Member postings for Pete Titan

I shall do that, thanks very much indeed.

Yeah, I'd agree with O.P.

My father works at a clay quarry and model engineering is his hobby. He has made some beautiful engines. Then, having said that, with ref to qualifications, he decided to go to open university to read a maths degree because he found his methods of machine set up used maths...

I grew up around old oil engines and steam models and with my feet planted at the foot of the lathe from an early age, began building and honing my 'engineering ability'. I chose to do a degree in engineering after my A levels, which was intended to help me secure a good engineering position - However, being a particularly firey individual I found taking orders from half wits in jobs I'd secured hard to do, so set up my own business in a field that I have interest and experience in. (A vehicle workshop)

The thing I always think about engineering is that 'Engineering' means different things to different people.

For instance, the workshops I went to after uni were all CAD/CAM orientated. Generally you simply pressed go on a machine or put a fresh bit of stock in the chuck, or on the table. If you had no actual practical ability, you would find it hard to come home from work and set about making something (My colleagues always admired engines I took in to show them but couldn't conceive how it could possibly be done with manual machines and files without CAD. But they would still consider themselves 'skilled engineers' Whereas I considered the quiet and usually forgotten chaps that were designing the parts, working out tolerances, UTS' centrifugal forces, failure probability with F.O.S and loading etc to give the CAD people something to draw the true talents.

I myself found university slightly bizarre as there was very little practical (mainly due to health and safety) and all you were required to do was prove you could make something. In our case a silly little 3 legged bearing puller, which ironically I never made because I took in a couple of my engines and they decided it was a waste of resources. Instead I turned out some rear wheel rims for a traction engine I was finishing for a friend.

Now I really do love maths, and physics and all things mathematically derived, but I do remember a moment at about 3am one morning when I was working on a piece of coursework due in the same day. (also knowing as last minute stupidity) I was writing out some polynomial division as part of a proof that 22/7 is greater than pi and I remember thinking to myself, I know what pi equals, why I am proving what pi DOESN'T equal when I could be making something constructive!!

To me, broadly, engineering is the series of solutions (machining / design calculations etc) that turn an idea into a practical item. But then I build models and I consider that engineering so who knows!!

I do largely agree though that daytime job versus hobby are often worlds apart. I once knew a concrete worker who would go home a build clocks...how such dumpy fingers could even pick up half the components of it was beyond me!

Anyway, at present I and talking on the model engineering site when I really should be working!

Kind regards, Pete.

Good morning all.

I'm on a quest to find a supplier of 4 1/2 inch Allchin castings. I have spoken to Paul Wainwright and I understand he is not really doing much with the models anymore, since the full sized engines are taking up the majority of his time.

Does anybody know of any other suppliers of castings for this beautiful engine (John Rex only lists 3" castings) and if not, does anyone know a rough pricing for cast iron casting per weight for me to make a couple patterns and find a foundry? (I have emailed my local [Bridport] foundry but no response after a month)

Incidentally I only really need the following if anyone knows of anyone looking to shift old stock:

Cylinder block

Flywheel

Compensating centre

trunk guide

Brake drum

Rear wheel hubs

Many thanks, Pete

Good evening to you. And seasons greetings!