Engineering tuition recommendations

I think we have managed to drift away from the original question. I'm quite amazed more people haven't suggested their local model engineering societies. It's been invaluable to me.

Hi Derek Lane

is the off subject related to me?

I do wander off a bit because the more something jogs my memory, the more I might wander because something else pops up in my mind.

Being called an idiot does not bother me either. No offence taken if aimed at me amongst others.

I noticed that too - a typo I think, perhaps caused by creating the webpage by cut and pasting from the description of a milling course. As they always wrote on my school homework: 'Careless work, see me'

The link was just an example of a fairly typical commercial course one could attend. I doubt it does what Choochoo wants.

Dave

Yes, a lazy man’s typo an not bothering to check afterwards.

I copied the syllabus in case I can do some video courses on YouTube.

Though describing our learned friends as idiots is too strong, criticising posts going off subject is fair comment!

Difficult to avoid whilst remaining friendly. I see the forum as being like a group chatting at the bar about subjects of common interest. Discipline is out of place. The forum's strength is friendly conversation rather than as a slick reference.

Despite the obvious faults I like the conversational approach because it's more approachable than a bunch of erudite experts communicating super-efficiently in terse incomprehensible jargon. I hope new or inexperienced members are less intimidated from joining by threads sprinkled with jokes, anecdotes, misunderstandings and differing opinions than they would be by nothing but sharply relevant posts with perfect spelling, grammar and punctuation.

More work than I would take on, but we have several members capable of sifting out the best forum advice and republishing it tight to the point on Wikipedia. The same information might sell well as a book. Huge profits for someone, now there's a thought...

Dave

Not really, it just reflects a closed mind and assumes that there is a right and wrong answer, which is rarely the case. Engineering doesn't work like that; it's as much an art as a science.

This thread is a case in point. It started with a general enquiry about learning manual machining. It then transpires that the OP is interested in building a large scale traction engine. That helps narrow down the advice given, and may make earlier posts seem less relevant.

Andrew

I agree, off topic is not a problem I try and answer questions from 50+ years of experience. I find similar ideas pop into my head and write them into the post while I remember them. In turn I expect that anyone reading the post may well have their memory jogged and so it goes on.

I would first learn about feeds and speeds and tool geometry and stick to HSS to start with and understand the strength of your tool.Old British tooling was roughly based around the ability to remove a cubic inch per horsepower per minute, bearing in mind they were made out of the correct cast iron which was very stiff.But to become a craftsman your not allowed any electricity bar a pillar drill for the first 6 months.You will spend A week scraping and blueing a flat surface 4” square.My point is you don’t need to to do an apprenticeship to make great models.The advice I see in these comments is as good as any and no one knows it all👍

Oh, and more importantly, No long hair, loose sleeves, ties , gloves etc and put your Google’s on 👍

I always wear a tie clip when using the lathe.

And I keep my grey dustcoat buttoned up as back-up.

Edited By Hopper on 19/03/2022 05:09:59

" I always wear a tie clip when using the lathe". You don't need one if you wear a bow tie

Fair enough fellas you win lol.Just thought it was worth mentioning if the guy is just staring out.

As an accomplished purveyor of red herrings, will add my four penn'orth.

Evening classes are currently like hen's teeth, so joining a Model Engineering Society is a very good idea, ditto, keeping a close eye on this Forum. There is always something to learn.

As an Apprentice, all our courses, (Turning, Milling, Grinding, Fitting ) started with Safety. This is important, but very few Model Engineers, demonstrating or advising hands on practice will mention it. Just taken as read that all know how keep safe.

WRONG! If you have ever had a drill grab, when using a low powered pistol drill, you start, or should, learn to respect motorised tools.

It was many years after leaving the First Year Training school, before I next touched a machine tool (Saw quite a lot in the interim, though! ) before I finally achieved an ambition and owned a well used lathe.

Then the learning really started.

