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Home Base => Introductions => Topic started by: vtsteam on January 29, 2013, 09:42:57 PM

Title: Hello MadModders, caster, lathe and turbine builder, etc. from Vermont
Post by: vtsteam on January 29, 2013, 09:42:57 PM: Hello modders,

I live in Southern Vermont, and have built Gingery lathe (2003), my own-designed milling attachments, and with that, a disk turbine. Also began a Westinghouse type twin steam engine.from scratch. And I've built several Hot air engines of my own design.

I have been casting since 2002, and built a new solid fueled foundry just this fall, after the old one gave up the ghost. Hoping to do cast iron when the weather warms up. Previously, mostly aluminum.

I own a Listeroid type diesel generator set, and a 1951 John Deere Model M tractor which helped me build my house. I also built a sawmill to cut the lumber for the house.

You seem like a creative bunch of people, so this should be fun.

My current project is converting a horizontal shaft Tecumseh H50 5 hp block into a steam engine. My requirements are for proper timing of both exhaust and inlet, rather than some of the easier conversions shown on the net. The engine itself was a basket case -- seized actually. I enjoy that kind of thing, converting trash into something useful (I hope).
Title: Re: Hello MadModders, caster, lathe and turbine builder, etc. from Vermont
Post by: DavidA on January 30, 2013, 06:00:35 AM: Hi there vtsteam,

Good to have you here. If the pics are anything to go by, you should find this place ideal.

Dave.

p.s. converting trash into something useful

No such thing as trash. It's just material 'resting' while awaiting the call.
Title: Re: Hello MadModders, caster, lathe and turbine builder, etc. from Vermont
Post by: Brass_Machine on January 30, 2013, 11:02:30 AM: hi vtsteam :wave:

Welcome to the collective :borg: !!

Sounds like you will fit right in.

Eric
Title: Re: Hello MadModders, caster, lathe and turbine builder, etc. from Vermont
Post by: saw on January 30, 2013, 11:14:02 AM: Hi and welcome to us :wave:
Title: Re: Hello MadModders, caster, lathe and turbine builder, etc. from Vermont
Post by: krv3000 on January 30, 2013, 06:01:59 PM: hi and welcome
Title: Re: Hello MadModders, caster, lathe and turbine builder, etc. from Vermont
Post by: vtsteam on January 30, 2013, 10:45:25 PM: Thank you all! :beer:
Title: Re: Hello MadModders, caster, lathe and turbine builder, etc. from Vermont
Post by: DavidF on January 31, 2013, 10:36:51 AM: Hey Steve!! I made it in!!
Title: Re: Hello MadModders, caster, lathe and turbine builder, etc. from Vermont
Post by: vtsteam on January 31, 2013, 10:57:54 AM: Hey David, great! :beer:

(I know this is supposed to be an intro for myself, but I can't help saying David does a wonderful job of design, patter,n and cast iron work and uses a very nice low cost mini propane furnace that I'm envious of. I just watched a nice instructive video of his on wax pattern making for investment casting on Youtube)

So welcome, buddy!.
Title: Re: Hello MadModders, caster, lathe and turbine builder, etc. from Vermont
Post by: AussieJimG on February 03, 2013, 08:00:15 PM: Welcome VTsteam, it seems that you and David will give us something new to think about

Jim
Title: Re: Hello MadModders, caster, lathe and turbine builder, etc. from Vermont
Post by: vtsteam on February 03, 2013, 10:07:14 PM: Thanks Jim! Likewise, I'm sure.
Title: Re: Hello MadModders, caster, lathe and turbine builder, etc. from Vermont
Post by: AdeV on February 04, 2013, 08:38:36 AM: Hi VTSteam, looking forward to seeing some of those projects, both completed and in-progress :poke: Looks to me like you're already doing pretty much all the stuff I want to do, but don't seem to get the time to do... casting is on my list, I also have a Lister diesel (sitting idle at the moment)

Welcome to Madmodders! It's a great forum, but it's cost my workplace hundreds of hours of time :lol:
Title: Re: Hello MadModders, caster, lathe and turbine builder, etc. from Vermont
Post by: Meldonmech on February 10, 2013, 04:42:12 AM: Hi vtsteam,
Welcome to the forum, great patterns and lathe. How long did it take to build the lathe.

Well Done David
Title: Re: Hello MadModders, caster, lathe and turbine builder, etc. from Vermont
Post by: PekkaNF on February 10, 2013, 07:05:43 AM: Hello and welcome!

You have made some nice work.

Any chance of a pictures of your Gingery lathe/mill in different setups? I bought the books long time ago and considered giving it a go, but then I got more work than time and tradeoff was to buy a lathe. I liked the approach of using the machine itself to make parts to the machine. I see that you have taken that approach and modularity to next level.

Pekka
Title: Re: Hello MadModders, caster, lathe and turbine builder, etc. from Vermont
Post by: vtsteam on February 10, 2013, 02:04:50 PM: Thank you meldonmech and PekkaNF.

