Here is a list of all the postings Chris has made in our forums. Click on a thread name to jump to the thread.
Thread: Slitting saw |
15/02/2010 21:20:07 |
Does anyone know of a video on the net showing the use of a slitting saw. Speed of saw, feed etc and work holding methods.
When I bought my wobblers they came with a web site address showing a short demo video and I just wondered if there was something similar for the saw. I don't seem to be getting far with my own ideas (as usual) so some help required.
Chris. |
Thread: Proper Beginners Question |
10/02/2010 19:18:25 |
Hi Fran, I used to do quite a bit of the stuff you are talking about. Forward control sets, spacers, tank and seat mounts etc, I also made quite a few sets of leading link forks for outfits.Take care, getting the money in proved a huge problem. You will need some serious insurance and for me the final straw was the need to destruction test the forks. The fact that I had used a set on my outfit for 12 years and 92,000 miles carried no weight with the authorities.
Chris |
Thread: Boring Question |
07/02/2010 11:16:02 |
Hi to all who have helped. Spent yesterday converting a small, old drill stand found in the scrap box at work into a tapping stand. T'aint pretty as it is made almost entirely from re-cycled bits but everything is a nice sliding fit courtacy of your help.
Meyrick, What is "the Hall set up"? Perhaps you could PM me, although it may be relavant to this thread.
Chris. |
04/02/2010 11:19:23 |
Thanks to you all. Glad it has helped someone else as well. I sometimes feel my questions are so basic they are a bit embarrasing. Would like to grind my own tools Ian, must try to get someone in the local club to give me some lessons. Off to the shed now to put the wisdom of Meyrick and Clive into practise.
Chris. |
03/02/2010 19:52:44 |
I am just dabbling with my first attempts at boring using a good quality boring bar with carbide tip. The tip is well centered and I have about 2" of the bar protruding from the tool post.
Early attempts have brought up the strange occurance of the tool cutting more as I withdraw the tool than when it is fed into the bore. Is this common? Is one supposed to move the tool a few thou off the surface before withdrawing?
Fortunately I have discovered this problem on some scrap thick walled tube before tackling my expensive castings. You guys have taught me something! Caution before enthusiasm. |
Thread: Tongue in cheek |
26/01/2010 19:15:07 |
Well that stired up some interesting facts so lets try this one.
I was once told by an old maths teacher who was avidly anti metric that the metric units were devised by Napoleon who had his best brains of the times measure the weight and circumferance of the world and then divide them repeatedly by ten until usable units were arrived at. Said teacher was delighted to tell us that both the original measurements were grossly inaccurate and that therefore metric measurements had no value what so ever.
People like this were our mentors.
Or was he right ?! |
25/01/2010 11:35:40 |
I work in a lead mining musuem here in the NE (not quite sure why we deserve a question mark) and lead ore was measured in 'Bings' which were roughly what a pack horse could carry when transporting ore from the mines to the smelts.
For the benifit of my 11 plus exam I had to learn tables including Pecks and Bushels ( I'm only 57) and how on earth did we arrive at 4' 8 1/2'' as a standard railway guage.
Chris. |
Thread: In the Editor's workshop |
10/12/2009 19:39:42 |
I would have to take issue with Chris Stephens. ME is exactly the place to encourage beginners in this fascinating hobby and it certainly would not work as an encouragement if it was crammed full of information which was over my head. I recently picked up a copy of EiM and found nothing encouraging in it what-so ever. If it was the only publication available I certainly would not spend hours each week 'playing' in the shed, developing my skills and being generally creative and happy.
As a beginner I am not asking that the magazine turns it's self over to the beginner, only that we get a look in. (Something which I think David is making a very good job of).
Without a beginners section how do we even know which books are of value to aquire the knowledge that you are lucky enough to already have?
This is not 'dumbing down', it is education and that can never be bad. Where better to look for it than a magazine and web site frequented by those with experience and a willingness to impart to those with less.
Chris. |
10/12/2009 18:22:14 |
Being as I am the guy who confessed to not knowing what a wobbler is I thought I would put in my pennyworth.
I have found David's articles to be very useful as have been some of the methods described by Tony in his Northumbrian project. I also read the articles which are over my head and by doing so pick up bits and pieces. Over all I find ME to have a good balance to keep both the expert and the beginner happy.
There have been several threads on this site where peoples lists of essential tools and equipment have been discussed and I have read them with interest but on several occasions found myself wondering what certain of the tools are used for and why they are so valuable to our cause.
The dividing head is one such case. I don't own one, they seem to be quite expensive and so far I am not sure what they do. I feel sure that a couple of paragraphs from our editor could explain this piece of equipment and its value and from there on I can do my own research in the hundreds of sales sites.
As Mike has said, it would make interesting reading for we beginners who are still putting our workshops together and take up little space in each edition. I really cannot imagine that the more experienced reader would be offended or desert the publication.
