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I think Mechanicboy is wrong with his size of 5/16th. I have a Stuart made S50 and the thread is only 1/4 x 40tpi. although on the drawing it shows 1/4 x 32tpi, but I think either would do. The smaller exhaust 3/16th exhaust thread is 40tpi.

I do not think there would be much difference between an old and a new No 8 design if in fact these exist. The S50 would be pretty much the same to build as the No 8 anyway. Beware of the crankshaft casting which originally was made of very soft malleable cast iron. Make sure it is supported...

Having made a No8 I can confirm that the set is for this engine. Missing is the important connecting rod casting. These are available from Stuarts but are around £12. The rod could be cut out of thick brass. Also there are no fixings and these are expensive at around £15 the set. They are...

Grinders as sold are fitted with a coarse grit and a fine grit wheel. If the fine wheel is to be used for lathe tool or drill sharpening, I have always found the fine wheel to be much too coarse. I fit a 200 grit wheel for this purpose as the tool will give a much better finish on the metal.

All you need can be found on an old car (before alternator era) which would have a proper 12v dynamo with the correct output and an AVC unit with cut-out to control things. This would give the sort of output you need . The voltage would be regulated - that is high when battery voltage is low...

You should be able to find instructional videos on Youtube for just abou all your needs. Try those of Tubal Cain. Also Mitttech -University of Michigan I believe do some excellent videos. You should have no need for recourse to paying or personal instruction these days. Tomol

I would question the tailstock taper being 3MT on a Mini Lathe. All the ones I have checked up up on are 2MT. The taper does not necessarily have to be full length. It will still locate accurately even if slightly shorter. The topslide travel on my Boxford is just too short to turn a 2MT...

Factories would normally use ganged cutters and cut all fins at one go. They will also be self supporting and prevent flexing. These could be made up from suitable slitting saws and spacers.

I typed Morse Taper into Google search and Wikipedia gave a complete table of the information required. Place a suitable length and dia. of steel in the 3-jaw, and turn as near as you can. Careful measurements at the correct distance apart will yield a fairly accurate blank. Remove the...

There is little doubt that a round ended tool will help to achieve a fine finish. But it should not be overlooked that it will also leave filleted corners. We are dealing here with models and sharp corners are the order of the day to achieve good fits. I prefer to use a sharp knife tool and to...

A 9 cylinder radial engine has only five cams on each cam ring. Figure that one out.

Got chopped off there before correcting and finishing off the post. The prop needs to be set at the 20 past 10 position. The flick must be as fast as can be mustered going round 180degrees. Keep increasing the compression until a distinct hardness begins to creep in then back off a little...

Bollaero is a diesel engine and does not run on nitro fuel. That is for glowplug engines. Diesel fuel is bascally one third each of paraffin, castor oil and ether. Amyl nitrate can be added at a very low percentage, that is if you can get it! The fit of the piston is easily determined by the...

The thing about Stuart castings is that they a made from superb cast iron. But watch out for the malleable iron crankshafts which can tie themselves into pretzels, they are so soft. Some of the set- ups have a lot of overhang which courts disaster as some have experienced. Remember the old...

Has anyone yet got a Bollaero to start and run?

Beware of compounds supplied for valve grinding. The fine of some is as coarse as the coarse in other packages. I use 400 grit for model diesel steel cylinders and this will give almost a mirror finish. Depending on the finish you have achieved, you may need several grades of compound. 100...

BA is short for the British Association of Scientists and is a metric thread derived from a Swiss thread for scientific instruments in the beginning. Apart from the angle OBA is 6mm in size and pitch. Each successive size down is 0.9 0f the previous one hence the peculiar decimal TPI. To...

The point on taps is there to mount for the fluting in the manufacturing process. It can be ground off with impunity to bottom out a thread. Some taps have a centre hole for the same purpose. Use a chuck type tap wrench when tapping small sizes, which have a short T-handle and impart less...

I get mine from a chemists shop. It is sold for various medical purposes. Bunyon and corn pads are a case in point.

I do not use a roundnose tool for a fine finish, as the small work I do requires sharp shoulders. I have always used the method of reducing the plan trail angle of the tool to a bare minimum, ( that is the angle between th front edge of a knife tool and the workpiece, as seen looking down) Too...