Recent content by imation

Hi Finished about ten years ago!!!

The triple has been stripped down for her final painting, reassembled and tested. Reasonably happy with the result. Now that we all have time on our hands it's back to the workshop for a new project. Take care all in these difficult times. Mike.

Hi All Eight months on and things are progressing well. With all the expansion arm actuators completed, the worm gear assembly done, the water and air pump assembly with associated plumbing. Not sure how to tackle the condenser as yet, the casting version has it as part of the stanchions. I...

Hi All Back in the workshop and thought I would tackle a triple, started a couple of months ago and things are progressing well. The columns supporting the cylinders proved a bit of a challenge as were the split eccentrics but all in all things are going well. Cheers.

Hi Check out machine modifications by Imation July 14 2017. Cheers Mike.

Progress is slow with the usual two steps forward one back. Main additions are the boiler and some plumbing, the steering gear, bits and pieces for the cylinder assemblies. I intend to clad the boiler with walnut, I think it would have had some form of cladding? Anyhow back to the shed...

Hi All Big gears finished and a trial fit up, seems to run smoothly at this stage. Vederstein... you may be right, could be a pain in the ass!:wall:

Hi Peter It should be a working model up to a point, I hope to have it run on air. The size of the boiler and some of the fittings needed for steam, would make it very difficult to have a fully working steam model. Cheers Mike.

Hi all I hope everyone had a great Xmas, now it's time to get back to the workshop. I thought I would have a go at something different so I picked a design by Julius De Waal. This was a steam traction engine designed by Patrick Sterling but never actually built so I should be able to make...

Hi I do have a dual power system in that there is 12V lighting in the shed as well as a line to the house which illuminates the patio, bar b q, and even the decorative water feature. I only have to turn the inverter on when I need to run the heavier equipment. Cheers. Mike.

Hi Peter That photo was taken last week...it's July...in Australia that is mid winter! My wife and I live in Rockhampton Qld, which is on the tropic of Capricorn. In summer the temperature in the shed regularly hits 110 F and when it hits 115 F I head inside the house to the air...

Hi All As with most Australians I became concerned with the ever growing power bill, getting ripped off by greedy energy suppliers but that is getting a little political so I wont go there. I have hit back by going solar in the shed, it has been operating for over 12 months now with not one...

I have retained the overload clutch as I think it is important, another small mod was to replace the two bronze bushes with needle rollers. You are right in the fact that the ratio has been changed but the effect is negligible and I get a good range of speeds. Cheers Mike.

They are indeed one piece, I made a cutter and using the mill (head locked in position) with a rotary table I use a broaching action to form the teeth, very happy with the result.

Hi All I recently returned to a smaller lathe after having a 300mm unit for several years, the chucks were a pain to lift and change. I had owned the smaller 200mm in the past but the 5mm drive belts were a nightmare, breaking at the most inopportune times.(And costing over $30). I got hold...