Jeff getting ready for retirement (sunny QLD Australia)

[jirvin_4505]

Been wanting to say hello for a while

I keep dipping my toe into world of model engineering

Retirement looms large - Covid lockdown gave me a bit of a hurry up on getting my plans organised

I’ve had a long held resentment on not being permitted to do metalwork at school (early 70s) - being the son of a mechanic in those days there were aspirations on what a future looked like.  Little did double entry bookkeeping serve me well in my future!

I’ve been buying too much equipment (seems to feed the habit) and not getting enough use =>being intimidated by thought of breaking something!

I tend to half finish things..  a little bolten #5 steam engine and did get all the castings for a gingery shaper made and machined. I did finish a little bar stock steam engine following a Dvd instructions by Rudy Kouhoupt


So I’m excited to be back at it again.  I’ve joined a local trades guild that have lots of wisdom available. I’m getting lots of usefull advice from Greg Tev on this forum

Presently I’m 3 weeks into Fusion 360 doing patterns and castings for the 1936 midget engine… Paying homage to all those hours spent in dads shed reading popular science and popular mechanics (will start a thread)



Chaos on the kitchen table while the wife is away visiting 

Goals… get an engine finished
Learn cnc… somehow I’ve ended up with a seig sx2 and Sieg x3 both converted to cnc.  Thanks to help from the Gilde I cut my first test pieces.   A little slot plate from my fusion exercises. Must admit I’m in awe with what’s happening in the cnc space here - the midget engine is partially inspired by what JasonB has done

Work on my pattern making and casting skills

A short list that should see me biting off more than I can chew. 

Cheers Jeff
“Working to the closest CM”

[Jasonb]

The Midget is a nice little engine to make, will you be doing it to the original size or smaller as I did?

With the CNC you have the option to use that to make the patterns or simply cut straight from metal as well as traditionally made patterns to cast from.

If it is of use this should open my Midget assembly in F360 https://a360.co/3f7IcDl

EDIt, I now see you are going for 3D printed patterns and casting from them

[jirvin_4505]

Thanks Jason 
The fusion 360 files are certainly usefull
Must admit I’ve been through your thread many times studying the pictures trying to imagine how I would draw them

Also spent time studying <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B1vESI5kVkA" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B1vESI5kVkA</a> this Chanel

So far I’ve done the crank cases (the oil spigot almost broke me) flywheel and now onto the third iteration of the cylinder head  (I should have done the modified rocker tower like you)

Plan is to cast at moment and then as my cnc skills improve do it that way. Been studying your YouTube Chanel’s to get an idea on suitable cutters speeds and feeds.  Must admit having the machine was the easy step. Feeling the joy now as I have actually gone from a simple drawing, done the cam and cut the item=> what a steep learning curve

Cheers jeff

[bent]

Nice start!  Good to see you here.

Like you, I'm nearing retirement and finding a plethora of projects to do...

"Chaos on the kitchen table" - and have this problem as well, the wife tends to chase me around the house, "cleaning up" my messes...may eventually have to clean up the garage workbench (or build a second workbench?) to find a permanent home for projects. 

[Greg Tev]

Hi Jeff,

Great work.
I now Jeff, the work he has done is to be proud of. Drawing up the model, 3D printing the pattern, and doing the castings. From a person with a non mechanical background he should be proud of himself, not a lot of people could do it.     

Greg T

[gadabout]

Welcome ,
I’m guessing the guild is at Old Petrie Town ?
I’m from Hobart , but am in Caloundra a fair bit , visit the Guild at OPT a bit. Great place!!

Cheers
Mark

[jirvin_4505]

Thanks for the welcomes

Yes I’ve joined the trades guild at Old Petrie Town and getting awesome support

https://www.facebook.com/northpinetradesguild/

I’ve moved the engine build over to engine from castings

https://www.modelenginemaker.com/index.php/topic,11017.0.html

Cheers Jeff