Member postings for Mark Rea

Hi. I have a double door from Rollerdoor fitted. A bit cheaper than garadoor I think but it was fitted when I bought the house. Three years I have lived here and I am happy with it. I would imagine most parts are made in china whoever is selling them nowadays.

Actually my next plan is a Honda CBF 500 Scrambler.

My other hobby is building one off motorcycles.

There will be another build and at some stage I think a simple boiler may be in order, but I have other things to do before my next model. I am thinking as age creeps up motorcycles may not be the best thing and I will need something for my retirement in a lot fewer years than I like. Possibly a glow plug engine could be next but I have seen a few lovely looking beam engines I quite fancy building. I have four motorcycles in the garage at the moment and even though one of them belongs to "er indoors" she still thinks I have too many???? Stationary engines are smaller and I might get a few more in under her nose.

Thanks Guys.

And thanks JasonB for sorting the video. I am just mastering steam engines, the internet is a hundred years away yet.

This is my first attempt at a model engine. I chose an Elmer's Grasshopper as I think they look brilliant running. I am ridiculously pleased with it. Now just a bit of fettling and tidying up.

https://youtu.be/DzNhpbGo9Bw.

Also my first attempt at posting a link. This is the engine running.

Your columns look impressive. The lady Stephanie is a lovely looking engine. I am currently part way through my first engine build, and doing a simplified grasshopper engine from drawings I found on t'internet. I may try something like the lady Stephanie next.

Oh, and I do apologize for the typo, yes you are correct, it is trefolex. Have a really great day, you earned it.

40 years in a machine shop making components for anything from nuclear submarines to formula one racing cars and sewerage pumps. The post was offered as friendly advice from a wealth of personal experience. I apologise if my advice offends you and will happily bow to your superior knowledge from a ten minute Google search.

Just adding my bit here.

Trefelux is for stainless steel.

WD 40 cutting fluid is pretty good.

Rocol RTD is much better it is a paste and can be thinned with WD 40 to make it easier to apply by a small artists paintbrush.

Normal WD-40 will work well on aluminium as will paraffin.

Another vote for angel eyes. Cheap as chips from Amazon or eBay but you will need a 12v transformer. Cheap as chips from Amazon or eBay too. Loads of light even for us old guys.

Martin, do you mean SCH40S? And nearly 4mm wall thickness is overkill for a 30psi boiler surely. I am thinking SCH10S.

I appreciate the answers but other than Luker everyone is refering to industrial aplications. I am talking about something that produces less pressure than your car tyres.

304L is probably the preferred. Your replies all refer to large, high pressure boilers which need certification, of which I am well aware of. I am talking about a 30psi boiler for the test running of stationary engines. Does anyone have any experience of this type of boiler in stainless? And why refer only to TIG welding? Is it really any different to MIG or MMA?

Stainless steel can be silver soldered the same as copper. For a small test boiler which doesn't need certification is there any reason stainless cannot be used?

(Naturally pressure testing will need to be done)

I like the reflecting back idea. Genius.

A lot of research was done before the purchase. The comments about loosing your datum were noted but to be honest with a hole or two sides and a drawing any datum can be picked up with a wiggler, or even a cigarette paper if it comes to it. How many who deride round column mills have actually spent time using them?

Why?

Isn't it funny how things change. I was offered an Axminster SX25M at a what I thought was a pretty good price. So I bought it. Looking on t'internet it seems a capable machine, just waiting for it to be delivered and then I need to build a bench for it before playtime can start. Thanks for all the help and advice you guys gave, hopefully I've made a good decision.

Sorry for taking so long to get back to you all. First off thank you for all your advice. I have spent the last week emptying my workshop, painting the floor and getting everything back in while working out where the mill can go.

I think the 2.7 ( the one I want) is going to be too big and I will have to go with the SX2. I am hoping that smaller cuts and a bit more time and I can do everything I need to.

Thanks again for your help, if anyone who has an SX2 can post their experiences that would be great.

Hi all. I shouldn't have done it I know, but I went ahead and bought myself an SC3 lathe from Arc Eurotrade and am very very impressed with it. I am also surprised how much I use it.

But now I am thinking of a small milling machine, I knew it would happen and I shouldn't have started with with machining in the first place. Anyhow I am looking at either an SX2 or an SX2.7 from Arc Eurotrade.

It looks to me as the SX2 is a drilling machine with milling capabilities whereas the 2.7 is more of a small hobby mill. Bearing in mind the difference in price I am trying to justify to myself the extra for the 2.7

Any advice from anyone who has experience of these machines would be invaluable. The work I envisage would be predominately drilling as my bench drill would go to make room. Most of what I do on there would be smallish parts for custom motorcycles I build and I can see myself getting into stationary engines as I get into retirement .

I did use this forum for advice and help when buying the lathe and the breadth of knowledge and advice was staggering. I want to stick with Arc Eurotrade as a supplier as I am so impressed by the service I received with the lathe. Thanks in advance for any replies.

Wear a mask whilst machining PTFE. The dust is no good for you at all.

I too was seriously tempted by the sc4, but went for the SC3 instead and have to say I am seriously impressed by it. Having machined a variety of materials from Delrin to stainless steel, including screwcutting I have found it to be a very competent small lathe. It holds a size well, cuts parallel and the markings on the handwheels are accurate enough to rely on. Being a professional machinist I have found the machine enjoyable to use and it can produce very accurate work.

As for Ketan and Arc Euro they are extremely knowledgeable about the products they supply and are there to help. My experience of both the lathe and the company have been first class and I would not hesitate to recommend both the machine and the company to anyone.

You know you want it, jump in with the reassurance of excellent backup and support. Oh and delivery was surprisingly quick too.