Looking for some help / guidance / training in the Chepstow area

Hello,

My message is probably very similar to a lot of others on here but I didn't find any when I searched that were in my area so here goes...sorry about the length.

I've had a life-time fascination with steam engines...in particular, agricultural steam traction engines. About ten years ago when I was working in the electronics industry, I decided I wanted to try and build a model engine. I thought about it quite carefuly and, ventually, decided on a 6" scale Foster. With hindsight, something way to ambitious for someone who had never even used a lathe before (I didn't even do metalwork at school) but that's what I wanted to do. I realied I couldn't handle the large parts with the Denford Viceroy I had then acquired so I eventually took delivery of a CE certified boiler and "rolling chasis" with things like the gear work and most of the motion already done.

A little whie after this, I ended up leaving telecoms at the age of 42. I decided I wanted to do something else. I spent the next nine years or so re-training in wildlife conservation and ended up doing two university diplomas and an MSc part time whilst working for various wildlife charities. Needless to say, with all this academic work,, little happened on the engine. I am now in the process of getting the project going again.

To say I am a novice is an understatement. I have a few books and have looked at quite a few videos on the web (and followed threads like this one **LINK** but, right now, I feel like I'm chasing ghosts with my lathe and mill work. I've no idea now if my lathe is warped, whether i need to level (against ground) my cabinet, my lathe, or just to have the various parts of the lathe aligned with itself. I don't know whether I have issues with my headstock alignment. I don't know whether the taper that always appears in my test bars are down to defelction whn I take a cut or because the bed is still out of alignment. It's very old and perhaps needs re-grinding or professional alignment? Perhaps it's just knackered?

Having spent a few frustrating weks trying to get my lathe turning a round bar evenly along it's length, I am on the point of giving up. It's been very tempting to sell the work in progress I have and ust by something smaller, ready to rally. It's not what I really want to do though. I'd at least be able to say I buillt some of it myself and really don't want to go down the route of buying someone else's project. I love learning new things but for some reason, I just can't seem to be able to get my head around seting up and using my lathe. In the language of some American bloke, I have too many unknown unknowns and I don't have a good reference point, in respect of either my personal skill or known-good equipment set up, to make any progress.

I am wondering if there is anyone local to me who would be able to spend a few hours to help me set up my lathe (and possibly my milling machine) and go through the basics of using the lathe and, in particular, grinding lathe tools? I'm not lazy, stupid or a nut (just don't ask my missus for a reference on this though!). I'm ust startig to get incredibly frustrated and don't know what do do next.

Sorry if I've rambles on a bit. If anyone can offer any help, iI would be great. I have thought about joining a local club but, if I'm honest, I'm not sure about the reception I would get. Most people I seem to speak to seem to have been doing this stuff since they were 10 and can't see what my problems are. It's hard not to feel a complete numpty even posting this here...so I'll stop now and see what people suggest.

Cheers and thanks or taking the time to read my tale of woe.

Denis

Hi Denis, I too was like you,many years ago ,woodwork and metal work teachers were all taken to fight in the war and we never got to learn these crafts. When I retired I had the wish to make something, and like you bought a lathe ,Saw some books in the "Workshop practise series "

Now have most of them, and very slowly sitting in front of the lathe with book in one hand have managed to produce , from castings ,a Stuart mill engine ,never steamed but it works on compressed air. If I can do it so can you ,do not give up .The joy I felt when that started to turn I will always remember. He who never made a mistake ,never made anything.!

good luck Maurice

Hi, this is VERY interesting, I am looking into setting up a not-for-profit national training scheme for model engineers and would be interested in any ideas, requests etc anyone may have.

Cliff Leach

Hi Chaps,

Thanks for the encouragemt, Maurice. I've made plenty of mistakes, I assure you. Perhaps I just don't learn practical stuff from books as some folks do? It may also be about aptitude....Thought I would get that in before someone else did I've great respect fot those who have done it entirely on their own though.

Gray, thank you for your reply. I presume you mean pictures of the kit rather than pictures of me!! I've tried to add some to this reply. If there's anything specific you'd like me to photograph, just let me know. I've got what I think is a reasonable selection of tooling for both lathe and mil (an old Thiel)l. Got things like welders and soldering kit too. If you could help at all, it would be very much appreciated. If there's any other information you'd like about the kit I've got, just let me know. If you wanted to meet up sometime and have a natter....perhaps over a pint...that might be a start.

Cliff, I work part time for a wildlife charity now. I'm a member of the management team of Gwent Wildlfie with specific responsibiity for training and education. I am also treasurer of the Portand Bird Observatory so I know about charities from the trustee perspective as well. Professionally, I'm an electronics engineer by my original training and an ecologist/ornithologist in my current carreer. I know my way around charity legislation and grant fund-raising pretty well. If I can help with anything in that line, do let me know. If there was something like you suggest available here, I'd be first in the queue and I would be very prepared to help set something up. It won't be easy though...you probably already worked that out!!

Cheers guys. I didn't think I'd get any replies at all so good to know I've come to the right forum.

Denis