Hi everyone,
Just an intro about my shop and interests.
I have an X3 bench mill, a smaller Grizzly bench mill (Model G0704), a Grizzly 10 x 22 lathe and a Logan 10” model 825 lathe. Then there’s a 4 x 6 bandsaw, a 3 ton arbor press, a bench top drill press and a 4 x 6 bench sander.
I’ve been building model steam engines for 6 years, all from barstock except for the steam drilling engine from PM Research. I’ve built two of Ray HasBrouck’s designs, the #3 mill engine and the #10 reversing column engine. I’ve also built a walking beam engine and a James Coombes Table (or Mine) engine and a Factory Engine, the latter two engines by the same designer.
I started my first IC engine this summer called the “Bonzer”, an engine design originating in Australia. I began the project by learning how to make the spur gears. I’ve since made frame members, valves and guides, cylinder, piston, con rod, cam, crankshaft. So I’m coming along but have a ways to go. Oh, and these guys use the metric system, can you imagine that? So I have to translate all the plan measurements into “English”. I Skype the designer about once a week just to keep him from chasing the “roos” off his property.
I’m self taught in machining and through reading, belonging to various forums and discussions with folks I volunteer with at a local model engineering group I’ve managed to keep the scrap bin from overflowing (just).
Cheers,
Phil
