Model Engineering Survey – What Do YOU make?

[Simon CollierParticipant @simoncollier74340]

1. 5” gauge steam locos. 2-1/2” to some extent

2. Simplex loco because I was given the castings+ frames+ plans+ boiler material. Giving it outside Stephensons to make it less boring, also probably saddle tank.

3. Springbok B1 loco

3. getting Simplex to rolling chassis any day.

4. work on Doncaster A3 part build I purchased. Finish new boiler for        a 2-1/2” loco.

5. 10-20 hours

6. An hour or less on forums and FB loco sites. Exception is if I am designing valve gear or drawing loco parts to get precise dimensions on the computer. I hate working on the computer but it is necessary sometimes.

Simon.

[petetwissellParticipant @petetwissell]

What’s your main interest?  – Miniature IC engines for flying model aircraft
Are you working on a major project? If so what, and for how long?  – A practical small rotary aircraft engine. Design started at the beginning of this year.
What was the last project of any size that you actually completed?  – A 10cc aircooled V8 (Whittle Aero V8)
What are you doing at the moment? – Prototype single cyclinder engine to prove principles for the rotary design.
What do you plan to do next?  – Pending results with the single, develop design and build the 9 cylinder rotary.
How many hours do you spend per week ‘doing’ in the workshop. – Approximately 20 hours.
How many hours do you spend per week in Armchair mode – reading, planning, CAD etc.  – Approximately 10 hours.

[SillyOldDufferModerator @sillyoldduffer]

Many thanks for replies so far, please keep them coming! A picture is starting to emerge.  When replies drop off, indicating that everyone who is going to respond has done so, I shall attempt an analysis.

Non-responders are of interest too.   Model Engineering includes people who don’t make models or have a workshop.  Please pitch in if you are in this category, and especially if you are a forum lurker.   I suspect there’s a sizeable group for whom the hobby is a kind of social club.  And a valuable source of technical advice – the forum gets a fair few questions from folk tackling repair and build problems.  They may not be Model Engineers yet, but we can plant the seed!

Dave

 

[AStroudParticipant @astroud]

What’s your main interest?

model engines running on compressed air of my own design but inspired by published designs.

Are you working on a major project?

A twin horizontal mill engine, started over a year ago.

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

A Jowitt engine

What are you doing at the moment?

Close to finishing a twin horizontal mill engine, eccentrics and general fitting remaining.

What do you plan to do next?

Would like to make a rotary type engine

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

weekends only, 5 hours.

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

5 hours

 

[Les RileyParticipant @lesriley75593]

What’s your main interest? My main interest is model traction engines. That said, I am site manager for our ME club and end up building all sorts of things.

What was the last project of any size that you actually completed? My last big build was a 4″ scale McLaren road locomotive. That took 11 years.

Also I have built a CNC mill and various bits of workshop equipment along the way.

What do you plan to do next? I am currently building a 6″ scale Burrell Devonshire road locomotive. 10 years and counting…

How many hours do you spend per week ‘doing’ in the workshop. Not as many as I should to get the engine finished! It varies a lot with other demands on my time.

How many hours do you spend per week in Armchair mode – reading, planning, CAD etc. Maybe 5 or 6.

 

[Robert Atkinson 2Participant @robertatkinson2]

What’s your main interest?

Electronics.

Are you working on a major project?

Too many. Long term one is restoring a small gasturbine engine (GTCP 36)

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

1kW electronic load for testing power supplies batteries etc. This was more mechanical than electronic. Circuit is 4 MOSFETs a couple of op-amps and a meter. But the MOSFETs are large modules on even larger fan cooled heatsink that required machining to good surace finish. Add in mounting brackets and holes for fan and meter and it was mostly work on the mill with indexable carbide end mill and rotary table

What are you doing at the moment?

Repairing a spectrum analyser for a friend

What do you plan to do next?

Fit a single axis electronic lead screw to my ML7 electronicleadscrew.eu

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

Between the two, electronics indoors and machine tools in the garage, about 5 but weather is a factor in working in the garage

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

15

[Chris GillParticipant @chrisgill22114]

What’s your main interest? Stationary engines running on compressed air but that also seems to require making lots of tools
What was the last project of any size that you actually completed? The Mariner 2-cylinder marine engine serialised in ME by Chris Walter
What are you doing at the moment? Just finished the current project today, need to test it properly
What do you plan to do next? Make another tool then possibly the Middleton Double-sided Beam Engine. Also want to get back into more electronics
How many hours do you spend per week ‘doing’ in the workshop? Very variable, probably up to 24 hours
How many hours do you spend per week in Armchair mode – reading, planning, CAD etc? Also very variable. Can’t watch the TV without tinkering at the same time!

