Ken Brunskill
Well-Known Member
Hello, fellow handle crankers (even those of you who are CAM operators) 
.
Just a few quick notes about myself and my interests:
Served a Tool & Die Apprenticeship 1960-1965 at Smith Corona Marchant, in Oakland, CA, (1960-1963), they moved to South Carolina, I finished my apprenticeship at Ampex, in Redwood City, CA. Great experience except for the trauma of the SCM plant closing, the experience provided me with a great background, in Model Making, Stamping Die design and build (we did not have tool drawing to work from), spent time on Jig Boring, Jig Grinding, Heat Treating, plating, Meteorology (reconditioning surface plates, Gage Blocks, Measuring Tools, etc.)
Worked a few years as a journeyman at an Investment Casting outfit, making molds for the lost wax patterns, that place burned to the ground and I lost all my tools, went on to be a Tool Designer, then Manufacturing Engineer, obtaining a BS from University of San Francisco in 1978, did a stint as Engineering Manager until retiring in 1998.
So all that time I was collecting tools to feel 'whole again', I guess , a machinist or tool maker hates to be without his tools .
So, my interests have been and are, mechanical for the most part;
I've bought and rebuilt Large Scale Live Steamers, currently am converting a 1.5" scale NG C16 Consolidation from coal to propane, have the fuel car 90% completed. Locomotive is converted, now need to work on the tender so I can connect the fuel from the Fuel Car car to the Locomotive.
Built a couple of Sterling Cycle models, one a Tractor that I took to New Zealand in 2000, and another Stationary type.
Currently am building an Atkinson Differential model.
.Just a few quick notes about myself and my interests:
Served a Tool & Die Apprenticeship 1960-1965 at Smith Corona Marchant, in Oakland, CA, (1960-1963), they moved to South Carolina
, I finished my apprenticeship at Ampex, in Redwood City, CA. Great experience except for the trauma of the SCM plant closing, the experience provided me with a great background, in Model Making, Stamping Die design and build (we did not have tool drawing to work from), spent time on Jig Boring, Jig Grinding, Heat Treating, plating, Meteorology (reconditioning surface plates, Gage Blocks, Measuring Tools, etc.)Worked a few years as a journeyman at an Investment Casting outfit, making molds for the lost wax patterns, that place burned to the ground and I lost all my tools, went on to be a Tool Designer, then Manufacturing Engineer, obtaining a BS from University of San Francisco in 1978, did a stint as Engineering Manager until retiring in 1998.
So all that time I was collecting tools to feel 'whole again', I guess , a machinist or tool maker hates to be without his tools .
So, my interests have been and are, mechanical for the most part;
I've bought and rebuilt Large Scale Live Steamers, currently am converting a 1.5" scale NG C16 Consolidation from coal to propane, have the fuel car 90% completed. Locomotive is converted, now need to work on the tender so I can connect the fuel from the Fuel Car car to the Locomotive.
Built a couple of Sterling Cycle models, one a Tractor that I took to New Zealand in 2000, and another Stationary type.
Currently am building an Atkinson Differential model.
