, the scientific-instrument builders, ornamental-turners, generalists and experimenters who simply like to make and mend all sorts of things using “model” -engineering methods and tools?

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

Were the SMEE letting people have a go of the machines this year? I know in the past I have seen teenagers being allowed to have  ago which must be better than just standing the other side of a perspex screen.

At least we have not had any reports of spanner polishers yet, though they may have decided to remain the silent majority🙊

[Tim HarrisonParticipant @timharrison31981]

Q. What’s your main interest? Vintage and home built aircraft, I found the forum looking for information about a die filer (or the remains thereof) which I inherited, and stayed because of good information. I keep threatening to build a model steam engine but other projects first!

2. Are you working on a major project? Yes, rebuilding a Tiger Moth, slowly!

3. What was the last project of any size that you actually completed? Refurbishing my Eliott Omnimill so that I could use it.

4. What are you doing at the moment? Repairing the wooden decking on the Tiger, lots of small metal fittings which go with that as well.

6. How many hours do you spend per week ‘doing’ in the workshop. Usually average about 20 hours a week depending on family and other jobs.

7. How many hours do you spend per week in Armchair mode – reading, planning, CAD etc. probably about 20 hours a week as well.

[derek hall 1Participant @derekhall1]

What’s your main interest?

Making tools, stationary engine (steam and I.c.), making and repairing clocks and general “faffing” about in the workshop.

Are you working on a major project?

Nearing completion the Quorn grinder as well as an overhead drive for the lathe.

What was the last project of any size that you actually completed?

Restored a GPO type 36 post office master clock. I think making the Quorn spindle was challenging, but the GHT versatile dividing head was the last big project completed if we are considering just metal bashing. I don’t really commit to large projects such as a locomotive or traction engine, although I would like to build the Allchin, but boiler making puts me off to be honest.

What are you doing at the moment?

Finishing off the ball turning attachment tool, from Hemingway tools

I am also a regular at my regular Repair Cafe and take on to repair poor broken clocks that are mostly worthless but have huge sentimental value to their owners.

What do you plan to do next?

I have the Atom minor mk3 castings and Lady Stephanie castings shouting for attention

How many hours do you spend per week ‘doing’ in the workshop?

More now I have retired, probably around 15 to 20 per week

How many hours do you spend per week in Armchair mode

Probably in total including looking at this forum, 5 hours per week

 

 

[JasonB]

1. On JasonB Said:

    

   At least we have not had any reports of spanner polishers yet, though they may have decided to remain the silent majority🙊

   Hi JasonB, I’m not sure if I’ve heard of them before, so I thought I’d give one of my dad’s old ones ago.  😁

2. 

Regards  Nick.

[Graham MeekParticipant @grahammeek88282]

I am not really one for surveys, but to help the cause.

 

What’s your main interest?

Anything to do with all types of Engineering, Techniques and Machine tool development.

Are you working on a major project?

A Clayton Timber Wagon,

What was the last project of any size that you actually completed?

A Low level Clocking attachment. & A centre height indicator for lathe tool setting

What are you doing at the moment?

A Tool post Grinder for the Emco Compact 5 which is nearing completion.

What do you plan to do next?

Get on with the Clayton and start work on a Taper Turning attachment for the Compact 5

How many hours do you spend per week ‘doing’ in the workshop?

10 if I am lucky

How many hours do you spend per week in Armchair mode?

Less than 1 hour now, if this question relates to Model Engineering and this Forum.

 

Regards

Gray,

[Author]

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