New Member in Yorkshire

Happy New Year to you all.

Well I'm new to model engineering, and a little lost on what direction to take, so any advice or ideas appreciated.

I'm a time served engineer with 40 years under my belt working at an industrial gear unit manufacturer. The first 10 working on various machines, the rest in design.

Currently I've got a small wooden shed with my Boxford model C and pillar drill in it, plus a garage with my motorbike and little used 4x4, plus all other tools.

I've done a few bits and bobs of jobs on the lathe but looking for a direction.

My late dad made a great example of the Stuart beam engine, which I have proudly on display.

I'm looking to make a new cross slide for my Boxford with T slots, to allow small milling capacity. I do have an "odd" horizontal milling machine I need to assess, but this isn’t currently at my house.

Assuming I choose to not use the milling machine I have, what do you suggest as an alternative? I would love a Bridgeport style, but currently don’t have the space. Are the SIEG milling machines any good?

As for projects the Stuart kits looking fun and a nice end product.

Making a small engine seems a great challenge.

I love the idea of a clock being from gearing background, but not sure I would have the patience for the endless polishing to really do it justice.

So hello, and any thoughts would be great.

Thanks,

Chris.

Happy New Year and welcome to the forum

H

Hello Chris and welcome. It sounds as though you are reasonably well equipped so there are a number of engines that you could tackle, some from castings but also others from bar stock.

As to clocks, I made my first (and only) clock from a design by John Wilding for an English Regulator long case clock. There is not much polished brass on that and the face is silvered by a powder that is rubbed on.

I would suggest that you make something that you really want to make rather than something 'just for practice' as, that way you are unlikely to lose interest part way through.

As for milling machines, a lot depends on your available space and budget. There are a number of posts on here about SIEG machines, especially from one of our moderators named Jason B.

Please let us know how you get on.

Brian

Hi Chris.

Welcome to the forum.
What part of Yorkshire are you from ?, It sounds like you would benefit from joining one of the local clubs.

Phil

The Sieg machines will be upto making stationary engines, allmost all this lot were done on their mills and a far eastern lathe.

You might consider making a dividing head that is sized to be compatible with your lathe in case the urge to make gears returns.
If you have grandchild relations there are some simple steam plants you can make to get them interested, then perhpas help them make Meccano bits, then they can move on to making their own steam engine. Or go for the garden railway approach to spark thier interest.

If you find a club you can probably get involved even under current regimes as many are operating online meetings and we have another one coming up for this forum next week.

Welcome

You obviously know what you are doing. If you want views of machines, there are plenty of different machines owned and used by Forum members.

And you can be pointed to wards reputable suppliers who give good service, and warned off those who don't!

LOTS of expertise on all sorts of fields, so just ask the question.

If there is a Model Engineering Club near you, make contact and join, for the days when we can meet face to face again.

Howard

If you look at the mills on the arc Euro site, they show the foorprint of each which is a most important aspect of buying for a limited space.

Well a big thank you for the warm welcome and suggestions.

Harry W, Thank you.

Brian H, I've been in touch already with John Wildings website and have their catalogue so that's still being considered. I agree with the something you want rather than practice, especially as I have a reasonably good background. Time will tell though!

Phil P, I live in Liversedge, about halfway between Leeds & Huddersfield. Are you a Yorkshire man?

JasonB, WOW! Very impressed. Some cracking work there. I think you have certainly stirred my direction towards similar projects. I love the small traction engine, and didn't appreciate they were made at 2" scale. Maybe a plan for the future. Certainly a great advert for the SEIG machines. Which one do you have?

Bazyle, My late dad had some method for indexing, I think it was just a device to locate in a gear or similar fitted to the spindle, but I never saw it set up, so I will need to work this out when required. No grandchildren on the horizon yet. I think I need to give my sons a nudge along.

Howard L, Time will tell if I know what I'm doing. It's been a long time since I worked on a machine in anger, so I'm hoping it's like riding a bike. I need to look through the site with a bit more detail to find some answers. I do have one question re T slot spacing for my cross slide, what should it be to suit angle plates and other bits. Is their any sort of "normal" so I will post that in what I think is a more relevant place.

Old Mart, I've been looking on their site, and I need to do a bit of measuring up.

Thanks again,

Chris.

You may find that the spacing of your Dividing Head / Rotary Table does not quite match that of the T slots on your Mill.

My Vertex HV6, in vertical mode, did not quite on the RF25 mill/drill. (In horizontal mode, the slots are aligned along the T slot, so no problem )

The slots were milled out a little longer so that it would fit over studs staked into T nuts. Screwing on the nuts takes a bit of jiggling about, first for one and then for the other, before using a square to set the table square across the table of the machine.

Sometimes a "special" T nut, needs to be made. It fits the T slot but instead of a M10 or M8 stud, it takes a M6. The nuts may need washers under them, but a M6 thread can apply a lot of clamping force. Possibly approaching a ton!

Howard

ehhh up

regards from wf2