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Hello you all fine artists.
My name is Imack Collins, I am a Mechanical Engineer specialized in the design of Internal Combustion Engines. Live in NorthWest Louisiana in the small town of Benton. Wife and three teens.
I have published several patents on Low Emission Two-cycle engines. If you are curious, you can search the USPTO patent database and put in your search IMACK in the inventors name field.
Used to work as an Designer and R&D engineer for mass producers of gas powered tools like Poulan/Weed Eater and John Deere Consumer Products. Since 10 years ago moved back to Louisiana (where is the wife's home country) and work for Libbey Glass as a plain Mechanical Engineer.
Nowadays, I do the designs on my own and try to sell them to manufacturers without falling into conflict of interests.
I am sure I will enjoy this group of folks since I can see great craftmanship galore. Once in a while I need to build prototypes to validate my inventions and have been in the situation of needing help for parts building or difficult to locate components.
I have an small shop with small lathe, a drill mill and few accessories, grinders, welders, and a load of small tools. Not a great machinist but do what I can to get the job done!
Actually I am in the process of expanding my garage in a true shop 26 x 34 ft. I am doing most of the construction myself. Hope to finish before July.
Glad to join the club!
Imack
My name is Imack Collins, I am a Mechanical Engineer specialized in the design of Internal Combustion Engines. Live in NorthWest Louisiana in the small town of Benton. Wife and three teens.
I have published several patents on Low Emission Two-cycle engines. If you are curious, you can search the USPTO patent database and put in your search IMACK in the inventors name field.
Used to work as an Designer and R&D engineer for mass producers of gas powered tools like Poulan/Weed Eater and John Deere Consumer Products. Since 10 years ago moved back to Louisiana (where is the wife's home country) and work for Libbey Glass as a plain Mechanical Engineer.
Nowadays, I do the designs on my own and try to sell them to manufacturers without falling into conflict of interests.
I am sure I will enjoy this group of folks since I can see great craftmanship galore. Once in a while I need to build prototypes to validate my inventions and have been in the situation of needing help for parts building or difficult to locate components.
I have an small shop with small lathe, a drill mill and few accessories, grinders, welders, and a load of small tools. Not a great machinist but do what I can to get the job done!
Actually I am in the process of expanding my garage in a true shop 26 x 34 ft. I am doing most of the construction myself. Hope to finish before July.
Glad to join the club!
Imack
willburrrr2003
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Welcome Imack!! Looking forward to seeing your shop and future projects 
Regards,
Will R.
Regards,
Will R.
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Welcome Imack .Glad to have you .Dale
Harold Lee
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wEc1
Welcome to the forum Imak.... As you have already heard, we have a huge appetite for pictures.
Looking forward to hearing from you.
Harold
Welcome to the forum Imak.... As you have already heard, we have a huge appetite for pictures.
Looking forward to hearing from you.
Harold
drysdam
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Hello, everyone. My name's David and I'm new here and to machining in general. I found you guys from the lathemaster mailing list. I've been looking for a site exactly like this, don't know how I missed it...
I've actually been doing a lot of reading and video-watching over the past several years, but it's all theoretical and I've barely gotten my hands dirty at all. I'm only just now able to afford a lathe.
I'm thinking about getting the LMS wobbler kit to start with. However, I usually hate kits and would rather start from raw materials for unit-cost and oh-crap-I-screwed-it-up-AGAIN insurance. That said, all that raw material all at once is kind of expensive, plus I don't have a bandsaw (at least not one I'd trust trying to cut 1/4" drill rod...or even aluminum). What are the thoughts here about this?
(If it matters, buying all the metal stock in the kit is about 4x the price of the kit before shipping but you get 12" or more of each rather than just 2". Plus the kit has the springs and fittings, although I don't expect those to be too hard to find.)
I've actually been doing a lot of reading and video-watching over the past several years, but it's all theoretical and I've barely gotten my hands dirty at all. I'm only just now able to afford a lathe.
I'm thinking about getting the LMS wobbler kit to start with. However, I usually hate kits and would rather start from raw materials for unit-cost and oh-crap-I-screwed-it-up-AGAIN insurance. That said, all that raw material all at once is kind of expensive, plus I don't have a bandsaw (at least not one I'd trust trying to cut 1/4" drill rod...or even aluminum). What are the thoughts here about this?
(If it matters, buying all the metal stock in the kit is about 4x the price of the kit before shipping but you get 12" or more of each rather than just 2". Plus the kit has the springs and fittings, although I don't expect those to be too hard to find.)
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Welcome David Glad to have you . Dale
Harold Lee
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David,
Welcome to the forum wEc1 You will find everyone here very willing to lend a hand. My son in law wanted to learn to use a lathe and didn't know where to start. Since everything including an engine takes more tools than just a lathe, I decided to start him out with cutting a set of threads. It is complex enough to be a challenge and it uses enough of the steps that it takes a lot of patience and reading. I gave him a lugnut off of a Dodge wheel and told him we were going to single tool a bolt for this. For raw materials a single oversize bolt from Lowe's or Home depot can be purchased for under a dollar. The skill you will develop will be valuable for the rest of your machining period and you can carry it around in your pocket like my son in law and play with it when you are bored. Even at 65 years old, when I want to test an unfamiliar machine or a lathe I have just tuned up, a thread is the best way to do it IMHO.