[noel shelleyParticipant @noelshelley55608]

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

That Nigel G 2 thought my comment about chains of office was silly echos my thought about having and wearing a chain of office. A sweatshirt or jumper with the club name or design on is one thing and wasn’t the blue labcoat with SMEE and the members name enough ? For the big cheese may be add “Chairman ” Noel.

[jimmy bParticipant @jimmyb]

I really don’t consider myself a traditional “model engineer”, more of a fulltime engineer (I’m the “go to engineer” in a medium sized company).

 

What’s your main interest?

General engineering, metrology and some profitable side lines making parts for motorcycles. Also 3D printing. Oh and tools, I love tools, both buying ad making

Are you working on a major project?

Several small models in progress…..always moved to the back burner when a paying job comes in….

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

Restoration of some large range micrometers (0-2″, 0-4″, 2-6″, 4-8″ and 6-12″)

What are you doing at the moment?

Recovering from Vasculitis GPA (this very nearly killed me in July)

What do you plan to do next?

Get back to work and then resume workshop time to relax

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

Now, maybe 5 hours for a coffee and relax, when healthy around 15 hours a week

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

A lot! I’m working from home and engineering is pretty much my main interest outside of my family

 

Jimb

[SillyOldDuffer]

On 5 December 2024 at 12:21 SillyOldDuffer Said:

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

 

1. Main interest – Making workshop tooling, repair and small one off models.

2. Not at the minute.

3. Im not a big project kinda guy. I prefer to make things that I can finish over a weekend. The last project that took more than a weekend was a small steam engine.

4. Building a large shed! In between, machining small parts to help fund my hobbies.

5. When I get time I want to build some projects I have put on hold. A radius/ball turner will probably be my next project.

6. At the moment less than I would like. Probably between 3-5 hours a week.

7. Reading or watching articles on YouTube maybe 3 hours a week.

[Howard LewisParticipant @howardlewis46836]

Making workshop tooling, mostly.

Tends to be fairly rough and ready, just to do the job.

Occasionally because “It seemed a good idea at the time” but has no immediate, pressing, use.

But, having a small workshop, have run out of space to store them.

Occasional repairs, rather than throw the thing away (In terms of time, often more costly than the replacement, but for the joy of having “beaten the system”)

Spending far too much time on the Forum, although maybe that counts as an Engineering activity?

Howard

[JasonB]

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🙊

No I prefer the original, but de-rusted, patina of my small collection of adjustables. 😁 (Flickr link)

The small oddball micrometer collection does get a bit more attention & Cleaning; passing interest in different ways of displaying the same information, but I’ve not yet got around to photographing/cataloguing them.
From the original Slocomb numeric readout, to oddballs like the Shardlow Anglometric, which has a thimble marked in both thou & mm.

What’s your main interest?

General mending and modifying stuff, whether it be on motorcycles, cars, or household/workshop items.
Last one was repairing & making birdfeeders to supply our local wildlife whilst we had a week away in Belfast.

Are you working on a major project?

Trying to get around to re-assembling the engine for my 900GTS Ducati (1977)

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

Probably rebuilding a Herbert Junior surface grinder, but that was during the first lockdown. (Flickr link)

What are you doing at the moment?

Procrastinating, rather than starting the aforementioned Ducati re-build

What do you plan to do next?

Should probably do a bit of work on the Guzzi Le Mans & Bonneville as well as valve oil seals on the Marlin

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

Varies on temperature and inspiration, from 0 – 40

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

Too Many.

Bill

[Roy VaughnParticipant @royvaughn26060]

What’s your main interest?

My long term hobby is competitive non-R/C model aircraft flying, I produce most of the ancillary hardware for the models. Latterly I have been repairing model aircraft engines and also building them from scratch. Construction of electronic gizmos for the models is an occasional sideline.

Are you working on a major project?

The current project is a Sugden Special based on a 3D printed crankcase.

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

Half a dozen simple paddle boats for sale at the Christmas fundraiser for the local Men’s Shed!  Also a control line vintage team racer called Greenfly. It’s purpose is to act as a testbed for a scratch-built 2.5cc racing diesel. Although it will never race, my motors are built to fly not for the display case, so every one has to go in a model. Prior to that were various engine and model aircraft builds, an ELS for the lathe and a DRO upgrade to the mill.