Tongue planted firmly in cheek. I now know a wobbler is an edge finder, but do I really need one? Surely the edge is where the metal ends and the bench begins!!!!!! |
Thread: How many Boiler makers? |
02/12/2009 19:50:45 |
Hi Tony,
You will be able to add me to the 'had a go' at boiler making list when the Northumbrian gets to that stage. Like yourself the cost of buying would make the project a non starter. If I fail in the boiler making, I'm afraid the mantle piece will be adorned with a running chasis. When I looked into this hobby about 25 years ago everyone seemed to do everything. On my return I have observed a huge increase in the number of 'kit builders' who seem to be mainly interested in playing with their toys. ( No disrespect intended, it's great to see those as well).
I find myself falling into the catagory epitemised by a local club member who said that once a loco was on the track and running he lost interest and wanted to start another.
Perhaps someone who has been modeling for those 25 years can tell us if the likes of GNS existed back then and were as inundated with orders as they are today. |
Thread: Beginners start here in Model Engineer |
18/11/2009 20:27:46 |
Thanks David and Jason,
Perhaps that is as simple as it needs to be. A couple of little gems of information like that will doubtless save me hours of frustration in the future.
Half a dozen 'Little Gems' in each issue of both publications would be very useful and I'm sure readers would flood you with them.
Chris. |
18/11/2009 19:17:35 |
There are some really interesting points in this thread David. My entire knowledge of precision engineering until starting Northumbrian dated back to my school days ( some 40+ years ago) and a very enthusiastic metalwork teacher. In that time memory loss has played its part alongside the introduction of many new and affordable tools to aid our hobby.
Many starters who are younger than myself will have had no metalwork at school as the health and safety lot got rid of machine tools from schools about 20 years ago which means that basic really is basic, particularly for someone with your intense engineering background. Recently I picked up from this forum the proper marking out practise of measuring from a base line and not from each successive mark.
Perhaps a few short articles, just page fillers would be useful. Also brief descriptions of tools and their use. I have great difficulty getting centre punch marks exactly where I want them. Bet there's a tool for that ! What the hell is a wobbler.
Personally I have found your articles very useful so far and have re-made a couple of the parts for my Stuart using your instructions.
Chris. |
Thread: Boiler making hearth |
07/11/2009 10:34:01 |
Most decent builders merchants keep fire bricks which are often refered to as 'babies' for some obscure reason. Any wood burning stove shop will have a stock of 'fire cheeks' which are shaped fire bricks for putting inside stoves at the sides to reduce the fire area. Using a combination of the two you could easilly make the hearth Niloch has found for half the price. I don't know where you live but I have a stake of fire bricks from old storage heaters behind the shed, your for the taking. |
Thread: Starting out |
02/11/2009 19:34:29 |
I too am a newby in this game and have to agree with everything Meyrick says.
You will find that most companies supply castings etc in and quantity you require but what you are proposing to tackle is a mighty task for a beginner. Send for a drawing sheet for a section of a loco you fancy (not the whole set) and I suspect you will find yourself amazed by the amount of work required. I am working on the Northumbrian which is being detailed in the magazine and is about as simple as it comes in loco building. As a beginner I wouldn't be making much progress at all without the articles and instructions. I still find myself needing the support of the likes of Meyrick and others on this forum. Having said all that don't be put off, the satisfaction from this hobby is amazing. I am like a child with the bits I have made but those six photo's in my album represent three months work.
Chris. |
Thread: Lilac Loco |
28/10/2009 20:02:42 |
On a slightly more serious note. Do any railway historians out there know what colours the early Liverpool Manchester railway adopted. I really don't think I can live with Lilac.
Chris. |
Thread: where did you get your wheels? |
28/10/2009 19:10:04 |
Hi Michael,
Here in Blighty there is a model wheelwrights club. They will doubtless have a web site. I saw their display at the Harrowgate show and it was vey impressive. Also on this site you will find Dougie Swan who sent me some fantastic pictures and helpful text on wheel building. Trevor will also no doubt tell you about his building methods.
Regards, Chris. |
Thread: Northumbrian bits and pieces |
13/10/2009 11:11:06 |
Thanks Jason and John. I have spoken to GLR this morning and they have suggested that if Tony Weale gets in touch with them they will put together a castings kit for Northumbrian. They obviously only hold small numbers of many of the castings so far used and the demand is growing fast. If you are reading this David perhaps you can suggest this to Tony. It would be of help to GLR and those of us who are building.
Thanks John, I wouldn't mind finding out more about the 2 1/2 Association.
Chris. |
12/10/2009 19:37:13 |
Hi, the latest instructions suggest using 2 1/2 guage castings from Eagle and Southern Maid for the Eccentric castings. Can anyone tell me where these are available from.
Would it be a good idea to suggest sources for castings in the articles or are there advertising issues here?
Chris. |
28/09/2009 19:43:15 |
Hi Bob. Jason is correct. My castings have recently arrived. GLR have had a rush of orders for Rainhill wheels (what a suprise) but some new stock has arrived. It's the Canterbury cylinders you will need.
Would love to hear how you are progressing with the project.
Chris. |
Thread: Engine building without power tools |
27/09/2009 10:43:16 |
While you are checking things make sure the table is flat. Mine is not. It is raised to the centre. Again a good sraight edge should prove the point.
I'm hoping someone in the club will have a milling machine big enough to sort out the problem.
Chris. |
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