Newbie

[mikehamiltonParticipant @mikehamilton]

Hi,

My name is Mike and I hail from Suffolk.  I’m very much a newbie with no previous machining experience whatsoever, though I am making small steps in milling and turning.  I make loads of mistakes, but I enjoy it and it’s part of the learning process.

I have a few Stuart engines, which were built by others as well as a couple of boilers and “toy” engines – Mamod, SEL and Cyldon to name but a few.

Looking forward to learning lots on here but please excuse my questions some of which might be blatantly obvious.

Cheers,

Mike

 

[SillyOldDufferModerator @sillyoldduffer]

Welcome Mike, and be assured there’s no such thing as a stupid question!   I’m self-taught with much help from books and this forum.  Great fun, but it risks re-inventing the wheel, only to find experienced machinists know a much easier way to do it.  All part of the game!

Dave

[noel shelleyParticipant @noelshelley55608]

Welcome to the party Mike, like Dave I’m largely self taught, started asking questions some 70 years ago and still asking ! I’m up on the N Norfolk coast near Hunstanton. Best wishes, Noel.

[SteviegtrParticipant @steviegtr]

Welcome Mike. I as many other forum members are self taught with an intrest in the hobby. When I 1st joined a few years ago , I was green on the subject. As Dave SOD says there are many ways to do one job. With time I am sure you will find the best action. I still make lots of mistakes. The most important issue is your own safety. Rotating objects are like seeing a stone in the road. You are attracted to it. Good luck with your new found Hobby.

Steve.

[Howard LewisParticipant @howardlewis46836]

Welcome!

If you can find a model engineering club local to you, go and join.

In that way you can get advice, face to face.

Whereabouts are you located in Suffolk?

But as a complete newbie, it will be worth buying a book or two.

You will need some measuring equipment. A good start would be a Digital Calliper. This will measure in Imperial or Metric units , usually up to 6″ or 150mm, external and internal. A cheapie from LIDL or Aldi might be a good start, although a Moore and Wright from Machine DRO, although more costly, is a good one.

What lathe do you have?

Don’t be ashamed of a real vintage machine, such as a Drummond, or Myford ML4, they are capable of good work, even if not as “glossy” as something new.

If a Myford 7 series, such as a ML7, Super 7 etc, L H Sparey’s “The Amateur’s Lathe” will be useful, as will Ian Bradley’s “Myford 7 Series Manual”

If a mini lathe, David Clark, Dave Fenner and Neil Wyatt have all written books on them. (There are at least three mini lathes, made by different Chinese factories, and all slightly different imported into UK)

In more general terms Stan Bray’s “Basic Lathework” (Workshop Practice Series 45) or Harold Hall’s Lathework, A Complete Course” (WPS 34) will be good.

Start off with the basics, Learn how to set up a lathe, to grind tools and set them. Then start by just cutting some mild steel, to gain a little experience.  Then progress to making simple tools.

You could copy some of the basic tools shown in catalogues (On line) from suppliers to the model engineer. In UK , such as Arc Euro Trade, Warco, RDG etc. They will be good sources of things like drills, Taps, Dies, and cutting tools. JB Cutting tools, is another good source of supply for tipped cutting tools.

One if the first to help you, would be a Centre Height Gauge, then perhaps a Sliding Die holder for the Tailstock, possibly followed by a Tap holder to go on the sane arbor (Basically, a drill chuck mounted of a body that slides along the arbor like the Die Holder)

Then while you are thinking about cutting threads, perhaps a Mandrel Handle. (useful to prevent braking taps, or stripping external threads by running into the bottom of a blind hole or against a shoulder.

Maybe not thrilling pieces, but useful for the future and to gain experience and confidence.

Better to make a mistake on a bit steel rather than an expensive casting from a kit!

All this may sound like additional expense, but will be a good investment for the future

HTH

Howard

 

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