What are you doing at the moment?

Tuning up the lathe in preparation for the Sugden Special work. Also preparing a 3D printed plastic push button housing for installation in a free flight competition model, 3D printer courtesy of the local men’s shed.

What do you plan to do next?

The new competition season is approaching and I will likely spend a lot of workshop time preparing and repairing models. I also plan to start a new free flight model using composites extensively. The lathe may get a toolpost grinder.

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

Varies a lot, anywhere between 2 and up to maybe 20 hours in a very good week.

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

CAD comes in bursts, when designing seriously I might manage 4 or 5 hours a day for a couple of days. The Internet consumes far too much time.

[Martin KyteParticipant @martinkyte99762]

What’s your main interest?

Clocks, Workshop Tools

Are you working on a major project?

5” King

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

Scroll Clock

What are you doing at the moment

Myford Mods

What do you plan to do next?

Finish the Bogie for the King

Girl on a swing clock

 

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

2 to 20

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

[SillyOldDufferModerator @sillyoldduffer]

Many thanks for replies so far, this post is in hope of flushing out a few more!

If possible, it would be good to how many Model Engineer’s don’t do surveys!  If that’s you, please post “Nil Response” or similar – no need to write an essay!

Not sure when I shall do the analysis:  been poorly this week.   🙁

Cheers,

Dave

 

[bernard towersParticipant @bernardtowers37738]

Not responded to the survey as not sure what it would mean because the net you have cast only covers the forum users. why not do it officially and include mag subscribers and then what mags?. A downloadable proforma may elicit more responses. And a wider title Home Machinists?

[dc1Participant @dc1]

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.)

All of the above but mainly tools, steam engines and model railways, 5.5mm narrow gauge.

Are you working on a major project? If so what, and for how long?   (Building a steam loco can take decades)

I am thinking about building a model gas engine based on Chuck’s drawings and article in Model Engineer. I need updated CAD to design this.

 

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

A Blackgates twin oscillating engine. Most of my time in the workshop was spent making tools to sell on ebay.

What are you doing at the moment?

Setting up a workshop in my bedroom, it has a Unimat 3 lathe and a Unimat 3 Mill. I am disabled (no legs) so this is all I can manage.

What do you plan to do next?

Finish setting up the Unimat lathe and then adding digital readouts to the mill.

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

Not a lot yet. Just starting new workshop. Family got rid of my old workshop when they thought I was dying of cancer about 9 years ago.

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

10 hours. I need to learn 3D CAD, mainly used TurboCAD in the past.

Comments not covered by the above are welcome.

I have several steam engine kits to build.

I have been buying them on ebay and Facebook.

Flywheel size is limiting factor because the Unimat is small.

I am slowly buying the tools I need. I have most of the hand and measuring tools in my shed but I can’t get at them because of disability. Easier but not cheap to just buy them again.

I learnt model engineering and engineering from Model Engineer in the school library starting in 1965. Read it ever since including lots of back issues from about 1900.

To attract engineers, you need to cater to the men in sheds who have purchased a lathe and don’t know how to use it. Some of these people will naturally gravitate to model engineering. Most youngsters have no idea model engineering even exists.

My grandson is about 2 1/2 and is Thomas mad. I encourage him by buying him Thomas books and models. Unfortunately I have only met him once but as he gets older he will get more encouragement through Facetime video messaging.

[gerry maddenParticipant @gerrymadden53711]

What’s your main interest?

Anything mechanical or electromechanical, especially aviatory, metrological or just plain clever and needs to be dismantled/investigated/understood for no good reason.

Are you working on a major project?

Refurbishment of a J&S grinder for use and developing a variable pitch propeller for use on a microlight.

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

A new workshop to ensure I keep the “mess, smells and dust” out of the house.

What are you doing at the moment?

Working on the major projects mentioned above, interspersed with numerous domestic and automotive related repair and maintenance tasks. Whilst the latter are not always welcome, they do allow me to justify the purchase of equipment that would otherwise be considered extravagant. For example, why buy new engine and hoover filters when you can spend the money on an industrial-sized ultrasonic cleaner instead?

What do you plan to do next?

Not yet determined but it will reveal itself in good time, I am confident of that.

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

Approx 15 but highly variable and interchangeable with those in the next question.

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

Approx 25.

 

[Perko7Participant @perko7]

Here’s my contribution:

What’s your main interest? Anything mechanical operated by steam, electricity or IC engines that runs on rails.

