Hi all, new member from West Yorkshire.

[ShipleyNige]

Ay up everyone,

I’ve had a lathe and milling machine for quite a few years now (Boxford 4 1/2 changewheel lathe and a Boxford VM30 mill) and have used them for making bits and tools for my old British trials bikes and Harley Davidsons. Both were bought from eBay and I got them home and just started using them, and for the most part they have done what I’ve asked of them.

Last year during lockdown and having spent a short spell in hospital and losing my job, I sought out and watched on tv and the internet, everything I could find that Fred Dibnah had done. This re-awakened my interest in stationary steam engines, having spent my childhood visiting many steam fairs, and I came across videos on YouTube about machining and creating model stationary steam engines from casting kits, this really appealed to me.

So I am at present servicing and repairing my machines (the mill has always had issues) and getting to know them a whole lot better, and looking forward to machining in a much finer fashion. I am also seeking out books and plans on the internet for models that I would like eventually to build. This is how I ended up here. I’m going to start very simply with some oscillating (wobbler) engines and work up to some of the larger more complex beam engines.

Anyway that’s me, I’m looking forward to perusing this group and perhaps getting some help when needed along the path of my model engineering journey.

Sithee

Nige

[pgp001]

Hi Nige

I have sent you a PM.

Phil

[Roger B]

Welcome to the Forum   

[scc]

Hello and welcome to the forum.       Terry

[Dave Otto]

Hi Nige
Welcome to MEM!

Dave

[cnr6400]

Welcome Nige! Lots of stationary engine models discussed hereabouts. 

[Kim]

Hey there Nige!
Welcome to the forum.
Kim

[steam guy willy]

Hi Nigel, yea ...welcome to the forum and there is lots going on here , info ,pics engines etc etc  are your machines imperial or metric ?  also good that you have access to all that Low Moor iron ?!!  do you take Model Engineer magazine and the other ones as well as lots of adverts and info etc etc   Go to EKP Suplies for small nuts and bolts,  0 ..down to 12 BA !!

Willy

[ShipleyNige]

Ay up

My lathe is imperial and the mill is metric. Not had a chance to go into town and see what’s on offer on the model engineering magazines shelf yet. I have three of Tubal Cains little build books, a book about Cherry Hills models and a book in the post about building the Bentley BR2 rotary engine, so not looking too far ahead yet, 😂

[AndyB_11]

Swapping between metric and imperial shouldn’t be an issue as long as you’ve got a phone with a calculator handy and remember the magic number of 25.4

Being new to making small scale models my biggest problem is deciding whether to use Unified or BA threads because everything I’ve got for work is going to be too big and it’s been a long time since I used small threads. If you’re looking for books that will become indispensable start with a Zeus Book, add an Engineering Black Book then top it off with a copy of Machinery’s Handbook because no matter who you are or what you’re making they’re all valuable reference books.