As confidence grew, so did the range of tasks undertaken. At the start, never imagined that I would ever screwcut, or cut gears. But I do, not very expertly, but they do the job, which is all that I ask.

But, as they say in agricultural circles, "Make haste, slowly"

Don't exceed your capabilities, by too much. For that way lies disillusionment, and possibly damage to machine, yourself or others. Stretching the boundaries A LITTLE, is the way to learn. Even if only that it was the wrong way to go about it!

Definitely buy and read books, by such as L H Sparey, Ian Bradley, G H Thomas, Stan Bray, David Clark, Dave Fenner, Harold Hall, or Neil Wyatt. You can profit from their experience.

Having joined a M E Society, don't be afraid to ask questions, for help and advice.if some kind member/s will help to teach you, Ignore those who ridicule you. They have forgotten that once they did not know!

Beware! You may learn some of their bad habits! Also, some techniques may not necessarily read directly across from one machine to another in detail.

And we will all try to teach you to ride our particular hobby horses.

Howard

.

But one would look like a toff then. That wouldn't do at all.

Posted by David-Clark 1 18/03/2022 08:46:06

Notable moment in Model Engineers’ Workshop, yhe CBC Tool and Cuter
Grinder, I think a world first.

So, self taught is good.

Hi David,

Sorry to hear of your past and present problems.

I am in the self taught camp as well.

It is now nearly 14 years since the Cnc cutter grinder article was published
in MEW ,i wonder if any others have been made ,there seem to be
plenty of similar setups working in the same way on You tube now, but back
then i don't know , most likely as you said " I think a world first".

I seem to remember there were some dissenting voices on this
when you published this same statement when you left as editor, naturally
there was no alternative methods proposed by these folk other than chop of
the end of a cutter with an angle grinder and spend nearly £1000
on an Arc euro grinder.

Here is the certificate and bronze medal that i was awarded thanks to you
for encouraging me to enter this machine in the 2012 Model engineer exhibition.

Sadly the magazine no longer seems to have had any proper machine
type builds since you left it is all short and repeated subjects,the
300 anniversary issue was i thought very poor the last straw for me
was the skeleton on a bicycle two issues later on was
enough for me to chuck in the subscription for this magazine that i had
for many years.

John

This thread has wandered a bit ! Like John I decided to drop my MEW subscription after the poor Issue 300 ! As to HUGE profits from a book,(SOD) myself and 2 others looked at a modern book on Foundry Work but were adivsed by a well known publisher that it was highly unlikely that it would pay ! As to the OP I would offer some training IF he was closed. Noel

Like Noel, I am in the eastern side of UK, but would be prepared to try to pass on my limited skill, if it were convenient.

In the days where most commercial work is keyboard related, for hobbies and one offs, manual operations are still required. Understanding the basics allows such work to be undertaken.

Howard

Please sir, a very long time ago I was in a school metalwork classroom ( yes that long ago! ) engaged in horizontally milling a block of steel to a particular size at the request of the teacher, lo & behold we were blessed by a visit from both the principal & vice principal of the technical college that I attended in those days, the principal a small rotund man wearing very thick glasses came to me & said "now you do know that you must never wear a tie in the workshop don't you?" now at this point I must confess I have hated neckties since schooldays when they were part of the uniform, it was a rite of passage at my secondary school that on the last day there one would tie the tie & impale the cap on the school railings, so I peered round the workshop in an exaggerated manner & said " and do you know that of the 40 odd people in this room you are the only one wearing a tie?" he did not have response to my query, these days I only own one tie & that's a clip on reserved for weddings & funerals. Hence the expression, I used to be a top gun but now I'm just a loose cannon.

Bob H

The West Country is a large area. It would help if you could let us know your local large town, at least.

JA

Edited By JA on 20/03/2022 12:48:06

Sorted ! He PM´d me. He has three within half an hour´s drive.

Cheers

Peter