New member from Norfolk

I have been interested in steam and model engineering since a boy. My grandfather was a model engineer and worked on steam wagons most of his life, having worked for Sentinels in Shrewsbury.

I purchased my first lathe when I was 17 - a Portass 3 5/8 centres. I have built several stationary steam engine models and rebuilt several machine tools. I have also made 3 Dore Westbury-type milling machines including making the patterns myself. I was fortunate to share a small foundry with a friend, who since passed away.

Over 65 years I have amassed a large collection of machine tools and equipment, which unfortunately I am now having to sell as I need to downsize to something more manageable.

Happy to talk to anyone interested in Harrison L5 lathes which I have rebuilt several over the years.

Being an internet novice, I would appreciate some advice on how to navigate the Model Engineer website.

John

Hi John welcome to the forum. Sorry that you are downsizing but there is help on here. If you look at the top of the web page in the black stripe there is a tab forums, click that and there is a web site FAQ tab click that to get how to page, I hope that helps. It may help if your locality is known just roughly were you are based as local knowledge can help.

David

Welcome John, you are clearly no beginner with model engineering. I'll let someone more knowledgeable take you through the ME website.

Brian

Hello David and Brian

Thank you for the helpful information. I hope that your website can help me as I would hate for things to unnecessarily go to scrap, when there are still plenty of enthusiasts out there either old hands or just setting up.

I am in Downham Market Norfolk PE38 9

John

Welcome to the forum John,

I hope downsizing means that, not giving up entirely!

Nel

Hi Nel

No I am not giving up entirely, just trying to finish off projects and not start up any new ones! I would not do without a workshop of some sort.

John

Hello

I've been lurking around this site for quite a while so I guess it is about time I was sociable and stuck my head above the parapet. I'm in Newcastle upon Tyne and my main interest is model steam turbines.

A few years ago I built an electronically controlled flash boiler (inspired by the boiler built by Ian Gerrard). This gives a known rate of generation of steam at a measured temperature which is starting to prove useful for testing nozzles etc. That project also gave me the electronics confidence to build an electronically controlled micro-milling contraption which I'm using to machine miniature turbine blades and nozzles. It uses tungsten carbide micro-milling cutters down to 0.5 mm diameter. (I have a few 0.3mm diam. cutters but so far have not dared use them). Currently I'm attempting to build a multistage turbine - which I realise may be a failure. The journey is more important than arriving at the destination (I suppose).

I'd be very interested to hear from or about other people who use similar micro-milling cutters as I've not come across anythng in the magazines.

Mike

That's appropriate.

Welcome to the forum. I'd be interested in more details of the micro-milling setup. Currently I've got a 24000 rpm spindle, but it's mounted on a conventional CNC mill. I've used it with 0.8mm cutters but haven't had the nerve to go smaller.

Andrew

Sorry for barging in on this thread. I posted this message in the wrong place. I thought I was starting a new thread and realised my mistake as soon as I had clicked on the button. I've just posted the message again - hopefully as a new thread this time.

Thanks for the response Andrew - I'd best reply in the proper thread.

Mike

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Welcome, Mike

You will have at least two readers if you write about your micro-milling machine

Can't see your new thread yet ...

MichaelG.