New Guy Checking In

[rleete]

Hello, everyone. I'd stumbled on this site a few weeks ago, and after spending several evenings reading, decided to join up.

I'm a mechanical designer by trade (Solidworks user, but old enough to remember the old board drafting days), a computer geek and a tinker by nature. I've been enthralled by mechanical devices of all sorts for as long as I can remember. In the past few years, model steam engines have caught my fancy, and I purchased a Homier 7x12 to start making my own. I recently aquired a HF micro mill and have started making chips.

My latest project is a small vertical wobbler, made from whatever materials I can scrounge up. I haven't taken any pictures yet, but I will now that I have a like-minded audience. I have drawn up plans for at least 3 more as my skills increase.

Some of you may have come across a website several years ago where a guy was attempting to make a 40% scale German Tiger I tank. That was me, but alas, the site is long gone. No, I never finished it - it sits in the back of the garage awaiting completion in the future.

I work for a company that does super precision machining of Fresnel lenses (lots of business in the solar industry), and have talked to all the guys in the shop to glean as much as I can. Every time I run into a problem, I have a ready source of experience and knowledge to rely on. I hope to learn more here as I continue to read, as well as get more ideas for future projects.

 

[jack404]

G'day rleete

welcome!!

this be the place for folks like us alright

now comes the hard part

show us what you got/done/doin' :big: :big: :big:

sad the hear about the Tiger, maybe we can bug you emnough for you to bring it to life and finish it??

cheers for now

jack

 

[wareagle]

Welcome to HMEM! Glad you found us and have come along for the ride!

It sounds like you have a wealth of information in your proverbial tool box. Utilize it as you need, and certainly ask any questions here that you may have.

Kind regards,
W/E

 

[rake60]

Welcome to HMEM rleete

Rick

 

[Brass_Machine]

Hi there!

Welcome to the club. Would love to see pictures of your scale tank (in progress!)

Eric

 

[Maryak]

rleete,

Welcome to our forum

Best Regards
Bob

 

[Tin Falcon]

welcome to HMEM
Tin

 

[CrewCab]

Welcome aboard rleete ............. just pull up a chair and enjoy your time on here ;D

CC

 

[rleete]

Thanks to all for the words of welcome. Time spent reading old posts has put a serious dent in machining time, but I've goten a lot of great tips and ideas.


Brass Machine, just for you:

It did get slightly further along than the pic, but that's the latest one I have. The Dodge in the background has been gone for over 3 years!

Pictures of wobbler parts to follow...

 

[itowbig]

howdy hey and welcome . we all like pics. that looks to be a good size tank there. plan on running it in a parade. looks like an interesting build

 

[bentprop]

Welcome,rleete,I;m sure you'll enjoy this friendly forum.Lots of good stuff for newbies and old pro's alike.

 

[garagemark]

Hey all. My name is Mark and I'm from West Virginia. I'm an electrical supervisor for a large aluminum smelter and I'm just getting into yet another hobby, metal working. I have a full sized wood shop, restore old cars and motorcycles, fish, camp, shoot, hunt, and just generally tinker. But I have always aspired to create in metal. I recently acquired a like new mill/ drill from a company that went out of business and am actively searching for a lathe (may have just found an old piece of American iron- we'll see).

Anyway, I just kind of stumbled onto this site and, gee whiz, I almost wish I hadn’t! You all have way too much fun with these little engines, and the darn things look VERY habit forming. I can see a project or ten in the works for my new metal munchers. So, thanks a lot in advance!

I will now lurk about and learn more about my newfound hobby. Oh, and I shall also ask questions. Some will be well thought out, and some may be stupid. But ask I will! I am not shy.

Cheers,
Mark

 

[rake60]

Welcome to HMEM Mark.

What part of West Virginia?
I spent about 10 years in Garrett County Maryland in the 1980's.
A 15 minute drive south, east or west had me in West Virginia.

Rick

 

[Maryak]

Mark,

Welcome to our forum.

Best Regards
Bob

 

[90LX_Notch]

Welcome Mark. I stumbled onto this site a few months ago and yes, this is a habit forming hobby.

Bob

 

[garagemark]

Thanks guys. Rick, I'm clear over on the left hand side of the state in Parkersburg. Any further left and I'd be wet in the Ohio River! You were in some of the better country on the other side, and indeed I go that way to play in the trout streams on weekends.

My passion has always been big steam locomotives (Norfolk and Western Railway specifically). It has always been a dream to create a working scale model of a class A, Y6B or J locomotive. Yeah, I think big. I like to try to run before I learn to crawl. Make lots of mistakes, but learn by fire. I have a blueprint set for some of the N&W's loco's. But since I'll be a complete novice to machining, I hope to find some sort of tutorials, tips and tricks, or rules for certain parts, along with places to get tubing and the like. Things like piston ring gaps, operating pressures, correct materials for the application, and sources for little stuff come to mind. I also belong to a machining forum, and they are in the mix for helping me aquire and learn my machines.

I need to get my lathe and the rest of the milling machine tooling secured first (I am single handedly keeping the economy going in theses parts! ;D ) So until then, I'll dig around here and learn from obvious masters of the craft. :bow:

Cheers,
Mark