Hello Members All - BILLMC

[Bill Mc]

Hello everyone. Thank you for accepting me into your club. Also thanks to rake60 and Maryak for showing me how to make my first post. I worked? for 30 years for Bell Canada and retired at the end of 1995. I took machine shop in high school and never got back into it until two years ago although I always wanted to. Got married in the mean time, bought a home, cars, raised and put my son through school.........you guys know the rest of it. I had the money Ha-Ha and no time. Now I have the time and NO MONEY. I am 67 years young. You only get one kick at the cat in this life so in 2007 I purchased a Craftex (Busy Bee) CT039 9X20 Lathe and the following year a Craftex CT129 Milling Machine (MT2 Taper Spindle). I joined MEN (Model Engine News). FAME (Florida Association Of Model Engineers) and Yahoo Groups for the same reason as I have joined yours (HMEM). That is to learn how to setup and use my machines as well as build model engines (or at least try to) which is my passion. I know my workmanship will never even closely compare to the many fine machining examples I see on this site BUT I WILL GIVE IT A DAMN GOOD TRY. So here goes.......................... Yours Truly BILLMC

P.S. The members that set a fine example by not only showing their models photos but showing the Step-by-step building of them IS EXACTLY WHAT I AM LOOKING FOR!

 

[chuck foster]

welcome bill i hope you enjoy your stay.

chuck

 

[malcolmt]

Hi Bill

You are in just the right place for that.
Welcome

Malcolm

 

[ksouers]

Bill,
Welcome to HMEM. Never to young to start machining ;D
Everyone here is willing to help with any questions you may have. So far nobody has been turned away wanting.


Cheers,
Kevin

 

[rake60]

Welcome to HMEM Bill

Rick

 

[Philjoe5]

Welcome Bill. Have fun with your machinery, and here's to the success of your first build

Cheers
Phil

 

[Maryak]

Bill,

Welcome to our forum.

Glad you found Rick's and my info helpful.

Best Regards
Bob

 

[itowbig]

I BIG WELCOME BILL. :bow: you have indeed found a good and perhalps the best( i sure think so) place for good answers and good freind ships and good advice and good well you get the idea ;D

 

[cfellows]

Hi Bill, welcome to HMEM.

Chuck

 

[Metal Mickey]

Welcome Bill, and all I can say is give it a go! There are lots of suitable projects and tools that will help. I find that its best to treat it like eating an elephant! Small bites is best!

 

[90LX_Notch]

Welcome. You came to the right place if this is your passion. I just started with this hobby in January and it consumes me. I should have my second engine done within the next couple of days. Welcome to the madness.

 

[bentprop]

Hello Bill,welcome to this fine forum of HMEM.I'm sure you'll find plenty here to learn and admire.
Don't despair,once you start actually using your machines,you'll expand your knowledge rapidly.
Experience is the best teacher .All the best.Hans.

 

[Bill Mc]

Thanks to the members for their warm hellos. I have allready attempted to build two engines of which neither ran because of poor tolerances (commonly known as BAD MACHINING), but as someone already has said that you learn from your mistakes.The first engine I built was J. Webster's NGEZ-1 engine (Plans DOUBLED in size) if you can imagine that. As you know that particular engine is a diesel requiring high compression. My son says that I started too complex an engine for a beginner. If you would like to see a photo of it someone tell me how to add a photo to this posting (or elsewhere, being the proper place for it). The second engine I tried to build was the 'Little Dragon'. I wasn't doing too badly on it until my eyes started giving me trouble (cateracts). I had to prospone the work on it this winter because of blurred vision. I had my right eye done in December and am getting the other one done in April. I will be ready to give it H____ next fall after this summer's camping season is over. I think I will start on something simpler like a WOBBLER until I get more experience under my belt. Meanwhile I will be watching you fellas work and learning how to do it right. Take care for now. - BILLMC

 

[Philjoe5]

Hey Bill....been there and done that. I started out trying to build a Stirling engine. Never could get the thing to run reliably. I can say that the experience taught me a lot, though so keep pluggin' away.

Cheers,
Phil

 

[Bill Mc]

View attachment Webster NGEZ Engine (X 2 Sized).bmp

 

[fdew]

A couple of comments on what to build.

I to am over 60 and I don't see quite as well as I did.
I think bigger is better, to a point. A .010 error in a 1.5 in bore is not as bad as it is in a .38 bore.
If you build a steam engine and run it on air, you can use O-Rings for rings. and get some more forgiveness.
Also, build the hard part first, Then build the easy part to fit. Example, Your cylinder is designed to be 1.500 Dia. You goof and it is 1.514, OK Machine the piston very carfully until it just fits, Use the cylinder as a gauge.

Just random thoughts.

Frank

 

[Bill Mc]

Thanks for the tips FDEW. I can use all the ones that I can get

 

[Metal Mickey]

Welcome KD7FHG

 

[rake60]

Welcome to HMEM KD7FHG

Rick