New Machnist

[RooossoneParticipant @rooossone]

[RooossoneParticipant @rooossone]

Hi all, My name is Ross and I have recently dived head first in to live steam model making, I am currently working on a Tubal Cain 'Polly' Before i more on to the PMR-7 Twin Cylinder Steam Engine. My ultimate aim is to build a showman's traction engine.

I recently got myself a workshop so am slowly trying to put things in it to make this hobby easier to persue! I have a bunch of wood work stuff but now I need real machines!

I welcome all introductions and pearls of wisdom on my journey!

If you have anything you want to palm off on to a newbie then come and talk to me, we will likely make a deal!

[Chris Evans 6Participant @chrisevans6]

Welcome along Ross, I am not a model maker but a motorcycle tinkerer. Good luck with your quest for machinery, pop an approximate location up to widen your chances of a more local response.

[Ramon WilsonParticipant @ramonwilson3]

Ross, You have a PM

[Mick B1Participant @mickb1]

I did a PMR 7 some years ago. I did all the machining on a Myford Speed 10 with a double-swivel vertical slide to do the milling and co-ordinate drilling.

The valve timing was a bu99er to set up, and I thought for ages that I'd made some fundamental error, 'cause I couldn't make it work at first. But I made another attempt more recently and finally got it right!

PMR-7 running

So, as long as it can rotate freely, keep at it till it goes!

Edited By Mick B1 on 14/04/2023 11:06:18

[RooossoneParticipant @rooossone]

Hi everyone. Thanks Mick for sharing your experience with the PMR 7.

And apologies Chris, I am based in Bristol.

[Harry WilkesParticipant @harrywilkes58467]

Welcome to the forum

H

[old martParticipant @oldmart]

Welcome, Ross, your woodworking skills will stand you in good stead, machining metal is much the same basically.

[Russell EberhardtParticipant @russelleberhardt48058]

Posted by old mart on 14/04/2023 20:45:04:

Welcome, Ross, your woodworking skills will stand you in good stead, machining metal is much the same basically.

Yes, except that metals don't have a habit of splitting along the grain.

Russell

[JssParticipant @jss]

Posted by Russell Eberhardt on 15/04/2023 09:59:29:

Posted by old mart on 14/04/2023 20:45:04:

Welcome, Ross, your woodworking skills will stand you in good stead, machining metal is much the same basically.

Yes, except that metals don't have a habit of splitting along the grain.

Russell

No, but they can warp if you’re not careful.

[JAParticipant @ja]

Hi Ross and welcome.

Have you thought about joining your local model engineering society?

JA

[Howard LewisParticipant @howardlewis46836]

Welcome to the Forum.

If you have not already done so, find a loacl M E Society and join.

There you will find like minded folk, who can help with advice, and possibly face to face guidance or demonstartion.

If you are new to machining, do not rush into model building.

Learn somed of the techniqies of machining and lathe work first.

Bettrer to make a mistake on a bit of 12 mm steel bar than a casting from a kit

FWIW, buy and read some of the books on lathework. What you learn from them will stand you in good stead.

L H Sparey "The Amateur's lathe"

Ian Bradley "The Amateurs's Workshop"

Stan Bray "Basic Lathework"

Harold Hall, "Lathework".

If you have a mini lathe

Dave Fenner and Neil Wyatt have both written books specific to that sort of machine.

Mini lathes have been manufactured, with slight physical differences, as well as colour schemes, by various Chinese factories, (So parts/ accessopries from one machine may not necessarily fit or be suitable for another.

(In one instance a quick release tailstock from one machine was 5 mm out of line when fitted to another make of mini lathe. ).

Neil has also written another book on Lathework, based on his eperiences with the Sieg SC4.

All will contain good basic information on lathe operation, tool grinding and setting.

HTH

Howard

[RooossoneParticipant @rooossone]

Thanks for the warm welcome all,

 

Howard thanks you for your in depth reply. I am under no illusions on the complexities of machining in general. I will most certainly not be just starting on a casting kit. as mentioned above,

Machining appeals to me because of the precision and organisation involved when making parts. I am very much a measure 5 times cut once kind of person and relish the idea of planning orders of operations etc.

I have been reading 'Building simple model steam engines 1&2' by Tubal Cain (I understand this is just a pen name for somebody), and will be using simple bar stock to make that, currently I've been messing around with annealing and working with copper.

I have also spent the last few month consuming any and all theoretical material I can get my hands on. This is something that I will continue to do.

I've learned about quite a few important concepts and am looking forward to be able to put in to practice and develop my skills.

I intend on collecting the majority of the 'Workshop practice' books for my reference library.

Before I even touch the castings, I do have several lathe and mill projects I want to undertake as my training path….

• Brass ring
• brass needle scribe
• Machinist hammer
• Simple gyroscope (Brass and Ali)
• Nuts, Bolts and threading
• Screw jack
• V-Block
• lathe tooling
• threading tools

Any other beginner project suggestions would be greatly welcomed.

I have been looking at my local model engineering society (BSMEE | Bristol Society of Model and Experimental Engineers (bristolmodelengineers.co.uk) but am a little apprehensive as they appear to be extremely focused on their Locos which is not necessarily my bag and I fear being out of place. I will get in touch and see if I can attend a club night or two to get a feel for it.

It really can only be beneficial to surround myself with experience and learn from those that have already made the mistakes I no doubt will make.

 

Edited By ross nesbitt on 15/04/2023 23:53:33

[Martin ConnellyParticipant @martinconnelly55370]

I think it would be worth looking at a Joe Pieczynski YouTube series on making a single cylinder steam engine for an overview of the general process.

Part 1

Martin C

[JAParticipant @ja]

Ross

I have sent you a PM.

The Workshop Practice books are well worth their value (more than some other books). Tubal Cain was particularly good. His "Model Engineer's Handbook" is invaluable.

JA

[noel shelleyParticipant @noelshelley55608]

Hi Ross, Howard has covered most of what I would have said, Tubal Cain was Tom Walshaw and Like JA I would highly recommend his Model Engineers Handbook, another one is The metalworkers Data Book, No 42 in the workshop series. Best wishes Noel.

[RooossoneParticipant @rooossone]

Posted by Martin Connelly on 16/04/2023 08:35:00:

I think it would be worth looking at a Joe Pieczynski YouTube series on making a single cylinder steam engine for an overview of the general process.

Part 1

Martin C

I have watch a few videos from him, I have watched the Blondihacks series where she has built single cylinder engines….

Model Steam Engine – YouTube

&

Big Steam Engine – YouTube

[RooossoneParticipant @rooossone]

Also, For the benefit of everybody, I have found an amazing online resource for reading material…..
It has the 'Workshop Practice' collection as well as TC's model engineering handbook.

https://archive.org/details/08-sheet-metal-work

&

https://archive.org/details/The_Model_Engineers_Handbook_Tubal_Cain

(There is a menu on the left that allows you to download them as PDF)

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