steamboat willie
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Jun 2, 2012
- Messages
- 67
- Reaction score
- 7
Hello!
My name is Bill, known as Steamboat Willie both here and on the Mamod and Other Model Steam Forum. I like model steam and model boats, so it seemed a good handle, reflective of the combination of these two interests.
I live in Canberra, Australia.
I am an amateur hack hobby machinist, having had several years of assiduously failing the hobby Fitting and Machining Course at the local Technical College. Eventually I was told that I must have learnt something...and couldn't re-enroll. (Damn!).
I started off getting involved in doing my own machining as a result of a terminal disease that I have - its to do with a incurable love of veteran and vintage cars. In particular, I like Fiats, and have a fully restored 1922 Fiat 501 convertible, and am building my very own sports car - on a 1924 chassis with 1924 running gear. I have never had a sports car and decided that I wanted to become a member of the Toothless Hoons befoe it was too late. An interest in machining became a necessity for me as I found that no shops around here stocked parts for 90 year old cars... This was further compounded when a couple of years ago I purchased the makings of a 1910 Tipo 1 Fiat Landaulette which has an all-wooden body. This car is also under restoration, as my limited health allows. (I hobble around on a stick, and have good days and bad days, as I am sure many others can empathise with.
I have always likes model steam , and dabble in that when I find I am unable to work on the veteran and vintage cars. I refer to it as my therapy!!! I have an old (1959) Nuttal lathe with a gap bed (which I find extremely helpful to do some of those b-i-g bits on the veteran). I also have a smaller (chinese) lathe which I use exclusively for small and light (usually brass) parts. It is this lathe that I have fitted with the Multifix Suisse -Aa- toolpost, and for which I am seeking additional tool holders).
I have done courses in both arc and oxy welding (again at Tafe) which I use extensively rebuilding up worn bits prior to remachining. I have also done 3 years of panel beating, an essential when restoring vintage cars. And just for good measure, I did a course of dressmaking too!
Well,that's a bit about me. Please feel free to contact me if you think I might be able to help you in any way. Knowledge is useless if you don't share it, and I find mistakes just too easy to make!!!
Cheerio for now!
Steamboat Willie.