I just ran this one on an Atlas 12 inch lathe and wanted to test the quick change and gearing out.
After you are done you can use it for a paperweight and have a reminder of your first project. Lathe - $2,000.00 , Hours spent making a thread - 15, Dollars spent on raw material - $1.00, fun and experience - PRICELESS!!!
Now go make some chips and we are here if you need help. Enjoy your lathe...
Harold
Welcome to the forum wEc1 You will find everyone here very willing to lend a hand. My son in law wanted to learn to use a lathe and didn't know where to start. Since everything including an engine takes more tools than just a lathe, I decided to start him out with cutting a set of threads. It is complex enough to be a challenge and it uses enough of the steps that it takes a lot of patience and reading. I gave him a lugnut off of a Dodge wheel and told him we were going to single tool a bolt for this. For raw materials a single oversize bolt from Lowe's or Home depot can be purchased for under a dollar. The skill you will develop will be valuable for the rest of your machining period and you can carry it around in your pocket like my son in law and play with it when you are bored. Even at 65 years old, when I want to test an unfamiliar machine or a lathe I have just tuned up, a thread is the best way to do it IMHO.
I just ran this one on an Atlas 12 inch lathe and wanted to test the quick change and gearing out.
After you are done you can use it for a paperweight and have a reminder of your first project. Lathe - $2,000.00 , Hours spent making a thread - 15, Dollars spent on raw material - $1.00, fun and experience - PRICELESS!!!
Now go make some chips and we are here if you need help. Enjoy your lathe...
Harold
Welcome, David.
The kits are nice since they usually have all the material to make the engine. BUT...They only have enough material to make the engine once! When you botch a part, and everyone does a few, you will have get more material to continue the build. Buying your material from a supplier will give you that extra you will need to continue your build without delay. Another idea is to purchase two of the same kit so you will have the material to make one more try to get it right.
You might like to follow along on zeeprogrammer's build of the LMS Open Column Launch Engine from a kit. http://www.homemodelenginemachinist.com/index.php?topic=5037.0
He was a complete newbie at the time and has a very interesting style of asking the questions and admitting his learning experiences that most newbies are afraid to admit to publicly. He also chronicles several other builds from kits.
Again Welcome to the forum and start making chips and begin your learning experience.
Rolla
The kits are nice since they usually have all the material to make the engine. BUT...They only have enough material to make the engine once! When you botch a part, and everyone does a few, you will have get more material to continue the build. Buying your material from a supplier will give you that extra you will need to continue your build without delay. Another idea is to purchase two of the same kit so you will have the material to make one more try to get it right.
You might like to follow along on zeeprogrammer's build of the LMS Open Column Launch Engine from a kit. http://www.homemodelenginemachinist.com/index.php?topic=5037.0
He was a complete newbie at the time and has a very interesting style of asking the questions and admitting his learning experiences that most newbies are afraid to admit to publicly. He also chronicles several other builds from kits.
Again Welcome to the forum and start making chips and begin your learning experience.
Rolla
drysdam
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You might like to follow along on zeeprogrammer's build of the LMS Open Column Launch Engine from a kit.
Aha, this looks like it'll be perfect, thanks!
For the threading project suggested by someone else: That looks great! I may try that as well. Although I don't have a knurling tool yet...
Aha, this looks like it'll be perfect, thanks!
For the threading project suggested by someone else: That looks great! I may try that as well. Although I don't have a knurling tool yet...
Tin Falcon
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David:
LMS has the oscillator plans available for free download. If you plan to buy your own stock also in you like the open clumn launch john tom .com has plans for the http://www.john-tom.com/MyPlans/SteamPlans3/RiverQueenEngine/RiverQueenPlansInstruction.pdf similar to the OC launch engine .
Tin
LMS has the oscillator plans available for free download. If you plan to buy your own stock also in you like the open clumn launch john tom .com has plans for the http://www.john-tom.com/MyPlans/SteamPlans3/RiverQueenEngine/RiverQueenPlansInstruction.pdf similar to the OC launch engine .
Tin
drysdam
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I'm not done with that zeeprogrammer vs the oscillator thread yet, but it's a goldmine of info, especially from mklotz.
I'm ordering the walkthrough video to watch before I start to get another perspective. The thing I'm mainly nervous about (and I don't think the video will help) is that I don't have a milling machine. Some of the operations can be done on the lathe instead, but a) I'm not necessarily sure how and b) some of them aren't.
I guess I'll just ask here as they come up...
I'm ordering the walkthrough video to watch before I start to get another perspective. The thing I'm mainly nervous about (and I don't think the video will help) is that I don't have a milling machine. Some of the operations can be done on the lathe instead, but a) I'm not necessarily sure how and b) some of them aren't.
I guess I'll just ask here as they come up...
Tinkerer58
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Just on that circlip thing, you know what I do?? I get a small piece of string and tie it through the hole and the other end to pliers, screw driver or any other tool on the bench, if it goes "PING" just pull the "STRING" LOL. I lost to many circlips to keep count and there is nothing worse when you're doing a job and you loose 4 circlips on it and they were the last 4 you had, that Jesus soon changes to @$#%!^%&@#*&@(*(#(#(@&^))!!!!!!!! ???
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