steam engines

[newbie28]

Good day to all,

I am very interested in moving beyond the newbie stage in machining. However, i know nothing about it, no tools either, but i know i have to begin somewhere. Would anyone have suggestions or advise on where to begin? I am a draftsman by trade and have a BS in electrical engineering. Please advise.

 

[b.lindsey]

Welcome to the forum. You should be able to get a lot of good ideas and advice here. I would encourage you to take some time to look around at some of the projects both current and in older posts and see what interests you. Most would probably tell you to begin with a bar stock project, something simpler at first like an oscillating cylinder engine. Of course it will be necessary to gather up some tools first and there is pleny of good advice around here in that regard also. Give some thought to what size engines you might want to make, both how and in the future as that will help guide your choices of tooling, machine tools, etc. Your background in drafting should be of help. Mostly just have fun and take things slow so you don't get frustrated. We have all been down that road of just starting out, so don't be shy about asking questions.

Regards,
Bill

 

[newbie28]

Bill-

Thanks for responding so quickly. I should have added in my first post that my father i a hobby machinist. He owns a (i believe) a 60" metal lathe and a really nice vertical mill. So i may or may not have the tools (depending on his mood) but I have several projects in which i am very interested. Actually, i have way too many hobbies, 4 kids, and a loving wife. So I guess it will be mostly research for the time being. Any books or reference material you might suggest?

Thanks-

Dan

 

[b.lindsey]

Here's one you might consider but written from the perspective of smaller machine tools. If your dad indeed has a 60" lathe, that is considerably larger than most hobbyists have.

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_b?url=search-alias=stripbooks&field-keywords=tabletop+machining

Another good one in your case might be "Keeping Dad in a good Mood" :big:

I am sure others will have many suggestions also. If you enjoy periodicals then I would recommend "Home Shop Machinist," "Live Steam & Outdoor Railroading," or "Machinist's Workshop" all published by Village Press.

Bill

 

[newbie28]

Bill-

Thanks again. I believe its 60". It maybe smaller. And about his mood, well, I try. I will check out the link and all the other references.

Dan

 

[Tin Falcon]

Newbie:
Check out the link section here.

The military pubs link

the south bend site link

the 1915 Machinery handbook
this should get you started.
Tin

 

[newbie28]

Tin-

Thanks. Hopefully soon I may be able to answer a few questions rather than ask so many.

Dan

 

[Philjoe5]

Dan,
I second Tin's recommendation of the South Bend websire as well as their popular book "How to Run a Lathe". Also a popular textbook is John Walker's "Machining Fundamentals". I started with those resources. Then after you get tired (and totally confused) from reading make some chips. Go slowly at first and if you're cutting something and you're getting vibration or a loud screetching sound - STOP. That means you're pushing the tools to do something they're not capable of. You're lucky to have someone experienced near the shop. Mostly have fun.

Cheers,
Phil

 

[bearcar1]

Yes, by all means read as much as you possibly can and do it several times until you have become comfortable with what has been printed. Do not merely read once and ask a million questions, allow yourself time to comprehend what the topic covers. By reading and 'doing your homework' you will be able to answer many of the questions that will arise for yourself. There is a wealth of information and experience to be learned here as well. A friend of mine recently got interested in this hobby and has aggravated me to no end by not listening to advice given regarding doing the required reading and research. He would must rather take the low road and ask me about things that are clearly covered in the textbooks at his disposal. Sorry for the rant and BTW, welcome to the forum Dan, you'll have a ball here.

BC1
Jim

 

[newbie28]

To All-

Thanks guys. Yall have given me a lot of information. :bow:

Dan