Okay, I'll start a thread detailing some of the lathe construction and the accessories and how I made things, since you guys are interested. Guess I'll do it in the Projects section.

Thanks for all the encouragement on this site. I was once told on another site that Gingery lathes weren't good for anything other than teaching the basics. For a moment I felt embarrassed. But that was just wrong. I disagree about both the lack of usefulness of the lathe and the playing down of the "basics."

The basics are the building blocks on which you can do anything. You can turn a Gingery lathe into anything you want it to be, because you learned how to do that. Build a machine form nothing. If you are dissatisfied with any part of it, you can use it to make that part of the machine better, stronger, heavier, more precise, whatever it is you want. You know how to cast, file, scrape, lay out, punch, drill, bore, turn, mill, grind, harden, temper, thread, and make tooling, as well as knowing one more thing. That you can do anything you want with almost nothing. From scrap and a desire to do what you envision.

It isn't just a lathe you get out of it. It's your lathe, and it will do anything you want it to do, because you can make it anything you want it to be.
Title: Re: Hello MadModders, caster, lathe and turbine builder, etc. from Vermont
Post by: vtsteam on May 15, 2014, 03:18:50 PM: Wow, it's been awhile -- just seemed like this would be the best place to say hello to old friends after about a 5 month break from shop work! :wave: :wave: :wave: It was a long cold winter -- and no heat in the shop kept me away.

Anyway we are all thawed out -- daffodils bloomed and mowed my lawn for the first time a couple days ago. Pulled winter storage items out of the shop to be able to get in there again, and started work on my Ford 850 tractor project under cover outdoors -- put off for a couple years. Pulled the head, and found a blown head gasket. Head needs to be surfaced before I put it back together, so It's time to use the mill again. One thing leads to another, and all roads lead to Madmodder.

It's weird -- I kind of feel like I'm starting all over again, man I sure do forget things more quickly these days! -- I was just doing a search here on MM to see if I actually did build that big fly cutter I thought I had, or not! :wack: I had a picture of it in my mind but darned if I can actually find it in my mill tooling drawers. Was it project for the future or did I build it? :scratch: ahhhh nevermind I guess I have a new project now! :lol:

Anyway, just wanted to say hello again, and sorry I was quiet/absent for so long.
Title: Re: Hello MadModders, caster, lathe and turbine builder, etc. from Vermont
Post by: John Rudd on May 15, 2014, 03:23:07 PM: Welcome back vt..... :thumbup:
Certainly been a while,good to hear you're still around and gotten through the winter...... :clap:
Title: Re: Hello MadModders, caster, lathe and turbine builder, etc. from Vermont
Post by: tom osselton on May 15, 2014, 03:52:07 PM: Welcome back!
Title: Re: Hello MadModders, caster, lathe and turbine builder, etc. from Vermont
Post by: Stilldrillin on May 15, 2014, 03:53:34 PM: Hi Steve.
Nice to see you're back amongst us. It's been a bit quiet, while you've been hibernating.

"One thing leads to another, and all roads lead to Madmodder." Great quote! :clap: :clap:

Looking forward to seeing your projects. :thumbup:

David D
Title: Re: Hello MadModders, caster, lathe and turbine builder, etc. from Vermont
Post by: mattinker on May 15, 2014, 04:35:10 PM: Hi Steve,

Glad to see you back!

regards, Matthew
Title: Re: Hello MadModders, caster, lathe and turbine builder, etc. from Vermont
Post by: awemawson on May 15, 2014, 04:37:59 PM: Hi Steve,

Good to have you arround again - I was quite concerned what had happened to you :scratch:

Very glad that they've given you remission for good conduct and let you out :lol:
Title: Re: Hello MadModders, caster, lathe and turbine builder, etc. from Vermont
Post by: vtsteam on May 15, 2014, 05:29:01 PM: John, Tom, David, Matt, Andrew, thanks so much, great to be back!

Man I'm going to have to catch up a lot in reading about your projects! :coffee: :coffee: :coffee:

Lessee, now, what have you guys been up to here..........

Andrew you better be turning out widgets by now!
Title: Re: Hello MadModders, caster, lathe and turbine builder, etc. from Vermont
Post by: awemawson on May 15, 2014, 05:54:59 PM: Quote from: vtsteam on May 15, 2014, 05:29:01 PM

Andrew you better be turning out widgets by now!

Oh yes ! All up and running and several modifications added - lots of bed time reading for you :ddb:
Title: Re: Hello MadModders, caster, lathe and turbine builder, etc. from Vermont
Post by: Pete W. on May 16, 2014, 05:00:50 AM: Hi there, Steve,

Hello and welcome back from me too! :clap: :beer: :clap: :beer: :nrocks: :nrocks: :nrocks:
Title: Re: Hello MadModders, caster, lathe and turbine builder, etc. from Vermont
Post by: vtsteam on May 16, 2014, 03:32:19 PM: Hi Pete!! :wave:

Why I hardly recognize you with your new avatar! :beer: