How much gear do you need to start Model Engineering ????

[MICHAEL WILLIAMSParticipant @michaelwilliams41215]

There have been large numbers of postings on this site from beginners who say that they have already bought every conceivable manual machine and hand tool and now want advice on which CNC mill and CAD package to get .

All this before making even a washer .

Not long later the same people ask what would be the simplest model to start with and does anyone know how to turn the lathe on because they can't find the switch .

There was a time when most people started making something simple and then got some more tools and then a lathe etc and gradually built up skills and equipment over many years .

I say that those were happier times altogether .

Michael Williams .

[MICHAEL WILLIAMSParticipant @michaelwilliams41215]

[roy entwistleParticipant @royentwistle24699]

I would say that a hacksaw and a few files possibly a drill BUT the experience in using them is the main thing

[BazyleParticipant @bazyle]

Sadly a lot of people also think they have to be fully tooled up and even have completed a loco before coming along to their local club for advice or just to meet people. However one must allow for the fact that it is fun just collecting tools if you have the cash and just as legitimate an activity as collecting stamps or beanie babies. The Americans seem even worse on the forums as every town has a lathe shop and they have the space and money to get in the 14in job so their mates don't accuse them of having a toy lathe.

My current advice to the "I want to build a huge loco' person is to suggest they try making one of the coupling hooks and see if they get fed up. As they are going to need it anyway it is not time wasted. We sometimes give a short period of free membership to see if they are really interested as we don't want to take advantage of that first flush of over-enthusiasm.

[_Paul_Participant @_paul_]

The answer for me is not much more than a few files perhaps a pillar drill which will also give you "crude" miling capability a welder of some sort and of course where would you be without a hammer or two!

Tool collecting can be an expensive "disease"

Paul

[ron grimshawParticipant @rongrimshaw76129]

Paul which some one had told me that before I started. I now have most tools I believe I need then see something else. Got to have it no idea what it does. but then again will fit in with all my other tools well.

[ron grimshawParticipant @rongrimshaw76129]

Ps whats cad.

[John Stevenson 1Participant @johnstevenson1]

Posted by ron grimshaw on 26/02/2013 14:17:35:

Ps whats cad.

.

Clown Assisted Drawing

[ or most of what i get is ]

[AndyfParticipant @andyf]

Well, if you really want to get back to basics, there's a very interesting thread here on casting and building a lathe to the Gingery design. The first post says the author had no experience before he started. First build a furnace…..

Andy

[Ady1Participant @ady1]

You can start off quite cheap if you get a decent starter setup but the biggest problem I've run into is cheap material to chop up

When I first started I was producing bucketloads of swarf from scrounged off cuts and cheap scrap metal from yards

The off cuts sources dried up and Health and safety banned people from going into scrapyards in Scotland

Nowadays, unless you fancy paying top dollar for materials to practice with, you've got to ration your work rate where I live

In the first year or two of learning about lathe work you need to machine, and muck up, quite a lot of material to familiarise yourself with the skills

Edited By Ady1 on 26/02/2013 15:26:12

[Gordon WParticipant @gordonw]

From bitter experience :- a good ! vice is number one.

[SteambuffParticipant @steambuff]

A Mug and a Coffee Maker !!!!!

[_Paul_Participant @_paul_]

Ron I forget the amount of times I have "thought that looks handy" then years later pick the offending item off the shelf in it's seldom opened box…and wonder why….

[SkarvenParticipant @skarven]

I do not need all the things that I have in my workshop, but I must admit that it gives me great pleasure to own so much butiful metal and equipment! Lathe, mill, Rotary table, mill tramming thing, micrometers, calipers, QCTP, toolholders, DRO's, tachometers, VFD's…

For many years I made it without these things. Even if I , due to lack of time, have used my workshop mostly for different repair jobs, I still like to go in there to have a LOOK just for the pleasure it brings me!

An expencive car or anything else would not please me as much.

Kai

[MICHAEL WILLIAMSParticipant @michaelwilliams41215]

I was mainly inviting comment on the huge amount of gear that some people now regard as ESSENTIAL before they can even start and the philosophy of only hearing of construction projects that assume the existance of all this equipment .

Let's have a go at getting back to basics .

Many years ago myself and a schoolfriend made all sorts of things . Model railway parts , Morse telegraphs , electrostatic charge makers , Leyden jars , small tools , crystal sets – the list was endless .

Before very long we were making steam engines – simple oscillators and boilers – all made with minimal hand tools .

I'd like to know if any of you can still do this .

So lets see if any beginners or indeed old hands can come up with a viable design for a modern day steam engine and boiler that can be made with simple tools .

Regards ,

Michael Williams .

