Heyoo!

Hello all, very happy to be here!

I'm very new and not at all experienced in model making, but thanks to a co-worker, I'm now looking down the rabbit hole of model engines, mainly steam.

I'm a very computer-oriented person and have had a bit of experience on a Lathe and Mill, but nowadays I mainly do CAD modeling and 3D Printing and would like to say that I'm surprisingly good, just going about using digital calipers to digitize physical objects.

Anyhoo, I would appreciate any and all tips, suggested tools, and the like, also what engines are recommended for true beginners, I'm looking at the Stuart S50 or 10V

Thanks all!

You can find some easy to make engines planned for fabrication from solid stock if you search for "elmer's engines" or "elmer verburg" in google. Mr Verburg designed and published plans for a whole series of simple fabricated engines which are a great training exercise for beginners. Mr Julius De Waal has redrawn several of these in CAD and with metric dimensions and fasteners also. There are free to download plans floating around in several places on the internet. I suggest starting with these low cost simple engines to develop your machining skills before tackling Stuart casting kits. You could also make some useful hand tools like parallel clamps, finger plate, tap wrenches, etc from steel scraps to get started. I still use some of the simple tools I made 40 odd years ago, They look awful but work great.

Edited By Jeff Dayman on 12/06/2023 12:49:30

Welcome to the forum.

Have a look at this current thread here LINK about making a Stuart models engine. It is a twin cylinder but basically two of their standard singles coupled together. So you will be able to see what is involved and what tools and machines he has used.

For a fairly simple bar stock engine, google Potty Mill Engine. Free plans available and plenty of build threads on this forum and others.

Edited By Hopper on 12/06/2023 13:09:24

I would also suggest searching Google for "Harold Hall website", (www.homews.co.uk). Click on "Metalworking Index", then click "S - T", and look at subjects "Steam Engine, Tina" and/or "Seam Engine, Stuart 10 V/H". That will get you started with lots of Pictures. Plus many topics are cross-linked in his Descriptions.

Harold worked most of his Life as an Electrical Control Systems Engineer. He does a superb job describing how to do something since he assumes his Readers, like himself, aren't trained Machinists. I have made some of his Projects.