Hello from Wichita, KS USA

[mikehinz]

Hi, I've lurked around this board for a bit and have learned an immense amount from all the various people and projects!  I thought it was time to participate on an active basis. 

I'm a recently retired GOE (Grumpy Old Engineer).  I worked 27 years in oil field service as a data collection and analysis engineer and advanced thru the ranks and worked around the world.  I then formed my own company with a couple of partners and we specialized in network engineering, analysis and consulting.  Then sold that company to an LTE wireless company and worked for them for a few years.  I'm still doing a bit of consulting for them which does cut into my hobby time!

I grew up on a farm and have always been interested in fabrication, machine work and the like, but haven't had time nor a place to really do much with my interest until now. 

We bought a small house outside of Wichita, KS but it does have a 3 car garage and have 'procured' 1 bay of it for my shop.  Starting about 1 year before I retired I started gathering machines and equipment.  Currently I have a Bridgeport with DRO on X and Y and am about to install a quill DRO.  I've got an older Enco 13x40 lathe with a 3 jaw, 4 jaw, 6 jaw chucks and a full set of 5C collets for round, hex, and square stock.  No DRO on the lathe, but I do have a Traveldial on the Z axis.  I have other stuff, hand tools, grinders, sanders, and the like that I'd had for years but mostly stored away.  I also have access to my brother's shop (about 40 miles away).  He's a skilled wood worker and fabricator so I can get him to do bits of welding or woodworking for me if I trade him some machine work, so that's a pretty good arrangement!

Over the past months I've done some machining projects for my son-in-law and for my brother.  Those were either larger items for hot-rods or some  interesting small items for my brother's interest of hot-rodding old daisy BB guns.  My interests really lie in working model engines so to that end, I've just built the LMS Wobbler engine from the plans published on the LMS website.  I'm trying to select the next few engines and I think I've settled on one of the double-acting wobblers published by Julius in the plans section, then one of the horizontal mill engines, either Elmer's 33 or maybe the "Potty" horizontal.  If i can manage those, then I want to try the Webster IC engine followed by a Farm-Boy type hit-n-miss.  After that, who knows!

I've noted that even simple engines require some additional skills that I'm still developing so i do want to do  progress in some sort of logical order in order to be able to complete each project.  Of course I end up building various fixtures and tooling as I go along also.  Who would have thought such a thing would
happen!! 

I've already come up with a few question and I'm sure I'll come up with more as I go along.  What's the best method or place to ask beginners (possibly stupid) questions?

I look forward to participating in this forum!

Mike

[Steamer5]

Hi Mike,
 Welcome abooard! Sure you’ll enjoy it here.

Cheers Kerrin

[rudydubya]

Very glad to meet you Mike.  Welcome to the forum.

Regards,
Rudy

[10KPete]

Welcome to the forum, Mike! It sounds like you are collared up and ready to start drillin'. You are in for some fun times with this engine building hobby. There are great folks here and questions are welcome. Always!

Pete

[b.lindsey]

Welcome Mike  . I think your progression plan is wise but if you ever get stuck, we are all here to help. I look forward to your active participation and hope you will keep us updated on your projects. Fair warning though, model engines is very addictive

Bill

[kuhncw]

Mike,

Welcome to the group.  It sounds like you are pretty well setup.

Nice to hear from Kansas.  I grew up out there about 70 miles north and a bit east of Wichita.

Regards,

Chuck

[Flyboy Jim]

Welcome to MEM Mike. Sounds like you've already made a good start in your model engineering journey.

To answer your question about the best place to ask beginners questions, here's what's worked well for me, since I'm pretty much of a beginner myself. That is, on your next engine build, do a build thread. A build thread gives you a great platform to ask questions when you get stuck or need some input.

Starting out I also spent as much time reading other build threads as I did working on my own build. It's amazing how much info is buried in those threads.

Jim

[Kim]

Hi Mike, welcome to the forum!

As to where to post questions; there is a 'help' section with a couple of sub-forums that could be a good place to post.  One is called "Specific Engine Help" and another one is "Machine Tools and Fixtures".  However, I'm with Jim.  I thin the best place to ask for help is in a build log of your current engine project!  But sometimes, you have a question that is specific, and doesn't relate to your build directly, so these forums can help.  I've also asked questions on the "Chatterbox" forum, but only if I can't find a more appropriate place for it.  People are quite friendly here and the moderators can even move your post to the right forum if you realize you put it in the wrong place.  But nobody's too pick

Glad to have you here!  I think you'll like it!
Kim

[Roger B]

Welcome to the Forum   

[Dave Otto]

Hi Mike
Welcome to MEM!


Dave