[BazyleParticipant @bazyle]

That reminds me that there was once an article on how to build a Stuart 10V without a lathe and it has been repeated once in ME and should be a regular 10yr repeat.

The people active in 16mm are the ones who meet more of your criteria as they are primarily railway modellers who sometimes stray in to model engineering as a means to an end rather than as their primary hobby.

[Engine BuilderParticipant @enginebuilder]

"So lets see if any beginners or indeed old hands can come up with a viable design for a modern day steam engine and boiler that can be made with simple tools ."

 

How about this hot air engine, no machine tools needed,

Trying to embed video aaaagh! I hate this site

 

 

Edited By David Clark 1 on 26/02/2013 21:35:08

[Engine BuilderParticipant @enginebuilder]

Got it to work!

Don't ask how.

Edited By Engine Builder on 26/02/2013 19:59:29

 

 

Edited By Engine Builder on 26/02/2013 20:02:08

Edited By Engine Builder on 26/02/2013 20:03:16

Edited By Engine Builder on 26/02/2013 20:06:27

[Derek DroverParticipant @derekdrover32802]

A wife/girlfriend/missus/boss/er-indoors who doesnt mind you dissapearing for hours on end or even enjoys you not being around !!!

I started off buying a loco that was already built and running.. then bought a mini lathe to keep it running and do little jobs to learn.. then eventually bought a bigger lathe and got hold of a mill, and gradually built up tooling.. this way I could enjoy using a loco whilst building one. If I'd gone straight into building one I'd have probably given up due to the amount of time it takes, especially as I'm learning the whole time (I'm not a mechanical engineer).

del.

[Sub MandrelParticipant @submandrel]

I've had a 'workshop' since about 13/14 years old. It wasn't until getting a lathe in my late 30s that I attempted anything that could honestly be called 'model engineering'.

It's clear there are things you can do without machine tools (a good example has been given) but, for me at least, that cheap (returned) mini-lathe was the 'transition' for me.

Neil

[Steve WithnellParticipant @stevewithnell34426]

My first steam cylinder assembly was made with a £50 lathe, worn out chuck with huge runout. No calibrated dials. The tooling was made (came with the lathe) from a set of 1/4 square letter stamps.

The nice thing about worn out lathes is that they still turn "round", turning oval would be real neat trick!

So I reckon you can get started for £100.

The first shock was as posted above, the cost of materials. I think the Nemett cost me £100 in materials, ball races, cam belt etc. And that's a scratch build. I dread tp think of the materials cost in even a modest loco.

[Les Jones 1Participant @lesjones1]

I think it can be an advantage starting out with a lathe like the one Steve Withnell started with. It will get you into the way of thinking "how can I get round the shortcomings of the tools I have". It will get you into planning the sequence of making a part to minimise inaccuracies. Even with better tools there will be times when you need to devise unusual ways to machine a difficult part.

Les.

Edited By Les Jones 1 on 26/02/2013 22:51:42

[DMBParticipant @dmb]

I would think that the best thing a complete beginner should do is something along the follwing lines to find out if the hobby is for him/her or not, without spending too much on it before possible abandonment. Decide on engine to build, preferably something not too big and with simple boiler. Don Young`s "Railmotor" possibly? Obtain drawings and preferably description of said loco in relevant magazine and decide which pieces to make first. Choose buffer beams, frame stretchers, coupling hooks, hand brake parts and so on. All the bits that just need a small (3"?) bench vise, couple of files, 6" steel rule, scriber and 4" engineers square. Fix vise to a substantial piece of board and clamp it to the top of a portable workbench which I think most people probably possess. Get set up on patio if weather OK or if not in an outhouse or greenhouse. There you go, no expense of dedicated garden shed and quite a small outlay to find out if this hobby is you!

John

[SpringbokParticipant @springbok]

We have a young man in our Society (BSMEE) who can make the most amazing models all working useing his mums hoover and Lego, He was on our club stand at Thornbury for 3 solid days, Tools his imagination. Me I was working close buy encouraging young people to make spinning tops with a lathe loaned from Warco for the duration. He was given a silver cup at our AGM for this.
And everyone said well deserved. I just hope that he took it to school to show it.

Bob

[Ian S CParticipant @iansc]

When I was nursing in a country hospital, I had no machine tools, just basic 6" rule, scriber, calipers, and 6" engineers square. A few files, a junior hacksaw, hammer, spanners and screw drivers etc. A good supply of aluminium (free). I made such things as orthopedic equipnent, ie., pully blocks, and brackets for hanging up broken legs, and other bits and pieces. My hobby at the time was radio and electronics, I also started a CB radio club for civil defence work, and for that built a 36ft portable mast, from the free aluminium, In emergency it could be assembled by one person in about 5min. I was just this afternoon using the frequency generator that I built at that time. Ian S C

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