New in from Northumberland

Time to make a start and say Hi, writing is not one of my fortes as i love to hang around and read and read and read again.
I very rarely post on forums because my depth of knowledge is limited to basics and i would hate to send someone down a wrong path so i am more quiet than vocal.
So that said, working up in the cool north east of UK and messing with models at a very low level most of my life i thought it was time to have a project which i actually tried not to rush for once, in other words a couple of years instead of a couple of weeks.

My intention is to try to make a semi scale American RV in 1/6th scale. I want to do everything wherever possible from start to finish and learn as much as i can in all the subjects required using the years to build it.
I did a small amount of CAD some 20 years ago but never 3D, so i spent the previous couple of months immersed in Inventor (i have a family member who lets me use his copy when not at work). I have started from blank and so far have a front axles assembly with wheels rims etc and the chassis drawn up, half way through a rear axle before i moved on a bit.
I was a mechanic in the forces so do a small bit of metal and woodwork, for my wood work i use vCarve pro which i purchased recently with my HighZ cnc router. I used this to make stuff for fund-raising for a greyhound charity and was all good experience.
So now i have my drawings which i converted into stl and imported into vcarve and then cut them out in high density molding wood.
I want to learn to cast in aluminuim for the axle and hubs so i have them now ready for the mold. I have never done casting (maybe once at school) so this is a new subject to learn as well, i have watched hours and hours of myfordboy and mrpeter so i purchased a small electric furnace to get me started into this area, i am just waitinf for the sand to arrive now.
I have at my disposal a fairly good workshop including a SX3 mill which i intend in the futre to convert to CNC, i have access to a clarke lathe.
I just started to learn about arduino to so i can get my rotary head on the mill automated. I also have a small 3d printer which we struggle to get working right, but sometimes the prints are ok and maybe i can use this for something along the way.

I am am craming in as much as i can whilst a i can, i have recently had a stroke and a heart attack and not even 60 so i want to enjoy it whilst i can.
So as this is all new i felt i need to at least do things in the correct order and correct way so now hopefully i can post my queries and not make as may mistakes as i have done recently, mostly measuring errors

Cheers Malc

I predict that your two year timescale may well drift, we all set out with what appears to be a reasoned timescale for our projects, the objective is that however long your project takes to complete just enjoy all the time spent on it, I find time in the workshop so satisfying.

Dave

Welcome Malc,

Sounds like you are ready to get started! Keep us updated on progress,

Neil

I am hoping the timeframe does not go too far out.

I am ready to go for casting the front axle and hubs and spring hangers this weekend, machining the hubs afterwards now that's a different ball game

Cheers

How did the casting go Bernie?

Neil

Funny you should ask neil

Last weekend i had 4 failed attempts at just putting the sand in the flasks so never got to switch on the furnace even.

Today i am trying again but with 2 failed this morning again i think i am getting closer and just in the middle of the next one.

The probs i have had have been sand sticking to the former, so not enough wax/talc/release agent which i hope now to have rectified. Not enough CO2 getting through when i tried the silica sand method, that i think actually was due to a poor mix by me.

This one i am waiting for the silica sand to be nice and dry for my final mix and hopefully its a goer, the petrabond one this morning the edges came away with the former so i dont know yet on that one.

Was getting to me a bit but i have keep saying its my first attempt and as long as i keep getting a bit closer i am going the right way , as you can gather i am spreading the eggs by trying both methods

Bernie