Are you working on a major project? Yes

If so what, and for how long? Building a 5inch gauge model of a Qld Railways 4D10 class 2-4-2 tank loco. Started 18 months ago, about 25% complete.

What was the last project of any size that you actually completed? 5inch gauge model of a Qld Railways 2-6-0 diesel shunting loco powered by a 25cc brushcutter engine.

What are you doing at the moment? Writing this (ha-ha) Currently tidying my ‘office’ while working on rebuilding the mechanism for a 1:120 scale model of a Qld Railways 1800 class railmotor.

What do you plan to do next? Continue with the 4D10 until complete, finish painting a couple of locos recently completed for my 1:120 scale Qld Railways model railway layout.

How many hours do you spend per week ‘doing’ in the workshop. Nowhere near as many as I would like. If I manage 10 hours a week I am pretty lucky.

How many hours do you spend per week in Armchair mode – reading, planning, CAD etc. More than I should, most evenings as there is little on television that I would choose to watch. It’s easy to sit in comfort scrolling through other peoples stuff online instead of doing something creative. I do have a couple of other long-range projects in mind which I am accumulating info for, and I do spend a lot of time on CAD drawing up parts for the current loco build.

[Doug McLarenParticipant @dougmclaren94472]

I don’t often post on any forum, I’m a long term lurker here and thought maybe it’s about time I put in a small contribution.

What’s your main interest?

For many years now my main interest has been restoring and riding classic Italian motorcycles, specifically Moto Guzzis. When not doing that I have been making small engines to run on compressed air, I’ve done a couple of Stuart models and half a dozen or so from plans available online. I made a Webster a couple of years ago and I’ve also made a couple of tools/gadgets from Hemingways.

Are you working on a major project?

Nothing major, a hit and miss air engine from plans by Brian Rupnow. The last big project was a complete rebuild of a 1971 Triumph Trident which hadn’t run for 30 years.

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

A Hemingway die filer.

What are you doing at the moment?

Making the governor for the hit and miss engine. I’ve got it running OK without the governor but thought I might as well give the governor a go.

What do you plan to do next?

I’m considering a PM Research B1 drilling engine and I fancy giving the Jowitt engine a go. I’m also on the lookout for an interesting Italian small displacement single cylinder motorbike.

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

Usually about 10 to 15 hours depending on the weather, I have no heating in the garage.

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

With regards to model engineering maybe about half an hour if that. Probably the same on bike forums.

 

[Old SchoolParticipant @oldschool]

I build and race tether cars. Currently modifying the I C engines intake system from drum valve to Zimmerman. Best speed to date just over 200mph actual speed not scale.

Not considered model engineering by my local ME club.

[bernard towersParticipant @bernardtowers37738]

I know exactly where you’re coming from.

[Andy StopfordParticipant @andystopford50521]

What’s your main interest?

At the moment, traction engines, but all sorts of machines really.

Are you working on a major project?

Approaching completion of a “Minnie” traction engine.

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

Building a cooling system for my conical fermenter (for brewing beer). Or maybe, some more extensive than expected welding on my Morris Traveller (it’s always more extensive than expected with cars) – but is that completed, or part of an ongoing process?

What are you doing at the moment?

Making the fiddly little bits like the lubricator for “Minnie”. And working on the design for the next project which is…

What do you plan to do next?

…a 1/12th scale Fowler Z7S ploughing engine (though there are some tooling projects to do before getting stuck into that, like the G. Thomas pillar tool, and fitting an electronic leadscrew to my lathe).

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

Very variable – it depends whether tiresome irritations like work intrude.

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

Omitting procrastinations, like writing this instead of working on the CAD model for the Z7S, probably about 10.

[Old School]

On Old School Said:

I build and race tether cars. Currently modifying the I C engines intake system from drum valve to Zimmerman. Best speed to date just over 200mph actual speed not scale.

Not considered model engineering by my local ME club.

Well they’re a lot blinkered then. Tether cars and hydroplanes have figured in ME in the past. Where do you run your cars? I wouldn’t mind seeing that.

What’s ‘zimmerman’?

[mgnbukParticipant @mgnbuk]

What’s ‘zimmerman’?

Disc valve ?

IIRC it was a Herr Zimmerman who converted a DKW RT125 from piston ported to disc valve operation for racing in post war East Germany. This was then worked on by MZ’s Walter Kaaden to develop tuned expansion chamber exhaust systems that substantially boosted power outputs & formed the basis of racing bikes untill the new era of larger capacity 4 strokes that continue today.

Nigel B.

[Author]

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